Hi everyone. I'm new to this site, just became a member.
I have been looking at getting new wheels for my Lexi. I have decided to go "fat" because I am hoping that it will by default make my car look lower, fill out the wheelwells more. With that said, should I go 18 or 19? I want to go as big as possible, also, what is the maximum width I can go with in the rear? I have heard 8 is the max, which would suck. I would appreciate any insight on this subject.

Thanks

 

if you go w/ 18s or 19s, it may fill the wheel well a little, but not much
just because you go w/ a larger wheel, your overall tire diameter will stay the same for the most part because you'll be running w/ lower profile tires...
if you want the "lowered" look, i would suggest going w/ a mild drop - around 1" - 1.2"
the ride won't suffer much and won't have to worry too much aobut scrapin'
then go w/ 18s or 19s to finish it off

as for the widest wheel - 8" is most typical (gotta check the offset)
8.5" is okay, too
anything more than that, you may need to shave or roll your fenders to ensure clearance

others will chime in w/ their opinions, too....
good luck...

 

I wasn't planning on lowering my car, however, I am planning on the Stillen bodykit. My concern is that I don't want to be scraping all the time. I already have an issue pulling into my driveway as it is when somebody sits in the back, my tailpipe scrapes unless I pull in at an angle. It's nice to know I can go with 8.5 though. Definitely Axis wheels, just not sure about the model yet..... but 19's for sure. You know what they say... bigger is better!!!

 

By the way, thank you for your input, also... about how much is it to drop my car a bit? I just want to compare that with the cost of the bodykit...

 

the widest u can go is 9.5 w/o rolling your fenders if u run a 255/35 tire in the back. it will work with only a +55 offset in either 18 or 19". hope this helps.. the front, dont go any more than 8" wide with a either a 225 or 235

 

Wow! This is becoming a little confusing, but insightful. This is why I am asking Lexus owners, because Jow Blow at the local tire and wheel store does not specialize in any particular car. Thanks a million.

 

to do a simple drop, you probably thinking about springs
cost for the springs - around $100-200; depending on what kind &/or new or used...
install - around $100-200; depending on who does the install for you
also, suggest an alignment soon thereafter, too ($50-100)

if you have low mileage, you probably can stay on stock shocks for awhile
also, assuming if you stay w/ a modest drop (<1.5"); anymore of a drop, you stock shocks may not last very much longer....

 

i know someone running 8.5" w/ 225 in the front w/ 1.5" drop - no problems, too.

 

That's pretty reasonable for a drop. My car is an 01 with only 30K, so I would say it is low mileage. So now, I guess I will have to decide between the drop or the bodykit. I can't really do both, because of the scraping issue. Why is it so damn hard to decide?????? All I know is that I want big fat wheels, and I want it to be low, or at least look low. Next will be the performance issue......

 

Well i'm running 19x8 all the way around with 225/35/ZR19 nitto nt555 tires. I have a 1" drop, (eibach prokit/ltuned springs) and i have the lsportline front end. No problems with scraping what-so-ever. Except for maybe a little scrapage in the fenderwells when I turn the wheel ALL THE WAY to one side or the other but nothing that is constant. nothing touches ANYTHING. I will be getting the sideskirts and rear valence sometime in the future, and by the looks of things I shouldn't have any problem with scraping issues with those either so I would say that you could get away with 18 or 19 inch wheels and a body kit and a 1" drop. Good luck and welcome to clublexus!

 

Thanks for your imput Amy, that is good news for me. Now I know exactly what I'm going to do with my Lexi. It will be a couple months, but as soon as she's not stock anymore, I will post pics.

 

thats great news and glad i could help!

 

well to be safe, running 8 in front and 9 in the back is a good option. you can do 8 and 9.5 if you get the very offset and also the right tire. here's a guide i put up for the fitment

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...hreadid=115165

 

i run 8.5 in front with 225/40/18.. no problems.

 

one more thing to consider, if youre using your lexus as a daily driver then you might not want to go with a staggered fitment on your wheels. You will loose the ability to rotate your tires and will have to buy new tires often. If it helps any, I'm running 19 inch wheels with a 1" drop (eibach prokits). The eibachs come highly recommended as they hardly sacrafice ride quality as far as your car being too bouncy. Honestly, the ride is almost identical to stock, with the exception of better handleing. Also, take your location into consideration. For instance, you will be able to drop your car lower if your surrounding area is pretty "level" or doesnt have too many pot holes and steep inclines. My suspension set up still allows me to drive through san francisco, which I would have to say would be the ugliest roads to drive on in CA.