Wider tires on base 18's

jginnane

OK, these are the best shots (2 of the OEM Advans, then 2 of the new Conti DWS). The wider tires fill the wheel well better, and don't stick out (if that's what you're worried about).

See: Nissan 370Z Forum - jginnane's Album: jginnane Plus-Sizing 18s

It was about 45 miles back from this Nissan dealer on a 65mph highway. I didn't feel the tire noise was drastically reduced, but had changed frequency. (So I was able to hear the bass in deadmau5 better .

The rubber felt smoother, about like when we went from worn Bridgestones to RE960s on my wife's Acura, and may just have been that "new rubber" feel. The wider track reduced tramlining, which is what happens when your tires get caught in the lane rut worn in heavily-traveled asphalt or concrete surfaces.

On the few curves I took, I was able to sense the wider stance of the car. But I won't be able to fully evaluate traction until we get a couple gullywashers, the kind of weather that was makinig the worn Advans hydroplane.

Finally -- I asked for zero toe-in on the alignment. There was no perceived difference in gas mileage; 26.0 mpg going with Advans, and 26.1 mpg returning with the Contis. But it felt as if the car had some reduced rolling resistance coasting up to a few traffic lights, which more than offset the drag of the wider contact patch.

It will be interesting to see if these initial observations bear out in the next few weeks. A 1% gas mileage change is inconsequential, but a 3-5% improvement (@ $4+ premium gas) would be nice if it happens.

Attached Images

	Advan front225-50.JPG (423.9 KB, 71 views)
	Advan rear245-45.JPG (553.9 KB, 83 views)
	Conti front245-45.JPG (674.4 KB, 65 views)
	Conti rear275-40.JPG (556.6 KB, 112 views)