ES Modification and New Wheels Thread
12-07-06, 10:27 PM
#16
By next spring I would love to put a set of 18, maybe 19 inch rims on mine, by that time maybe someone else will have done it so that we can have an idea of how they behave, I am sure the look will be great.
12-11-06, 07:33 PM
#17
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With planning a project there are many step that need to take place first before actual design is made. I have the idea of how it is to look. The fastener system would be supplied by an expertise shop that deals with customizing car interior, that’s the hard part. Finding the right vendor. There are other issue also like warping in hot temperatures so there would be a backing applied. When the time comes to start the project I’ll first call dash wood providers that already make those sick on wood parts to see if they would like to take on the project. Probably be good for there business.
As for the type of fasteners to use my first thought is to use rare earth magnetic insert. Those thing are incredibly strong, small in size and easy to install. They even come with a hole in the center for mounting.
As for the type of fasteners to use my first thought is to use rare earth magnetic insert. Those thing are incredibly strong, small in size and easy to install. They even come with a hole in the center for mounting.
12-11-06, 11:35 PM
#18
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I have seen an ES350 with wheel change last week. Looked sleek, but I didn't get the chance to take a snap of it. If I do come across any ES350s with new wheels, I will try and snap some shots and post it up here.
12-12-06, 07:29 PM
#20
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Hi, I am new to the forum. I am seriously looking into modifying by adding 18 inch rims. I recently took my 18' rims from my 2002 S430 Mercedez and mounted one to the left rear. The fit and the look was great. The issue I had was the lugs. The 21mm lugs from the ES350 have a washer attached. I was able to remove it with a screwdriver, but because of the newness of the vehicle, It took a few minutes. The rims from the benz had a smaller hole for the lugs, so I had to use a 21mm socket instead of an actual lug wrench. As stated earlier, the tires and rims seemed to fit perfectly. Before I go any further, I may take it to a tire store to be sure I'm not missing something.
12-13-06, 02:53 AM
#21
Hi, I am new to the forum. I am seriously looking into modifying by adding 18 inch rims. I recently took my 18' rims from my 2002 S430 Mercedez and mounted one to the left rear. The fit and the look was great. The issue I had was the lugs. The 21mm lugs from the ES350 have a washer attached. I was able to remove it with a screwdriver, but because of the newness of the vehicle, It took a few minutes. The rims from the benz had a smaller hole for the lugs, so I had to use a 21mm socket instead of an actual lug wrench. As stated earlier, the tires and rims seemed to fit perfectly. Before I go any further, I may take it to a tire store to be sure I'm not missing something.
12-14-06, 01:35 PM
#24
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FWIW - the camry dudes found that 18" x 8" & 235/45/18 tires work nicely... Most of them avoid the 19s because they're not as common, so the wheels and tires are a bit more $$$$.
12-14-06, 04:59 PM
#26
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12-20-06, 10:27 PM
#28
Down in LA I saw at least 30+ ES350 vehicles - they are everywhere. One Black car had 19" rims with what I recall were 234/40/19 tires. The rims looked really good on the car, and basically filled the wheel well almost completely. The whole car appeared to be higher off the ground as well, which I guess was due to the large rims! Of course I did NOT take my camera down to LA so I don't have any pics - sorry. None of the 30+ ES vehicles I saw were UL either - all were PP.
12-20-06, 11:59 PM
#29
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I had nice crome rims (standard size tho) and black crome emblems on a Black UL w/ Black interior. Looked AWESOME, that is until someone stole my rear emblem (I guess black Lexus emblems are pretty rare.. I just wish they didn't key the hell out of my trunk to do it 
).
).