My Winter Rims/Tires Setup: TRMotorsport C2 + Blizzak LM-25 w/TPMS w/pics (AK370Z)
 

http://www.awltovhc.com/image-3768162-10402888
/\/\ Please use the link above to purchase Winter Rims and Tires. By doing this, you'll be supporting The370z.com.

Last winter, when I had only 300 miles on my Z, I drove my Z in the snow(bad decision). The End result was NOT very pretty (car got stuck in snow and ended up being buried in 16"+ snow). You can read more about it here: http://www.the370z.com/new-370z-owne...html#post37772

This winter I HAD TO get some Winter rims and tires. Thanks to spearfish for making the "Cheap winter rims/tires" thread, I ended up ordering nice package from Tirerack.

I got the Light Grey Painted TRMotorsports C2 with Blizzak LM-25. I liked the way these rims looked (Kinda looks like Volks TE-37) and they are also super lightweight. As for tires, the Blizzaks are on CLOSEOUT price! I had to get them for the money they were asking :).

Installation:

Tools Needed:
a. Torque wrench
b. Car Jack.
c. 12 mm wrench.
d. Help from another friend or a long metal or aluminum pipe to loose the OEM lugnuts.

Installation was very straight forward. The lugnuts on the OEM rims were very tight. I had a friend hold the wrench as I was literally jumping on it! I did notice that some wheels were more tighter than the other.

Once the wheels are off, you'll notice a 12 mm bolt on both front lug area. You MUST remove this bolt. You will not need this bolt again (not even for the OEM rims/tires).

Make sure you use the PROPER jack points. Front jack points are NOT right next the front wheel but they are a little further back. Look for these jack points if you don't want any damage to your Z.

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02445.jpg
The tires ARE directional so please make sure you mount the rims on right wheels. This is something very easy to overlook (even we almost overlooked it).

Tirerack will provide you new set of lugnuts. You CAN NOT use the oem lugnuts or locks. As for locks, I plan on stopping by the nearest AUTOZONE to pick up a generic wheel locks.

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02461.jpg
YOU MUST tight the rims with 80 ft/lbs of torque with a torque wrench. I picked this Torque wrench from ebay couple months ago for less than $35 (shipped). It def did a fantastic job today. This wrench ranged from 5 ft/lbs to 150 ft/lbs.

Before driving off, check the tire pressures. 3 of my tires were 32 PSI and the 4th one had 42 PSI. I changed the 4th to 32 PSI so that they are all even. I was told by a base member bluzman that base OEM rims are usually 35 PSI. So, I think I may bring them up to 35 PSI (not 100% sure. I will probably give tirerack a call before I do so). Though I am aware of the benefit of lower tire pressure in driving in snow. But the TPMS are set from factory to go off below 33 PSI (I'm not sure if the value is changeable during calibration). I'll keep you guys posted. The TPMS hasn't went off yet (takes 30+ miles of driving as most members posted here)

I have to re-torque the rims after 100 miles. This is necessary because as the wheels are breaking in they may compress slightly allowing their lugs to lose some of their torque.

Weight:

18" TRMotorsports C2 (18 x 8.5) with Blizzak LM-25 (225/50R18) = 50 lbs

19" OEM super light FORGED Rays with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A (275/35ZR19) REAR rims/tires = 56 lbs
19" OEM super light FORGED Rays with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A (245/40ZR19) Front rims/tires = 52 lbs

The weight of the new winter rims/tires are 50 lbs. I was able to snap 1 last picture before my camera battery died. Here's a picture:
http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02434.jpg

These new rims/tires are 6 lbs lighter than the 19" rays! That's a significant weight reduction. They are also 2 lbs lighter than the front wheels.

Pictures:
I'll clean the tires and post better pictures tomorrow but here are some I took today.

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02450.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...SC02445new.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02437.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02441.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02453.jpg

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02451.jpg

They don't look too bad for a winter setup, do they?

Impression:

My very first impression was, "Holy sh*t, the car feels lighter!" :icon17: Shredding 6 lbs from each rear wheels and 2 lbs from the fronts, makes the car feel a lot lighter. That was a big selling point for these rims. Also, MANY SCCA and BMW guys use this exact rims as a track rims due to their lightweight and build quality. So, in near future when I do go to the track, I can simply put on some sticky tires and head to the nearest ThunderBolt track :driving:. Money well spent.

The ride was def a lot softer and less bumpy. The reason could be the softer tire compound of the Blizzak's and thinner wheel size 18x8.5 (vs 19x9 or 19x10). I suppose to hear more noises from these winter tires due to their thread pattern/compound but so far driving, I can barely tell.

Overall I'm very happy with the rims/tires and looking forward to test these in snow :tup:. I'm waiting for the TPMS to throw the warning so that I can go to the dealer and get them recalibrated. Any questions, feel free to ask. Let me hear your story (i.e. how your winter setup feels, weights etc)
If I missed any info, I'll add them later.

Thanks.

UPDATE as of January 31st 2010
Finally drove the Z in snow. Take a look at the video.

Watch it on YouTube (slightly bigger screen): YouTube - Nissan 370Z driving in snow on Blizzak and TR Motorsports C2 .wmv

nice right up AK!

im not crazy about the offset and color of the rims...but i can sympathize with you cause your in new england and snow tires are much needed if the z is going to be your daily driver...:tup:

Looks fine, just drive safe. I know you will, but I have to say that!

I'm in New Jersey :hello:

Thanks Cliff. I will.

still new england as far as i knew...

so i take it you're driving around with the TPMS light on?

and for those unfamiliar, don't torque around the wheel, but use a star-pattern when you go around the bolts to tighting :)

The light didn't go off yet. I have only driven the car like 12 miles. I was told, it takes 30+ miles for the TPMS to go off.

Nice rims buddy. My TPMS took about 2 days to go off. Fortunately, the light is not annoying at all. It doesn't come up on the computer display. It's just a little lamp in the lower right below the fuel gauge. Since I didn't get the TPMS, I'm glad I don't have to disable the warning on the computer each time.

For the first time in a long time, I find myself saying "snow already damnit!" I want to try these babies out.

I bet it feels SO mushy haha. Going from winter tires to summer tires is one of the best mods ever haha.

Nice!! You got me thinking of getting the same setup. Do you rear spacers are necessary if I go for the same setup?

rear spacers? I do not have any spacers in any of the rims.

They are kinda mushy!

I have that same exact wrench. :tiphat:

http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/s...m/DSC02461.jpg

damn those look nice! kinda looks like volks. and to all the volk lovers i said kinda.

thanks.

BTW, I am going to re-torque the rims after 100 miles. This is necessary because as the wheels are breaking in they may compress slightly allowing their lugs to lose some of their torque.

AK, How many miles do you drive daily to and from work? I really want a set a winter wheels/tires but I live less than 2 miles from work so I can get a ride if its too bad to drive.

i keep thinking 18 inch wheels and keeping the same relative tire sizes that the 19's have. Your impression of just 6 pounds making a world of a difference makes me want 18's for normal driving evne more.

haha .. me too. I can't wait for the snow now! I will still put like a couple of sandbags in the trunk just to get even more traction.

My TPMS lights still hasn't went off :ugh: After how many (approx.) miles did yours go off?

Tony, if that's the case, I would def just live with what you have. Just BE VERY careful driving in sleet or below freezing condition since your tires are summer tires. Other than that, you should be fine. You can spend the money on things like Exhaust or intake etc. I do not have a 2nd vehicle. If it snows, I have to take public transportation. So, for me it's a necessity. Also, it's a big chunk of money too (1700+). I would suggest NO to a winter setup for a 2 mile commute. Heck, you can even walk to work, TONY! :icon17:

I def feel that it's lighter. I can use these rims as snow rims or track rims. That's why I choose these rims though some will say they are not the prettiest looking. For me, Performance > look -- any day of the week! Are you looking into OEM 18"? If I remember correctly, they are heavier than the RAYS lightweight 19", don't they?

Sweet rims.

I thought i read on here 18inch was heavier also.

i think i want something 18" x 9.0" (front) and 18" x 10.0" (rear)
that way i could use tire size 245/45/18 (front) 275/40/18 (rear)
and still be with in manufactor spec. But its hard finding something lighter that fits. That or i am just no good at searching.

Otherthing i wonder, is if there is more sidewall will i notice decrease in cornering.

I'd say my TPMS light went off within 50 miles of swapping (the next day).

Have you noticed a huge change in your traction now? These winter tires are so soft and squishy that anytime I get on the gas, the VDC lights up. Even on the highway at 70mph, dropping down to 5th gear and flooring it makes the VDC come on. I'm finding the performance hit in dry weather to be rather annoying. Hopefully the snow performance makes up for it. It may also be related to the 40-50F temps we still have. Perhaps the traction will improve once the temps go below freezing and the tires firm up.

What have you noticed with traction, AK?

Spear, I'm glad you mentioned this. YES, I am in the same boat. I took the car to the highway. It was 60+ degrees out. When I was accelerating on the acceleration lane, my tires were spinning from 3rd to 4th and even 4th to 5th (6000 RPM + shifting)! I laughed out loud in the car (luckily no one was in the car, although some people driving next to me thought that I should be on medicine!:icon17:).

I drove the car the other day in colder temp (like 38 degrees) and the grip is pretty good. I think these tires will maintain the same grip even when the temparature is below freezing. This is where they differ from all season and summer tires, since they can maintain the similar grip from 60 degrees to 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside temp.

Also, you have to realize, our tires are still breaking in.

Tire Tech Information - Breaking In Your Tires
The performance hit is something we have to live with. I would rather loss a bit of performance than doing 360s in the snow. ( and I'm not even joking, last year I did a 360 in snow on a busy road with my Z with 300 miles. My heart stopped for a split second :shakes head: ) So, this year, I can't wait to say hi to the snow! :icon17:

BTW, TMPS went off. I will call the dealer tomm and see if I can stop by for recalibration.

AK, good to hear I'm not crazy. I think the grip will actually IMPROVE as the temps drop. Right now my tires are like goo. The tread depth must be 14/32 or deeper and you can bend the tread with just a fingernail. I think the sub-freezing temps will firm things up along with the ride and grip. Hell, just accelerating with the window open I can hear the tires groan under the torque.

I'm pretty confident they are going to be stellar this winter though. I went with the Blizzak LM-60 so let me know what you think of the LM-25.

I WILL.

So, I went to the dealership to get my TPMS reset. The service manager wanted to charge me $103 for it! I told him that I spoke to someone two weeks ago and he told me $52. Then, he spoke to his superior and agreed on that price. Now, do you know how long it took them to reset the TPMS? 3 minutes!!! If anything, less than that time! :shakes head: $55 dollars for a 3 minute job!:mad:

Everything is good so far. I'm going to sleep now. When I wake up, I will RE-TORQUE the wheels. It's recommended to do after 100 miles.

A couple of my lugs were a bit below where I torqued them when I rechecked. Now I check once a week :)

:iagree: almost all my lugnuts were below torque! Re-torqued them again :driving:

Instead of jumping or hitting the wrench to loosen or tighten the lugs. Use a metal pipe on the wrench, I have an aluminum one and it's a breeze to change the rims.

Ok Mr. Random :)

:tiphat: Yes, if you don't have a friend, metal pipe is your friend! :tup:

Hey spear, recently I have been turning the VDC off from time to time and drifting in turns :bowrofl: . haha I know I should stop this but these tires love getting loose! :driving:

I've been thinking about this but then I image the rubber actively coming off the tire and my wife's reaction when I tell her I need new ones!

That being said, any aggressive corners with the winter tires really makes the Z rotate nicely. The Z wants to drift and darn is it fun with those winter tires.

It's a lot of fun drifting on skinny snow tires but they sure won't last long! The soft winter tread wears pretty quickly, once the tires are 50% worn they are basically just all seasons.

FWIW, the dry grip of the winter tires is much better now as the temps have dropped. The last few days we've been in the 20s to 30s and the grip is much much better (as expected).

It's been snowing to day in PA today. I'm sure it is too in NJ. Have you tested them on the snow yet?

I had the Blizzak LM-25's on my STi and WOW, they were awesome! For example, I could slam on the breaks and the ABS didn't even engage. Granted it was a AWD car but non the less I was very pleased with them.

Does anyone know if anyone on this forum has actually driven in snow with there Z with snow tires? I am torn between either just giving up on the idea of driving in the snow or buying a set of rims with snow tires.

I'll be able to answer this question in about 1 hour when I go to work today. I'll get another shot at it tomorrow into Wednesday with another winter storm.

I was driving on snow today.. Blizzak LM25 + A7 rims..
It seems to handle the snow fine. I mean of course you need to pay caution and drive defensively, but, Z seems to do the job fine with a set of winters.

AWD has zero effect on braking. The STi probably would easily out brake the Z in the snow but that is mostly because it has a more compliant suspension.

Be glad you have the winter tires on! In that same weather last week, dry but freezing, grip of the summer tires is gone. I did expect this to some extent but grip dropped of a lot more then I expected. I was hoping to be able to use the Z on summer tires on nice, dry winter days but that's not going to work. So I'll be switching to winter tires sooner rather then later.

And I'll probably follow your and AK's advice on the wheel and tire combo or look for some base wheels for sale. Thanks Spear and AK for your feedback!

The wheels work for winter, I decided to keep my base 18's for winter wheels

here's my winter setup... ;)

http://www.the370z.com/members/kench...its-scenic.jpg

Dude, I'm sorry :rolleyes: