ctatum7

Just curious. Considering going to 20" rims replacing the factory 18s. How much in ride quality will I loose?

Thanks

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

none, you will have better handling and a much better looking car , go for it

Devh

You can lose not only the comfort over bumps because of plus sizing but also you will lose the predictability of the handling at the limit. Having a shorter profile tire will reduce the compliance and therefore decrease the shock absorbing effect. It is further compounded because the tires will require more air pressure then a normal tire because these plus sizes are usually reinforced.
The tire will have less deflection that will give you the illusion of responsiveness but being so stiff it will take you to the edge of the limit without much predictability or warning. When you have to make an emergency maneuver the car can get squirrely on you which is not what you want and it's counter intuitive to good handling.
Something to think about especially if you want a well rounded luxury car. If you are going for the VIP look disregard everything I said.

roadfrog

"NONE" ????!!

I just went back to my 18" from my 20" for the winter and the change is dramatic. Sure, handling is somewhat less precise and the look is definitely not as nice. However, the ride is significantly better with the 18" wheels/tires....quieter, smoother, and more cushioned. It's not even close.

ctatum7

Thanks. I guess I should stay with the 18s if there is that much difference. I definitely don't want to give up the smooth ride even though 20s would look Boss on this car.

fly_s2k

iTrader: (1)

IMO, the best way for you to judge the difference in ride quality, is to try it out yourself. I am certain there is a CL member in your area with 20's on their LS460 that wouldn't mind showing you.

This question is difficult to answer since ride quality is so subjective. I was on the fence too, but was able to find someone willing to let me ride in their car with 20's on. I've decided that 20's were perfectly fine for me.

If I was completely critical, to my ****, I felt it was only 5-8% stiffer than the OEM 18's. Even then, the suspension wasn't offensive by any means. It was still compliant and felt like the car was still plush. I only noticed it on larger defects on the road, otherwise it was hard to tell. I do remember hearing a tad bit more road noise, but again for me, it was negligible. Now, I'm not saying that your experience will be the same, but if you search the boards, you'll fine answers ranging from OEM like ride to being intolerable. Just my 2 cents...

I was actually on the fence for 22's vs 20's as well. But after riding in an LS with 22's, I knew for sure that was NOT something I'd be willing to deal with on a day to day basis. 22's do look sick on the car though...

roadfrog

As I stated in my earlier post, 18's are definitely quieter and smoother. What I DIDN'T state in my post, is that even with 20's my car is still smoother than 90% of the cars out there, so it's all relative.

As fly_s2k said, go for a ride in one with 20's and see for yourself. For me, 20's were a nice compromise between 18's and 22's which were way too rough for my liking. Best of both worlds!

greekguy66

What size tires do you have on your 20s? Is your speedometer affected by the change from 18s to 20s?

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

The reason I made my post is because I already knew everyone would chime in and scare him away from going with 20's and its frustrating to see it happen all the time.

Ive been riding on 20's for 5 - 6 years, I have to take them off every winter to go with the stock wheels so im well aware of the ride changes and differences between stocks and 20's.

If youre the kind of guy that likes to barrel into potholes and curbs at full speed, then stay away from 20's, if your a normal driver that pays attention to the road and shows relative care, then they will be fine.

This year was my first year riding on 22's, I have a 25 sidewall, and the ride is more then fine. The car is much more stable due to the much wider wheels , I can eat up corners at double the speed with ease , handling is much sharper , and of course there is absolutely no comparison looks wise.

With 22;s on the car gets noticed, gets lots of compliments and looks , with the ugly stocks it does not , it goes unnoticed.

Sure you might feel bumps a little more , but I really don't understand why people make such a big deal of it , I mean really its not that bad at all .

Go for it man , life is short , gotta dump those stock wheels theres no way around it.

fly_s2k

iTrader: (1)

Running 20x8.5 front and 20x10 rear. Tires are 245/40/20 & 275/35/20. Speedo difference is marginal.

roadfrog

I'm staggered. 275 35 20 rear and 245 40 20 front. My speedo is pretty much bang on, according to my GPS.

roadfrog

Great. Except he wasn't asking for opinions on looks comparisons. He wanted to know about sacrifices in ride quality. We gave that to him. Now he can decide on compromises between the two. By your own admission there is a ride quality sacrifice. We both agree it's worth it, but he may not.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

*****, it's fine to state your opinion and to disagree but please don't be intentionally misleading because you think others might sway him with their own honest assessment.

You lied to the other member and that isn't cool. I'll ask you not post in threads about this topic if I see that again. Please exit this thread.

Bolosdad

22's all day.