xjokerz

Can 16 inch tires be put on a 2011 or 2012 ES? I would like to get as smooth of a ride as possible if I get one of these cars. Specifically, I'd be looking at 215 60/R16 instead of the standard 215 55/R17.

By the way, is SAT standard in these cars? I know that when I was looking at LS 430's some of those didn't come with the module for XM radio so if you bought a used one you might have had to buy an aftermarket piece. I don't want to have to worry about if a 2011 or 2012 came with the module or not.

Zereldo

I have 216 60 R16 winter tires with aftermarket 16 inch wheels on the car presently.

Yes it's possible, the rolling diameter is the same as the OEM 17 and 18 inch wheels.

The caliper clearance will depend on offset and shape of the inner barrel of the wheels. In my case, I bought the car with said 16 inch wheels and so I didn't test fit wheels. The distance b/w caliper and the inner wheel barrel is minute but no danger of rubbing.

I'll share pictures

xjokerz

Okay, so if I find a nice 11 or 12 ES and I take it to Discount Tire or some other tire/wheel shop, what am I looking for in a wheel that I can make sure will fit this car? Do I ask the workers to find a 16 inch wheel (that I like of course) that will clear the calipers? I don't want them to lie and say a 16 wouldn't fit because they want to sell something bigger, which is obviously more money for them.

Zereldo

Here are the specification of wheels that will fit your ES. From most important to least important.

Bolt pattern: 5x114.3 (This is the distance b/w the lug holes, wheels with a different bolt pattern will not fit unless an adapter is used which is never recommended)

Center bore: 60.1 mm (This is the diameter of the surface behind the lug holes, it's usually a silver colour surgace or corroded on used wheels. Given the wheels have a larger centre bore, for instance 66.1 mm, you will need what is called hub rings in 6 mm measurement or 66.1 to 60.1 hub rings that will slot into the larger diameter and bring it down to the correct size. If Hub rings are not used, the entire weight of the car will be supported by wheel studs and not the hub like it should. This can cause the wheel studs to bend and break. A lower than 60.1 mm centre bore wheel will not work unless you take the drastic and frankly risky measure of machining the centre bore to a larger diameter.

Offset: 45 to 48 mm (This is the measurement that dictates how far out (or inwards) a wheel will sit. The measurement mentioned is what the OEM Lexus wheels had depending on wheel option and size. Lower the offset, more outwards the wheels will sit. BMW sedans usually have as low as 30 mm offset in order to achieve maximum stability, grip and aesthetics. In case of the ES, a lower offset is not going to do any harm. You may go as low as 35 mm offset, or as high as 55 mm offset.

Typing this at ~1 AM at night so my explanation may not be spot on. Please note that I'm not a mechanic and so take this information with a grain of salt.

If I were my car and I was adamant on getting 16 inch wheels (I feel they're a touch too small, but the overall diameter will be the same. More tire, less wheel), I would try and look for OEM Toyota or Lexus wheels. Majority of toyota and Lexus wheels (not tires) are interchangeable.

Some cars like the Toyota corolla, Toyota 86, Land Cruiser, Lexus LS, GX, LX have different bolt patterns like 5x100, 5x120, 6x*** which will not fit.

Wheels from Toyota Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Rav4, Sienna, Lexus IS, GS, RX, NX will fit absent trouble. Keep tire size in mind as the ES is a mid size and not a compact like the IS or an SUV like the Highlander.

OEM wheels are relative higher quality than aftermarket ones (HRE, Vossen, BBS and some other high end wheel manufacturers are an exception) and there is no guessing game with fitment. A set of used aftermarket wheels would be your best bet.

Zereldo

To address your other concern. 16 inch wheels will fit, this is subject to the measurements mentioned in the response above. Some 16 inch wheels with a concave wheel barrel may cause rubbing but you will know once the wheels are test fitted. Any good shop will allow test fitting the wheels before committing to a purchase and mounting the tires.

With aftermarket wheels, you get what you pay for. Compare their prices to what OEM wheels cost per piece and you will have a decent idea about what quality you should expect.

A set of decent quality aftermarket wheels with brand new 16 inch tires. I wouldn't go over $1,000 to $1,200 CAD. For reference, I purchased a set of brand new Toyora Camry XSE 19 inch wheels with Michelin Primacy tires for $1,000 CAD from a private seller. I found a great deal which isn't super common for this particular set (atleast not in Canada). Search the classified for private sales and I'm sure you will find some great deals. Feel free to share the listings here and I can share my opinion regarding the asking price, condition and potentially check if they're OEM or replicas.

jkayca

For stuff like this I like to go to sites like TireRack.com. Input your vehicle year make and model and it will present you with a series of options. I put in a 2011 ES350 and 16" rims were available.

xjokerz

Okay, this as well as your other posts are very good information. I guess I don't have a whole lot to worry about as far as going from 215 55R17 to 215 60R16 on the 11 or 12 ES. It may look slightly odd at first but that's fine. I don't care for having the largest wheel on my car. I want the most comfortable, softest ride possible.

When I pick one up at the end of September (have to wait for my college check to come in so I can have a few thousand down plus hopefully prices will cool somewhat by then) I am planning to take it to a tire/wheel shop and I'll have them do all the work. I don't feel like looking through ebay and all those sites. Lol

Also, here is this little bit: Yesterday I went and drove a MINT 2011 ES. It was white exterior with black interior but white leather with the dark wood. It was possibly the most beautiful interior I've ever seen in a car, all things considered. No nav, no sunscreen, no parking sensors, any of that stuff but I don't want any of those things. It did have heated and ventilated seats which was awesome. It had 97k miles, but you would guess it had like 15k. Cost was $14,800 USD. The only thing stopping me from getting it was the white exterior color. I hate white, and if it was anything but that (I'd have a hard time with silver but I might have gone for it) it would be in my driveway as we speak. Drove amazing (it will be even better with 16 inch wheels, which I cannot wait) and it was pretty quiet. A bit more wind noise than I thought but a lot better than my Acura TL. Maybe I can do some additional sound deadening upon purchasing one of these cars. I was in awe the rest of the day. I did not want to leave the car after the test drive! Lol the end of September cannot come fast enough.

xjokerz

Would this combination work for an 11 or 12 ES?

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-pac...s/32519-61711/

I see that the bolt pattern is what is should be as well as the offset. I'm confused about the bore size.

If anyone has recommendations as to what wheel/tire combos I should go with (16 inch please), let me know. Thanks.

Zereldo

The link takes me to their homepage.

If you can confirm the centre bore (it's 60.1 mm for all current ES models since 2007), it will save you from the trouble of dealing with hub rings - something I would avoid.

245 55 R16 tires will work, the tire size is based on OEM tire size of larger wheels. You could get away with 225 60 R16 which I have on. Less rolling resistance, more side wall. I can hardly feel uneven and rough patches on the road though handling suffers greatly.

xjokerz

Hub bore size says 73.1 for the wheel. I'm not sure where else there is mention of that.

Zereldo

OEM Lexus wheels bore size is 60.1 mm I believe. You will need 73.1 to 60.1 mm hub rings. They can be easily found online.