trying to decide on 245 or 255 size tires, the 255 would look great from the rear being wider but i notice it will throw the speedo off slower by 1.1 . on stock u would be going 60mph , then on the 255 wide you would be going 59.3mph..

or maybe i could stagger them, do 245 fronts and 255 rears

any experts on the subject here ??

thanks

 

I'm not an expert, but I don't think I would use larger tires on the rear than on the front of a FWD car; just seems strange. Serves no constructive purpose, and would mean you would never be able to rotate your tires.

The 245 wide tires you are considering would be the same width as the tires that come with all versions of the '09 Maxima. The 245 tires with the Sport package are 40 profile, while the 245 tires on all other versions of the Maxima are 45 profile. So the speedos between the Sport and non-Sport versions don't read exactly the same anyway (no way Nissan sets up a differently calibrated speedo just for the Sport version). If you went to 255 width with a 40 profile, your speedo should read almost exactly the same as all versions of the '09 Maxima except the Sport (i.e., a 255 wide tire with 40 profile is almost the same outer diameter as a 245 tire with a 45 profile).

Speedos are known for being inaccurate anyway, and some cars (especially those from the U.S. 'Big Three') have speedos that are off by several miles an hour leaving the factory. I wouldn't let a difference of one (or even two) miles an hour influence my decision.

 

I was also thinking of doing a 255 on the rear tires to give it that wider look to match the rear fenders.

 

Hey check my webpage in cardomain under latinoandproud i have the tire size u are asking see how it looks in your car i have 22's stagger wheels and they do make a difference by all means ( my opinion) but check it see i have no rubbing issues, and if they are balance correctly should not have any problems, i have diven my car 70-90 miles and smooth ride no shaking, but let me know.

 

well considering the Sport has 245-40-19 you could not go with 255-40-20 , that would set your speedo off to much..i would have to go 255-35-20 for the speedo to read best. (with 20" rims)

 

Why? max owners are so scare of 22"s they look much better if u get de right set, 20"s in the 09 max look cheezee, i seen a few in my are and not de best look, if u get the right bolt pattern and right tire size should be in good shape i have no issues with my wheels no rubbing... but down side of stagger wheels can't be rotated, no big deal!

 

Actually, not being able to rotate is a big deal for those who wish to get the most service from their tires. A set of replacement OEM tires installed and balanced is between half a grand and a full grand. When we talk name brand 22" tires, the bucks go higher.


And nobody is 'scared' of 22" tires; it is just that very large wheels with very low profile tires look great, but ride like heck (been there, done that), and are very impractical for high speed long-distance highway driving (which I do a lot of). I have had friends with 22" wheel/30 profile tire combos that cannot even turn into normal driveways that require transversing a gutter and torsionally twist the undercarriage (rubs everywhere). When we look at a 30 profile tire, we see there is only an inch or two of sidewall height. That is not nearly enough to protect a tire from even small potholes.

Put simply, if your Maxima is for show, go with 22" wheels/30 profile tires. If you actually intend to use your Maxima as a normal mileage, open road family transportation vehicle, stay away from 22" wheels and 30 profile tires.

 

Well as you can see in my signature block I have :
Falken 452 255/35ZR/20 Tires
I have had absolutely no rubbing issues whatsoever and the handling has improved incredibly!!! I love the look of the wider stance and it defintely fills the wide body style all around. All in all I am very happy with my setup and would not change a thing. I have flirted with adjusting the suspension by going with the springs Stillen offer but I have not brought myself to make the change just yet. I love the ride that the stock Sport package offers and I worry that I might lose that feeling going with aftermarket shocks.

 

choice89, by the end of this month I will be taking the jump into putting in the H & R Springs. I'm in the same boat as you are, been flirting with the idea for a while now, but can't take it anymore, I want to see how sexy the maxima will be with less gap between the wheel and the fender. I will keep you posted once I take the jump and will let you know if the change in ride quality changes.

 

how do yo u like the Falken 452 tire?? is it a good quiet riding tire? how is the handling..i was thinking of the same tires....

 

Choice - I think your setup is the furthest I would consider taking this '09. You chose to have the same size wheels and tires at all four corners, chose to stop at 35 profile instead of going to 30, and chose to stop at 20" wheels/tires instead of going to 22". I feel all three choices were very wisely made, and give you the maximum appearance improvement without overcompromising practical use of the car.

 

I have been totally pleased with the Falken tires on my MAX! I have absolutely no complaints, very quite ride and great handling. When it is time for me to get new tires I am defintely going back with the same setup!!!

 

That is sweet! Good luck on the install and I hope it helps me out with my decision with some good feedback!

 

Definitely. 22s fit and balance these cars perfectly. I don't know why people think the ride quality is so harsh? I noticed barely any change other than better handling and killer looks with my setup.

No issues at all with my 245/30/22s.

 

Ah, the power of the mind we find in today's youth. Only a double dose of novacaine in the fanny could convince a normal person 30 profile tires ride with similar comfort as 40 or 45 profile tires.

I had no trouble detecting the ride difference between the 45 profile tires on the Premium and the 40 profiles on the Sport. Both were fairly comfortable, but dropping to 30 would have made the ride firm for short trips on decent roads, but totally unbearable for me and every other member of my family on our frequent long trips over marginal roads.

Just a tip: the tire load limit of the 245/30/22 is lower than the load limit on the 245/ 40/19 or 245/45/18 OEM tires. You might want to be careful about high speed travel on a hot road with a full load of passengers. And avoid potholes; a 30 profile tire has no sidewall with which to protect itself against even small potholes.

Just as during all those long-ago years when my teen-age son ran 30 profiles on his Jim Saleen Mustangs, 30s have the looks, and can turn on a dime and leave nine cents change. There is no denying that. But every time I rode in one of those Saleens, I remembered riding in my grandfather's buckboard back in the 1930s. Even my son was honest enough to admit the very firm ride of that car was not fun on long trips.

 

You sir, are misinformed and comparing two completely different cars.

These cars are designed with soft, yet marginably sporty suspension components that allow far more tolderance and a purpose built sports car (Saleen Mustang).

Even though they're overpriced junk IMHO, (GM fan) they have aggressive and stiff suspension components that drastically amplify ride changes (Sidewall height)

I agree with your statement on stiff suspensioned cars handling like they're on concrete shocks when placed on low profile sidewalls. I ran a Z06 on 20/19" wheels for a few seasons with T1 suspension and even that wasn't too bad at all because you tolerate much more with a sports car.

However, this is more or less a non issue when modifying luxury orientated cars such as the Nissan Maxima.

In other words, "Don't knock it til' ya rock it!"

PS - My Grandma doesn't drive a Porsche GT2 on 20s because your tolerance grows less with age. She drives a Cadillac on 17s with tractor sidewall tires because the ride is smooth. lol

I believe age has a lot to do with tolerance of modding cars.

 

I agree !!

 

Please quantify better handling? Do you have track time on your max with before and after times? I doubt it and I guarantee your handling is worse and your braking is worse. It looks cool so it must be better...

You can't deny physics, adding more unsprung weight decreases performance unless you design or adapt the suspension for the wheels.

I won't argue it looks nice in some examples but it's all for looks not the track.

 

If you're concerned with "The track" I hate to tell you, but you bought the wrong car.

This is a 4 door luxury sedan with a NA V6 and a CVT transmission.

If you want a car for the track, but a C5 Z06 for $20,000 and mod THAT for far less than a fully loaded 7th gen Maxima.

These cars are cruisers. Hell, a $12,000 used 2008 Pontiac GXP would embarass my car on the track... I just don't like the way they look.

 

Alpha - actually you made my point it's not a track car and everyone keeps stating that when they add 22" rim the handling is soooo much better..... Maybe in the butt dyno and in the owners eyes it is but the reality is from a performance stand point it's worse.

Oh and my track car is my 2005 S2000 what a blast to drive!

 

Ha! I see. Honestly, I could care less about corning in a Nissan Maxima. If a car looks good, it looks good. I put 22" wheels on the car because it simply "Looks good." I'm also glad to say the the downsides (Increased unsprung weight, and slight difference in ride firmness) are negligible compared to the great looks I've gained.

Cute track car.

 

OK, who is the rat here that told you I am nearer age 100 than age 50? Just give me the name of the stinking rat that told. The fact it is true has no bearing on this; I will not tolerate a snitch.

Seriously, for a person who can immediately tell the difference in ride comfort between the Sport and Premium (which I easily was able to do when test driving the '09s), there is no way a 30 profile tire would have the ride comfort a 45 profile would have on long trips for me or for any normal family. That is simple physics, and a point that cannot be argued.

As for looks, there are those who much prefer the look of a large very low profile tire on oversize wheels, and there are those who thinks that look is fakey and contrived. I fall in the middle regarding that look (I can take it or leave it), but realize the 245/30 tires do not have the load capacity the OEM tires do, and know that setup would not be the best for long freeway trips on pothole-filled roads, which is where I spend much time.

No matter how we twist this, the 22" setup is for looks, and the 18" and 19" setups are for serious transportation.

 

Agreed and to each their own, but I'm just telling you guys that with these cars and their suspension... you CAN have your looks and a comfortable ride with 22" wheels as I drive my car everyday with style and comfort.

 

Since we are in a compromising position (and I hope those nasty-minded lurkers here don't take that the wrong way), I agree the 22" wheel ultra-low profile tire setup is more functional these days than it was a decade or so ago. And the looks are eye catching.

I did not mention that, from the early 1950s until my 2000 Maxima SE, I always changed to larger tires, or larger wheels AND tires, often going to a lower profile tire. For instance, my little '78 Datsun 200SX came with 175/70/13 wheels and tires. I considered that to be a grocery basket setup, and switched to 195/65/14 wheels and tires (filled the wheelwells) as soon as possible. I changed in those days because cars from the late 1940s until the mid-1980s usually came with wimpy wheels and tires.

I skip such setup changes these days because the OEMs are better suited to the car than in the old days. Also, my OEM wheels and tires came included in the purchase price, while the 22s and ultra-low profile tires do not. I would rather spend the extra money in upgrades to the new home we are designing. To each his own.

 

If you're going for looks, do what you want... but messing with OEM will only hurt the car unless you're a suspension tuning expert and know what you're doing I always stay with OEM .. everyone who has messed with their car around here, lost some of the way the car originally handled and performed. That car was built and tuned with your original tires...

 

 

Well... that's why they call it Modding. To be better than it was stock.

 

The body style for this 7th Gen maxima u could do just about everything if u do it with class ... The only reason i went with 245-30-22 front 295-25-22 rear for the attention and looks dat was going to generated, it rides smooth i find no difference, it was well balance... if u are 40-80 u might not like it that why we find most of the younger owners vs old school know it people and we can seem to agree in anything. just my opinion.

 

Interesting, a staggered setup on a FWD.... I myself (being a younger owner) have absolutely no interest in owning a set of "DUBs" (or 22's) because of mainly the cost and functionality but mostly cost. I know I am not the only one so please don't lump us all together.

 

i could understand why many 7th gen owners will not go with 22's the high cost of wheels and concern of perfomance and confort, i will not lie de looks and compliments comes w/ a price higher price on tires and alignment usually more money especially if u have a stagger set of wheels like myself, but to me looks is everything and i was willing to take on de additional cost at the end of the day i feel good.....i work very hard and part my money is to do upgrades, now with havier wheel set i need a big brake kit which i'm steel looking at dat additional step. sorry i didn't mean to bash anyone here just my opinion.

 

Lol, I'm not arguing just giving my two cents. I knew you weren't bashing I just thought I would throw it out there that not all of us "youngins" like the "DUBs".

 

We always end up back at the same place. The setup mr305 chose is for super kool ultra-low profile looks, and he went all the way with it. I see cars dressed similarly to that in downtown Atlanta every time I am there. And the drivers always seem very happy with that type setup. That works for them, and for mr305. When my son was a working teen-ager, he kept a similar setup on his cars. But after he was married, and had family, house payments, kids education to save for, and a budget to balance, he ran OEM tires and wheels on his vehicles. When there were two cars in my family, I put larger, wider tires on one, and used the other for long family trips.

But for those of us who will be using our '09s as our primary transportation on many long backwoods or freeway trips over various quality roads, usually with family aboard, and have family budgets to balance, mr305's setup would be an unmitigated disaster. In our situation, we must opt for refined, efficient, sporty transportation that can comfortably handle high speeds on fairly rough roads, and be able to rotate tires for best tire life. This has been the situation I have usually been in since my early 20s (that was well over fifty years ago).

The deciding factor is more that of situation, preference and practicality than it is age.

 

You assume that "Modding" is always better than stock most of the time it's not at least from a performance stand point. Most are purely for looks and "better" is in the eye of the owner or butt dyno whichever comes first.

 

Why would you change something that's "Worse" than stock?

My stock 1999 Camaro LS1 went 13.60 stock, three years later and modded it now looks great and goes single digits. Call me crazy, but that's a little "Better performance."

That's like leaving a model to be with a fat chick. Who does that?

 

The same people that put 22's on a car setup for 19's jkjkjk im just messing with you lol

 

I really like your wheels, I wanted to get some similar to those, but black. Where did you buy yours if you don't mind me asking?