airahcaz

I have ordered a set of 4 18x8 of the 2006 42611-30B10 in chrome riding on 245/40/18s tires, and have ordered 4 replacements due to easily denting the rims. Does chroming the wheel weaken it?

Now I have dented yet another one. Is this due to the quality of the type of wheel?

I keep my tires inflated to 35 psi per recommendations here. Any suggestions really appreciated, as I'm tired of spending several hundred each time, and don't want to shell out the large expense of buying a whole new set or downsizing to 17s, and needing new tires as well, etc.

Is a dented rim that much more prone to blowout, can it be fixed?

Quote:
"I would consult with Mitsuguy over at the Wheels/Tires subforum. He is an expert on wheels/tires. I don't know if anyone is running 245/45 on their OEM 18" wheels. It's a possibility I would look into. "

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

a dented wheel may possibly not seal well, and will be more likely to fail simply because the seal is not as good as it should be, which can lead to a unnoticed leak, which can lead to tire failure due to underinflation...

most wheels can be repaired without problem - since yours are chrome, most of the time, it will cost as much as the wheel did to make... its typically $100-$150 for the straightening and then $150-$200 for rechroming... if its just the inside lip that is bent, then it might not need rechromed...

chroming a wheel does not weaken it, it just adds a very thin layer of metal on top of the base metal (usually aluminum)... there is no heat involved in chroming, just electrolysis...

Now, for your real problem... you only have 18" wheels / tires with reasonable tire sizes... there is no reason you should be bending wheels as often as it sounds like you are unless 1) you are careless and hit potholes often and hard or 2) your wheels are of inadequate strength for the vehicle they are on...

I have 19" wheels and a thinner sidewall, and have not bent a wheel in over 6 years... prior to that, I destroyed a 16" wheel with a much taller sidewall due to a pothole that was rainfilled and hit at about 60 mph... I do not have expensive wheels by any means - I just take care to avoid hitting things, and they are built pretty well at the same time...

Because your wheels are OEM, they are definitely strong enough for the vehicle, and because relatively few people complain of bent OEM wheels, I would have to say it is probably your driving style and/or condition of roads around you...

as mentioned, you can add a little protection by going to a 245/45-18 tire, however you will be affecting gear ratios, fuel mileage, and your speedometer will be inaccurate...

airahcaz

Ok, not defending myself, but it is definitely not my driving style, as I can definitely be more aggresive with the GS, yes the roads in the tristate northeast are horrendous. Thanks for the feedback, I am seriously contemplating another non chrome set. My 16s have snow tires on them, but at this point I'm so fed up with dented rims and potential flats on these hazardous roads.

airahcaz

Also these are OEM in the sense that I bought them from sewell lexus, of course they didn't come with my 98 GS. Don't know if that makes a difference or if they need special installation on a car that is 8 years older (since I bought them in 2006)

airahcaz

I know higher psi makes the ride rougher, but will it make me that much safer to go to 38 or 40 or how high psi?

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

not really...

and keep in mind if you go to a higher tire pressure, then you run a higher chance of damaging a tire..

those are OEM numbers, most likely they have been chromed by an aftermarket company...

airahcaz

Ok, so I have what I have and now it is a cost thing. I can continue to buy new rims since my tires aren't damaged, my only other alternative is either 4 new wheels or 4 new tires or 4 of both, which is certainly costly. Suggestions?

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

How about you get smaller rims?

I know it sucks. But what can you do? Certain parts of my city are really bad, and with my previous 18s, after one season i demolished the strut tower mounts, and that added another unnecessary cost to my parts list.

Now i have 17s and they ride just as good as the OEM 16s the match was right therefore i will not run into any problems this year!

Now to go get those strut mounts replaced...

Sure it looked better with the 18s but the 17s complement the car much better many of my friends/people find! **2001 ES300

Good luck!

airahcaz

That brings about 2 questions,do 17s really make that much of a difference, and secondly, don't then all those with 2006 GS and newer with OEM 18's experience the same exact issue or on the 3rd generation GS, less issues with such rims? (Which then brings about a mounting or installation difference) versus my 98 GS

GQD_GS4

i ran on 18" OEM sc430 rims on my gs400 with the same size tires as you for over 2 years and I never dented a rim. i also ran on 18's on my S2000 with an even smaller sidewall for about a year and i never had an issue either. The roads in NJ/NYC are comparable to Chicago. How have you dented 5 rims? Is someone else driving your car? 17's with a bigger sidewall tire will definitely cut down on the incidence of dented rims.

vwynn

iTrader: (4)

Does rainfilled potholes damage wheels more?

airahcaz

Ok, You'll enjoy this. I have purchased snow tires for my OEM 16s, and subsequently sold my OEM tires as I didn't see the need.

My 18" rim was so badly bent that my mechanic couldn't put it in the rear, and has instead put on my 4 OEM 16s with the snow tires!

I assume my worst case is that my snow tires won't perform as well come winter time, if I keep them on all summer.

And Yes, I know about the performance degradation, that's not how their supposed to be used, etc.

Lastly, the bent rim is in my trunk, let's see if I can find a wheel repair place and if feasible, versus ordering another for at least $300+

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

only in the matter that you can't see that there is a pothole when its raining...

its filled with water = looks like there is no pothole...


as far as using winter tires in the summer... they can't deal with the heat... they probably won't make it to winter... I've known people to wear out winter tires over 3 months time in the summer... typically won't get more than 3-5000 miles if its hot out...