Cheerwino

Greetings all,

I've had no luck finding the answer to my questions with web searchers or posting to "other" forums, so I'd like to try here. My wife just bought a 2002 SC 430, pearl/ecru with 30k mi. It has nice new runflats, which she hates. She works for Michelin, so she knows a bit about tires.

So, she'll switch to standard tires and maybe new wheels. In comparing aftermarket wheels, I wondered: what is the weight of the factory wheels (2002)?

Furthermore, she's considering going down to a 17" wheel for more options in touring tires and a bit smoother ride, instead of quick-wearing ultra high performance tires. Does anyone have any experience going down to a 17" rim or is this heresy? Will a 17" even fit over the brakes?

Even if no one can answer my questions, I just wanted to give a big thanks to the regular posters on this board. I have been researching this car and your posts on Club Lexus have really helped, especially the newly evolving FAQ. So, cheers for the good info and opinions!



Thanks

ghmundt

I have owned several Scs and as soon as I get them I dump them runflats and move immediately to Michelin Pilot A/S tires on the factory rims. They make an amazing difference in ride quality and seem to be a universally recommended choice for SC's. I would not downsize to 17s because the wheel wells are pretty big on the sc and 17s would just look strange. There are plenty of 18 tires available.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

factory wheel, probably around 25 to 26lb

Cheerwino

Thanks guys,

Glad you enjoy your Michelins! An engineer friend at Michelin said he'd stick with 18" and go with the Pilot A/S, also. I'm sure they are way better than the runflats from that "other leading national brand."

But, we were considering going down to the 17" and increasing the aspect ratio, so the tires would still fill the wheel well with the same circumference, probably 245/45/17 in a Michelin MXM4. The grand touring tires should be good for 40k miles instead of maybe 20-25k for the Pilot A/S and give a more comfortable ride with a slight loss of performance (versus the Pilot A/S).

We're thinking the classic British or Italian convertible look with more rubber showing, although going down one click is just not that big of a change in the grand scheme of things. But, if the brakes are too big for 17", we'll stick with 18" wheels.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

It has been a while since I weighed them but I believe the factory wheels with tires and the center dish with bolts was around 56lbs. Heavy stuff.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

17" will fit just fine, the brakes are the same as the ones on the gs (stock) and gs had 17"

karmann

Finally someone has brought this up. I switched to 17" GS 300 9 spoke wheels purchased from E bay. They have the same offset. I would enclose a photo if someone would tell me how. I used the Michelin tires you want as they were recommended by Consumer Reports. I was concerned that the wheels would look too small but to my relief they look much better than the 18s that came with my 05, though I am sure some would disagree. Maybe I am old fashioned but I dont like the look of real low profile tires, nor the ride. I wanted the 17s partly for the ride. The run flats would sometimes give such a jar to the car it would scare my wife. It is never jarring now and much much quieter a real bonus. The run flats would sometimes pull when braking also. To keep the same circumference I went with 225 50 tires. It has the same load rating also so I still run the same air pressure. Not caring a spare I also wanted the 50 series tire for more protection. To me going bigger is mainly for looks and going smaller is for use. I am sure we are a small minority but it good to hear from someone who thinks alike.

TXFM

If your car is a daily driver and you run city street, I think 17" makes good sense. I had considered it when getting new rims..... But, the rims I wanted only came in a minimize size of 19", so I went larger. So much for logic, huh?

Cheerwino

You have a Panoz! Wow, that's pretty cool when the SC 430 is your 'regular' car! Thanks for the post.

At a party this weekend with other Michelin employees another guest (not sure if they work at Michelin with my wife or not) overheard me quizzing an engineer about sizing down the tires on the SC. The hostess later relayed to my wife how incredulous this person was that we would be going DOWN in size, asking in disbelief, "are they actually serious about going to smaller wheels?" Guess you know it's a party of gearheads when that's the gossip.

By the way, anyone interested in a bit more comfort in the 18" size might look at the Michelin MXV4 in the stock 245/40R18 size (V rated). As a touring tire, it should have a bit longer treadlife (maybe 35 or 40k) versus the Pilot Sport A/S. It pops up as an option at Tire Rack but not Costco or Discount Tire, although they should be able to get that tire. Would be curious to hear from anyone with that tire on a stock SC 430 fitment.

ghmundt

Don't screw around, just go with the 18" Pilot Sport A/S. They are comfortable,handle well,and are used by most everyone who swaps out their runflats. You worry about treadlife, but the feeling from having a tire which makes this car feel and handle better will outweight the satisfaction of squeezing an extra 5 or 10000 miles out of your tires.

TXFM

Gotta agree. We do run the MXV4 on the wife's LS400, but it doesn't have low profile tires. I've had the Pilot Sport A/S, too, and they are an excellent choice.