i drive a 97 maxima gle.

i have two questions unrelated to each other:

first, i am finally in the market again for a new set of tires. a few years back, on my other 97, i had purchased a set of GENERAL EXCLAIM UHP based on their overall reviews and the fact that they were a good deal cheaper than most other tires in their catagory. i had them for a few months with zero problems, before the car got wrecked.

as a result of my brief experience, i always figured i would pick up another set of them when it was time on my new 97.

however i went to the tirerack site today and the majority of the reviews of the general exclaim uhps are negative. people are yelling about blowouts and road noise and super soft sidewalls.

so stick with the general exclaim uhps ($490 for a set of 4), or try something else? if so, what?
keep in mind i live in florida and rain is the big issue here.








second, i drive on a set of Nissan altima SE-r wheels. they are 18x8. now the actual appropriate size of tire according to most sites is 235-40-18. but as i understand it, the 235-40-18 tire is actually made for a wheel that is 8.5 inches wide, not 8 as mine are.

so because of that, my last set of coopers were 225-45-18. they sit PERFECTLY flush with the edge of the wheel, and look like they are meant for that rim.

but the spedometer is off by a mph or two, and im just generally concerned with damaging anything related to the transmission, or altering the safety because the tire is a centimeter too big.

also i like the idea of a bigger sidewall for a smoother ride.

so, 235-40-18 for my 8 inch wide rim, or stick with the 225-45-18?



thanks in advance.

 

I'll see if i can give my 2 cents in this one.

If you had a good experience with them I'd stick with what works. Another thing to look for is the location of some of the reviewers on tirerack. I'd bet that some of the blow outs, and loud noises came from people that drove in temps lower than 40 degrees, or people that drove them for too long. Some tires tend to get noisy when they have less than 50% to go. The Generals are rated as summer only, and other sites have them listed as All Season tires.


235 tires can be had on wheels that 7" wide. Some tires have bigger shoulders so they look more flush than others. On 18x8 SE_R wheels I'd rock 245/40/18. I've had that tire size on my 4th gen for the past 3 years. It will not mess with the tranny, and the speedometer will be slightly off, but not by much...barely noticeable. A bigger sidewall usually makes the ride smoother, but I've discovered that having enough tire on the side of the wheels compensates some if the sidewall goes lower. Also go with a 40 sidewall if the car is lower.

 

anyone else?

 

my buddy has had nothing but good things to say about the Exclaim UHPs he had on his maxima. he loves them and I assume he'll continue to get them. based on his recommendation I have recommended them to a few people, and none of them have had anything bad to say about them.

you can fit those tires on those wheels. generally .5" out of spec either way on the recommended size is acceptable.

 

good tires i always use them on my summer wheels and stock wheels

 

ended up with a 215-45-18. seems to be closest differential to stock 205-65-15s without sacrificing ride quality.