My girlfriend bought the '02 SE-R Spec V, and now she needs to get a set of wheels + tires that suit winter driving in Buffalo. She has the 17" with Z rated tires, and the prices on all season 215/45/R17's are pretty steep (not to mention the short sidewall sucks for the snow). She has the normal SE-R speC V brakes (no brembo's)
What nissan sentra wheels would fit on this car? (she wants the cheap steels)
would the 14" wheels with 185/65/R14's fit?
would the 15" wheels with 195/60/R15's fit?
I think the 15's would be best, would the difference in the brakes caliper clearence between sentra models stop the use of the 14's or 15's on a SE-R spec V?
That was my suspision. Thanks for your help, I think that we'll try to get the 15"s for the winter.
One last question,
If the 15" alloys will fit without any clearence issue, will the 15" black steel wheels also fit without a clearence issue? Cause the price difference is quite dramatic.
what im not getting at is why do you want/need to get smaller wheels(rims)???all you need is tires....go shop around at tire shops and get the ones made for all season or ones that work especially great for winter....dont degrade the looks of the car by slapping on way smaller rims.....the 17"s are fine....and the tires arent low-profile enough to make a difference, youll find that youll prolly spend as much money trying to get a 15" rim set + tires, as you would juss gettin tires for the 17's......IMO stay with the 17"s....theres a reason also why they arent smaller....because its not good on the car....keep the size or go bigger.....
also, if you buy anything directly from nissan(aftermarket parts, or just parts in general), you are basically gettin ripped off....the wheels dont matter unless you plan on going off-road or some bumpy rds....
That was my suspision. Thanks for your help, I think that we'll try to get the 15"s for the winter.
One last question,
If the 15" alloys will fit without any clearence issue, will the 15" black steel wheels also fit without a clearence issue? Cause the price difference is quite dramatic.
have a 1.8 with a 15 inch package 195-60-15 in winter tires and will be moving to a 17 215-45-17 in the spring.all you need to do is the opposite!! also, check out the nokian tire line. they performed very well during this past northeastern storm.
what im not getting at is why do you want/need to get smaller wheels(rims)???all you need is tires....go shop around at tire shops and get the ones made for all season or ones that work especially great for winter....dont degrade the looks of the car by slapping on way smaller rims.....the 17"s are fine....and the tires arent low-profile enough to make a difference, youll find that youll prolly spend as much money trying to get a 15" rim set + tires, as you would juss gettin tires for the 17's......IMO stay with the 17"s....theres a reason also why they arent smaller....because its not good on the car....keep the size or go bigger.....
i live in buffalo NY. there is a LOT of snow here, and 17" all season tires will still not perform very well.
My GF and I are exploring a few options:
if 4 all season R17 tires are ~400-500
and
if 4 15" rims are 100-150, with tires costing about 150-250 for a set.
These wheels will be for bad weather, not for summer, so the narrower, the better.
still debating which route to take myself, but thanks for everyones advice
I'm running 195/60/15 blizzaks on 15" steel rims on a 03 Spec V.
I recomend getting the 15" because chimmike was correct in saying they will handle better in the snow.
Also, with a extra tire and rim package, you will want to reinstall the stock tires any time the roads are dry unless maybe another winter storm is right around the corner. Winter tires wear out extreamy fast and you don't want to tear them up on dry roads. If you only use them when you need them, they should last at least three seasons. In time, you will save money by not having to remount tires on the stock rims and only using the winter rubber when you need it. It's really nice to have the option to use winter tires or summer tires without needing a tire shop to change them. I wish it were a law to run snow tires in bad weather. I bought my first set about 6 years ago and I will never go without them. Unless I move to a place that never gets snow. A true winter snow tires is about as much improvement as a performace tire is to a touring tire.
15 is the way to go. you are right on track. if you get really bad snow and ice, get Nokian tyres.
Hakkapeliitta WR - Nokian's next generation "All Season Plus" utilizing "Rubber Stud" technology.
Hakkapeliitta NRW - The original "All Season Plus" tire. Excellent for year round use.
Hakkapeliitta Q - Studless winter tire replaced by the RSi in most sizes.
Hakkapeliitta 2 (this is the real deal) - With thousands of biting edges and studable tread, this has superior ice traction.
Hakkapeliitta RSi - This "green" winter tire raises the bar for studless winter tires.
we ended up deciding to get the steel 15" wheels, which will cost $140, and the 4 snow tires will cost 74-79 a piece, for a total (with shipping+tax) $483.62
where the cheapest set of 17" snow tires came to $548.42, and the 15"s will handle better in the snow.
the only other question I had was on snow tire preference. The 2 choices are Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50's for $79 each, or Michelin X-Ice for $74 a piece. Does anyone have any info/experience with these brands? Thanks for any help
I have heard good things about the WS-50. To what I understand the Blizzak is more snow and Michelin is more ice to it depends on what weather you get more of. I'de check into the Nokian prices though considering NY gets a lot of snow and ice.
I have heard good things about the WS-50. To what I understand the Blizzak is more snow and Michelin is more ice to it depends on what weather you get more of. I'de check into the Nokian prices though considering NY gets a lot of snow and ice.
I have WS-50's (225/45/17) and have to say they are a great winter tire. We have had a few big storms in the NorthWest that stayed for extended periods of time. I have had good results on ice and snow. the only problem has been slush... that is mostly due to the width of the tire and not the design of the tread.
The only real ice tire is going to be a studed tire, or maybe a tire from this place. http://greendiamondtire.com/
Snow tires still help tho because they are good at keeping snow from packing up on them and the rubber compound stays soft in cold temps, so they are better on ice, they just can't dig in and get traction like a studed or diamond green tire can.
The only real ice tire is going to be a studed tire, or maybe a tire from this place. http://greendiamondtire.com/
Snow tires still help tho because they are good at keeping snow from packing up on them and the rubber compound stays soft in cold temps, so they are better on ice, they just can't dig in and get traction like a studed or diamond green tire can.
Nokians are studded...if NY is like MD then they have plenty of ice hence my reccomendation. IIRC a softer sidewall is better for snow, rite? If so thou, doesnt that mean you lose performance?
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