I keep on getting mixed reviews on staggered tires/wheels on the IS250 awd. Would it be safe use different size tires on a awd car?

 

u could, but since most try to rotate tires on all four corners to help even wear, which in turn is to prevent the awd system from excess wear due to differences in axle rotation, it would probably be better to keep it the same on all 4. doesn't the awd come with the same size from lexus anyway?

 

You'll need to be sure to keep the same rolling diameter on both front and rears, so your tire sizes and brands will be based purely on what comes closest to an exact match.

 

i have staggard on my AWD. I have no troubles. Im running 245/35/20 all around. they are slightly stretched in the rear, but i put a little more air pressure in the back to compansate the stretch to have the same overall diameter.

 

Isn't staggering different size tires/rims in front and in back?

 

Yes its okay to stagger rims on AWD. if you want a 19 x 8.5" rim on the front and a 19 x 10" for the rear...this set up or anything similar will be fine. Its the diameter that is important. the front and reat need to be rotating the same so you dont have one pushing or pulling the other with more or less rotaions then the other. it will kill your AWD....hope that makes sense.

Good luck on your search!

 

if you're worried, u could run staggered lips. my friend did that on his TL since it was FWD. he ran 20x9.5 all around with no rubbing and ran 245/30/20 all the way around but they were stretched. it was a 2" front lip and 3.5" rear lip

 

I have done a lot of research on this topic because I was in the same situation and what it comes down to is exactly what zanorath said ^^^
One very reputable shop explained it to me like this he said "It doesn't matter how wide the tires are in the rear it could be a 3 foot wide tires as long as the rolling diameters are the same or a very close match in the front and back" he also went on to say by putting a wider tire in the rear you will be sacrificing the cars handling a little... But lets face it the 250 awd is slow so do you really care about it handling like it was on "rails"

 

I read all the threads too at CL, LOC and my.is, and this is the first one to conclude that it's okay.

 

Sure, people here know better than those stodgy old engineers at Lexus Headquarters in Japan. What do they know? Even if the diameters are the same, I'm sure the different rotating masses pose no long term problem with differential stresses on the AWD components. There must be some other reason Lexus, and 99% of other AWD manufacturers, put the same size tire/wheel combination on their AWD vehicles. Lexus owners sure are a smart bunch to outhink and outengineer the industry.

 

what Zanorath said is correct and as for all of you who still doubt it...have any of you heard of audi? most people who customize their audis, yes even if they have quattro, stagger the wheels. simply maintain the exact same rolling diameter f/r and you are ok. here is a link to a tire size calculatorhttp://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html.

fyi...the rolling diameter of the driving wheels should always be the same as stock or extremely close to it otherwise the odometer and speedometer readings will be incorrect.

 

don't think it's that the staggered tires can't have same rolling diameter to begin with... it's the wear that is more of a concern. with staggered, u can't rotate on all four corners to help minimize wear difference. volvo's earlier awd system had excess mechanical wear on cars that did not have proper rotation schedules..

what's the power split like nominally on the IS awd? i know that the amg rear has already had 2 sets of tires, working on third, while the fronts are practically new. i'm expecting the is350 to be similar. and my wagon is fwd and if i don't rotate, it is exactly the reverse. fronts will wear out wayyy before the rears do. so what's the awd's wear pattern like?

 

I'm looking to purchase some X-Wheels but those usually come in 18x8 front and 18x18.5 rear....would that be ok to put on a AWD?

 

Well its the FIRST time I have seen an AWD car NOT have staggered wheels...Also I drove a Lexus LS460L and there was a sticker in the window that said "DO NOT PUT LARGER DIAMETER WHEELS AND TIRES ON THIS CAR" the dealer had installed aftermarket 20's on the car...lol..I asked the salesman about it and he says..."hmm...never seen that before...."..What do those Lexus engineers know....lol

 

You should consider going to this thread as the topic does have similarities..

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=341083