Let's get back on topic - is 225/40-18 the golden front size with lots of amazing options that we should all be shooting for? It's been a long thread and I've lost track of what I'm actually supposed to be buying :tongue:
I'm not sure you want to be buying anything until one of us has tried this.
I posted this earlier, but here it is again:
This is a photo of the left tire, towards the rear, the wavy silver stuff is a seam where two body panels are joined. Looks like some sort of welding and gluing, I am not sure. But you can see the distance is CLOSE, HEre my tire is a 235/40/17 NT01. That is slightly smaller in diameter than a 225/40/18. The photo makes it worse, but there is no more than a pinky of space in there, I can slide my finger in between but it is actually squeezing my finger down. A 225/40/18 will need this to be shaved. Up front I've already shredded my fan shrouds, and since then I manually zip tied what was left a bit further back. I think you can just pull an oem shroud further back and have it be safe. There's room between the shroud and the condenser fans.
Since I did that, I noticed mysteriously that my "rubbing" at full lock was gone. As I examined what was going on under there, I realized the rubbing you hear at full lock is the plastic shroud. I removed my fender liners off a while back before they were damaged and saved them. They are still in perfect condition.
Removing fender liners is not ideal. You get more noise in the car, and there is debris that the R comps pickup and spray all around. But there are fixes. You can still line the inner fender wells with expansion foam and rubber undercoating. Have everything be protected. There is a brake line under there I am now concerned about, but I have to take a second look. Maybe someone else knows.
After the seam issue, the next issue would be the headlight bucket but there's still space there, about an inch, and I don't think it's a problem to worry about unless you go even bigger.
Is also want to note that my caster is maxed out. That moves the front wheels forward. That may be giving me more clearance than Chris had, and NSX's being hand built are probably all slightly different. Bohnamsurf may have had someone shave that seam already, he may have been running a slightly preferable tire brand that was just a hair smaller, or his car may have been already different enough during assembly to allow that tire to fit. I know for sure if I don't shave my seam, it's going to be a problem. But I have no choice now. Just as billy started this thread, I received and installed my ceramics and realized they will not fit a 17" wheel. So I have to do this. I don't want a yokohama S drive.
ShaylorD has a 2013 Nissan GTR. The front wheel is 20x9.5 at an et of 45. I was going to get a 305-30-20 tire, stick it on there and try it on the rear of the NSX. Just so I can get exact measurements and some photos. Of course the front is another story but hey at least we are getting some data. If that's a no-go I won't bother with the front. If that works, then I can pursue what it would take to get that 235/35/19 up front.
At worst when my passenger asks "hey what's this black thing?" I can say "that's the front tire honey. Don't put your feet on it".
