gkw

I have ordered Michelin Pilot A/S 18" tires and wheels to replace my original Dunlop RFs which have 19K on them. They are very loud and ride hard (no news to anyone here).

My question - the more I drive this car, I am concerned that the ride would be much better by going to 17in tires. Has anyone tried this?

Is NRIEFF still in heaven with his 18in Pilots???

Thanks.

GW

LexusSC430

Of course it would be a better ride, I assume you meen smoother. Thats why the LS has "more meat" on their tires. You will lose out on handling and would need to buy new rims. You would save on the cost of tires and their life would be extended. BMWs always put low-pro tires on their cars. I prefer that look, and they handle great, but they are a harsh ride in my opinion.

Phu

gkw, how much are paying for the new tires?

gkw

The tire price is $260/ea including mounting, balance, valves, etc.

With the wheels (Konig Appeal 18" Opal finish) the total is just under $2000.

GW

ceboyd

I've often considered downgrading to 17" wheels for improved ride quality BUT have not done it since my stock setup is not worn out yet. I really like the Fikse MAG wheel and am still considering it in 17" for the SC430.... time will tell what I do

gkw

That is my conundrum (sp?). At 19K+ miles, I am due. The car corners like a slot car today, but at the expense of a terrible ride over rough pavement (compared to my LS ;-). I am pretty sure that I will be very happy with the trade-off and the difference between a 40 sidewall and a 45 sidewall (in the 17in) will be minimal in the car's appearance.

But based on NRIEFF feedback, he says that the Michelins solved all problems. Could this be more of a RF issue? Or a Dunlop issue (these are very loud)?

Going with 17's will save me $300-$400 and that won't hurt.

Seems like I am one of the first to tackle this issue. Will keep you posted...

GW

ceboyd

please let us know what you end up with....

Manaray

Oh my...Konigs on a SC430? Wow, that's like wearing Keds with a Armani suit...

pcmw

gkw,

Not sure if you want to put Konig wheels on that beautiful car. You may want to order the 2003 wheel cover option for your stock wheels and then put standard tires on it. The RF's ride rough because of the amount of rubber used. I would suggest Yokohama AVS dBs or ES100s at $150 each.

MW

gkw

I have spent quite a bit of time researching the wheels and there are two Konigs that I like the look of. Is there something about Konig that I should know?

Current status is that I have told the dealer to put the order on hold (tires are in and wheels are due next Tues or Wed).

Re-badging the wheels is not an option as there are two with some curb scrape (not mine).

The plan is to go the the 17in tires (and a forum-approved wheel - LOL). Then report to CEBoyd the amazing improvement in ride smoothness!

In the meantime, I welcome any input for suggested wheels (no chrome, please).

GW

pcmw

gkw,

I am trying to be cordial. Konig wheels are a great value. For how cheap there price is you get a wheel. However, on an SC430 I would go the route that Gene Arch did. You can do a search under genearch and find his pics. Both sets of wheels he has used on his SC430 are AWESOME. Maybe a better fit in terms of quality and style. If you really want the 17" wheels on your car, I would consider some LS430 chrome rims or something that appears bigger than 17" to keep the nice sporty look of the car in tack.

Best of luck.

MW

Manaray

Hmmm...personally, I wouldn't go down to a 17" especially when the car comes STOCK with 18's...why not try another tire...like the Yokohama AVS dB or the Yokohama AVS ES100...or the Bridgestone S-03...

As for wheels, if you're going to go down to 17", why not just get a set of GS 5-spoke wheels?

Also, ALL Konigs are KNOCK-OFFs. Every single one. You wouldn't wear a fake Rolex would you? The Appeals are pretty much copies of the SSR Vienna Courage...

http://www.speedstar.co.jp/collectio...age/index.html

Also, the Konig Appeal is a fake multi-piece wheel. Notice the bolts on the outside...well those are suppose to hold the wheel together on a REAL 2-piece or 3-piece wheel...but on a 1-piece wheel like the Konig Appeals, it does NOTHING. They basically put them there to give it the "look" of a multi-piece wheel...so not only is it a knock-off design, but it's fake multi-piece wheel...

There are many wheels to choose from...

www.weds.co.jp
www.work-wheels.co.jp
www.rayswheels.co.jp
www.speedstar.co.jp
www.auto-couture.com

Those should give you some idea...you can hit up either Peter@WheelExperts (www.wheelexperts.com) or GS4Will for some of these wheels...

gkw

Thanks for the info on Konig. I view wheel selection as much more subjective than tire selection so I am inclined to spend what it takes to get the "best" tire for the car first. Research seems to say that the Pilot Sport A/S is up near the top.

Konig knockoffs notwithstanding, I am having trouble finding many wheels that will handle the tire size (245-45-17) that I am looking at. Konig makes nothing. Tire Rack says I need 17x8. As you all know, most newer designs and wider wheels start at 18in and go up from there.

Additional research on the size showed that the Corvette uses 245-45-17 on the front of current models.

My current wheel choice is the Enkei RPM2 in 17x8. And yes, people look at me funny when I say I want a smaller wheel...

GW

rcf8000

Has anyone successfully fitted 17 inch wheels to their SC430? My wife is ready to try that in order to reduce the road noise, which we both find to be quite objectionable with the original Bridgestone run-flats. I like the Bridgestone tires that come on the LS430's 17 inch wheels. They are very quiet. I don't think the LS430 wheels would look good on the SC430, though.

Ag02M5

You all are killing me with the 17s on the SC430.

I would really like to see another tire before the 17s.

It is wellknown that the runflats are horrible riding tires.

Also, I think staggered it a MUST on the SC. The back wheels are so sucked in looking stock. It looks like it is starving back there.

Good luck.

R