LexusJay1

good afternoon guys and gals, a quick question if I may. I want to put after market 18's on my LS but I am worried about ride quality. Is the difference from the factory 16's to 18's very noticeable? These cars are built to ride smooth and I dont want to mess with that too much, but the 18's look so good. If 18's which tire brand would you recommend? Also, how much would fuel economy, breaking, and actual mileage via the speedometer be effected? Thanks in advance.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Very minimal difference.

Stroock639

the stock tires are 225/60-16, which have an overall diameter nearly identical (fractions of a percent difference) to the 245/45-18 ones that came with the 04-06 LS 430 so anything that size won't throw off the speedometer calibration. the ride will be *slightly* less floaty but with wider, lower profile tires i feel that the car handles better in the corners, and obviously looks better. pros of the 18s definitely outweigh cons i think... fuel economy would also be slightly worse with wider tires but the difference is honestly negligible and with a set of good tires it really shouldn't be affected too much.

i have a bridgestone turanza serenity plus on each of my 18s so i can personally vouch for those. compared to the goodyear eagle rs-a that was on my stock wheels they're definitely quieter i think and have MUCH better traction in the wet, or at least that's what it seems like. good overall tire, people generally seem to be happy with them. if i were you i'd keep the 16s and throw some blizzaks on them, make them the winter/snow wheels. the turanzas are great in the wet but not snow and ice.

only thing about getting 18s is that the fender gap and track width will look slightly off. with 16s having a bit of gap is somehow ok but aesthetically wise as you get bigger wheels you're probably gonna want to go slightly lower. but that's only if you care about such things... unfortunately i do lol so i'm having some H&R springs and wheel spacers installed soon

9000revs

I would suggest staying with 17s if you are worried about ride. I too am waiting to install H&R on my 2000 and will watch how that affects the ride to male a decision on 17s or 18s. With 17s, you can have meatier tires and maybe able to preserve the ride a bit, but these are all assumptions, as this time.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

ride quality is impacted but negligibly imho, with 18s vs. 16s.

LexusJay1

Thank you so much!, I really appreciate the info on a subject I am sure has been talked about before. I am still undecided.

shidosha01

iTrader: (1)

I'll be chiming in on this very soon as I too will experiment with going on 18s with coilovers. I look to build with comfort and style. The stanced out look isn't for me. I have to wait about 2 to 3 weeks for my coilovers to be built.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Simple question many variables: Wheel weight, tire weight, tire ride characteristics, stock suspension or lower/modified. Additional weight of vehicle and passengers... Also depends on how acute your backside is to the changes on the car.

If the wheel combo weighs comparable or lighter than stock (52#'s for the 16's) and maintains a similar diameter the feel will be minimal. If this is a hi-po summer tire with stiff sidewalls, you'll feel more of the road. Heavy wheels the suspension doesn't recover as quickly from rough roads.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

since I put 235/55/17's on my 99, I dont actually notice any difference.... the ride, traction and speedo seem the same as before, I was just going for looks and chrome..

LexusJay1

I am leaning towards the 18's, but since the oem wheels are 16x7,,would I be wise to go with 18x7.5 as opposed to 18x8? or no real difference in performance in regards to width of rim and tire vs. the 16x7?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Depends on what tire you want to use. The width is appropriate for a range of sizes, check what the manufacturer lists for the nominal rim width for the given tire.