ok so i just got a 280zx (1980) and i have looked around at wheels and tires. i see alot of ppl running much larger sets than stock and my question is how much suspension upgrades are necessary to run 17s and these fat tires i keep seeing? is there anything i can get as far as going a lil bigger and not have to do much (if anything) to the suspension but not cause problems? i know if u go too big or change offset too much u can put extra stress on the car so i am trying to avoid that. i plan to upgrade suspension bits later but for now im trying to get somethin decent to roll on to replace the beat up stockers.

thnx for any help!
also im new to z's and modifying cars in general... sorry if i missed this thread... i was lookin and didnt find anything that really fit wat i was askin. please point me to this thread if it exists!

 

Welcome to Zdriver man.

As for converting to 17's and such. I don't know a lot about that. I stick to 15's on my Z's. But there are plenty of people on here, that have converted to bigger wheels and tires. I am sure they can help you out. Good luck with your Z man.

 

Thnx man. I was thinkin about stayin at 15"s as well but I'd wanna go wider if I stayed there... U know anything about just goin wider? Maybe bigger tires? I wanna keep the car streetable but want it to have. Show and go... Know wat I mean?

 

Nothing is strictly necessary to plus size your wheel/tire combo. Just pick a tire size with an overall diameter the same as stock so your gearing isn't affected (unless, of course, you want different gearing on the cheap).

If you're looking to fit the maximum amount of tire under your fenders, upgrading to coilovers is something to think about because the springs take up less space. But compared to any late model car the fenders on a zx have an almost ludicrous amount of space in them, so fitting tires wider than you need isn't hard.

As far as aesthetics go, a larger rim & smaller tire profile creates an optical illusion that makes the car look jacked up - so a suspension drop is advantageous for that purpose.

Partly depends on the overall weight of the wheel/tire combination - but with reasonable size alloy wheels (<17"), it's pretty easy to find a combination that isn't any heavier than stock, so won't put any undue stress your wheel bearings. If you go crazy with low offset and/or spacers, yeah, it'll wear things faster (as well as reduce your effective spring rate).

fwiw, I'm looking to replace my wheels this spring (running winter tires on the stockers right now), and will probably get some 16x8's in a zero offset. From what I've read they should fit well with a 225 width tire, and I like the look of that size with a mild drop (tokico springs & shocks). One of my pet peeves is a huge wheel with modest stock brakes under them, so I don't want to go too big. Not to mention, tires start to get pretty expensive in the 17" & up department.

 

ok so i get wat u mean about goin larger diameter and keeping overall diameter relatively the same but wat about width? how does width affect suspension and wear? how should offset relate to going wider? also what can u tell me about stretched tires? i like the look a lil but i def would not want to stretch alot... racing isnt gonna be a huge priority but ive heard stretch is def bad for racing which i understand cuz it wastes valuable contact patch. im not planning to stretch tires but im just curious about it. also any suggestions on wheels would be greatly appreciated since ive been havin trouble finding options. i think 16x8 is a good way to go... if not wider. i like the look of the 16x8 width and diameter tho. do u know wat other measurements u plan to get for tires? is it ok to go from 15" to 16" wheels and keep the sidewall height the same? or will that have a drastic affect? i know im asking alot of questions but im new to modifying cars and i wanna learn! thnx for the info so far!

 

Stretch is useless, it is what people do to fit wider wheels than their car can handle. Offset is the relationship of the hub mounting surface relative to the center of the wheel in + or - millimeters. When the width of a tire is changed the offset must also to maintain the wheel in the center of the fender. Going wider doesn't add stress to anything. Massively changing offsets and using spacers can though. So try to avoid that. You seem to have a general grasp on wheels and tires, but you don't seem to understand them that much, so research what the numbers mean on tires and the purpose of offsets. Also, stretched tires are bad for traction not only because it reduces the contact patch size but also because a little sidewall flex actually helps for maximizing traction in turns. If you aren't concerned with buying super strong forged wheels, and you want to maximize the wheel size for your car, look into the Rota RB-R's that are 17x9/9.5 with the slightly -mm offset. they were made for our cars specifically and can be had for a great price of 850 I think for a full set. Plus this day and age, 17inch wheels are so very popular compared to 16's and 15's that you have a much better tire selection.

 

i know what offset is and how its measured and i also know about tire measurement numbers and ratings i just dont understand how they relate. but goin with what u said if i go wider i need a more negative offset. as far as i know our cars have 0 offset stock so going about 2-3" wider i would go -13 ish? if i had i positive offset car i would just go closer to 0 (depending how far positive the offset was originally but u get wat i mean) also im not interested in stretched tires for bigger wheels i just like the look. thnx for the info on the sidewall flex tho i didnt know that. i was trying to stay with 16"s to avoid price but 850 isnt too bad... maybe with selling my fwd cars and taxes i can afford those and tires! thnx alot for ur input!