Nikkels

Whatsup everybody, I am new to this forum. I have an '07 GS350 AWD with the 18" tourmaline wheels. Let me first say that I love my car...it's probably the best thing I have ever owned. My last car was an RX 330....there is no comparision between the two.

Anyway, has anyone gone from the 17" stock wheels to 18" tourmalines? I get a pit in my stomach every time I hit a pothole....it is so hard. Also, whenever there are tire grooves in the road, my steering wheels moves around and the car kinda goes all over the place. My question is: If I go back to the stock seventeens, will my ride be considerably more comfortable?

thanks

bokmeipai

iTrader: (1)

I upgraded to 18 inch G-Spider wheels and the trade off is performance and looks. It is a lower profile 40 vs 50 series tires thus the harsher ride but with the wider footprints of the 18 inchers you get a better grip on turns. Regarding the car going all over the place when you hit grooves in road it is called tramlining and can happen even when you go back to 17 inch wheels because of the wide grooves in tires. Regarding potholes, doesn't matter if you hit a bad pothole with 17 or 18 inch wheel/tires you will feel the shock no matter what. I hit a pot hole when my car only had 400 miles on ODO and it cause a bubble to appear on sidewall. Though it was my fault/accident I complained to Lexus and as a goodwill gesture they replace tire free of charge. If you wanted a softer ride you should have bought the ES as the GS is more performance oriented in mind.

safricags

dunno about you guys, but i absolutely hate that tramlining feeling, makes me nervous.

Nikkels

NEVER AN ES!!! I am not a fan.

Thanks for the input.

Nikkels

i just hate the "tramlining" ( i learned a new word today) when i have to stop abruptly....sometimes i feel like im losing control. Do all high end cars with wide tires have this problem? I used to have an '00 Yukon Denali with "22's and that was the worste, it was al over the place.

noobs

A bit harsh, no? The GS is probably the softest and most luxury oriented of the luxury sport sedans. Increasing sidewall height and flex will generally result in a softer and more comfortable ride at the expense of performance and steering response and feedback. So switching to 17s and to a grand touring tire will give you a more comfortable and quieter ride. It still will jar you on big potholes and it will not look as good or perform as well.

EyeKutr

iTrader: (5)

I wnt from stock 17s to 18 inch 5 spoke, same thing essentially, I did however but a tire with 245 45 18 size and that helped get a bit more cushion. Also, if you have run flats they also make your ride harder (they are fred flintsone's choice of tire)

lexuslover

a lot of times tramlining is caused by the tread pattern, so it depends on the manufacturer of the tire you are using. if you experience it now on your 17's, you can try another brand/make of tire when you go to 18's.

i would go to discounttire.com or tirerack.com and read reviews prior to buying the tires to see if there are complaints of tramlining. certain tires are notorious for that, so you can steer clear of those.

we have michelin pilot sport a/s on our GS430 and love them. had them on the SC430 before we traded that one in too. they aren't cheap, but give a smooth ride and good performance. (STAY AWAY FROM THE YOKOHAMA ADVANS! -- too much noise)