NickTomsyc

Hey everyone,

Until this summer I've had an IS250 awd with all season, and it did just fine....

Current car is an IS350 (RWD), lowered ~1.5" on H and R springs, I run 19" rims in the summer and have the stock 18s (18x8.5 rears) for winter... but this will be my first winter with them and would like to get legit snow tires, so before I buy I have a few questions....

* Current tires are 255/40/18 .... how much narrowier could I go before it is stretched too far - 245 / 235?.... with snow, the narrowier the better.

* Should I consider just buying some more narrow rims (possibly non-staggard) to mount the snow tires? Possibly even look into 17s?

.... my wife drives the car now and then so I just want to make sure she has as little chance and possible to destroy herself and the car if bad weather should hit.

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

Stock AWD 17x8s with 225/45s. Actually I'm not sure if the AWD 17s would clear the front calipers.. Maybe just go to 245 on the OEM wheels.

SeanO

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't worry about your rims being staggered (its only half inch). Stock tires on stock lexus rims are 225's so that would be fine. I use my stock 18's for winters as well.

laobo979

iTrader: (5)

I've run blizzak ws70 225-45-18 all around on my oem 350 wheels. It's not much of a stretch on the rear either.

NickTomsyc

You're certainly sitting lower than stock, does going up to a 45 series tire change the ride height up or down?

I would assume 225/40 means I'm going even lower because of the stretch, does 225/45 make the stretch a "wash" and keep the same height?


.... I'm low enough now to be concerned that if I stretch a 40 I'll drop even more and become the neighborhood snowplow (more than I already will be)

laobo979

iTrader: (5)

Doesn't change the ride height that much. Remember 225 is the width it doesn't change the height. The 40/45 is how tall and that not much of a change again. I will say it again it not much of a stretch to run 225/45 on 8.5 width just google the image.

NickTomsyc

Using this calculator:
http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp?item=Wheel-Tire size comparer&sw1=225&ar1=45&bd1=18&rw1=8.5&et1=10&sw2=255&ar2=40&bd2=18&rw2=5.5&et2=40&text1=&text2=

255/40/18 (current) = 26" height of rim / tire (no rubbing, works well)
225/40/18 (Option 1) = 25.1" height of rim / tire ...won't rub - but I think that might be too low based on where I'm sitting now
225/45/18 (option 2) = 25.9" height of rim / tire .... shouldn't rub (less than current setup) and only lose .1"

I think that 225/45/18 might be my best bet

Dylan19

I have a 350 and I used 225/40/18 WS70's for the winter on my OEM 18's and they worked great. The stretch was minimal. I prefer to turn off tractional control too. Stupid computer cut off the power and I was inching across a 55mph intersection. Not fun. I will never drive in in climate weather with tractional control on ever again.

NickTomsyc

Did you notice the "drop" from stretching the tires?
... I'm just nervous losing that extra 1" is going to put my exhaust so low I'll be scrapping everything.

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

Probably too heavy on the gas. Ease off and let the tires do the work.

Dylan19

Not the problem at all. And even if that was the problem why would the car have to come to basically a stop before being able to get power again? I do the pedal dance now and have no more problems.

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

Okay fine, let's think this through. The traction control system takes over when you lose traction. How do you lose traction? Well either you didn't have much in the first place, or you were spinning the tires by applying too much gas. The TCS then intervenes because it notices the tires slipping, and it will continue to cut power until you regain traction.

Regardless of how the TCS behaves, if you don't force it to intervene, it won't.

Also keep in mind that the these systems are there for safety, not to get you from point A to point B faster. If you want to plow through an intersection at the risk of a decrease in traction, which most of us can manage through, then turn off the TCS. 06s have to do the pedal dance, 07+ you just hold down the TCS button while stopped for about 4 seconds.

WylieKylie

iTrader: (2)

You aren't losing an inch of ground clearance, you are losing 1/2" of ground clearance.

If you are worried about that half inch you can go staggered on the back. Remember even with the same size tires on all the wheels you still have staggered wheels to prevent you from easily rotating the tires.

laobo979

iTrader: (5)

Driving with the traction off during snow time is a must if you own a rwd isx50. Don't matter how light you are on the gas. Spin is spin if your on patch of ice. I rather have power to the wheel to move rite away then crawling across the road. Then hoping you don't cut power to the wheel and get hit. I've drive 3 winter with my TC and VSC off during winter. I feel safer with it off than on. It's not the matter of A to B fast it the matter of not getting stuck...