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Wheels Upgrade or Not for 2016 LX

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Old 10-31-16, 03:01 PM
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andreasP
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Default Wheels Upgrade or Not for 2016 LX

Hi All,

Bought my 2016 LX 570 3 weeks ago and have been really satisfied with it so far. I had a Porsche Macan S for two years before trading it for the LX.
Mine came with the 21 inch wheels as most of the cars here in the US have.
I'm thinking of getting a 20" wheels from the 2015 model which I like the design of and going with the 275/55 Michelin MS2 tires. Thought about the 275/60 but I read at ih8mud that they might rub.
I thought of the advantages of doing so:
Better Ride; BTW I'm really happy with the comfort of the 21s
Better off-road capabilities
Better Winter Capabilities as I do drive to ski resorts in the east coast and don't know how the 21s would perform
At least double the mileage than from the 21s which has a treadwear of only 360.
The tires are almost half the price of the 21s; 871.60 vs 1,498.80 as per tirerack
Disadvantages:
Will cost me around $2000 to get the set up. $1100 for the wheels and $871 for the tires
The 21s looks really nice on the 2016

What do you guys think?
Shall I sell the 21s?
Shall I go even smaller than the 20s and keep the 21s?

I really do appreciate your feedback

Thanks,
Andreas P
Old 10-31-16, 06:05 PM
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Chocolate
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Everything you posted was pretty accurate.
You may want to consider going for some 18" LC or Tundra take-offs, and selling the old wheels to recoup the cost. They are reasonably priced (can be found for a few hundred for a clean set). Better ride, off-road, tread, etc. like you said (overall diameter 4.5% larger, odometer also registers 4.5% fewer miles than actual at 32.7"). I wanted the fattest tires possible, so I went with the forged Tundra RW wheels with 285/70/17. I run them without the bead ring, and plasti dip them metallic silver. Weight of each wheel is 22 pounds and each LT tire is 48 pounds. Total unsprung weight is about 10 pounds less than the 20s at each corner when you factor in the small diameter RW lug nuts. Also looked at 295/70/17... too big, and 305/70/17, well:

(from ih8mud.com, https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/305...wheels.936123/ unladen wheel/tire is sitting in front of the other one)

Not sure they will clear the larger brakes of the 16+ LX, though they do fit the 08-16+ LC and 2008 to 2015 LX. The 18s will fit fine and the LX is sold with them in some markets such as Russia.

The wheels/tires are one of my favorite upgrades to the vehicle and worth the price. You get a much larger contact patch and better as well as quieter ride with the right tires (I went with Defender LTX, newer version of MS2) at 33PSI.

Last edited by Chocolate; 11-01-16 at 06:03 AM.
Old 10-31-16, 08:11 PM
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ClaytonW
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Yes, I agree with Chocolate. I can recommend 275/65R18 on Land Cruiser or Tundra/Sequoia 18" wheels. I use Michelin LTX AT2 which are probably most highway friendly AT tires with a noise comparable to original tires. I am really happy with them offroad and they are exceptionally good on snow. This week I tested them on really steep dirt roads covered with snow and ice and i could not believe that they are not dedicated winter tires. I think that on a deeper snow they are even better than most winter tires. I own a set of Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 winter tires with TPMS sensors but I am not sure if I want to use them this winter. I cannot see a reason, they probably won't be much better than these AT tires.
If you don't want AT tires, you can go for example with Michelin LTX MS2. I have them on my Sequoia and they are also great. They are also good on snow although not as good as LTX AT2. But they are still probably enough for what you can need.
Old 10-31-16, 08:51 PM
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Originally Posted by ClaytonW
Yes, I agree with Chocolate. I can recommend 275/65R18 on Land Cruiser or Tundra/Sequoia 18" wheels. I use Michelin LTX AT2 which are probably most highway friendly AT tires with a noise comparable to original tires. I am really happy with them offroad and they are exceptionally good on snow. This week I tested them on really steep dirt roads covered with snow and ice and i could not believe that they are not dedicated winter tires. I think that on a deeper snow they are even better than most winter tires. I own a set of Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 winter tires with TPMS sensors but I am not sure if I want to use them this winter. I cannot see a reason, they probably won't be much better than these AT tires.
If you don't want AT tires, you can go for example with Michelin LTX MS2. I have them on my Sequoia and they are also great. They are also good on snow although not as good as LTX AT2. But they are still probably enough for what you can need.
Was programming the TPMS an issue with your LX for the second set of wheels?

What are the reasons to pick AT over MS or vice versa?

Here are some nice options to consider


Old 10-31-16, 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by andreasP
Was programming the TPMS an issue with your LX for the second set of wheels?

What are the reasons to pick AT over MS or vice versa?
Yes, it was an issue. I did it in May this year and my local Discount Tires, Costco or even Toyota Dealership were not able to do that. They did not have '16LX in their computers. I had to go to my Lexus Dealership. I suppose that it will be better now. Note that LX use different TPMS sensors; you cannot use standard Tundra/Sequoia sensors. Also Discount Tires were not able to balance these tires correctly. They tried it 3 times, no success. I had to drive again to Lexus and they balanced them without any problems.

AT tires adavantages: Offroading - big difference. LTX AT2 are also better at deep snow comparing to LTX MS2. On the other side, LTX MS2 should be less noisy (but I did not notice much difference), have slightly better mpg, better handling on highways and probably a shorter braking distance on dry roads.
Old 11-01-16, 04:49 AM
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You can also just transfer the sensors over from the original wheels if you will only be running one set.

MS2 offroad: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/...-miles.404359/
http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...re-review.html

Last edited by Chocolate; 11-01-16 at 05:41 AM.
Old 11-08-16, 04:37 PM
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FGetty
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Given the net weight of this vehicle comes in right around 6000 lb. for 2016/17 LXs, do we have to be careful when considering replacing the standard 20/21" wheels with something like an 18 incher?
Old 11-08-16, 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by FGetty
Given the net weight of this vehicle comes in right around 6000 lb. for 2016/17 LXs, do we have to be careful when considering replacing the standard 20/21" wheels with something like an 18 incher?
I don't think there is anything to worry about, except not look as good, because the LX has the 18 inch wheels option in other markets such as the Middle East and Russia.
I think the 20 inch wheels suits it perfectly especially the 2015 wheels as shown below.
Old 11-08-16, 04:51 PM
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I love the way the 21" looks on the vehicle but I am considering a second set of wheels, maybe 18", for snow and off-roading should the need arise. Blizzak does not come in 21" size and chains cannot be installed on the 21". As a matter of fact, only Dunlop makes 21" tires for this vehicle.
Old 11-08-16, 04:59 PM
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andreasP
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Originally Posted by FGetty
I love the way the 21" looks on the vehicle but I am considering a second set of wheels, maybe 18", for snow and off-roading should the need arise. Blizzak does not come in 21" size and chains cannot be installed on the 21". As a matter of fact, only Dunlop makes 21" tires for this vehicle.
Yes the ability of the LX is so great that we don't want anything to hinder its potential even if there was less chance for off-roading.
The problem with the dunlops is that they are very expensive when compared to the 20" Michelins and I don't think they will last even 25K miles.
Old 11-08-16, 05:12 PM
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Totally agree with you. The LX is such a great car and the repair record for the LX/LC is so much better than just about any else out there. Was considering a Cayenne but did not want another high and expensive maintenance vehicle.
Old 11-08-16, 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by FGetty
Totally agree with you. The LX is such a great car and the repair record for the LX/LC is so much better than just about any else out there. Was considering a Cayenne but did not want another high and expensive maintenance vehicle.
I had a Macan before the LX. Great car, just not big enough for a growing family. The LX is more of the whole package if you are looking for one, just not a sports car.
An LX and a 911 would complement each other greatly and both have great reputations for reliability.
Old 11-08-16, 05:44 PM
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911s are truly legendary in performance and ability to communicate the road but nobody can ever say they are inexpensive to maintain. Almost bought a 993 C4S many years ago. The LX is certainly a great family mover and it is aimed at a different audience. I looked at the Macan too but it was too small to meet my daily needs.
Old 11-09-16, 12:59 AM
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Originally Posted by FGetty
Given the net weight of this vehicle comes in right around 6000 lb. for 2016/17 LXs, do we have to be careful when considering replacing the standard 20/21" wheels with something like an 18 incher?
No, it's running on 17x8 steel wheels in the pictures earlier




Last edited by Chocolate; 11-18-16 at 12:48 AM.
Old 11-09-16, 10:11 AM
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Anybody changed their wheels on a 2016/2017 yet? What is the smallest size that will work and still clear the brakes? 18 inch or 19 inch? If so what tire size did you go with? What about the sensors?


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