Current tires close to done after only 16,000 miles.
I want to replace the stock 19" inch wheels on my 2008 G37 Journey with 18" inch wheels so I can rotate, and replacement tires will be less expensive.

Currently have Hankook Ventus V12 evo 225/45ZR19 96Y on front, 225/40ZR19 98Y on rear.

Is it as simple as purchasing four stock 18" wheels and four 225/50R18 tires?
Or should I keep the 19" wheels and buy four identical tires?
Current wheels extend past the tires and scrape curbs way too easily, expensive to repair each time.

Advice/suggestions, please.

 

I surely wouldn't go 225s on all 4 corners, too little tire on the road for our 330 hp Gs. I'd go 245s all around on a 8.5" width rim or even 255s. member MACS has some nice lightweight Enkei 18's, not too expensive. Here's a thread with pics on page 2. And these will clear the Akebono big brakes.
https://www.myg37.com/forums/wheels-...nkei-rpf1.html
BTW, how did you get stock 19s on a Journey, or is it a Journey "Sport" coupe?

 

Do you have a Coupe or Sedan?

I had 18's on my Sedan that were 225/50-18 on the front and 245/45-18 on the rear. I couldn't get the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus for the front so that pushed me into a set of 19's so I could get that tire.

I researched this pretty heavily and asked tire shops and Infiniti about just putting 245/45-18's on the front. They said the stock front wheels were too narrow for the 245 section width. They also said I would have trouble picking up two rear wheels (that are wide enough to support the 245's) because there would be issues with fitment clearing the Akebono front calipers.

Do you have Akebono brakes on yours? That will be a big factor in wheel fitment. I found a lot of wheels that I liked but there were always fitment issues and I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for HRE's or Vossen's.

If you don't have Akebono's, I would look up what the wheel sizes are for a G37X model and pick up a set in 18 inch size from someone on the forum looking to upgrade. The X models use a uniform size all the way around so you would be able to rotate, etc without any issues. I hope that helps.

 

good idea to go 18s, the setup will be lighter as well.

 

It wouldn't be a wise choice to put the same size tire on different sized wheels (assuming you have the staggered Sport model wheels). Even though you would be able to rotate the wheels, you'd need to run spacers on the rear axle when the front wheels are rotated to the rear or it'll look awkward and sunken in. Does that make sense?

Option one: Either get two additional fronts or two additional rears so that you have all four of the same size. Then you'll want to sell the two that don't match. Although not impossible, it'll be tough trying to find a buyer that only wants two wheels.

Option two: Assuming you don't have the Akebono BBK on your Journey, you should be able to pull off most 18" wheels. Just make sure width and offsets are good so it's not super sunken into the wheel well.

BTW I have my stock 18s (non staggered) available from my 2011 G37x coupe if you're interested

 

The spec sheet shows it as an option on the 2008 coupe:
Performance Tire & Wheel Package:

P225/45WR19 (front) P245/40WR19
(rear) summer performance tires, unique
19-inch lightweight cast aluminum
wheels (not available with Sport
Package)

 

I forgot about the tire/wheel upgrade pkg, don't know why I did since our 07 Journey sedan had the 18" split spoke upgrade

 

2008 G37 Journey coupe with the following option as listed on the Infiniti spec page:
Performance Tire & Wheel Package:

P225/45WR19 (front) P245/40WR19
(rear) summer performance tires, unique
19-inch lightweight cast aluminum
wheels (not available with Sport
Package)

 

How can I tell if I have Akebono brakes?

 

It appears that I do not have the Akebono brakes, just the performance tire and wheel package. Since the standard wheels were 18x8J inch aluminum alloy (from spec sheet), it would seem that your stock 18" wheels would work. Do they stick out further than the tire? Way too easy to brush a curb if they do.

 

Your 19s are on a 225/45 front tire and 245/40 rear tire. 18s are on 225/50 tires all around. With these ratios, the 18s have at least 10mm more in sidewall height than you so there's plenty of meat on them. A little too much for my liking actually but not nearly as curb prone as the sport 19s. Many guys on here actually upgrade their tires to 245/40 275/35.

 

Might want to check out these OEM Anniversary 18" wheels, seems like a nice deal, the 19s are pretty sweet too.
https://www.myg37.com/forums/private...ml#post3635609