Just received and installed my new wheels. Look really sweet. Tirerack did place the hubcentric ring on the wheels.

I bought the Moda R-6's with 235/45R17 Kumho tires and these are my first impressions:

1) Seems like the new wheels and tires are much heavier than my 16" Nissan wheels/tires. I figured that the new ones would be lighter since its a 17" rim (more aluminum). What do you guys think? Maybe its the 'Z' rated tire thats making it heavier (I figure that a Z rated tire is more 'fortified' than an H rated tire)?

2) Response seemed a little better with the 16" rims and tires. Tirerack says that's because the 16's are worn (i.e. less tread) which means quicker response. They said the new tire should improve after a 500 mile break-in period.

3) I got heavy vibration initially. I had the lug nuts torqued to 75 lbs. After I drove 15 miles, I checked the lugs and they seemed to be really loose on the front passenger tire. I re-torqued to 85 lbs and the problem seems to be better (I will keep a close eye on this).

4) Ride quality...surprisingly I detect no additional hardness with the 17's. I truly believe that if I were blindfolded, I would not be able to tell the diff.

I'm currently running at 35 lbs pressure...what does Nissan recommend for the 17? 32? 33?

5) Looks great! Really fills that wheelwell. Looks real aggressive. I applied 2 coats of zaino before installing so I should be set.

Thanks for listening! These are my initial thoughts...I'll know more tomorrow.

 

Larger wheels are usually heavier unless you went to a Magnesium race wheel. I would leave my tires filled with about 32 psi so that when hot air has room to expand and contract slightly when cool. Glad to hear about rings as they make a difference. You must add a digital picture or link so we can all see the difference. Usually one burnout or a spirited drive in a closed parking lot (quick turns) will break in the tire quickly and remove any shipment casing. I would not think that 500 miles is necessary to feel a more performance oriented tire. Good luck and keep in touch......glad to hear from a fellow Maxima.org member.

Scott

Zaino rocks !!!!!

 

killr:

Thanks for the response. Yes...I will take some pics of the wheels. I do have another question about the ride...

My ride with the performance 235/45R17's, while good relative to bumps and such, seems to be 'darty'. That is the car seems to be pulled by the ruts in the road more than my 16's. I'm guessing because of the relative width of the tires combined with the softer compound. Does this makes sense? And what can I do to minimize this? Increase the pressure?

Thanks

If anyone else has any thoughts on this, please chime in! Esp those who have upgraded their wheels and/or tires. Thanks.

 

This is normal. There is nothing you can do to change the way the tires are reacting. I had the smae problem with the 200sx when I put aftermarket on. The steering wheel demands a lot more attention when driving with wider tires....esp. low profile tires. It is called "tracking" and when you are on bad roads with ruts.....fugetaboutit!
Another thing you will notice it that you have to bring the wheel straight after going through a sweeping turn.

 

Moboy is correct in that a larger wheel and consequently a larger tire patch will cause additional pulls and pushes. Some times tire pressure can alleviate a little of this but experimentation is necessary and will only slightly deminish feeling. It also has to do with tread patterns....the more aggressive the more responsive even to road imperfections. Thats why I did no go to 19's as the feeling was extremely rough.

My previous ride was a 95 Ram Air T/A and was lowered by Eibach, suspension was redone with Hotchkis bars, and shocks were Bilstein. The car was so rough......my teeth chattered!! Seriously, I had to sell it as the wife did NOT want to drive a race car wanabee and could not control the beast in the rain. (350 was professionally rebuild to 383 w/ extrude honed lt-1 heads)
I miss the looks and power....

 

Thanks for the posts guys. The tracking isn't a problem, just something I noticed.

Thanks again.