My experience on this forum has been that there are a lot more members that believe 19"+ wheels are the way to go, versus 18s for the G coupe (and perhaps sedan as well). No problem. IMO, I think they look better too (at least 19s, 20s are too much for me).

But of all of those that suggest getting 19s and up, I'd like to hear from those who actually have been driving on 19"+ wheels in urban areas that have poor streets. I want members that have hit potholes, RR tracks, road dips, man hole covers, (at speed.. at least 35-40 mph) and anything else that has jarred their ride.

Tell me for real, have your rims gotten bent? Did they get scratched, did you pop a tire? Do you regret having gone with big rims? Or have your rims and tires hit all these things unscathed and you couldn't be more delighted?

Now please think practically here. If you're so enamored with the look of your big rims that you've ignored scratches and dents, please don't respond to tell me, "They're still worth it!" To quote Joe Friday, "Just the facts please."

I've lived in California and in Florida and sure, those states don't have perfect streets everywhere, but for the most part I'm not talking about the occasional road problem like I found in those states. I'm talking about cities where finding a smooth patch of road is more the exception than the norm.

Thanks in advance for your responses. Much appreciated.

 

I live in NYC, the city of potholes and I just recently threw on my 20's. I think once you have low profile tires you have to be careful. That includes the stock 18's. I've blown 2 tires on the stock 18's due to potholes. The bottom line is that low profile is low profile. You have less rim protection whether u got 18, 19, or 20. I mean if someone is concerned with that then don't even get the stock 18's get 17's in my opinion. And so far for the week I've been drvin on 20's they have taken the minor bumps a lot softer and smoother than the 18's. Now I wouldn't dare tryin out a sizable pothole cuz I don't have much tire holdin down my rim. Good luck in whatever you decide.

-Vin

 

Thanks Vin. Just for the record. I bought my coupe (with 18" whl pkg) when I lived in Florida this last summer. Then I unexpectedly moved to Cleveland. So far so good with my 18". I've only hit one major pothole (knock on wood) and tire didn't blow. Just deciding whether I should just go higher. What better way than to hear it than from those who have. Thanks again.

 

I know the exact feeling, i was worried about bending my rims, or something happening to my 19's. I live in city of los angeles, and work in downtown LA so i know the meaning of potholes... hehehe, so far, honestly nothing has happen to my rims.....yet ( Knock on wood ) and i hope nothing ever happens. Im also riding a little low with TEIN H-TECH 350z springs. Bottome line is 19's or 20's look P.I.M.P....

 

Hey VinNYCG What size tire do you have on your 20's ??

 

255/35/20 up front
285/30/20 in the rear

-Vin

 

I'm running 19's on my sedan here in CA. I have yet to hit a serious manhole (knock on wood), and I have to admit I am paranoid about it. I try to be careful, but sometimes you can't help it.

 

If it was my daily driver, I would not use 19's. Too much to think about going to
work and to the airport regulary where some areas have very bad pot holes.

I only drive selected roads on the weekends on my 19's.
even so, I have a spare front 19 in my storage.

 

On 20"s
live in CA bay area and driven all over the place, San Jose and San Francisco to be the worst of it. I've ran over some crazy stuff on the freeway too including a steel rebar rod and a big chunk of truck tire. knock on wood, but I don't have any damage yet.

some precautions you should always take and make a habit;
- keep tire pressure above 35psi
- make sure lugs are tightened down
- check for nails, screws or anything stuck in the tread

If you constantly do that you shouldn't have any problems. I constantly check my lugs now after A 24" truck rim bounced across my path on the freeway when I was on my bike. It was literally less then 5 feet away from the front of me while I was splitting lanes.

 

Downtown SD has some pretty bad roads. On 19's and coilovers, the bumps and potholes are pretty jarring. And I don't even set my coilovers that stiff. Bottom line, 19s aren't as comfy a ride as 18s. No scratches or dents yet. But I am very careful with my rims and tire care. Always have the tire pressure right and avoid potholes when possible.

 

Well considering I've recently crashed my 05 G into a sidewalk going 40mph head on... the stock rims were left unscathed and only a small portion of the tire sidewall was sliced. Overall, I was shocked by the rigidity of the OEM 19" wheels. Gotta love forged rims. Thank god it was a small sidewalk and was just a centimeter or two lower than my bumper. My tire pressures are 40psi front and 38psi in the back. This is the optimal settings as recommended by many on my350z. Not only do these tire pressures help with handling, but i'm postive they saved my rims from being crumpled like tin foil

 

Yikes, I wouldn't want to hit a "manhole." j/k

Joking aside, I have 19s with stock suspension and the ride is the same IMO but again, I am very careful when driving on uneven streets. I have eyes like a hawk and can spot potholes, uneven surfaces, etc. very quickly (years of driving a dropped Integra). It also depends on the build quality and manufacturing process of the wheel as well. In general, forged are stronger but cost more to manufacture while cast tend to be light and easier to manufacture.

 

I have 19s and my car is lowered almost 2" in the front and 1.5" in the rear. I always take little dips very gingerly and if possible avoid most rough roads as much as possible. It is my daily driver and even though part of the road i take going to and leaving work needs some serious city work. There are long cracks on the shoulder and side of the driving lanes. Like some of the others have already said, by going up in size, it really alters the way you normally drive on certain road surfaces. I'm in SoCal so anywhere I go is mostly highway road, but as soon as your off, you're looking 50 feet ahead if possible to avoid anything that may come up. Be careful and hope it never happens to anyone here.

 

my daily driver has 14's... yep, 185/70/14 tires. it's a civic. hahaha.
I sometimes hit pot holes left and right but if the car drives straight
and no flat tire who cares!! talk about not having to have to
worry about conditions of the road while driving.