Snow Tires, TPMS, & Cheap SOB's
 

Someone must have been down this road already. I checked Tire Rack last night for snowshoes and the G35X can be outfitted with Blizzak WS60's and winter wheels for about $900. Reasonable.

However, Tire Rack wants another $360 for mounting a set of TPMS sensors to the new wheels. I'm too cheap for that. On my other cars, I've left out the sensors on winter wheels and the only fallout is a little amber light on the dash winking at me from Dec - Mar. While TPMS is a nice safety feature, I consider the loss of it a minor risk as I've driven cars without the feature for years without incident and I check my tires weekly anyway.

My question is this, has anyone done the same with the G35? Are there other cheap SOB's out there at the edge of Infiniti? Does the lack of sensors or loss of signals from sensors do anything besides triggering an idiot light?

If it causes the car to do something really annoying, I'll get the sensors. If not, I'll just live with the annoyance for a few months per year.

Your car will drive fine without TPMS.

Guys with aftermarket rims do this all the time.

Worse comes to worst, just transfer the sensors back and forth; if you get a second set, you have to re-program them to the car every time you switch wheels.

You can transfer TPMS from one wheel set to another without dismounting the tires. Just have your installer remove one bead of the tire, pop out the TPMS and put in regular valve stems for the time being on the set you're not using.

I left the TPS off my winter wheels, just get the yellow idiot light on - I didnt think it was too annoying.

I don't have TMPS for either of my winter or summer tires. I can usually tell from visual inspection that they are really low. Also, don't you need to go to the dealer to sync a new set of TMPS to the car?

I bought the same package from tirerack last year and I was also too cheap for sensors. I did buy new ones for the new summer wheels so I plan on moving the oems into the winter setup soon.

Stupid question, but I bought a G35xS with the 18 inch all performance sport tires. Are these tires not sufficient enough during winter time or are you guys changing them so they dont get ruined?

Are the OEM tires sufficient?

• Where do you live? Arizona = OK , Maine = Not OK
• Do you have another winter car equipped with snows? Yes = OK , No = Not OK

OEM summer performance tires are deadly in ice and snow. OEM "all season" tires should not be taken seriously as anything more than three season tires. A true modern snow tire like a Blizzak has much more traction on snow and especially ice. They could save your life or that of someone else. They can save your car from expensive damage. $900 bucks is cheap insurance.

I live in New England. I wouldn't have a car without snow tires in winter. If you're thinking an AWD system makes the G35X a good winter car, think again. Without the proper tires, the AWD is useless for forward motion. And AWD does absolutely nothing, ever, for turning and stopping.

Winter tires provide traction for the AWD system to work with. And there are those on this forum who will dispute it but a RWD car with excellent snow tires will outperform a G35X with summer or all-season tires in snow or ice.

Quoted for truth. Unless you've driven the same car in the winter both without and with snow tires, you have no idea how good they really are.

The all-seasons that came with the 07 x suck in the winter conditions. The g35x is only as affective as the tires it sits on. I swapped my all-seasons for Blizzaks and it completely changed the abilities of the car in crappy conditions.

[QUOTE=SpudRacer]Are the OEM tires sufficient?

• Where do you live? Arizona = OK , Maine = Not OK

QUOTE]

Arizona has snow too in some area. A lot.

tg

and me to the cheap SOBs list

I don't have TPMS on my winter setup. Not worth the cost IMO.

Does the TPMS light blink or just stay solid?

Garnet where did you purchase your snow tires? I remember you posted pics of your setup on used 350 Z wheels. I am in Toronto and looking to order some tires from Tire rack soon.

solid, like the VDC OFF light