lvittorio

I'm curious how my car will handle if I get the same size tire front and back. I would like to stick with 18 inch rims and go as wide as I can, even 255. Not sure how the car will handle. I would appreciate any advice you can offer.

PMok

I can't say for sure how the IS350 would handle with same width tires all around, but I can tell you that in general manufacturers of performance cars will put wider tires in back than front to ensure rear traction is maintained and the fronts will lose grip first when the car is pushed to the handling limit. In other words, they do this to make the car tend to understeer, which makes the car safer for the average consumer/driver.

Making the front tires as wide as or wider than the rears, would promote either neutral handling or even add more oversteer at the limit, which is typically a more unstable condition that is difficult for inexperienced drivers to control. Advanced autocrossers and some front-wheel-drive cars benefit from putting same size all around but that is because they are having trouble getting the car to rotate. Unless you know what you're doing, I'd say stick with a staggered setup -- don't just go with same size all around just to save some money or be able to rotate your tires. The manufacturer usually staggers tires for a good reason -- it costs them more money to do this too.

conekiller

...aside from the fact 255s up front would probably destroy his wheel well liners and/or get chewed up by the fender lip.

ULTiMaX99

iTrader: (5)

i think the is350 comes with 17inch wheels standard provided you didn't get the summer tires package. the 17inch wheels are not staggered also. someone correct me if i'm wrong here...

there was also a member here that put non staggered wheels on his rwd 2is so he could rotate and prolong the life of his tires.

Shinedown

The standard wheels on an IS are a non-staggared setup...and the car handles great. But a front tire in a with like youre talking about (255) simply would just not fit without serious rubbing issues.

PMok

According to the lexus site, the 17" wheels come with staggered tires also: 225 front, 245 rear.

http://www.lexus.com/models/is/350_specifications.html

Like I said some people may be inclined to switch to same size all around to save money, be able to rotate tires etc. You can certainly do it, but in my mind you paid extra for staggered wheels and tires when you bought the car, why do you think you know more than Lexus engineers do in this situation?

NovaIS350

OK i have a question for you guys...how fast do you guys drive? seriously you guys talk about tire widths, factory setups, understeer, oversteer, blah blah blah. I bet you if I put all the same sized tires all around you probably wouldnt notice a damn thing. I'll even go further and say I'll take all your tires off and put donuts on, you still wouldnt notice a damn thing. My point being.. all of this handling stuff really doesnt apply to the daily driver, we arent driving back mountain roads, we're making highway\city commutes...which in most cases involves driving in a straight line with the occasional on/off ramp or left or right turn, heck maybe even a u turn. So find some tires that fit the wheels and go on with your lives. No more talk about understeer over steer and super harmonic balance disruption of the inner tire....we aren't race car drivers.

conekiller

I believe the point of those posts was that they put staggered wheel widths and tires on the car for a reason, and there's no sense in hamstringing the car's abilities on the account of being too cheap to buy the tire sizes that came on the car. Tires are the one component that are in contact with the road - start messing with them and the vehicle's characteristics can DRASTICALLY change. Often times not for the better.

And anyone that can't tell the difference between driving on wide max-performance grade tires and low-speed temporary spare donut tires is one of two things...not driving the car or dead.

Shinedown

I get your point...kinda
People who enjoy driving and the way a car feels on the road be it on a slow traffic filled commute to work or a fast run on a curvy road know the difference. I mean c'mon why did you get the sports package?

PMok

On the street, I drive like a grandmother.
But I have been known to take my cars to the track.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ht=thunderhill

You're right that the typical driver won't notice the different in tire widths etc., in normal driving situations. But let's remember you also want to equip your car so that it still handles safely and predictably in non-normal situations. OK, so maybe you never drive fast and won't be taking your car to the track any time soon. But imagine you are driving on a wet rainy day and you're coming around a curve. Maybe there's leaves on the road, maybe it's slick from mud or oil. A deer jumps out in front of you, or maybe someone's cat. So you brake and swerve to avoid and what happens? If all goes well, you maintain control or maybe VDIM cuts in and saves your neck. But if you have done something to make the car handle differently and you're not expecting it, you might find your car wrapped around a tree or light pole or worse. All I'm saying is don't make changes to your car without understanding what it might affect, beyond that do what you like, it's your car and your money right?

NovaIS350

Because I'm a poser...j/k

NovaIS350

I'm ************ with you guys, if you read some of my other post, you'll notice I tend to just make snyde comments and totally contradict myself...mainly cause I'm bored..and my girlfriend isnt around

NovaIS350

but you have to agree with me though...there are a lot of Lexus owners out there...cough* cough* (old people). Who buy cars like the IS, strictly for the whip appeal. They don't push their cars, and wouldn't know the difference between a donut and a racing slick

TimboIS

Neither the GS or GSh have staggered tires. I seriously doubt it makes ANY difference if you decided not to have a staggered setup.

lvittorio

Thanks for all the advice. You're right, I was looking at the same size tire all around in order to save money and be able to rotate. But you make some valid points!
Next question, for winter tires (I live in Chicago) do I go with the same staggered setup I have now and same size tires that came with my 350 (255 in back) only put a winter tire on??? This is my big dilema.