PetitFrereMaxima

iTrader: (2)

All I can say is that is really strange. Yeah, I would not be surprised the dealership would not pay for that. And yes, those rims are very expensive! And sadly, the 2010 don't have a full spare for you to swap.

lightonthehill

Unless the wheel was defective when manufacured, and had a weak/faulty area to begin with, you should not be able do that kind of damage without something showing up on the tire. If you are still running the OEM tires, and there is no sign of damage to the tire, especially the outside sidewall, that tells me the wheel may have been defective.

To put this another way, if you hit a pothole/curb/etc hard enough to break your wheel, but did no damage to your tire, then the RS-As are a far stronger tire than I would ever have imagined.

I know most dealers can be tough to convince of anything, but if this were my wheel, and the tire on it were undamaged, I would have the dealer check the inside of the tire. If there was no sign of impact or damage inside this tire, I would be having a very serious talk with my dealer about a warranty replacement wheel.

09Maxima_John

I have never seen a wheel damaged like that. It seems like someone has cleanly chopped off that portion of the wheel. The neighboring regions are so clean, not a scratch anywhere. I doubt, this has happened from driving.

I agree with what Light said. The wheel seems to be defective.

Kmoney

off topic. does anyone knows the diameter of the Wheel Center Cap of the oem wheels? i am planning of taking every nissan logo from the car including the wheel and sterring wheel as well.

HMAX08

WOW, thats just crazy, thats a hugh chunk I have never seen anything like that. it looks like an even break. i am betting that that rim might have been flawed from the factory.

whtdvl

Wow that's scary bro. If you can't remember a pothole that did that kind of damage to your wheel I don't know what to tell you.

Tarangobrown

Thank you everyone that has replied about my unexplainable wheel... im just going back to the dealer and asking them to investigate bc this makes no sense to me... maybe it is a defect...

Tarangobrown

i understand that in a drivers world there are little potholes here and there... where i live downtown there are always a few... but geez they arent that deep or dangerous to where it would rip a chunk off my wheel. maybe there is someone out there that knows where i live and hates me... bc there is no way i hit a pothole and this perfect slice comes off... NISSAN dealer here i come!

KillaKam

I just hit a small but deep pothole today that I couldent even see while I was making a left (going about less than 10 mph) and it was an extreamly hard hit. The rim was already bent but now u can feel it for sure. Sad to say but I am considering downgrading to the 18"s if the state dosn't pay to replace or repair the rims.

Tarangobrown

I think Nissan needs to reconsider this 19" upgrade on the Sports Package deal... not worth it in the end if we're all going to have crappy wheels...

Kmoney

i love my 18" wheels.. no problem so far

whtdvl

IMO it makes th car look so much more sportier lookin. Love my 19's!! Would never consider downgrading and I spend most of my driving time in NYC.

KillaKam

They should have allowed it as an option when you got the Sport Package instead of just throwing it out there at you that you had to get them on the car. I agree with you that in the end the wheels are basically going to be crappy. I have 2 bent rims that I know of now and the annoy the H*ll out of me when I am driving on the highway because the car shakes so much.

What package do you have on your car?

It does make the car look sportier I agree with you on that. The 19" though are crazy sensitive to potholes and you may not notice it now but after some time you problem will notice the car vibrating either somewhat or a lot and it is annoying... Idk how you do it drivin in NYC and your 19" are still mint, wanna fill me in on how you avoid the potholes? lol.

Kmoney

i have the base model 2009 S. i didnt want all the extra gadget that came with the sport cuz i already have another car that has everything so there wasnt any need for another

Mreim769

Alright, now I have to contribute to this thread. I really don't see how you guys are abusing your cars so much that your wheels bend. I drive on really shady roads to and from work going over more then a couple decent potholes. These same roads have about 4 sets of railroad tracks each way as well. I have driven on the same roads for over three years with lightweight performance 17's and the max 19's. Never once have I had an issue with alignment or wheel vibrations with these wheels, or in your guys case, extreme warpage of the wheel itself. Keep in mind that I know my route to and from work like the back of my hand so I know when and where to turn to avoid them but most of the time they can't be avoided. Trust me I am no stranger to a decent size pothole. I just can't understand what else is going on here to cause these problems.

lightonthehill

More thoughts:

The engine power, tranny, curb weight, and front-to-rear weight ratio, are virtually the same for both the Sport (19" wheels/tires) and non-Sport (18" wheels/tires) versions of the 7th gen Maxima, so the car itself does not enter into this.

Both the 18" and 19" wheels have ten spokes. At first thought, we might think there would be a longer distance measured along the rim between spokes on the 19" wheels because of the greater wheel diameter, and that would leave a longer unsupported and more vulnerable area of the rim. But the spokes on the 18" wheels are paired closely together, actually leaving five unsupported parts of the 18" rim that are longer than we have on the 19" wheels.

So, geometrically, the 18" wheels should be more vulnerable. But we haven't had any problems with the 18" wheels.

That leaves only four possibilities:

1 - The higher sidewall (45 profile) of the tires used on the 18" wheel offers slightly more protection than the lower sidewall (40 profile) of the tires used on the 19" wheels.

2 - Wheel build quality.

3 - Driving/roadway factors.

4 - The 19" wheels evoke more jealousy from passersby, who act on their envy and smash the 19" wheels.

Tarangobrown

#4 seems more appropriate for my situation...

STARR

iTrader: (1)

Funny, makes you think twice about the BS wheel & tire insurance they throw at you in the finance office, I have it but it was part of the deal upon buying the car, so far my brother drove over a curb, wheels are fine, and I swerved to miss someone and curb checked the front wheel pretty hard, after feeling like I just defiled my car, I check to see the damage and nothing was wrong, all in all Im a strong believer of sometime bad luck just happens, but now knowing what I know, I believe the wheel coverage makes the wheels indestructible

Michael76

I will give you a definitive answer regarding the strength of the 19" stock wheels later on today! I was driving in a strip mall parking lot (no more than 15-20 MPH - it was raining hard) when I drove through a couple of HUGE potholes that I couldn't see due to the rain. The car hit so hard that I knew I needed to pull over and check for damage. When I got out, my driver side front tire was completely flat and the driver side rear tire was spewing air out of the side! Needless to say, I had to go grab my winter tires to change out so I could drive it home. I see no visible damage to the wheel or tire. Hoping it was just the seal that broke since the air from the rear tire seemed to be leaking from where the tire meets the rim on the sidewall! I will be taking the wheels to the tire shop later today to see what the problem is. Hope luck is on my side!!

Norm Peterson

Most of my money's on this one.

Think of extra sidewall height as being the "crush space" that protects the wheel. An extra half inch may not sound like much, but it's the difference between having the outside diameter of your rims' flanges sitting about 3.25" above the pavement and only 2.75". Stated another way, 18% more room to "give" before the bump comes up hard against aluminum.

With the shorter profile tires, I'd seriously consider running the inflation pressures a couple psi or so higher than the suggested sticker numbers. It'll make the ride a little rougher, but the same bump struck at the same speed won't deform the tire carcass quite as much.


In one of the separate sub-topics, I'd categorize big wheel diameters more as "concept car" or "show car" wheels rather than sporty. A true sport wheel - as in cases where performance ranks way above all else - should be no larger than what it takes to fit over the brakes (and maybe not interfere with the outer tie rod end in the case of unusually wide or deep-backspace wheels).


Norm

lightonthehill

But . . . but . . . Norm! Everyone knows 20 inch wheels on the Maxima are VERY sporty, and 22 inch wheels are the sportiest of all! The disturbing fact Maximas with 22 inch wheels cannot safely be driven into driveways at an angle, or through even the shallowest of gutters is not relevant! They reel in the chicks better than a big bankroll of money, so they MUST be sporty! After all, doesn't the term 'sporty' apply just to looks, and not performance?

Of course I am being facetious here. Those here who have an interest in SPORTS PERFORMANCE should understand very well that a wheel/tire size greater than 19 inches on the Maxima will give poorer performance than the OEM setup. 22 inch tire/wheels may 'fill the wheelwell' and give the LOOKS some desire, but are nowhere near as practical for everyday driving at speed on various road conditions as OEM sizes.

In case there may be any question, I totally agree with every single sentence in your post. I personally do exactly as you suggest and keep my psi around 36 to help my tires wear evenly, give more control over the car, and, as you said, give the rims a little better protection from the potholes.

I have come to really appreciate your insights on automobile topics.

Antny74

try having aftermarket 20s and hitting a pothole a month after buying them new, not fun

IFuXwiTuZ

mine are pretty good.....hit some bumps here and there....i guess it depends on how u inflate ur tires i do 42PSI....how about everyone else?

lightonthehill

42 psi is entering a range where other problems tend to crop up. At 42 psi, unless the driving is almost all local driving with lots of turns, the tires will wear out in the center of the tread while there is still good rubber on the shoulders.

At 42 psi, tires can tend to sort of bounce in certain high speed turns on rough roads, leading to a reduction in road grip, hence a reduction in control. There needs to be a decent amount of sidewall flexibility in order for a tire to maintain full contact with an irregular road surface.

42 psi enables the tire to give the rim great protection, but at the expense of the tire. With little flex in the sidewall (42 psi will do that), the belts under the tire tread take a real beating when hitting road irregularities such as potholes.

Lastly, despite disclaimers by those carrying 42 psi, such a high psi gives a very firm ride; one that is most unpleasant on any long freeway trip.

I would avoid carrying 42 psi unless my car was simply for show or very localized driving.

2 GO B4

Did you notice your steering wheel shaking as soon as you drove off or after you hit the "bumps" downtown....?

MAXIMUMBS

R.O.A.D InTire tire and wheel coverage offered through my dealer and should be most dealers according to the pamphlet(no website listed)
replaces any rim or tire damaged no deductable cost is 495 for 5 years or what ever you can negotiate.

@ about$8 a month I am thinking of doing this.One rim in 5 years and the plan is paid for.

anyone experianced with this offer?

2009maxima sv-sport

iTrader: (1)

unless you break all 4 rims its not worth it because you can find sets of 4 rims only around $700 used on ebay.

jboss10

I have 18"s for sale. great shape and 3/4 life on the Eagle Good Years left. Send me a pm. jp

Michael76

Well, took my tires to the shop. Tire shop confirmed that both driver side wheels were blown out. Rim sliced into one tire and other tire had a sizeable gash in it! Obviously, I need two new tires, but fortunately for me, it appears that the rims are just fine! Cost for 2 new tires, tax, & install is about $280. Spoke w/ the owner of the strip mall and he informed me that he would cover my cost to replace the tires upon providing him with a copy of the repair bill. Lucky me! If you guys could have seen the size of the pothole(s), you wouldn't believe that the rims went undamaged! I was completely stunned when I saw them the next day (after the storm had cleared and the water dried up)!!!!

MAXIMUMBS

new 19s are 900 each tire alone is 280.

Also they caught the guys who stole and were selling all those maxima rims in NY so I wouldnt expect to see to many that cheap online.
they hit 5 dealers and were steling th out of driveways one Maxima was hit twice in ronkonkoma.
in addition you need to trust a used rim isnt messed up already.

Norm Peterson

Thanks for the kind words, light. Somewhat belatedly, I must admit.

I definitely agree about not running as high as 42 psi as a normal condition. If tire wear seems to suggest that this much is needed, the tires themselves may be undersize for the job. Something I've both read about and actually seen is tires that are several load ranges smaller than the ones OE-fitted to the car, so this does happen from time to time. Still not a proper normal vehicle configuration envisioned by its mfr, though.


Although with that said there has been one very narrowly defined circumstance where I have run the tires at one end of the car or the other (but not both) at or above that setting. That situation is autocrossing on your street tires, where the need to "loosen" the handling of a FWD car or sharpen the turn-in response of a heavily understeerish RWD car temporarily takes priority over all other tire related considerations.

Something that tosses a separate monkey wrench into the works here is that the pressures that matter to an autocrosser are the hot pressures rather than cold, because the hot pressures are what make up the tires' contributions to handling-oriented topics like overall roll stiffnesses and lateral load transfer distribution when you're actually driving. IOW, 42 hot isn't as "excessive" as 42 cold. Even 46 hot may compare to less than 42 cold (tires can easily gain 2 or 3 psi in each of the first two 50-second or longer runs on a warm day).

BTW, for the ride home, it's back to the street settings. Warm to hot street pressures, actually, since you know the tires won't be cooled all the way down to "overnight cold". About two or three psi above your "cold" street settings unless you ran in the last run group of the day.



On late edit - this pressure rise is why you don't bleed air out of your tires on a long trip in the summer. Pressure increase happens, since tires do warm up (some entirely street-legal tires can get hot to the touch), and the mfr has certainly taken it into account at some "best guess estimate" of what it sees its customers experiencing (it's part of how he envisions the handling behavior, as driven by the consumer). 33 psi cold is simply more convenient for most folks to work with, "cold" being easier to duplicate than any unknown point between "warm" and "hot" at 1 psi per 10°F.


Norm

lightonthehill

Norm - You forgot to say 'CLASS DISMISSED' at the end of your very informative lecture on psi and autocrossing.

MAXIMUMBS

Ummm where do I send my money?

For the book.

Light and Norm

you two should write a book together so we dont have to ask any more questions here.

I, and are sure many appreciate both of your in depth technical approach to many of the subjects you both comment on.

Hey maybe you get a forum here linking to all your guys excellent answers.

Thanks

lightonthehill

MAXIMUMBS - If you need current technical answers on modern vehicles and automotive products, head to Norm. If your questions are of a more philosophical nature involving vehicles of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, maybe I can help a little.

Put another way, if people were tires, Norm would be a steel-belted radial, while I would be a bias-ply from the 1950s.

vancitymax

My front rim was bent last year but I rotated the wheels and it went to the back... the vibration at over 120km/h went away... until yesterday... when I had to rotate my tires again.. FML

MAXIMUMBS

Light So what your saying is your Old norms young??

At some point Philosophy and technology converge at the moment I think its in that super ugly whachamacall it new Honda accord hatchback thing.Uggh Leee
P.S you tag suggest Philosophy as in "a light on the hill"

keep the info flowing...

Oolatec

iTrader: (5)

Higher profile tires for you...

PetitFrereMaxima

iTrader: (2)

I've got a 2010 Maxima 19" sports rim and tire for sale to anybody to replace their bent rim or for you to have a full spare 2010 19" as I currently do now. Check out my sign for for sale thread and profile for more pics.

STARR

iTrader: (1)

Do the Maximas come with matching spares, I don't think I ever looked, or ever changed a tired using my spare

lightonthehill

My '04 SL came with the VDS (electronic stability) package, which included a full size spare and alloy wheel that matched the four on the ground. I have seen no indication the 7th gen has any way to order a spare tire/wheel that matches the four on the ground. We could buy such a combo aftermarket, but, just as with my '04, it would stick out above the trunk spare wheel well, which can be annoying.