hi,

just bought a black 2012 GT to replace my gas guzzling nissan quest. ive been reading a lot in the forums, but couldn't find any clear answer to this:

can i replace my stock 18" wheels with 15"? i would like to have a lot more sidewall (im kind of an aggressive driver).. so not a big fan of the low profile tires really.

im actually shopping at discount tire direct for some all terrain tires that have a little more aggressive look than the everyday touring.

discount tire shows 16" rims as an option, but i think 15s are even cheaper, and so are the tires for them

also>>
the offset is +38mm, correct?
if i buy wheels with larger offset (more positive), my stance would be narrower, is that right?

so is it a good idea to look for wheels with +38mm or LESS, if i'm looking for a wider stance?

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THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT

 

OEM tire size for the 16" is 215/70R16. If you go with a 15" rim, you'd need something like 235/70R15, which is very close to where you need to be.

Honestly, i'd go with 16's. I think you'd sacrifice some turning stability with 15s. I'm pretty happy with my 16s. 2-3 years ago, I think we were about $450-500 out the door for 4 new tires.

 

Would 15" rims fit over the front disc calipers?

 

heh, good point.

 

I currently have 16s and I love the extra tire on the rim my wheels eat pot holes up for lunch I would advise you to stay with 16s so that everything works/fits correctly.

 

thanks for all the advice!

16s it is then.

the only one i really like is this from discounttire:
cragar soft 8 (16x8", 13ET, steel)
Wheel Details - Discount Tire Direct

im lookin to pair them with 235/70/16s
n im aware theyre gonna be about 1" taller than stock
n i would need to get the speedo recalib

hopefully i wont run into any other problems

thanks again for all the input

 

let us know how it turns out. not many around here are doing what you are doing. would be cool to see how it turns out.

 

As an aside, good luck getting good fuel economy with your GT. I have the V6 too, and it's never given me more than 24 mpg on the highway at best. Average mixed fuel economy has been 20-21 mpg in FWD mode.

 

Fuel economy depends on multiple things. I've hit 28MPG (early in the vehicles life) going 70mph with the OEM Geolander tires. I now float around 25.5 with our Bridgestone Dueler Alenza tires...they feel heavier, but perform great.

 

hi again everyone,

my dealer told me they wont be able to recalibrate my speedo bec its electronic, not cable.

i asked my local shop and its a no as well.

the new tires will be 1.2" taller
so if the speedo is not adjusted, it will be off this much at these speeds:

says / actual
40 -> 41.7
55 -> 57.4
65 -> 67.8
75 -> 78.3

... which i can live with.

my question is, will this put too much stress on the drive train, bec of the higher torque required to spin the new tires.
(i read somewhere here that the new 3.0L engines have a lot more headroom for torque.)


THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE.