Hi Guys,
I am new to this site/forum and apologize if I am posting this question in the wrong place. I have a 2006 G35 Coupe (Sports Susp.) with 19" stock rims. This will be my 1st winter with this car and want to go with 17" (all 4 same tires so I can rotate if need be). I wanted to know if 215/55/R17 or 225/55/R17 is good or which one is better? I have seen people putting 215/55 and their argument is better snow traction because of narrow tires. Also will this configuration affect Handling, VDC, etc. If you have had experience with any of the above tire settings, or have expertise on this info, your immediate response will be appreciated very much. Thanks.

 

i read some where that 215/55 is better in the snow.

Snow tires work better on smaller diameter, skinnier width

 

I drove my 06 G35 with a set of bridgestone blizzaks on my 19" OEM Rays and had zero issues all winter. Although it is true that having a narrower tire to "cut through" the snow is more effective, putting a good set of winter tires on the stock 19" rims works great. Hope this helps, also I live in Calgary Canada and we're not known for our light winters lol.

 

i have michelin all season tires on my g (oem 18s). i live in long island ny and we get hit pretty hard by the snow. i didnt have too much trouble last winter, although i did skid a little bit here and there

 

i didnt know there was a such thing as a winter tire for a 19inch wheel lol

 

[QUOTE=dumbg35x;5469523
Snow tires work better on smaller diameter, skinnier width[/QUOTE]

That is def true.

 

running the same size all around may affect your VDC

 

225 atleast, 215 is way to skinny you will have no traction in the dry if you try and accelerate hard to merge. i have 235/50/R17 in the rear and 225/50/R17 in the front, i'm bumping up the tires profile when i get new ones next year to 60, it will give the tire 1 inch of diameter meaning it will give me about a 1/2 inch raise to my car.

 

Really dude...215 isn't way too skinny for anything. Some sedans came stock w/ 205's. 60 profile on a 225 or 235 tire will put you @ almost 2inches addtl diameter, not one.

 

^^^i think its good to have atleast 225's, it may be winter but you still want to have some of the performance that your summer tires have, smaller tires will give it less balance and grip.

On the second note, I was talking about increasing the profile from 50 to 60 on a 235, that will increase it by about a inch, I wasn't talking about going from a 50 on a 205 to a 235 with a 60, that would be pretty significant.

In the end I want as much extra diameter I can get away with for clearance from snow, the only thing that holds the G back in the winter is clearance.

 

Don't forget about the fact that the G35 has a low seating position too... that's a big disadvantage for snow driving. I hate pulling up to an intersection and not being able to see over the snowmounds in order to determine if there are any cars coming the other way that are about to T-Bone your a$$.

Seriously... when I first added my Tacoma to the herd after having owned several low/sporty cars previously, it was an amazing realization at how much of a benefit that extra height to the drivers vantage-point is for visibility after big snow storms. I also find that having a shorter more upright windshield(like in a pickup truck) makes it harder for snow to pack into the windshield since there is less surface area facing upward for the snow to land on... so if you crank the heat onto the windshield, it has a better chance of melting the snow that does manage to land on it before it gets a chance to pack in and ice up.

Also... a low car like a G35 is going to get snow packed into the wheelwells pretty easily and then it rubs against the tires as you drive. Vehicles with more space between the tires and the wheelwells are less prone to this problem, and the chunks will usually break free and fall onto the road before they get to the point of rubbing against the tires or hindering your ability to turn the steering wheel when the front wheelwells are completely packed in with snow and ice.

 

Get with our Tire Rack sponsor/vender....

Get you some Bridgestone Blizzak WS60's and some 17" wheels... I drive my G coupe year round... With those tires on it I am passing 4x4 pickups that are stuck in the median and I am still rolll.... passing everything in sight... Kick a$$ tires...

 

Thanks for all your input guys.
FYI... I live in Toronto and I visited a local store (CT) ... For winter, their system shows 225/55 as recommend and approved by Infiniti (that's what they say). So I called a Dealer today and was told 225/55 is not good - go with 225/50 or 215/55. But I know that 225/50 will lower the car slightly in front and 225/55 will increase it slightly (as 215s) ... I would rather have it little raised in front.

Does anyone have experience with Michelin-XI2 and Altimax-Artics on Coupes. They rank very high for Snow/Ice traction on TR site ... or can I get away with some budget tires here in Toronto?

 

I just purchased my winter tire set up and this is what the recommend from tirerack:

If you're going the 17"rim route, they recommend 225/50/17 in the front and 225/55/17 in the back. That is the recommended size and will keep the vdc in check and will do just fine in the winter.

It's nice buying from tirerack especially if you're getting wheels and tires at the same time because they will mount and balance the tires for free and install the tmps (if you buy them for $200) before they ship them . I got the cheapest rims for the winter that would fit my 04 coupe which were sport edition a7's which actually don't look bad at all. I paired them with some blizzak ws-70's and I am good to go for the winter.

All in all after shipping it cost me $1300 for the wheels/tires/tmps all mounted and balanced shipped.

 

Does anyone know if there is a change in the air pressure that should be in tires between the stock 19's and a set of 17's with winter tires?