rjfiore1

I just traded my 04 GX470 for a 05 LS430 with the 18" rims and 245/45R18 Dunlop SP5000 tires w/ maybe 50% tread remaining and I swear the GX had a quiter, smoother ride!!! I can hear every bump and feel it. Kinda makes the car ride lousy. Has anyone experienced this. I know there are some threads on tires and stuff, but specifically I ned to know if I'm going crazy or am I expecting too much. What can I do to correct this! Any help would be appreciated!

GregGH

Hi

Go do some test drives in other LS430's (assuming you have some dealers close ) -- and see how they drive relative to your LS.

I have an 06 with 18" rims - put about 2000 miles since getting it earlier this year - what a wonderful riding car.

Regards

Greg H

scottmcc

Hi

I also have an 05 LS 430 with Stock 18" chrome wheels and the ride is impecible. There is no road noise and it is very smooth. Anyone who rides in it comments immediately about how smooth and quiet the ride is.

This spring I will be putting on some larger wheels, (20's or 21's) knowing I will be sacrificing some ride quality.

Randy B

The car came with 18X7.5 chrome wheels. Having come out of a 2003 MB E500, I love the Euro Sport Suspension. The base LS430's were too spongy for me. I do like feedback though through the steering wheel. The ride is very smooth, yet I do feel through the wheel and not the seat the bumps and rocks you describe. This is suspension is as close I have found a Japanese luxury car to feel like a Euro car. After the air problems I had withe MB suspension, I will never own one of those systems again, by any manufacturer. The main reason I did not get an Ultra.

Randy B

rjfiore1

Scottmcc-what kind of tires do you have on your car? You really hear no road noise? My wife even mentions that the car rides noisily. How is your car over bumps?

rjfiore1

randyb- I do feel in my seat unfortunately, and the whole car kinda makes noises over bumps, train tracks, etc. I don't know....

Kansas

You would certainly not be the first if you were to trade your optional 18" wheels for the 17" wheels with 225/55HR17 tires that were standard on the 05 LS430. I suspect you would find plenty of people on this forum who would trade. If you bought your car from a dealer, the dealer might do a trade too. I think you would notice a big difference.

Back when 16" wheels were standard on the 01-02 LS430, some people traded their optional 17" wheels for 16" wheels to get a softer ride. You could even go from 18" to 16" but I suspect that you wouldn't like that ride either.

Randy B

Dunlop SP 5000 are not exactly quiet. I have the OEM Bridgestone Turanza's that came on the car. They are not exactly sporty as compared to my Porsche's OEM Pirelli's, however they are quite comfy. The size are 245/45/18. 45 is not exactly a whole lot of sidewall height for comfiness. The 17's are a good idea for a softer ride as they would go to a 225/55/17. I believe you said your tires were at least half gone. I would suggest moving to a touring tire rather than a summer type sport tire. Goodyear Response Edge and Michelin Primacy are good choice's in the 18" rim size. Tirerack has the Goodyear's for $167.00 each, the Michelin's are $212.00 each.

I personally like a touring tire on the big sedan. I have the sport car for sport driving. While I understand most people here may not be in my situation, I am trying to offer you my views so you can find what you are looking for.

Here is an article that covers both tires from TireRack.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...ay.jsp?ttid=86

BTW, you should not feel it in the seat, only in the wheel.

Good Luck.

Randy B

e-man

I agree with the previous poster. It's the tires. First, check your tire pressure. Assuming it's set to the correct psi, I would strongly consider trading out the Dunlop sport tires for a grand touring tire. You will lose a bit in the performance department, but you'll more than make it up in quiet and comfort. I'm sure going from 18s to 17s would make a big difference as well (because of more tire sidewall), but assuming you plan on keeping the 18s, slap a new set of touring tires on them and you'll notice an immediate difference. Keep us posted.

Kansas

The Dunlop SP 5000 tire is an all season tire. There predecessor, the SP 4000, came standard on my 2000 LS400. When the original SP 4000 tires wore out in 2003, I replaced them with SP 5000 tires and I did not notice that they rode harshly. I assumed that Lexus used them as OEM because they provide a pleasantly compliant ride.

I recently replaced the Dunlop SP 5000 tires, after driving them about 30-35K miles, with summer directional Bridgestone tires which ride about the same but which do seem quieter -- but they should be quieter since they are new.

The shorter sidewall of the 245/45R18 is only part of the reason for the harsher ride on rjfiore1's LS430. The 245/45R18 tires are about an inch wider than the standard 225/55-17 tires. That extra inch multiplied by four tires picks up a lot more road irregularities.

In the early 90's I substituted 225/60-15 tires for the OEM 205/65-15 tires on my first LS when the OEM Goodyear tires were replaced under a class action lawsuit. Although the sidewall height remained exactly the same, the increased ride harshness from going from 205 to 225 was a shock -- especially to my wife -- and the 225 tires soon went to the dump. Even without changing the tire height or rim size, the extra inch of rubber on the road provided a much harsher ride. Of course, the suspension on the LS was modified (softened) beginning with the 1993 model year when 225/60-16 tires became standard.

My wife and I drove a rental Infinity M35 for 10 days around eastern Mass/Boston/Cape Cod last spring. The M's standard 245/45R18 all season tires seemed to find every road irregularity and transmit it to the interior - no amount of fiddling with the tire pressures made it better. During the entire trip, I kept thinking that the M35 would probably be a very pleasant car if only it had narrower, higher aspect ratio tires on 16" or 17" rims.

I suppose that what is acceptable or desirable ride quality is very subjective.

Randy B

TireRack lists them as Ultra High Performance All-Seasons. That is quite a difference from Grandtouring All-Seasons. Also read the survey results after you filter it to just Lexus owners. Several LS430 owners, all said the same. They road noise is harsh compared to others.

My extra $.02 worth.

Randy B

jbbreeden

I have an 05 LS430 with 18" rims and Michelin Pilots; hit a manhole and it goes "BAM." You hear it and you feel the hit.

My wife just bought an 02 LS430 with 16" rims and Michelin "Hydroedge" that have about 50-60% (guess) wear left. Hit the same manhole and it goes "ba-lump." You hardly feel or hear a thing.

IMHO, it's mostly the rim size: There's more AIR between the rim and the road to absorb the shocks. The tire compound and tread pattern contribute somewhat to the flex of the sidewall (softness) and the road noise.

rjfiore1

Thats what I'm thinking, too. I can't stand it. I'm trying to find 17" rims and tires. I would not mind 16" but I'm not sure of the look!!! Do the 16 and 17" rims look the same?

jbbreeden

No. The wheels were 17" standard and 18" optional for 2005. See the range of replica wheels by years at: http://www.finishlinewheels.com/LEXUS/LS430/. I can't swear that these are ALL the wheels offered, but my 2003 had 17" wheels as shown and there was a 2002 that parked in the same garage at OSU and his wheels were just like the 16" wheels for 2002 shown on the site (and on my wife's car).

I"ve searched the images at Google and can't find standard wheels on the cars photographed for publicity or reviews; they always show the largest OEM polished rims available for each year.

rjfiore1

Thanks for the info!