1ton

Can anyone give me any recommendations on nice rims for a black SC400? I am in the market and have looked at some on the gallery. Any suggestions with links or pics would be greatly appreciated.

Also, what makes a rim better than another?

Doc C

1ton,

Did you mean SC430 or SC400?? Obviously, what makes rims good to one may make them suck to another. I purchased new rims recently, and what made my decision was the strength and the appearance. I went with HRE 540Rs. The down side is they are quite expensive. The up side is that they are forged which makes them stronger and lighter than cast rims. Also, (IMO) they looked better than anything else I saw. I had 4 L-Sportline model 4s on the car from delivery. All four wheels got bent simultaneously when my wife hit a bump in the road. No one I talked to had ever seen all four wheels get bent at once. They were unable to be repaired, and I thought the customer service dept. at L-sportline was absolutely horrible. I like the appearance of their wheels, but I will never do business with them again. With the stiff sidewalls and low profile of the runflats, I would recommend a forged wheel. Centerline has some forged wheels, HRE has some nice (though pricey) stuff too. Iforged has some nice designs (look like HRE) and some members here have used them. BBS has some nice wheels. I don't know if this is what you meant, but I hope this helps. I would go for HREs if $$ are not a problem.

Doc C

Gojirra99

19" HRE 540R on SC430 :

Doc C

That is EXACTLY the setup that's on mine (my SC is Indigo and not black). Same wheels, tires, offset etc. Mine is not lowered, but as far as wheels and tires are concerned, that's exactly what I got. 19" HRE 540Rs with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. RF sensors banded to the wheel at HRE factory. Note how you can't see the valve stem. It's hidden in with the small bolts on th perimeter. Just my two cents. Good luck on your wheels. They make the car. Especially since the OEM wheels were so hideous.

Doc

tfischer

If $$ is an object, the least expensive upgrade is the Lexus optional wheel covers, at about 100/each.

These are just replacements for the pie pans, but the look is greatly improved over the originals.

It's nothing like the look in the photos above, of course. That look will cost you.

rcf8000

I saw an SC430 recently with chromed OEM wheels that had the replacement caps. To me they were not at all attractive. The 540Rs look great, Doc C.

1ton

Thanks for everyone's input. Would putting 19" rims do anyrhing to the odometer?

stevelaw

I just put 18" HRE 547R's on my Silver SC 430 (bought them from someone else on this forum). I really like the look. Haven't had time to take pix or post them.

Where are you in Fla? If you are close to Tampa, I'd be happy to set up a time to let you see the car "in person."

Gojirra99

Post some pics of them here if you can, would love to see the 547R's on the SC430.

1ton

stevelaw,

I am in Orlando. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for them?

1ton

I looked at some pics in the gallery. I like the rims that Axis Se7en has and Paul2X....anyone know what kind they are?

What about shiny chrome rims? Any thoughts?

Gojirra99

I think Paul2X 's pic has the HRE 543R on them, same price as the HRE 540R with the same specifications.

I recently check prices for the HRE 540R series wheels, for a set of 19 x 8.5 front, 19 x 10 rear in full polish & clearcoated, cost is about $5,300.

ceboyd

I loved the SSR GT3s in 19" staggered I had on my SC430

stevelaw

I paid $3100 for the set, banded with SC430 pressure sensors, with four new Pirelli Rosso Asimetrico tires. Rear wheels had been used for less than 50 miles - fronts were brand new - never mounted. This is a pretty good deal compared to buying brand new - the guy had a deal fall through and needed to get rid of them. FYI, his forum name is TICALIS300, and he is the moderator for the Lexotics forum - also posts on this forum (other areas) quite a bit. Was a very nice guy to deal with and came through as promised, despite the fact that I was dealing with him in Connecticut (currently know as "Winter Wonderland")


In another post, you asked about chrome. One thing I really like about tjese wheels is that the rims are polished aluminum with a clearcoat finish. You get the shine (actually picks up nicely on he polished trim on the car, such as the metal mirror trim) without the "bling bling" of the polished chrome. It's really all a matter of personal taste.

I don't have any plans to be in or near Orlando in the next few weeks. If you get towards Tampa, email me if you would like to see the wheels.

Doc C

Sexy SC,

You're right on the pricing for the 540Rs, however, the ones in the pics on the black SC are not full polished. They are polished rims with painted and clearcoated centers. The only reason I point this out is that that saves quite a bit of money not having the full polish. Stevelaw is right. These look good, but not TOO polished. Also, if you get a scratch in them, It can be buffed out easily. Get a scratch very deep in chrome and you'l likely have to have them stripped and dipped. Also, since it's a three piece wheel, if you bend or scratch a component of the wheel too bad, you can just replace that component. They are really expensive and Stevelaw got an AWESOME deal by the way, but they do allow for some curb rash from the girlfriend without having to buy a whole new wheel. Just my two cents.

Doc C