A&Q about 350Z
Q:
Hi,
I'm thinking of getting 17" winter wheels from the Tire Rack (with Blizzak tires). Any suggestions? Are the really cheap ($109) wheels OK or do I need to spend more? Also, any advice on wheel width? I don't want them to look like roller skate wheels obviously and realistically these will probably be on the car from November through April in this climate.
2006 Base Model Coupe
A:
your 2006 requires 18" wheels. i talked to my service rep at the dealership, looking to go with 17" wheels also for my 2006 z. i was told not to, as the power ratio needs the 18" wheels. granted, that i am a novice with this, but i listened to the service rep. he has nothing to gain from me. i bought wheels at tire rack for $159 each. also have dunlop winter sport M3 tires, which are rated higher than the blizzaks.
A:
"the power ratio needs the 18" wheels"...what the heck does that mean? as long as the wheels clear the brakes, which they should on 2006 since the non brembo braking system(and the brembos i think) is pretty much the same as the other years, you shouldnt have a problem. i posted a pic of a guy running 16in steelies. never trust anything a dealer says, no matter if they have anything to gain or not, they dont know what theyre talking about alot of time.
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03 CS Touring
VIN #189
A:
just stating what he said
A:
again....never trust anything a dealer says, no matter if they have anything to gain or not, they dont know what theyre talking about alot of time.
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03 CS Touring
VIN #189
A:
Thanks for the info.
Today I ordered 4 Blizzaks on the finest $106 17"x7" rim that the Tire Rack had to offer. I did the order with one of their reps over the phone to make sure that everything would fit and was correct for the '06 350Z. I'll let you know how they work out when they arrive later this week. They include centering rings, lug nuts, mounting and balancing at no extra charge. Everything was in stock and shipped before the end of the day.
2006 Base Model Coupe
Post Edited (Oct 31, 4:36pm)
A:
Not to add fuel to the fire, but I would have to agree with drivenZ. He's stating obvious facts. The '03 and '06 are almost identical, and an '06 does not require an 18" wheel. Getting wheels and tires that are the same size and offset as the OEMs is your best bet not to cause problems with the electronic stability control systems (TCS and VDC). Shrinking (or enlarging) the wheel size is fine assuming you adjust your tire size to compensate for the overall diameter (google: tire calculator).
Having said all of that, I would not recommend someone put 17x7" wheels on the Z. The 17" OEMs are 17x7.5 in the front and 17x8 in the back. You're probably completely fine, DMW - just personal preference that I wouldn't run that small a width of rims. If you do that, just be sure to get the 17" OEM-sized tires to keep your TCS and VDC in control. You don't want them kicking into effect every time you make a turn on a little bit of snow.
'04 Daytona Blue 350Z Enthusiast - B-Stock #34
Tanabe Sustec 36mm chromoly front sway bar
K&N drop in air filter
Hawk HPS brake pads
Pioneer Premier CD/MP3 head unit
18% tint rear and sides
A:
Whoa - tough neighborhood!
Anyway, thanks again for all of the comments but I do agree with DrivenZ and Eric on the main arguments.
As some background for others that may have the same questions in the future, here's my rationale: from personal experience and on the recommendation of a few diferent tire guys, a narrower tire with a taller sidewall is better for snows.
My Z is a base model coupe without VDC and traction control so no worries in this particular case.
DG, if you look up SNOW tires for a 2006 Z base coupe on the Tire Rack's site, it offers both 17" and 18" sizes.
Talking with their guy, he said the 7" wheels would be fine with the tires ordered. I wanted stock width wheels in 17" but the only ones available were very pricey so I went with 7" width. For the winters, I could not see spending a lot on wheels. At the end of the day all wheels must meet certain standards of merchantability and fitness for purpose so the price differentials are more based on materials, quality of machining and finishing, and popularity. In 3" of snow, I don't care about those three features!
Regarding the choice of tires, Blizzaks have a great reputation as do other brands such as Dunlop and Michelin. I picked Blizzaks based on a lot that I have heard or read but I could have easily gone with the other brands. Also, some winter performance tires are more winter and less performance, and vice versa. My terrain locally is relatively flat and we have a Jeep Wrangler if it gets really ugly so 99% of the time, the Z with Blizzaks should do fine.
I will post again once the tires are received and installed to tell you what I think.
2006 Base Model Coupe
Post Edited (Oct 31, 6:22pm)