dknoxking

I have a 1993 LS 400. It was a southern car, but will be driving in snow this winter. Should I put different rims (cheap winter rims) on the car? Any advice? Or should I buy a spare (beater) set of chrome rims OEM for my LS? Thanks, David

Kansas

I bought my 2000 LS last year after it came off a 3 year/36,000 mile lease. The lessee ran the chrome wheels through three fairly mild Kansas City winters and the wheels were pitted and looked awful. The dealer rep told me that this amount of damage was normal for chrome wheels used through three winters. Fortunately the chrome wheels were replaced under the basic 4yr/50K warranty (which expires tomorrow - yikes!). Before last winter, I bought four inexpensive painted 7.5-16 Milla Miglia Bello wheels with Blizzak snow tires from Tire Rack.

For the money, I thought the Bello wheels looked more compatible (i.e. conservative) with my LS than others I looked at. I happen to have a photo of the car and the Bello wheels hidden on one of my websites but the photo is dense and probably requires broadband to view: http://home.kc.rr.com/colchester/phone/My2000LS.JPG

SharpLS-96

Definitely stay away from using chrome wheels if it's at all possible during the winter, the salt will totally destroy them.

buttons

I have had problems with corrosion on the inside part of the wheel; before I had the car I would think.
Could have been excessive water in a compressed air system.
Anyway, had to wrap wheel on inside and on 'lips' with duct tape to prevent air from leaking out around the rims.
The corrosion was lifting the chrome plate in slivers; tried a tube in one tire but the chrome edges cut the tube.
Note that the chrome is over aluminum.
I now have to add air to one tire about once every 2 weeks.
Keep the wheels washed in winter--they will pit in the cutouts that you don't clean good.

dknoxking

Jim - Thanks for the responses! I will look into getting some rims for the winter. Do you think the milla miglia's you have would look good on my 1993 LS 400? Thanks, Again

Kansas

Whether the Milla Miglia's would look good on your car is a matter of personal taste. I see them used around here mainly on 90's Mercedes S-class cars. You might try going to http://www.tirerack.com/ and click on "Shop for Wheels" to "see" them and other wheel models on a 93 LS.

Or you could find some used 16" Toyota wheels and verify that they fit. I once put my 15" 90 LS wheels on our 98 Toyota Camry and the Camry wheels on the LS and they fit perfectly. Even if the Toyota wheels are a bit less than 7" wide it really doesn't matter much. "Too Narrow" is better than "too wide" in snow anyway. I think Toyota starting using 16" wheels on the 99 Camrys and Avalons. (Tire Rack used to sell Avalon 15" wheels in their wheel/snow tire packages for the early LS400 with 15" wheels.)

Heck, it doesn't snow in New York anyway. Just kidding - I skiied White Face and Gore Mountain last winter while visiting our Albany office.

dknoxking

Thanks Jim! Your advice/help is very much appreciated!

J.P.

It's not so much the salt.

When they do the quick patch on the blacktop during the winter, this shat sticks to the chrome and pits it \ turns it yellow, this is what really kills the chrome in the winter.

I see all these fools with their 22" wheels in the winter sliding down the freeway, to funny.

afaleti

Yep, i am glad i am not the only one that like the Bello wheels on a LS, I have a 99LS400 and
i do not really fancy the OEM wheels that came with the 98/99/00 LS.

Cheers