I've been searching everywhere but cannot find a solid site confirming the best setup in terms of winter wheels for a 2014 IS350 AWD F Sport (apologies if I missed it). I am looking at a set of these Lexus OEM rims that are 17x8, +50 offset and apparently from an IS250 AWD. The tires they come with are 225/45/17 but I'll likely be buying new winter tires after I secure the rims.

My car came with 225/40/18 front and 255/40/18 rear.

Can someone confirm if these are the most advisable way to go? Or is there something else I should be looking at? Based on my research and what tire rack suggests, the best option is 17x7.5 (I don't think going 17x8 will cause issues?) with 225/45/17 and +38mm offset (again +50 shouldn't be an issue aside from maybe not looking as 'wide'). I have read that 16s won't clear my brakes so I'm sticking to 17" min. I also prefer to stick with OEM for quality and decent looks in the winter. I've also understood that I should be going with a square setup (even though the car comes with different size tires between front and back). My biggest point of concern is the rear tires that seem to be -4.1% but the front are only -0.5%.
Thanks in advance!


http://https://www.clublexus.com/for...heels-f-s.html

 

Sound like my set up on my is250 non f sport. Are you looking to switch? We can switch set up

 

Not sure what you want to switch with me. Pls clarify.

Just to be clear, I'm looking for a second set of rims and tires for winter.

If you want these 17" rims in the link, let me know. If you want my OEM F sport wheels, I'm not looking to get rid of them.

 

Curious if anyone is running staggered during winter, and your opinion? I would actually like to use the stock 2014 wheels for winter, and something a little nicer for summer. That requires running staggered in winter, which I have not done before. I come from the suby world so I have a little different perspective.

 

You should be able to run 225/40R18 all around on both the front 8" wheels and the rear 8.5" the stock wheels. I'm planning to do that on a set of 2IS OEM for winter. It will give you the ability to rotate the tires for longer wear.

 

I'm kind of confused. I have a '14 IS350F AWD as well and don't see why to change the tires/wheels for the winter?

Aren't these tires all season? Is it not safe to use the stock AWD All season tires and FSPORT rims for the winter?

 

Have a look at your window sticker and confirm what kind of tires your car came with. If they are all season and you live in an area that doesn't get a whole lot of snow then nothing needs to be done. If they are summer tires and you live in an area where temperatures remain below around 40 degrees F for most of the winter then you need to take action. That action could be installing winter tires or all season tires on your existing wheels or purchasing a second set of wheels and having winter tires or all season tires installed.

READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY! It's been my personal experience that many car owners don't fully understand what summer tires are and their limitations. Summer tires should not be used when the temperature drops to a certain level EVEN IF THERE IS NO SNOW OR ICE ON THE GROUND!!! Summer tires are made from a rubber compound that will LOSE TRACTION when the air temperature reaches a certain number. That number is usually around 40 degrees F but it depends on the exact tire make/model. If you have summer tires Google the make/model you have and you should be able to find the lowest temperature recommended for their use.

 

Great info!

All wheel drive doesn't help you stop. Winter tires will.

I would recommend a 'square' set up for winter use, meaning all four wheels and tires will be the same size. It will manage the traction much better.

We have lots of info on our website here.

If I can be any help, please let me know.

-AJ

 

Hi AJ,

I'd like to leanr more about running a square setup with an IS350 F-Sport. My previous car was a 2008 Evo MR, and from my Evo and AWD experience there, if the AWD system was designed for a square setup, then switching to a staggered setup would cause premature wear and/or damage to the AWD system components, since it would always be trying to compensate for the different traction levels between front and rear, since that's not what the car was designed for.

Would the same be true for the IS 350? If the car was designed to run a staggered setup with it's AWD system, would going with a square setup cause any issues for the AWD system?

Thanks.