Need to replace wheels and tires...help

[J Scott]

First things first, this sight is awesome! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

OK here's the deal. SE CC 4x4; love the wheels but not the tires. I want to be able to use an aggressive tread for off road.

I got to tell ya, all this is new to me and I'm learning from you guys. I have done searches but still don't know which move to make. It appears that buying 17" rims would open more options for tires. I like the Maximas Buckshot's, Toyo AT's, etc...

Could I just buy the 17" OEM's (steel or 7-spoke) and be handled?

Your ideas are needed and very much appreciated,


J Scott

[ensclark]

There are a few of us that have changed things out a bit. I have the 17's oems for the OR package I will sell, I changed them out with centerlines. Sammy has the same and has gone with the 295/70 17 nittos tires which I will be going to also. I like the more aggressive tire too, I like the ride of the BFGs that it came with but want something mere. Look around on the site for some more ideas and pics. We have all posted pics when we got them on. I like the 17s better for off road use and would say go for it. But look at OEM and some of the other aftermarket rims to get a better idea.

[J Scott]

If I go from the factory 18" wheels to 17" wheels, are there any precautions or guidelines I need to know or follow?

BTW, my stock setup is 265/70/18. I was told by a Nissan Service writer that my truck was programmed for this setup. And could not be adjusted for a different one. And that any modification out of spec would invalidate the warranty.

Input needed,

J Scott

[Mike H.]

Originally Posted by J Scott

If I go from the factory 18" wheels to 17" wheels, are there any precautions or guidelines I need to know or follow?

BTW, my stock setup is 265/70/18. I was told by a Nissan Service writer that my truck was programmed for this setup. And could not be adjusted for a different one. And that any modification out of spec would invalidate the warranty.

Input needed,

J Scott

You can go from 18 to 17. The Nissan Service guy I spoke with also said there was no way to calibrate for different tire size through the computer. (For example, Chevy/GMC can go in and just input a different tire diameter.) But he also said there was no difference between the OR and non-OR calibration, since they are so close in diameter (about 0.5" difference). So who knows. If you stick with a ~33" tire, you'll be OK with calibration. As far as invalidating the warranty, that is BS. They would have to PROVE it casued the failure of the part in question.

As far as wheel diameter, there are about a million more tire options with the 17 as the 18. However, keep in mind the factory 17" OR wheel is only 7.5" wide. Most oversized tires are rated by their manufacturer for 8" minimum, and some even higher. Check out each tire manufacturer's specific data.

[avroflyer]

I swapped out my 17 OR stockers for 17" American Racing Chrome and kept the stock tires (for now). Actually looks pretty good with the stock tires as the offset pushes the tires out 1/4" more making for a "meaner" looking stance. I sold the stock wheels on to a member on this site and it seems there are always buyers for the OR wheels (I think you said you had the OR wheels?).

[ensclark]

Your stock tires are 32.6 inches tall. The with the 17 you could go with the stock size that comes with it 285/70/17. These are 32.7 inches tall. To keep it in the "stock" set up for what the trucks computer is programed for you should stay close to this range. Even if you were to go with 295/70/17 (33.3 inches) the only difference I know of is that at 60 mph you going to actualy be going 62mph but then again how many of us get our speedo's calabrated, they all could be off a little. On invalidating the warranty, I don't see how changing your tires would put it out of spec for the warranty. If you did change them out with stock 17s I don't think they would even know you changed them, and I don't think the rims are covered. The only thing that a mod does is not cover the mod under the warranty. They have to prove that what you changed is the cause of the problem. Can't say that your lights don't work because you changed the tires. I'm sure a lot of us would be in trouble if this was the case.
my .02
I hope this helps, I'm sure that there are others with ideas on it too.