wayman28

The OEM wheel size for my 09 LS AWB SWB is 18x7.5. I'm having a hard time finding wheels in this size that I like. I found a set of wheels I like at Tire Rack sized 18x8 which are slightly wider. Tire Rack said these will fit fine but my local Lexus dealer said that while they will fit there is risk of rideability issues and premature wear. The dealer advised I stick strictly with 18x7.5's.

Has anyone had experience going slightly wider than spec for wheels? If so have you experienced any rideability or wear issues?

Thanks.

Devh

Many other people will probably say it's ok and it might be but that depends. It's not so much the question of the slightly wider wheels as much as the offset of the wheel which is important in regard to scrub radius. If your offsets are far off from the factory your drivability maybe radically different from one end of the spectrum to the other. I would first find out the OEM offset and compare it to the new wheels and if they are somewhat close I would imagine you shouldn't notice that much difference.

wayman28

Thanks Devh. I'm not sure of the best way to find out the OEM offset but I looked up a set of factory OEM wheels for my car for sale and those have an offset of 32mm. The issue is when I go to various wheel retailer websites they rarely list the offset. As I scan the wheel sticky I see people have offsets as low as the low 20's to over 40. If 32mm is the OEM offset then it looks
like people's offsets are all over the map which further confuses me.

I'm a total newb to buying/sizing wheels. In addition to paying attention to wheel size (18x7.5) it seems another constraint is the bolt pattern. I have to have the right bolt pattern between my wheels and car right? I've seen my cars OEM bolt pattern listed as 5x120mm and also 5x114.3mm. Does anyone know the correct oem bolt pattern?

At the end of the day I just want a new set of wheels that are the same size as my OEM wheels. This is a lot harder than I thought.

Thanks.

Devh

The information regarding bolt pattern and comparing offsets is something you will need to research. You might also need centering rings depending on the wheel you choose to match the hub so also keep that in mind.

What I can tell you is those that decide to go out of bounds in regard to offsets are doing it for looks only. They are all over the map with the car being extremely lowered so offset only means one thing to these guys and that is getting the wheels to fit without too much rubbing and if it rubs then some go to the extreme of taking a baseball bat to the fender.
Usually they are clueless about the negative effects of grossly exaggerated offsetted wheels. I have car friends that have done this and ride quality is last on their list.
Usually Tirerack will list the offset of their aftermarket wheels and what you are asking for in width is not too extreme but if the offset is out there then that is where you will have a problem. It might also impact the car negatively for looks if your offset sinks the wheels into the fenders so keep that in mind.

wayman28

Thanks again. I personally hold the rideability as the number one priority. I have paid, in part, for the extensive engineering that has gone into this car by people many times smarter than me. I don't want to mess with that.

Im trying to make sure I'm on solid footing here based on my rookie research. Of all the wheel specs is it accurate to say that wheel diameter and bolt pattern are the only two concrete constraints while width and offset have some wiggle room? In other words I have to get the diameter and bolt pattern exactly to spec or the wheel can't be installed, but the same is not true for the remaining wheel specs. True or false?

Devh

The bolt pattern is your only constant. You can get 19 inch wheels if you decide to do so.
The width and offset does have some wiggle room but it's best to stay with the same offset.
Where it gets more interesting is if the width is wider then the offset will have to change a little in some cases to accommodate the relation in regard to scrub radius and how the wheel fits.

It's not an easy thing to do however there is another way. What if we get the wheel specs of the OEM 19" wheel option.
2007-2009 LEXUS LS460 19X8 5-114.3 35MM OFFSET 5 SPOKE Factory OEM Wheel Rim

Now you have choices. If the wheels you like have close to 35MM offset I think you will be ok but you may need to get slightly wider tires then you do now.

wayman28

Thanks. The thing is that I just purchased brand new michelin tires a month ago that are 235-50R-18 so I am not inclined to get new tires again. That's why I'm locked into an 18 inch wheel diameter.

Devh

What a meant was that you can look for an 18" wheel that has the offset of around 35mm because the OEM 19" wheel with an 8" width has the same offset and that is what matters. Even though you should run 245s on a 8 inch wheel there is a good possibility you will be fine with a 235 for the time being.

CJITTY

Oem offset is 32. I had 15/20mm spacers that put me at 17mm front and 12mm rear. Sits perfect in my opinion. Even though its the same wheel width and tire size..using hub centric spacers pushed the wheels out and looks dramatically different with the wheels not being sucked up in the wheel well. This is a good reference thread on real world examples as to what works with our cars. Some folks are on stock 18s and 19s.up to 22s. Plenty of offset info here. I say go 19x8 OEMS with 15mm spacers all around..I have examples of that in this thread also https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=604361

wayman28

Thanks Devh. Are you saying I can go with 18x8 wheels and up to a 35mm offset and be okay with my 235-50-18 tires?

The thing that has me a bit rattled with going with an 8-inch width is the Lexus dealer tech saying it could cause rideability issues. I don't want to do anything that will negatively impact the ride.

Lesson learned for me is to always pick out the wheels first and then the tires. I didn't expect to replace my wheels so that's why I changed the tires first.

wayman28

Thanks CJITTY. I've already been through the above wheel sticky and it was hugely helpful. The issue I have is that I can't go 19x8 because I have brand new tires on my OEM 18x7.5 wheels. So I'm stuck with an 18 inch diameter for my wheels. The challenge is finding 18 inch wheels with oem specs that I like. I've been going blind scrolling through various wheel websites. None of them allow you to search by 18 inch diameter, 7.5 inch width, 5x120mm bolt pattern AND a 32mm offset (except Ebay). Most sites only let you specify diameter, maybe width, and then you have to scroll through all results and click on each one to find the bolt pattern and offset. Huge PITA.

Thanks again.

CJITTY

Do 15mm akata hubcentric spacers up front and 20mm back. It will totally transform the stance of your car for about $140. That is if you are ok with oem wheels for now until you want to upgrade to a larger wheel down the road. If I didn't have my 22s..I'd be on my 19 OEM wheels with spacers like before. No issues whatsoever

Devh

It appears that the OEM 18" wheels with the width of 7.5" has an offset of 32mm.
And it appears that the 19" optional wheels which have a width of 8" has an offset of 35mm.
It is very easy to see that if you have a 8" rim the correct offset moves in the negative direction to keep the correct geometry (scrub radius).

So yes in your case if you have an 8" rim you need a 35mm offset.

wayman28

Below are the specs for the wheels I was going to get until the dealer tech told me not to because they might cause rideability issues. These meet all the OEM specs except the width (off by half an inch).

Front and Rear Fitments: 18x8
Offset: 32mm
Backspacing: 5.826"
Bolt Pattern: 5-120
Rec. Tire Size:235/50-18
Weight: 24.0lbs.

Devh

He is right but probably doesn't know why. What will happen here is that your wheel will be pushed outwards towards the fender by a small amount. At best it might not make much difference in the ride quality at all which is my bet. At worse the ride will become a little more numb. This could be a good or bad thing depending on what your expectations are. Large positive offsets are more prone for premature bearing failures but I don't see it happening in this case and I think you might be just fine. Just make sure you if you require hub rings you get them.