18's or 19's ?
 

Hey Guys I have a 2001 LS430 and want to get rid of my horrid 16 inchers but I also don't want to lose all my ride quality. Is there much difference between the 18 and 19 when it comes down to how smooth the car feels?

I also wonder what the biggest tire size I could get thats not ridiculous looking, like 245 /45 /19? And if I get 19 do I have to really worry about any offset? I don't think I will lower the car "maybe later by an inch" but I don't want to run into any problems down the road being this is my daily driver.

I am in the bay area so this will never see snow or ice.

I am leaning torwards 19" with Michelin Primcays as the tire choice.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

I was looking at these.. :uh:

http://216.120.250.216/pictures/wheelpics/VT2137.jpg

The 16" may be horrid, but they'll be much better in absorbing the bumps of the road, more fuel efficient by atleast 4 mpg over the 19", less expensive tires come replacement time (size wise, not quality wise), and probably less noise.

19" you get a "better" look and better cornering, but then you lose everything above. If looks are more important than ride (although you said you don't want to lose the ride quality) then I would say go with a compromise and do 18" instead of 19".

Personally I don't think there would be that much difference in 18 or 19, as long as you don't get a very low profile tire. I think 45 series would be fine.

If you get aftermarket rims, go with at least a 19, and don't go with a cheap knock off. It is going on a Lexus after all. Otherwise, go with the 18" factory sport rims. 19's with at least a 45 series tire will bump your height a little due to the larger overall diameter so lowering a little won't cause you any problems. Even 18's with a slight drop shouldn't cause any problems.

you will have less issues with 18" and possibly more issues down the road with 19's. i had 20's and am stepping it down to 19's my next go round because of too many issues.

By going to a larger rim you will hear more road noise and also get lower MPG like another CL member mentioned. I also own a 2001 model and went from stock 16's to 19's. The lower MPG's which was hard to get used to during the high gas prices days. Now it is not so bad. I like the looks of my Wald rims and now feel the MPG trade off was worth it. Larger rims are also subject to more abuse and bends. Just try to avoid the pot holes as best as you can since the rim will absord most of the force with the low profile tires. You may want to stay close to stock tire diameter to have your odometer reading be more accurate. A 245/45/19 has speedometer difference reading of 3.979% too slow. 245/40/19 would be more in specs. Use this tire calculator to compare new tire sizes to stock specs and also new rim width. http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCal...mp;vehicle=yes I hope this helps. Please post pics when after you buy install your rims.

DanozLS430...

The 16 is going to be much quieter and give a lot better ride. If my car had come with them I would not change them for the world. A friend of mine has an LS with the 16 wheels and it rides so much better than my Ultra.

I think a good compromise for everyday driving and looks would be 19"s. 18" factory looks good and on 20's, you will get road noise and stiffness and you have to watch for pot holes but looks all so good.

So its comes down to what you are after. Looks or ride?

Yes, the 16's are way more quieter and rides smoother with the taller tire height. 18's or 19's looks nicer to me but has some sacrifices in comfort, stiffer feel as well as lower MPG's. I just returned from a Disneyland trip yesterday and drove my family around in a Toyota Sienna 8 passenger van for 7 days. The van rode smooth and comfortable. This morning I drove my LS with my 19's on and felt my LS was even smoother and quieter. Maybe it's me and I just missed driving my car around.

DanozLS30...

Thanks guys for all the input. I think at this rate its going to be 18's...

Who would think it would be so hard to find some wheels I like! I think I have looked thru 100s at this point :egads:

hmmmm?

http://www.tsw.com/img/vairano_black...rmal_white.jpg


I'll update some pix soon

join the boat i can't understand that on thing i HATE about my LS 430 is the oversize calipers all the rimz i look at that i really like is not the right offset and the rimz i hate is the right offset

Oh KRAP I didnt even think about offset. What offset do I need on 18s?

Thanks again

For 18's it's hard to beat the factory sport wheel, IMO. That is a good looking wheel for the LS body. A good tire like a Michelin Primacy on that sport wheel will ride almost as good and quiet as the 16's or 17's (I know, because I've been test-driving all kinds of LS430s, S-class MB's,and A8's for the last 2 weeks). Also, I don't know how you guys have been losing 4 MPG by going up to 19's -- my personal experience it was maybe 1-1.5 MPG at the most going from factory 17's to 19's.

are there any cons in going with +35 instead of +45? steering or daily driving problems?

thinking about these: 19x9(front), 19x10(rear). ame wx's. high disk, +35 i think

thanks

Well I found a set of 18's that might work... Please let me know if this should work for my car. Does the rec tire size seem wide? I don't even know what to look for at this point. I want smooth quiet ride, I am not out taking corners like a madman or racing around. This is my "commuter car ;) "

Here are the specs

Offset: 42mm Backspacing: 6.18" Bolt Pattern: 5-114
Rec. Tire Size:235/50-18
Weight: 27.0lbs.

I know not really a big baller wheel but I want something that looks close to stock and isn't going to kill my wallet.

http://www.tirerack.com/images/wheel...t3_c_ci3_l.jpg