Hey all. Looks like a lot of info on wheels in general are out there, but I cannot seem to find info on my two specific questions. Can I get a hand?

1. What 18 inch OEM Lexus wheels will fit a 3rd Generation RX350 FWD? (I'd like to downsize from the very expensive 19 inch tires to 18 inch rims/tires). Obviously the 3rd gen RX, but will 2nd gen RX wheels fit? What other OEM Lexus 18's will fit?
2. Once I find some 18 inch OEM Lexus rims, will my 19 inch TPMS sensors fit those and would I have to make any adjustments?

Thanks so much for the info.

 

I can answer Number 1.

short answer is Yes. it will fit almost perfectly.

Gen 2 had 7 inch width, 18 inch wheels with 38mm offset while Gen 3 had 7.5 inch width and 19 inch wheels with 35mm offset. However, you cannot simply swap the wheel/tire combo. You must replace the Gen 2 stock tires with 235/60/18 tires. (it came with 235/55/18 tires).

 

just adding that here that you are probably better off with something off the Tirerack.com and getting an 8 inch width wheel. It seems the 7 inch width wheels would look a little concave if you looked at the wheel from a vertical angle. However, it still fits. It will just look a little retro.....

 

I doubt if the savings are going to be enough to warrant downsizing from 19" to 18" wheels unless you plan to keep your RX a very long time and go through a number of sets of tires.

But if you want to downsize, 17" and 18" wheels from the gen 3 Toyota Sienna and Highlander have the same 35mm offset as the wheels on the gen 3 RX. These three vehicles share the same brake components and are extremely similar under their skins.

If you do want to downsize, I suggest you get new TLM sensors for them - batteries in them don't last forever and they are not replaceable.

I've bought refurbished OEM wheels from https://www.wheelsandcaps.com - they were like brand new. They currently have gen 3 18" RX wheels, and gen 3 17" and 18" Sienna and Highlander wheels in stock.

Edit: BTW, I have bought two sets of aftermarket wheels with tires from Tire Rack and have not been happy with either set. What chapped my *** on one set was that a replacement was not available from Tire Rack or anywhere else when a wheel was damaged just a few years later. Aftermarket wheel styles come and go and you can't count on finding a replacement.

 

We do plan to keep the car a long time and the savings (for the wheels I'm looking for) will pay for itself on the first purchase. Thinking OEM wheels about $400-ish, the 18" tires are significantly cheaper (around $100 per tire). We can't seem to get more than 35k miles out of a set, so I'll be buying lots of sets of tires.

One the sensors, how do I get them matched to the car?

 

I think you are doing fine if you can get a set of 19" tires to last 35,000 miles on an RX. The longest any tires lasted on my LS sedans was 40,000 miles and by that time they were at barely 2/32" of tread and not safe on wet roads. I'd be thrilled if I could get 18" 235/55 tires to last 35,000 miles on our 2014 Sienna Limited - current set of 18" Michelin Premiers is not going to make it to 30,000 miles.

The gen 3 RX ECU can hold only one set of TLMS ID's. Your Lexus dealer and most tire shops have electronic devices that can be held next to the sensors to read their ID codes so they can then be uploaded to the vehicle ECU though the diagnostic port under the dashboard on the driver's side.

If you want to upload the TLMS ID codes yourself (and even if you don't) and you buy wheels with the tires and sensors already mounted, make sure you get the list of the codes from the seller.

I use the popular ATEQ Quickset programming tool to upload TLMS ID codes when I do the summer/winter changeover on all our vehicles - it's currently about $130 on Amazon. It paid for itself the first day I used it but we have winter tires for multiple vehicles. After all the codes are entered into the ATEQ software on a Windows PC, it is necessary to download the codes to the handheld Quickset tool, plug it into the diagnostic port and then press a button the Quickset to upload the codes to the vehicle ECU. The code upload is instantaneous. Buying a tool like the Quickset is probably overkill if you aren't doing winter/summer tire changeovers.

I bought my last set of name brand TLMS sensors at Costco for about $40 each and had Costco install them on refurbished wheels when they installed the tires I also bought there. Some people have bought off-brand TLMS on eBay for as little as $10/each. Installing sensors on wheels can be tricky ... requires an "inch pound" miniature torque wrench to do it correctly.

I used to buy tires from Tire Rack but have bought the last 20+ tires at Costco during one of their frequent Michelin/Bridgestone promotions. I still check prices on Tire Rack, but Costco has been substantially less expensive. Shill alert: I'm a long time Costco shareholder.