LEXBERG

Does anyone know if there are any special rules for putting 18" rins on a 1997 Lexus ES300?

Johnny Mo

You can't go more than 18 without modification to the fender wells. Additionally whenever replacing wheels with aftermarket, you need to be sure you are dealing with a reputable person/company, that is knowledgeable in their field. Not any wheel goes with any car. Things to consider are :
1)the tire size needed to maintain a similar overall diameter to the stock sizing
2)the wheel offset (distance between the centerline of the rim and the mounting surface) significant changes from stock may not look right and may impair handling/tire wear.
3)LUG Pattern - not all cars have the same lug pattern - for example wheels made to fit a BMW will not fit a Lexus.
4)you need to make sure you use the correct lug nuts, the Lexus lugs may not necessarily be correct for aftermarket wheels.
5)Also, if you get nice rims, you should (if not included already) get the hi-performance valve stems, vs. the standard rubber.

Check with the Tirerack they are pretty good with that stuff.

Other than that you have nothing to worry about ha-ha J/K.

Good Luck

Manaray

18" x 7.5" (+40 offset), 5 x 114.3 lug pattern with 225 size tires should work fine on your ES...

There are many possible combinations but that one above is pretty common and you will be able to find a lot of wheels that are spec'd like that...

LEXBERG

thanks a lot !

LEXBERG

Hey Johnny Mo you seem to be the guy to ask, how can I change my headlamps to xenons or hid or superwhites, and I want my fog lights to be the same color??????

Manaray

You can usually get HID kits for $400-$600...

If you just want a HID "look" (colorwise), then you can just replace the bulb (with brands like Raybrig, PIAA, etc..)

You can also go COMPLETELY overboard and convert your foglight to HID's so you have HID fogs and headlights.

lex430

what are valve stems??

Johnny Mo

The valve stems are the (usually) rubber valve that allows you to adjust the air level in your tires. If you get really nice "bling-bling" or flashy rims the last thing you want is a little black rubber valve stem sticking out like a sore thumb around the rim. The hi-perf stems are usually nice short metal (rubber or silicone gaskets inside) that "dress-up" your already flashy wheels. Most shops will only give you the standard valves - even the Tirerack - I had to ask for mine after my wheels arrived with the plain rubber stems (boy was I pissed $2,500 for rims and tires and they don't give you the nice stems unless you ask), and will have the tires re-mounted and rebalanced (which I have not done yet - probably this winter) If you get the plain black rubber you can go to a Pep Boys or Autozone and get "chrome" sleeves and caps to dress the up if you don't want to go for the nicer stems.

LEXBERG

That'll probably be too bright with hid "look" headlamps and foglights??? but wont the headlamps look , stupid for lack of a better word with regular foglights???

Manaray

Personally, I like yellow foglights...because I like using my foglights when there's FOG...I dont' drive with foglights when it's clear outside...but maybe that's just me!

LEXBERG

Can you put a 19" rim on a 97 ES300 without modifications?????

squarehat

Perhaps if the width and offset are right. Auto Couture's website shows a 97-01 with a bodykit and what looks like 19" Auto Couture Supremes.

Make sure the width, offset, and tire size are right (along with suspension height/camber). You don't want to end up like the guy who shoehorned 20's onto his 1st gen ES. That picture gets made fun of constantly here on CL.