Is there a difference between Front/Rear OEM 18" Rims? + question
 

Can front 18" stock OEM rims for the G35 Coupe be used in the rear, and the rears used in the front? They have labels on them in the inside that say "front" and "rear" but is this just to not cause confusion when putting them on? Is there any actual difference between the front rims and the rear rims that can stop you from using them in the opposite position?

And also, what I am doing is putting on 18" OEM rims/tires to replace my 17" OEM Rims/tires. I asked the dealer what they wanted for the price to mount and balance the new rims and tires, and they said about $30 each to mount and balance. So thats $120 which I dont mind paying.. but they said they should do a wheel allignment. How necessary is this? Would I be okay if I didnt go through allignment? I only ask, because its going to be up to $200 for it.

Thanks in advance!

There is a difference in the wheel, but not one that would make a difference in any kind of driving. The 18s have the same dimensions, but come from the factory with different size tires. So to prevent mounting the rears on the front, Infiniti put a stud on the wheel mounting plate that prevents the rear wheel from fitting on the front. If you remove the stud, it will mount.

The question now is, if you have a set of fronts and rears, why would you want to put the rears on the front and visa-versa?

Lou

The WHEELS are the same all around (18" x 8"), but the TIRES are not. They are labeled because they don't want some knucklehead putting the fronts (smaller diameter tires) on the rear hubs and vice-versa.

I'm a little confused on your second question. Are you putting new tires on the 18" wheels, or are you just putting on a set of wheels with tires already mounted? If it's the former, then $30 each to mount/balance tires doesn't sound too outrageous.

As for alignment, do you mean a 4-wheel alignment? It's a good idea if it's been 15-20k miles since you've had one done. It puts the suspension back to factory spec (potholes and normal driving knock things slightly out of spec as the miles rack up) and ensures that your new tires wear evenly.

are you insane? 30 to mount and balance EACH? at my shop its 10.99 for balance and mounting is free. per tire. should check alignment every 6 months. take it to a shop where they will check it for free and you can always haggle the price there, comapred to a dealer. trust me people do it to us all the time.

Really depends on where you live. In my area, you'd be hard pressed to find a shop that will do it for less than $25, but haggling is certainly a good idea.

Well to make a long story short, I bought FIVE 18" rims for only $350, but four of them are in decent condition, with some scratches that I dont care for. I am going to keep the one good condition one, and I am buying 3 perfect condition wheels from someone for only $300, so I figure I will just sell the other 4 on ebay or something. So in the end this will leave me ending up with 3 fronts and 1 rear for myself, and 3 rears and 1 front I am selling, so this is why I ask.

In the end, I will be going from OEM 17" Rims/Tires --> OEM 18" Rims/Tires. The $30 for the mount and balance of the 18" Rims and tires isnt bad at all, but the $200 allignment that the dealer told me about concerns me. I am just wondering if that is really needed or not. The car has only 7500 miles on it, but I am going from the 17's to the 18's. Is there any real need for the allignment job after the new rims have the tires mounted onto them and then are balanced?

Thats at the Infiniti dealer.. but its a dealer I can trust a lot more than any shop that would do it for cheap. My real concern is the allignment.

Thanks!

I wouldn't trust a dealer to mount/dismount tires and do an alignment. Have the tire work done at a professional tire shop - Discount Tire and etc. They have the equipment to mount, dismount and balance without screwing up the wheel, and they know ehat they are doing. Tires and wheels is all they do. The dealer usually doesn't have that expertise, and if he does, he's expensive. You probably don't need an alignment, but it couldn't hurt. If you decide on one, again, take it to a professional that knows what he is doing. Most dealers send them out anyway. I found such a shop in Tucson, doesn't advertise, because he doesn't have to. The dealers all send their work to him.

Lou

Thanks for the reply.

I deffinetly trust the dealership I would bring it to (Ray Catena) but like you mentioned, it is a bit on the pricy side. I probably would look into bringing it somewhere else for much cheaper.

I was just wondering about the allignment, and if it would be neccesary since I am putting on the "front" designated tire as a rear and if I would run into a problem with all of these different sets of wheels (which would be 3 from one owner: 1 from another) or if that has anything to even do with the allignment, and if it is all covered with the balancing of the tires individually.. I'm not really sure.

Thanks again