Gundown64

No I am not entirely sure, and that is my suspicion at the moment. Only problem is I can't easily check this without the rim off the car. I am going to go out when it stops raining and see if I can get a picture of the inside of the spokes and see the wheel width stamp than pmanliu suggested. Thanks for the mention about the spacers too. I was curious if they came with stock wheels or not.

pmanliu

iTrader: (4)

Here is where you need to look on the spokes for the diameter on one, then the width on the other (this is an 18x8 IS350 wheel)



Im pretty sure you're running a rear wheel (8.5) in the front

Gundown64

Ding Ding! We have a winner. So good news is, you are correct and I have found the problem: 8.5 in wheel in the front. Bad news is, I only have one other 8 in wheel on the vehicle and it is the one on the passenger side. How in the world was I able to drive for the past year and a half with a 8.5 on the front with no noticeable problems? I guess the bigger issue here is finding a replacement? These chrome rims are expensive as all hell brand new and finding a single used one isn't easy either. I planned on going aftermarket soon, but that is still a few months away at best. Is there temporary fix here? A spacer maybe? God the people who owned this car before were complete idiots.

pmanliu

iTrader: (4)

Glad you were able to find the problem. I would get a 18x8 wheel on ebay/craigslist for cheap, usually $150 or maybe $200 since its chrome. Or you can get a set of (4) 18's for $500ish.

A spacer (5mm) should solve the issue and you wont need extended lugs to run them, but with anything suspension related I'd prefer symmetry between the left and right so a new wheel would be the proper way to go.

Gundown64

I agree with you though that a new rim is the optimal choice here. I just did a extensive search for the rims and didn't find much. There are a couple of used sets here and there, but far away from me which means added shipping costs. Didn't really have luck finding a single rim either, at least for a reasonable price. I think I am going to go with a spacer for a short term, quick fix. You think 5mm is enough? Something like this should work I would guess: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1X-WHEEL-SPACERS-5MM-OR-3-16-FITS-ALL-5X100-5X108-5X112-5X114-3-5X115-5X120-/141144120229?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item20dcd85ba5&vxp=mtr

QS350

I'm glad the problem was resolved but .... I wonder how exactly your car ended up with 1 rear and 3 fronts....

Luckily it's not an AWD or else it could have been much worse lol

Nelexus88

Actually he has 3 rear rims and 1 front. I expect an original front rim was damaged and replaced by a wider rear rim which would likely be easier to find on the used market. One would hope it was done by mistake and not intentionally.

As long as the correct tire size is used on the slightly wider rim there would be little or no effect on handling (just the clearance issue).