JSSinoda

Hey ClubLexus Readers,

I thought I'd share my experience ordering new wheels and tires for my 2004 GX470.

Background/Problem:
I purchased my GX470 for a song knowing that it needed new tires and that the rear air suspension needed work. The money I saved on the purchase price would go directly to resolving these two issues: new wheels and sagging rear suspension. Everything else on the vehicle, as you'd expect from Toyota/Lexus, was solid and running perfectly.

For this post, I'll focus just on the tires. The rear air suspension conversion has been documented very well on this forum so there’s no need for me to beat a dead horse. Not that I'd ever beat an animal (dead or alive), but you know what I mean. Anyway, on to the tires.

Tire Goal/Solution:
I wanted my GX to have black wheels and a beefier stance, but I didn’t want to deal with lifts or tire rubbing. Based on my research I learned:

The largest tire you can “safely” put on a 2003-2009 GX470 without a lift using OEM wheels is 265/70R17.
(I'm calling this out separately because I haven't found anyone in these posts who has clearly stated that point. It's always buried in a thread in pieces and no one ever answers the question directly, so there you go.)

I intended on using my existing OEM Lexus wheels, however the cost of repairing the bubbling and corroded finish on the wheels was close to $200 per wheel so I decided to just get new wheels. My search for new wheels was narrowed down to OEM 4runner wheels (which would need to be painted or Plastidipped) and TRD Pro Sema wheels. Both looked great and both would bolt right on without any backspacing issues.



Ultimately, I decided to go with the TRDs because they were already black and a little more aggressive looking IMO.

Technically, the TRD wheels are 1" wider than the OEM Lexus wheels (17x8 vs 17x7) and the backspacing is shorter (+5mm vs +20mm). The offset variance equated to the wheels sticking out about a 1/2" wider than stock and the larger tire on the 8" wheel added another 3/4". In the end the wheels should stand out about 1 1/4" more than the stock setup.

Having said all that... here’s the end result:





With a "stock" suspension, I think these fit nicely and still make the vehicle maneuverable and comfortable to ride in. I've been driving on them for about 3 weeks now and I haven't noticed any difference from the stock setup. Also, I haven’t had any rubbing or bottoming-out so I think this reinforces the earlier statement about 265/70R17 tires fitting without a lift.

Well, thanks for reading this long post. I wanted to keep it all together so that people wouldn't have to keep looking for part, part 2, etc... I hope at least one person found this helpful and feel free to post comments or questions.

Thanks,
AJ

For those of you looking for hardware specs, here are the details:

• Wheels = 17x8, +5mm TRD Pro Sema Wheels
• Tires = 265/70R17 Falken Wildpeak AT3W All Terrain Tires

Matsui

Looks great and nice write up with good info I agree that this tire size and offset works best on our trucks without any modifications. How's the ride quality of the tires in terms of road noise and comfort? I'm planning to go similar route once my Nittos go out. I'm considering either Toyo Open Country or these.

The suspension issue never gets old since there are so many options and everyone has different criterion to choose from. Some look for lift, firmness, handling, etc. I've been reading info on the forums for a while and still confused as to which conversion option would work best for me. The most important factors for me would be ride comfort (not too firm) and no-rake effect.

JSSinoda

Thanks, @Marsui.

Regarding road noise, I hear no difference from the Nitto Grapplers with the windows up or down so there's no difference there, but "noise levels" are relative so my Nitto comparison is the best measurement I can give. As for comfort, maybe it's just the new tires, but it feels a little smoother to me. Again, I'm using the old Nittos as my benchmark. I have a feeling anyone switching to an all terrain tire from a road tire will notice, but that's expected... we're not swapping like for like so you can't expect the same experience.

As for my suspension conversion, I went the a standard replacement kit (no lift) because I needed to replace it before the sagging bags were completely out of air. Plus I knew I didn't want a lift so this worked perfectly. I went with the Metal Tech Rear Coil Conversion Kit Stage 1 ($80 on Metal Tech) and MOOG 81045 Stock height rear springs ($160 on Metal Tech, but I got them for $50 from an Amazon seller). Add 2 hours of shop time at my local mechanic's garage and my conversion cost me around $300 installed. The ride is obviously way better than the saggy bags and not too firm or bouncy. As for rake, I was equally concerned, but if you look at my photos above I have very minimal rake... which is what I was shooting for. Having said that, I may add a 1" coil spacer in the rear if the springs settle any more than they have already... just to be safe when I load the vehicle with kids and camping gear this summer.

Anyway, yeah, the rear air suspension conversion not only made my ride more comfortable and stable, but it also gave me piece of mind. I can't recommend it enough. As other people have said regarding this project; "DO IT!"

Good luck and share your progress with the group.

Thanks,
AJ

Matsui

Great info. Then that's exactly what I'm going to get for coil conversion, because I love your GX stance. Thanks!

vman932

Which Nitto Grapplers did you have on before? Terra, Ridge or Trail?

JSSinoda

Hi @vman932,

I had the Nitto Terra Grappler G1s. 4 wheels had about 25-30% tread left and one had about 60% so I kept that one as my spare. Also, I plan on rotating my wheels as recommended, just without using the spare in the rotation sequence since it's slightly smaller and not as cool looking as the TRDs.

Hope this helps,
AJ

Gxdrago

JSSinoda

Sure. The weather has been pretty crappy here in Chicago lately so once it clears up I'll take more shots.
Thanks

DiabloX22

What wheels are pictured on the left? You mentioned 4runner but I can't seem any to match them. I just replaced my tires before the winter and the wheels really got bad. Could you please tell me what year 4runner. These really are our 2 choices when using stock tires, not many choices it seems. Any info would be appreciated. I was looking at the TRD in the gray but I have Sand Dollar Pearl, so the ones on the left may be a option for me. Thank you.

JSSinoda

Hi @DiabloX22,

The wheels on the left are factory 4Runner wheels currently featured on the TRD Off-Road versions of the truck. I believe in 2014 Toyota started offering that style of wheel with either a black or grey accent fill.

In my search I was able to find people selling all 4 (and sometimes 5) wheels from $500 - $600 in great shape on Craig's List and eBay. I used the search words "4Runner Wheels OEM" and was able to quickly find the sellers. Here are a few eBay listings (as of 5/20/2018) I gathered really quickly: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, and Link 4.

Good luck and share pics when you finally pull the trigger. I'm sure we'd all like to see how yours turn out.

-AJ

DiabloX22

Thank you very much and I sure will share some pics! I appreciate it!

DiabloX22

Would these fit?



This part is compatible with 1 vehicle(s) matching 2003 Lexus GX470 Base Sport Utility 4-Door 4.7L 4663CC 285Cu. In. V8 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated.Notes
Important part detailsYearMakeModelTrimEnginePlease verify fitments in description to ensure compatibil...more2003LexusGX470Base Sport Utility 4-Door4.7L 4663CC 285Cu. In. V8 GAS DOHC Naturally AspiratedPortions of the information contained in this table have been provided by trucksnautos

Item specifics

Condition:NewBrand:

Aftermarket Products

Manufacturer Part Number:

Brian 1 353 Turbine

Warranty:Otherbolt pattern:6 x 139.7Call Reference Number:25297Color:

Gunmetal Machined Face

Our Reference Number:Brian 312Size:17"UPC:

does not apply

• 4 new after market alloy wheels
• Bolt Pattern: 6 x 139.7
• Offset: 0
• Hub Size: 110
• 17" X 8.5"
• 353 Turbine
• Gunmetal Machined Face
• We offer a 9 month manufacturer`s warranty.
• Our price is all inclusive regarding sales tax, with the exception of MO taxes.

DiabloX22

Or would it be more of a gamble? I'm not doing any lift kits or suspension mods, the only thing I have planned in the near future is to upgrade the brake kit to RR Racing's 6 piston Wildwood setup. Thanks again.

DiabloX22

Omg nevermind, I misread the info! They are 8.5!.

JSSinoda

Hi @DiabloX22,

I just PM'ed you details and my $0.02, but to answer your question about the fitment above... I'd have to say that these would probably cause rubbing issues. You're right about the 8.5" width. Also, not knowing the backspacing raises evermore concern.

-AJ

P.S.,
That's brake upgrade is on my wishlist, but I'm struggling with justifying the cost. I keep telling myself "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Let us know if you pull the trigger and document the ***** out of it.