Coming from a GS 350 and looking to purchase a set of wheels. What size do you recommend for flush fitment with a concave look?

can a person stagger the non f sport model? I lowered my GS but it always suffered with a wobble/vibration that was very annoying.

thank you!

 

I'll tell you what I've found out in the past weeks as I researched upgrading to 22" wheels.

1. Yes you can stagger a non-fsport. Any wheels that would fit an fsport will also fit a non-fsport. The opposite is not true as fsports have larger brakes and require more clearance.
2. The go-to size seems to be as staggered setup w/ 9-9.5" fronts w/ +20 offset and 10.5-11" rears with +25 offset (w/ some variability of course).
3. If you are thinking of staggered 22's it's very hard (as in not possible it seems) to get top tier tires like Michelin for the rears....they just don't make them. You'll have to go w/ Lexani or similar tires...Common tire sizes are 265/30/22 or 255/30/22 front and 315/25/22 or 305/25/22 or 304/30/22 rears.
4. OEM wheel sizes are all 5x120 bolt pattern (different from many other Lexus).
(a) Fsports are 20x8.5 front +25 offset w/ 245/45/20 and 20x9.5 rear w/ +25 offset and 275/40/20;
(b) non-fsports can have 20x8.5 square setups or 19x8 square setups +25 offsets, w/ 245/45/20 or 245/50/19
(c) OEM overall diameter is 28.65" (the height of the tire). anything beyond minimal changes in your aftermarket setup's OD will affect the speedometer accuracy.
(d) OEM load index is 99, or 1705 lbs. (per tire); you don't want to go lower than this for safety (our cars are very heavy).

4. While searching for odd sized tires, I learned a bit more...To increase their customer base, tire makers and sellers advertise a broader range of wheel fitment than is actually optimal for your car's performance. For instance, they may say a 245/50/19 tire, which is about 9.6" "wide" (245mm=9.6") will fit any wheel between 6.5-9" wide. Well obviously, it's going to fit certain widths in that range better than others...a point of consideration. But, it goes beyond that. TREAD WIDTH becomes a significantly more accurate measurement of the tire's fitment on the wheels you've chosen. For instance, if you compare different brand's 245/50/19 tires (and even different tire models within the same brand) and you'll find the TREAD WIDTH varies up to an inch. Given the rule of thumb that to optimize performance you want a tire's tread width to be equal to or .5" less than the wheels width (which is what OEM fitment is), it's likely important to make sure those new tires you are thinking about fall in or near this range. Thus, tire sellers are quick to say 'it will fit' but the questions really is: Will it fit in a way that not only looks great but also performs well.
(FYI, TireRack charts TREAD WIDTH for most all the tires they sell and is a great place to see the variations for yourself).

okay, enough numbers...now for some inspiration:

 

HRE p20 $$$$

11" rear wheel fitment

inspiration w/ HRE p20

 

Liazon - I can't thank you enough for all of the info you shared! A wealth of knowledge that has already come in handy! I have no doubt many others will appreciate the info as well.

Which wheels are you leaning towards?

 

Those Forgiato wheels on the white LS look amazing!