Vossen Wheels

Haha, springs or coils, either way, this car would look great sitting lower! Any updates?

Drugdealer

[QUOTE=sessionstu;7659444]Hello all 6th generation ES owners. As I have some free time on my hands, I thought I'd write up a short article on my experience with aftermarket wheels and tires for the 2013 Lexus ES300h.

First off let me say that I've spoken to personnel at the local Lexus dealership in Miami, aftermarket specialists, and friends in the automotive business to make sure that I wouldn't void the warranty, mess with the geometry of the wheels, or anything else that may ruin the car. With that said, these are the specifics.

Vossen VVSCV7 Monoblock Wheels (polished silver) - 20x9 all around with +38 offset
Nitto Invo 245/35/20 Luxury Sport Ultra High Performance Radial Tires

Here is the breakdown in tire size from OEM to aftermarket.

Bridgestone Turanza EL400 215/55/17

Overall Diameter: 26.31"
Ride Height Overall Radius: 13.16"

Nitto Invo 245/35/20

Overall Diameter: 26.75"
Ride Height Overall Radius: 13.38"

As you can see the ride height is approximately .02 inches higher than stock with an overall increase in diameter of 0.44 inches. This increase will not affect the speedometer, tire pressure sensors, or anything else for that matter.

First impressions: The ride comfort is the same, though there is an increase in road noise. This would be due to the larger tire size (contact patch).

The steering lock is the same as before. There is no rubbing at full steering lock. After driving over train tracks, large pot holes, and speed bumps, there was no bottoming out or rubbing.

As for the miles per gallon: I was getting 38.5mpg before. Afterwards I was still getting 38.5mpg. Unlike what others have said, I don't see a difference.

Tire Pressure Monitors: They work just fine. The tire pressure is now 40psi.


Hi,
I'm putting 20s on my car in a few days. The guy at the shop recommended that I get an alignment done after installing the wheels. Is it necessary? Did you do it? Thanks

txes

Hi,
I'm putting 20s on my car in a few days. The guy at the shop recommended that I get an alignment done after installing the wheels. Is it necessary? Did you do it? Thanks

Not necessary unless you suspect there is a problem. Not something that is
automatically done just because you get new wheels.

John

LexRuger

That shop sounds they are trying to get more money from you. I'd take my business elsewhere.

Artistik D

its a good idea to get an alignment after doing anything to your wheels tire suspension. saves your tires from wearing faster. get your alignment and adjust your toe

LexRuger

For a 2013 model year car, I highly doubt the alignment is out of spec already unless you've hit a curb or took it off-roading. If the car was a few years old then it might be beneficial.

Drugdealer

Thanks, lexruger for the input!

sessionstu

No. I didn't get an alignment. But then in seven months of ownership I've only put on 3000 miles. I don't see any uneven wear.

jav@vossen

looks great!!!

sessionstu

Well, after two years of waiting they've finally arrived. Coilovers for the 2013+ Lexus ES. Several manufacturers have developed a coilover for our cars. I went with BC Racing. Here's them out of the box.



I just finished the rears, so I figured I'd upload a couple of pics.



I'll post some better pictures tomorrow after I install the front coilovers. They should be easier than the rears.



I know the pics aren't great. But you should be able to see the difference in ride height.

Drag0na5h

Looking good! Interested in ride & handling compared to stock when the suspension settles in. Subscribed!

sessionstu

Now she's sitting pretty. In my eyes anyways...

chromedome

What a handsome beast And I'm jealous of your winter sunshine!

Those coilovers really transform how the car looks, the lower ride height matches the bigger wheels perfectly.

Any clearance issues when running that low? Is there a lot more grip compared to running stock 17"s?

sessionstu

No clearance issues at all. I haven't scraped or bottomed out once. In fact, I could drop it lower. I think it would start to look gangsta at that point. As for grip, the 245 tires gave it that. The stiffer suspension certainly feels nice around corners. Here in South Florida they're aren't many corners. 99% of the time we're driving dead straight with no hills in sight.

One thing I would suggest for anyone interested in coilovers is going with a custom spring/damper rate. The BC Racing coilovers come with spring rates of 3K rear and 6K front unless you order them custom. I went with 8K rear and 10K front. Without the stiffer spring rate for sure you would scrape. Now that I have them on, I wish I would have gone with something a little softer. I think 6K rear and 8K front would be perfect. If you go with the stock 3K/6K spring rates, you won't be able to drop the car as much as I did. It will bottom out.

Last Friday I took the car to the local dealership to get an alignment. The tech told me he didn't have to do much. He said the camber was almost dead on. Waste of 100 bucks.

pinkfloyd

anybody know the cost of the 20" wheels and tires for my 300H?

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