Ok, i've got a 97 nissan maxima GXE, slightly modded.
I'm finally getting aroudn to buying some rims and tires. I found a set that are 17x7's and they come with tires. they are 205/40

i know 205's fit perfect on a 7" wheel, but b/c of the lowered height of the tire, will it still support the weight of the maxima? will these tires be fine? or do i need 225's or 235's reccommended byt the salesman.

btw, i dont auto-x or take the car to track. merely a daily driver.

 

To keep the tire diameter stock so your speedometer won't be affected, you want 235/45/17 tires, optimally.

If you want 18s, optimal tire size is 235/40/18.

 

uhhh.. why cant i go with 215's? they fit 7" wide tires anyways...

btw i can see how 45 series(height) will maintain the speedo reading but what does the width of the tire have to do with it?...nothing!
not to be snappy, but your info did not answer any of my questions

 

205 is too narrow for a maxima. find out what the weight limit is on the tires. i bet you'll find that the tires are not designed to hold the weight of a max. 215-50 is the smallest i would go.

 

For a 7" wide, I'd go with the 215's. check the maxfaqs
"For 17", you'll need 235/45-17" tires. For 18", you'll want 235/40-18". These are assumptions that you have at least 7.5" wide rims. If you have 7" wide rims, you can use 215/50-17". These tire sizes will keep the overall diameter within spec., so your speedometer and odometer won't be off."

 

watch when your rims crack because your tires werent wide enough, ive seen it happen a few times.

 

maxipad is right, a little harsh, but correct... the profile height is a percentage of the tire width... so lets say you have 225/40/16 aand 205/40/15.. 40% of 205 is going to be less than 40% of 225, therefore you will have smaller, thinner sidewall. Im not sure if the percentages are right, but thats how they work... and before you "snap" back at someone, you should find out if your info is correct =]

 

I have 17/7.5 rims with 235/45 tires on there, if your getting 17/7 i would say go with 225/45 because your a daily driver and plus it's just the best thing for the messed up roads..

 

Get either 225/45/17 or 235/45/17. Both those sizes have lots of selection. 215/50-17 may limit your choices considerabley. Do a search on discounttiredirect.com or tirerack and see how many choices you have for each tire size.

DW

 

Like slizan99 said 205 is probably too narrow and non-supportive. Lemme guess - he's offering Kumho Ecsta 712's? Anyway use them as the example...

Their load rating is a 80W which = 992lbs support at nominal inflation pressure. Take a 3200lb Maxima, with 62% front weight dist = 1984lbs/2 tires - 992lbs exactly per tire. (coincidence). So while the car is parked they'll support it just fine. But as soon as you brake or add passengers the weight on the fronts is dangerous.

FYI, stock load rating on my SE is 91H, 1356lbs per tire or 36% higher.

 

THANK YOU for backing me up homeboy. Before you open your mouth and try to sound smart CoasTek240, please make sure you know what you are talking about.

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