y2kse

iTrader: (1)

who are running 235/45R17 tires on their OEM 7.0"-wide rims.

You heard me right. RsMaxMaggie's post on the last page of the FAQs was enough to convince me to go for it. I installed a set of Yokohama AVS ES100s today and so far, I love them. I haven't had time to give them a spirited flogging yet. But it's already clear that the ES100s are WAY better than the OEM Craptenzas they replace. And for those like myself who live in climes where it NEVER snows (and rarely rains), there's just no reason to purchase All Season tires. So I expect the ES100s will do the job for me quite nicely.

Just thought you'd like to know.

PS: In case you're interested, I paid $117.00 per tire installed at America's Tires.

K Pazzo 6

iTrader: (6)

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

See? I told you guys I was trying to come up with a way to run 235/45s on my OEM rims. Thanks again to RsMaxMaggie for providing the rationale behind my decision. And in keeping with his advice, I'll be keeping a REAL CLOSE EYE on my tire pressure from now. I even went out and bought a 12V air compressor so I could keep my tires properly inflated at all times.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

true.. with the money you save, you could even get these
http://www.smartire.com/fl/products/cars.html

($200)

and still come out a few hundred ahead.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/...artire_all.jsp

TimW

iTrader: (6)

oh and
http://courtesyparts.com/smartire/

zeitgeist57

I've got a deal for 4 235/40/18 AVS ES100's for $105 a tire plus installation...

I was going for 245s but this deal I worked out was too good to back down from!

asu174

iTrader: (11)

1. Hell just froze over.
2. Does anyone in this forum have that Smart Tire system??

Y2KevSE

iTrader: (13)

I agree.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

Thank you, guys. I'll take that as a compliment!

After all, it's not EVERYONE who has the power to freeze hell over, is it?

KP ROX

What is this, the home shopping network?

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

I don't know. I bought this for $50.00 and it works like a charm:

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/inde...pid=819&cid=89

The SmarTire system looks really neat. But I suspect it's overkill for those who are willing to keep their tires properly inflated.

asu174

iTrader: (11)

And you are saying that you don't fall into the tire "overkill" category??? I'd hate to meet a REAL tire fanatic, then......

TimW

iTrader: (6)

he always said he just wanted a mfg that would stand behind 235's on 7" rims.

and yes, this is the home shopping network :/

asu174

iTrader: (11)

Are these garbage? I'd bet they look stupid too. I wish they weren't colored.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1876473573

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

Right, Tim. And as we all know by now, neither I nor anyone else is going to find a manufacturer that will stand behind 235/45s on 7"-wide rims. If someone chooses to run that tire/rim combo, they'll be running out-of-spec. That fact is simply beyond dispute.

I've chosen to run out-of-spec after a lengthy investigation into the pros and cons of doing so. The difference between me and some other members of this Org is that I'm not recommending that anyone else follow my example. In fact, I'd recommend AGAINST running out-of-spec unless an individual is willing to take RsMaxMaggie's advice regarding upgrading their suspension and maintaining proper tire pressure at all times.

Weasel

iTrader: (2)

My brain hurts.

In any event, good luck.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

Tireminders, I dunno.. the main downside, besides how they look, would be the extra weight on the valve stem. They seem bulky enough that centrifugal force *might* be an issue. I really want them for our pathfinder as Nissan specs 26psi, not much margin for error at 26 psi :/

02MaximizedVQ

Hey Y2kSE...the Yoko's have a diameter of 25.4". Can you tell that they are smaller than the OE tires? Does it look "too" small?

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

The Yoko's are a little smaller in diameter than the OE tires, 02MaximizedVQ. But not dramatically so. The OE tires have a diameter of 25.9", so the difference is less than half an inch.

The reduction in diameter doesn't bother me for several reasons. First and foremost, the Yoko's look good and handle beautifully. Second, there aren't enough reasonably-priced, high performance alternatives in the OE tire size (although that situation slowly seems to be changing). And third, a slightly smaller overall diameter reduces the speedo error for which Nissan's are notorious.

Of course, a person can always lower their car if fender gap is an issue.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

all the Nissans I've seen are 2-3 mph over... wouldnt a smaller tire increase the error alittle?

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

I guess you're right, Tim. I can never figure these things out. But one thing I did notice is that if someone replaces 215/55R16s with 235/45R17s, there's practically no difference in speedo error. So we're back to the question of whether the speedos are calibrated differently between the various Maxima models or the same models with different wheel diameters. And I don't have an answer to that question.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

so far, when using GPS, all the Nissans I've been in are 2 or 3 mph at 70. I have friends with maxima or have rode with people at the meets, all read about the same. I suspect they are playing it safe by overreporting, as underreporting speed would be a serious liability, even 1-2mph in this litgious society.

I use this when in doubt
http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

Yes. I use that same tool, Tim. Well I've got one way of testing it. My wife has a 2K GXE with 215/55R16 tires. One of these days I'll have her take her GXE up on the freeway and I'll follow her in my SE. Then we'll get on our cell phones and check our speedos against each other. I'll let you know what I find out.

vqman

235/45R17 did you get Z rated or W rated or what?

I used DUnlop SP5000 all season W-rated 225/50R16's on my 1998 Maxima..they were wonderful...

improved handling...not as loud as the stock tires....

I'm still running stock on my 2k3 tho...only 7000 miles...can't justify spending the $$ to the wife...

yet!

-vq

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

http://www.yokohamatire.com/TireFeatures.asp?TireID=9#

SkyDaver

I used a GPS in my 02 SE 6sp, and the speedo was as exact as the dial could let it be at all speeds (ie. the markings are in 2mph increments, IIRC, so I really couldn't tell if it indicated 'not 70' when the GPS read '70')

IceY2K1

iTrader: (3)

They aren't on my Max, since my tires are still pretty new and don't loose pressure. They do look a little fugly though.

I know MANY motorcycle riders that believe in them and say they can save a bike riders life. I bought them just to try them out. They have different pressures, so make sure you buy the ones that are for your pressure.

As soon as I buy new tires I'm installing a Smart Tire system. This is valuable even for people who check their pressures often, since you can run over road trash and end up loosing pressure. Plus, I want to play more with my tire pressures while monitoring pressure changes as temperatures vary, so I can see how my tires warm up/cool down. Just a toy though.

Tanman

I just bought a pair of these in 225/40/18 for my Enkei 18X7" rims. I only have them on the front two wheels since I only needed to replace two tires. The approved rim widths for this tire is 7.5-9", but the Discount Tire installer ok'd it and they installed it and it's running ok so far. I'm curious if they'd be liable if something bad happened from using an out-of-spec tire?

I prefer the wall height of the 235/40/18, but those are spec'd for 8-9.5". Strange that the Nitto NT555 235/40/18 worked on my 18X7 rims, and they are rated at 235/40ZR18 91W for rim widths 8.0-(8.5)-9.5. I had them for a year and a half of problem-free driving.

Tanman

Also, keep in mind that I replaced one of the out-of-spec tires under warranty, so the tire dealer honored the warranty, probably because they sold it and installed it.

Just in case you change your mind, Yokohama currently has a 30 day free trial on the AVS ES100, if your tire dealer honors it.

Tanman

I just read the rim width faq in IceY2K1's signature, and it's amazing that you've decided to go with the 235/45/17s on the 7" wide rims. You were pretty adamant about the safety of following the tire specs.

The way I see it, it's like CPU specs, they're rated conservatively to keep the manufacturers from being liable for problems. So a tire rated at 7.5-9 will probably work fine on a 7" width rim.

I'm talking more specifically about the 18X7 rims, since there aren't any 18" tires (that I can find), that are spec'd to use with 18X7" rims. In my example, the Enkei RS6 is a very popular rim (one of Discount Tires' best sellers), so someone must make a tire to fit on this size rim. Since no one lists their 18" tires to work on 7" rims, I (and most likely others) have used tires spec'd for 7.5-8" rims.

MAX2000JP

OMG the earth has stopped revolving and I didnt even notice

I never thought you of all people would run this combo. The AVS ES100s are a awesome tire for the price. Great dry grip as well as wet weather traction. They do get a little slippery when the temperature drops, but thats what you get when you have that kind of tire compound.

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

I came up with the same conclusion after reading RxMaxMaggie's post. But I'm not one to take chances. So I've upgraded my suspension and I'll religiously maintain proper tire pressure per his recommendations.

jjs

Satan must have gone to work on a snowplow!!!

I thought hell itself would freeze over before I saw this!!!

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

I truly appreciate all the accolades, guys. But frankly, I'm surprised at how surprised you all are. After all, I've wanted to run 235/45R17 tires on my stock rims since the day I first started publishing tire-related posts. I was just waiting for someone . . . anyone . . . to present me with a justification for doing so based on facts rather than opinions. It took RxMaxMaggie to finally come up with the facts. Once the justification was there and I committed myself to follow RxMaxMaggie's advice with respect to prepping my car and maintaining proper tire pressure, my decision was a foregone conclusion.

maxman00

iTrader: (1)

Do you happen to have a link, or the name of the thread that contains RxMaxMaggie's advice??

y2kse

iTrader: (1)

It's on Page 6 of the FAQs.

Tanman

RsMaxMaggie's post

Tanman

I did a search for RS6 18X7 and found pretty much every owner of this rim uses 235/40/18 tires (out of spec). I was one of them. This probably doesn't lend much to the defense of using out-of-spec tires, but it helps me sleep a little better knowing I'm in the norm.

Tanman

I have the AVS ES100s on my front two tires and I live in Texas, where it doesn't get that cold. The ES100s are a summer tire and from what I've found are not good when it's cold and wet outside. It doesn't get that cold in Houston, but cold enough the last fews days, and with the ES100s on the car, I've felt some sliding through turns and don't feel 100% confident in these tires. It could be because I have different tires on the front and rear of the car, but my Nittos were never this flaky on cold and wet roads.