Bocastyle

I was reading various posts, and comments about tires. I ended up purchasing the http://www.ntb.com/tires/sku-detail/...skuId=sku20048

The guy at TIre kingdom told me the standard size is 265 and not 275. Well anyways he did put them on anyway. He said he has to warn me about purchasing and installing that it could change everything about the way the vehicle performs. I also did a search on the size and all and the only thing i found was KOZ here on this site that said he was purchasing them. I saw the word "under tired' which i agreed when i purchased this vehicle that it looked like the tires and wheels looked too small for the truck. I have the GX460 2010 Knights Armor. I was hoping some of you could give me some feedback and let me know if i made a mistake by buying tires that are bigger than the OEMs. The ride seemed to feel good! I also got 4 of them for 1100 with an alignment out the door. I tried to buy a 5th one for my spare but it wouldn't' fit? Due to my tow hitch i added. Any feedback would be great!

Thanks
Josh

Koz

The only reason I went with a larger tire then OEM was because I needed to use an LT (light truck) tire for towing. I wanted the best highway tire on the market (which is the LTX MS2) and the closest size LT MS2 was 275/65/18. Through many years of experience with tires I have found that staying as close as possible to the OEM size is best. The measurement that is most critical is the overall diameter (GX460-30.5"). If anyone feels they must go bigger, 32" is the largest size (diameter) that will not rub. Trucks tend to be able to run one size larger better then cars. Any time you deviate from the OEM size you must have the alignment checked otherwise you may experience premature tire wear.

Koz

Bocastyle

Yes i did have my GX460 aligned it came out bad on the right side and the rear they said i couldn't fix because our Gx's have a solid axle. He said you can't align the rear. Have you heard of that?. So am i safe with the 275's? I hope so.. I also bought some rims today. http://www.elementwheels.com/proddet...prod=s1441885C

They look real nice and he said they will fit those tires and my truck. Do you think i'll have any problems? I also wanted to talk to you about brakes, rotors, calipers, and pads. I saw you make a mention about the slotted rotors. I too would like to upgrade my brakes. I'm coming close on my pads now. Do you know the very best brake system for our trucks? I just want everything perfect i'm sure you know how i feel

T4Fun

you shouldnt deviate from the oem size. going with a larger tires arent designed for our rims which are only 7.5 inch wide. you risk tire blowout running a large tire on a small rim. i did extensive research on this when i was going to buy a limited 4R with the narrow rims.

2ndly, tires will wear out faster.
3rdly, the suspension will wear out quicker as well. explain that to lexus when something goes wrong. i bet they deny your warranty

Koz

Up to 32" will be fine as long as the alignment is within spec and they can not void your warranty unless the tires caused a failure (and they must prove that).

Koz

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

I agree there shouldn't be any problems going with a larger tire, however, it isn't up to them to prove the tires caused a failure, instead it would be up to you to prove they did not cause the failure, usually before a judge and during a lawsuit that would probably cost as much as whatever was damaged to start.

Also, couple other things - the LTX M/S 2 is a great tire, no doubt, but to say it is hands down the best, might be a stretch.

Last but not least, there is absolutely no real reason to go with an LT tire, no matter how much weight you are carrying or hauling, so long as you are staying with Lexus' recommendations for capacities. Simply put, an LT tire doesn't really help unless you can physically carry or tow more weight than a P Metric tire is rated for...

Koz

The laws (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) governing warranties are very clear. The only time a new vehicle warranty can be voided is if an aftermarket part has been installed and it can be proven that it is responsible for a warranty claim. A vehicle manufacturer or dealership cannot void a warranty simply because aftermarket equipment has been installed on a vehicle.

If you look at ALL reviews from owners of mid/large SUV/light truck (which there are thousands), the LTX MS2 has the best overall rating for tires of this type (highway all-season). If there is a better tire I would be interested in knowing which! I've only had these tires a short time but I can say they are the best overall SUV/LT tire I have ever had (so far) and I've had just about all the top tires. Some may be better in certain conditions but overall, I don't see any other highway all-season being better for an SUV (on-road).

If you have ever towed a travel trailer (with both P/LT rated tires) you would know that there is a HUGE difference. You have to remember you have the added tongue, cargo and passenger weight that usually adds a min of 1000 lbs directly on the tires. The design and construction of LTs absolutely increases the stability of both the tow vehicle and trailer (especially when towing near the max tow rating, at highway speeds).

We can agree to disagree!
Koz

Tnorling

In my opinion, if you or your local tire shop tech know more about your Lexus than the Lexus engineers do, go ahead and choose a size other than stock.

mitsuguy

iTrader: (2)

Since the stuff about the Michelins and towing with P vs LT tires is subjective, I'll agree there are good points, for sure, just making sure people see both sides.

However, when it comes to warranty, the way that usually works, and I've been witness to it personally, is that if you have an issue, lets say with a rear differential, you bring your truck in for warranty. Tech blames the failure on the aftermarket tires. Service Manager gets with Service Advisor and advises customer tires were the cause of failure and because the tires are aftermarket, voids the warranty.

Now, because it may or not have been the aftermarket tires fault, what recourse do you have? Unfortunately, the only way to compel the dealer to fix it is by suing the dealership, under the grounds of the Magnusson Moss Act. Now, once a lawyer has served the dealer papers about a potential lawsuit, they may rethink their original claim that it was the aftermarket parts that caused the failure, or they might not and take it to court... Hard to say...

Eppieguy

I totally agree w/ Koz.

SaniDel

Really?

Your local tire shop may THINK they know more about your Lexus than the Lexus engineers do, but do they? How could they since it was the Lexus engineers who designed the product? More to the point, if things go wrong and there is a problem or a warranty claim, who has your back … your local tire shop?
Regards,

SaniDel

Koz

The Act makes it easier for purchasers to sue for breach of warranty by making breach of warranty a violation of federal law, and by allowing consumers to recover court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees. This means that if you lose a lawsuit for breach of warranty, you may have to pay the customer's costs for bringing the suit, including lawyer's fees.

Koz

Tnorling

I was being sarcastic!

Koz

Unless you have a special purpose for the vehicle and are willing to live with the difference in driving dynamics cause by the deviation from OEM specs, I would not deviate from the OEM. In my case if the LTs came in the OEM size, that's what I would have used. What I can tell you is; I was VERY surprised to get a better/smoother ride. I attribute that to the tire design and construction and not the bigger size.

Stay with the OEM size whenever possible!

Koz

Bocastyle

I have had these tires now going on 4 days. I like the way they drive. The only thing is when i back up and turn the wheel to the left or right. It rubs slightly. It's not a big deal but i don't think the tire shop will take them back. I however love the ride myself. It feels more of a fuller ride. Almost feels like a truck and not an SUV. Here is the question that will continue this post. If you check up top i am getting new rims. http://www.elementwheels.com/proddet...prod=s1441885C

Those are the rims i'm getting. Now that i have bought these bigger tires i am deviating form the OEM wheels as well however keeping it to the proper fit. I wonder if the rims will fill the tires in more or what to do at this point. If you guys suggest i go back to Tires Plus to tell them whats going on i will. I just need more insight and advice rather than lawsuit information. I will keep my original wheels and i have to put some used tires on them i will. I'm now anxious about getting the new rims/wheels and how that will work out.

Regards

Josh