the thickness (depth) is what I've been concerned with...

 

that seems to be the problem - never a definitive answer! I may just brink a jack to a meet and swap someones wheel for a second and check it out!!

 

there's a template on CZPs site and market place thread... but I dont have the wheel to check with...

 

yeah i have that - but no wheel here either!

 

i think we're going in circles here. what exactly do you want? an OEM coupe 19 solves the problem of finding a good spare wheel that will clear practically everything.

 

That is where i was planning on going - i just wanted to be sure prior to purchasing one - i have the akebono template, but no wheel to try it on and haven't got confirmation that it does in fact clear. also the OEM 19 comes in 8 and 8.5 and i was wondering if i had to get a rear or if the front would work.

 

the lightest spare possible that will clear Akebono BBK... I'm gonna see if my OEM donut clears with 20mm spacer... doesnt get any lighter than that... but if it doesnt work I'm hoping to get lighter than the 19s

 

If the question is just about OEM 19s (which I know its not for your Mike since you want something lighter) then they definitely clear Akebonos if they clear Tim's 15" 12p Rotoras

 

Are you referring to the Coupe OEM 18s? A couple of members here posted their impressions of it. I PM'd johnjohn(?) a while back who said that the front would not fit as the caliper would be hitting the inner barrel. I'm not sure how the inner barrel is configured on those 18s so it may or may not work with a large enough spacer --- i guess it depends on how the inner barrel is configured (i.e. does it have an indentation?). The G35s sedan 18's fit with a large enough spacer.

As for spares, as Ian posted earlier, so far it's only the G37s spares that fit -- a junkyard is your best bet, new ones run around $400.

I'm planning on just getting a full-size "spare", choosing a cheap wheel from TireRack's winter wheel offerings for the G37s. Sport Edition branded wheels that fit will only set you back about $130 or so, plus the cost of a tire.

 

OEM 18s DO NOT clear Akebonos. I acutally had a set left over from my 04 G35. I tried to put them on as winter tires and the front did not clear.

 

^^^ thats what I thought... thanks guys

 

i dont even have a spare im running on hopes and wishes, i drive about 120 miles a day lol just keep tabs on your tires and be sure to avoid anything on the road

 

actually kevin you can hit up jeremy he has oem akebonos on his G37 try his spare

 

One option is to carry a small air compressor with you and a temporary tire patch. The patch kit is simple to use and cheap ($10). I've used them to fix numerous tires and have run a few permentantly in the past, but you're really suppose to only run them for a few hundred miles or less and take the tire to a shop and have it repaired with a real tire plug. A tire patch kit won't save you if you bend a rim or have a blow out, but you're covered if you run over a nail/screw which seems to be the most common reason for a flat. I can patch a tire in about 15 minutes and it's what I travel with (including the compressor). It beats putting tire goo in the tire and basically wrecking a decent tire.

As for a spare, I'd just source a cheap snow rim from Tire Rack. They'll get internal measurements for you and then I'd go to a used tire shop and grab a used 18/19" tire.

 

Well i picked up a set of OEM 19's -

I'm going to probably sell the remaining 3 if anyone is looking for a 19" spare and is interested hit me up