jewel

Bear with me guys... I know little/nothing about wheels and tires and so I'm trying to learn

lip = ? Is it the outer rim of the wheel? What does one mean by 3 inch lip? Does that mean having the spokes on the inside (close to center) of the wheel?

offset = ? What are the offsets of the IS350? How do I take this into account when getting new wheels?

What do the numbers on the tires mean? I get the 18 = 18 inch, but the other two....

Are all lugnuts the same? What is this I'm hearing about lugnut patterns?

Can I use BMW wheels on my lexus? There are some nice ones that I wouldn't mind buying....

Should I purchase springs at the same time that I get wheels? (How do I know which to get? )

Is there anything else I need to take into account when buying new wheels?

I'm thinking of buying the volk GTM in black, anyone got hookups?

I really don't wanna be one of those guys who asks "does _____ fit my is350" and so i'm hoping you guys can teach me a bit

Dx3

iTrader: (13)

ONly certain wheels have lips - generally the more VIP wheels do. Basically a wheels is either flat faced where the spokes of the wheel are flush with teh edge of the wheel, or else a lip would have the spokes sitting more inside the wheel.

I do not know the offsets for sure - but I think they are +45 and +55. The easiest way to explain the offset is when you look at how tucked the wheels are in the car. Typically stock wheels are very tucked - thus they have a high offset. The wheels that stick out past the car have very low offset. So in short, you need to make sure you have the right offset or you are going to A - look like an idiot, B - rub on your fender, or C - make the right choice!

Numbers on tires. 245-40-18

245 is the width of the tire. 40 is the height of the tire. 18 is the size of the wheel.

Lugnut pattern - our cars have a 5x114.3. So basically we have 5 lugnuts at 114.3mm. Some cars like Hondas have 4x100 meaning they have 4 lugnuts.

It depends which Lexus you have. You don't use RWD wheels on a FWD car and vice versa.

Yes, if you are putting on bigger wheels then you are going to want to lower your car. Otherwise you will look like you are driving a 4x4.

Just ask people before you buy if your new wheels will work.

Hope this helps,
Jonny