I can't seem to find a definitive answer for this so bear with me.

I've noticed that some people would agree that 235/40 would be okay for a 7.5" wide wheel (18's) but others would strongly suggest 225/40 being the safe bet.

225 may not be too bad but looking at load ratings for tires, they all seem out of spec for the Maxima (91W at least, most 225/40's have 88w load ratings).

Sumitomo HTR+ and Pirelli M&S tires with the proper load ratings require an 8" wide wheel at least - but would using them on a 7.5 be okay?

 

You can get away w/ 235s. People w/ 7" rims use 235s.

 

Thanks again for responding Ammi.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but wasn't there a heated debate in the past about putting 235's on the OEM 7" wide wheel?

Then again, since it fits on a 7" it shoudl fit on a 7.5 either way.

 

The best place to find a definitive answer lies with the tire manufacturers themselves. I took a quick look at the Toyo and Yokohama websites, and this is what I came up with. A 245/45/17 is suitable for rims of 7.5-9" for both companies, but a 245/40/17 requires a minimum rim width of 8". So to answer your question, the max width appears to be 245, but the profile must be considered.

 

People strongly did not recommend putting 235s but bunch of people got away w/ it. Since you are going w/ 7.5", it should be ok.

 

widest i would put on a 7.5" wheel would be 245, but the lower the profile of the tire, the less sidewall flex you have to work with to get the bead to seat.

 

I have to ask why if, as it sounds, you're just now moving up to 18's and you're staying as narrow as 7.5? Why not work the wheels and tires as a package letting your position within the performance:appearance spectrum be the guide and let the width fall where it may. As a dedicated corner-carver, I personally tend toward selecting at the wide end of the rim width range for any given tire, which would be selected in part based on load capacity. On the other hand, if appearance is the overriding criterion then you could safely go toward the narrow end of the acceptable rim width range for whatever tire size. Work out two or three different combinations as independently of each other as you can and see what that leaves you to choose between/among.

Yes, that was a hot topic back with the 235/xx and 245/xx tires on the OE 17 x 7's; no need to re-invent that episode.

Norm

 

I'm sorry, i should have explained my motive in detail.

I currently have an 18x7 wheel handed over to me by a friend. I'm running out of the load spec on the tires (thus why i constantly get bubbles).

So now i'm looking to correct the issue by searching for new rims that are wider and will allow me to get proper load rated tires.

Most 18" that i can afford are in the 7.5" width range so i'm looking at that.

I'd like to go wider and have a higher profile than i currently do (225/40/18) just to soften the ride a bit. So my choices are 18x7.5 or downsizing to a 17x8.

So far it's a toss-up but i need to make a decision soon - having two bubbles on one tire is getting scary and i'd rather just replace all than keep fixing the small problems every couple of months.

 

It depends if you want more performance or looks. 17" wheels will give you better performance, but 18" wheels will look better. Or you could replace tires on your 18" wheels that you have now to 225/45/18 (Yokohama AVS ES100).


~limsandy

 

I got 18×7.5 on my 245 rn. What offset looks tge best with this setup

 

You just resurrected a 19 year old thread, it's best that you make a new one.

It sounds like you already have rims, so you can't change your offset now.