How do you guys like the ride with wheels this big? I am making the move to 18's within the next few weeks and wonder exactly how harsh the ride will get from my stock 98 SE set up. I'll be going with 235/40's probably, so it will be like rubber bands compared to the stock 215/55's now. I imagine the handling will improve slightly, but is the ride going to be a kidney killer?

 

i have 235/40/18's. I love them but, but you will feel a different from ur stock ride. You will certainly feel a BIG difference if you drop your car.One thing you will have to remember is your driving style will have to change. Watch out for potholes,etc...Good Luck

 

of course its gonna be different, but as lex4style said, you are gonna have to change the style, and once you do and get used to it, it wont be that bad.

 

same here, 235/40's....and just keep a eye out for big holes and railroad tracks....they can be killers. what brand of rim are you getting? the better quality, the better off you are.

 

Sorry to sound stupid, but what about the driving style will need to change? Are you referring to simply being more careful about road hazards such as potholes, etc? If so, not a problem. I don't race and have always been very aware of the lousy roads we have in Pennsylvania. The wheels I'm getting are the 18" Muranos. Since they are stock rims, I believe the weight and strength are better than most aftermarket rims. Of course, I'm probably wrong.

 

if you're sticking with the stock springs you'll be fine, but of course watch out for potholes.....but i even did that w/ the 16"s

i run 245/40/18 tires and will never go back to stock as long as i own my max

 

yea....just watch out for potholes and dips in the rd. And make sure not to buy any sh*t rims. Like look alikes that some wheel distributors sell. I have Mille Migila's and i have been through thick and thin with them. It may cost more for reputable wheels, but its worth it.

 

I hear you guys. I really appreciate you all sharing your experience with me on this. At least for a while my suspension will remain stock. If any of you have experienced driving through the roads of Pennsylvania, you know I have to be careful with potholes, etc. We have THE worst roads in the country! I'll bet some of the dirt roads travelled in the WVa hills may be in better shape. As I stated, the rims are stock 18 Muranos. I think they should be strong and light. From what I know stock rims are often times some of the strongest and I believe the weight will be very close to my stock SE's.

 

yeah stock rims are prolly gonna be one of the more reliable kind, no where near as solid as my steelies :-p

 

Very true. The steelies bust right through the old potholes, but I'm going to take the plunge...lol.

 

Once you hit a few corners, you'll say "why didn't I do this earlier."

 

Funny you say that, i always heard that Mille Miglia's are considered a "soft" aftermarket wheel.

 

I'm hoping for the 'WOW' factor attributed to this. Thanks.

 

18's do look good. Especially on dropped cars. But those Murano's Im just not feeling. Sorry.

 

Before I made the move in 2002, I was hesitant because of the comments I saw. I understood that on a 4th gen, it's purely a looks thing, but I didn't want to create problems just for looks.

Now that I've had 18's for 3 years, I'd say there's no drawback. Maybe I'm a good parker, but I doubt it. To date, I have never scraped a rim, I make use of my right sideview. I've never bent a rim. My speedo is accurate. My car is not slower. My ride has not degraded. If all of the above were true, you wouldn't see OEM 18's, which you see all over now. This 16 vs. 18 debate was like DOS vs. Windows in 1991-93. Some people just like old technology and will make all kinds of justification to keep it, and resist the new. Remember, 18's are standard on the 6th gen, and there is not a huge diff. between the 235/40-18 on the 4th gen and the 6th gen which has slightly more sidewall.

Has my unsprung weight increased? Dunno, because I've seen some pretty high figures on how much the 16" star rim weighs. If the 16 tire/wheel combo is less than 48 lbs., then yes, my unsprung weight went up. But in general, rim is denser than tire, so when you increase the rim by 2", you decrease the tire by 2" so the overall diameter is within 2%.

 

I've had them for about a yr. And they have treated me well. I been to two trips to NY on them and they are in perfect condition. My next set will be 19's EV-S Mille Miglia.

 

Frank I must say that your logic is flawed when comparing an 18" rim to a 16".

There is much more to do with the performance equation than weight. You might not notice it, but somebody trying to squeeze the most of of their 1/4 mile or even autocross will.

Rotating mass, unsprung mass, and a whole host of other things.

In closing, 18's do slow you down. Yes, A LOT of newer cars come factory equipped with big wheels, but they were designed for them. Their geaing, brakes, and suspension were modified to support them.

 

No need to be sorry. I wasn't asking for anyone's opinion on these wheels, just feedback from those who have 18's and input as far as ride, performance, etc. You, like us all, have your opinion on things, and that's ok.

 

Seems like the tire size of choice to go with 18'2 is 235/40. Do any of you have 235/45's? I'm just asking because the 45's would surely give a little softer ride.

 

It would probably be a little softer but it throws the speedo off because of a slightly bigger circumfrence, but if you can live with that then go for it. But the recommended tire for 17z is 215/45/17 or something like that, and for 18z its a 40 series tire.

 

I agree with this post 100%. !!

 

My 225/40/18's are very smooth with my agx/eibach suspension.

 

Is anyone running their 18's with stock brakes in place? I read an upsizing of more than 3% can cause brake failure. Anyone have experience with this? going to 235/40/18 as I plan will increase this by 3.5%.

 

i really haven't had any issues with braking, you might w/ 19's or 20's.....but with 18"s i think you are still in the safe zone

the only thing i did was install SS brake lines and replaced all my calipers w/ 80K on them with new ones that now currently have 3K

 

Thanks for the input. I am planning on swapping to SS brake lines, but don't have the money to totally redo my entire brake system. I would like to upgrade brakes eventually, but one thing at a time. Thanks again.

 

>>>>>bump<<<<<

 

even if you don't do anything to your brake system, you should be fine.....i ran 18's for 10K without any problems

the main thing would be to make sure your brake fluid is good and not brown

 

You probably missed it, but an auto mag took a 528i 6 years ago, and actually tested it with 15's, 16's, 17's, and 18's. 15" tires were standard on that vehicle. It did not perform best with the 15's, nor did it perform best with the 18's. Best performance was achieved with 17's.

The test vehicle achieved the best performance with +2. Do you seriously believe that a M3 has different design and suspension components for the 18's and 19's, and that with 19's the performance goes down? In life, theory and application are almost always 2 different things. That's why there are PhD's in Physics, and Applied Physics.

Just using common sense, the 17" fitment and 18" fitment on the 4th gen are the same width. So what's to be gained by an 18 anyway? Modern looks and 1" more rim, that's all, nothing more.

 

I had originally planned to go with 17" wheels because from what my research told me, this would be the best set up as far as handling, etc. for my 98 SE. However, I found a set of brand new Murano rims for only $50/wheel, which I simply could not pass up. I am pretty convinced these will run just fine if I use common sense and drive responsibly as I always do. I am a careful driver, having driven in an area known for its rotten roads and very poor drivers. I'm just wanting to be safe as that is priority one with me. I like the looks of a bit bigger wheel, although my suspension is still stock. I appreciate all of the feedback given to this post, all of it is valued. And Frank, you seem to be knowledgeable, as are others, about this issue.

 

Just depend on what's your flavor? some ppl like the look of the car, some ppl like the performance of the car or in between. Which one do you favor the most? In the end, as long it will make you happy and proud of your car, I don't think everything else matter.

Slower or not? anything is heavier, will take more power of your car and gas. Vice versa. I have 225/40/18. so far so good till i can't afford it anymore

 

From what I understand the Murano wheels aren't very heavy and they should be strong considering they are OEM.

 

since having eighteen inch wheels that are heavier than my stock 16's, i have not noticed a change in gas mileage of more than 10 miles PER TANK

once again experience outweighs noobs pretending to know what they are talking about

 

Exactly, Flood. This is why I find info from those who have the actual experience of running 18's very helpful. I value your feedback.

 

Sorry, I am a newbie. I'm not experience in having 18" rim at all as I may say. My first Max I purchased just in the end of Feb. I was just trying to explain the logic only. Hope I can learn many things from this forum.

 

not singling anyone out, i've just seen it happen far too often where people comment on subjects that they really have no experience with

same reason i don't post too often in FI threads, i have no expertise in turbo/SC, so instead i read and learn

 

Don't worry, I will keep reading The idea of putting 18" from murano, is pretty good. I will try to do some more reading on this.

 

I'm willing to bet that this had more to do with the tires than with the size of the rims. When comparing 15",16",17" and 18" rims one of the main factors affecting performance is sidewall stiffness/rigidity, and also width.

If you want to get more indepth you can calculate the gear ratio changes due to increased or decreased tire diameter.

These are avgs. of stock and optional wheel sized on a 4th gen:
215/55/16 - 25.3" O.D.
215/40/17 - 23.8" O.D.
225/40/18 - 25" O.D.
(All specs from Bridgestone Potenza S-03)

In this example the 17" tire would effectively shorten the gearing of the car. Thus, decreasing the 0-60 and 1/4 mi. times. It would also have a stiffer sidewall than that of the 16" tire, which would probably improve cornering ability.

p.s. not that it matters but I too run 18's on my car. I also upgraded to hawk HPS pads.

 

It matters, Sky. That's why I'm reading, listening and learning. Thx.

 

I wouldn't be too concerned with weight. The Muranos can't be much more than my Zenetti Fives. I've never taken the time to weigh them but they'd have to be somewhere ~50lbs per wheel (tire and rim).

 

I was thinking the same thing.