mhsu408

Description of me: I drive a lot (~30K miles/yr) and go to a lot of different places because of my job. Sometimes I am forced to drive on dirt road.

i was thinking about getting 20s ADR Sterling with the following recommended setup (please let me know if this isn't right, or if it will rub; also I will be using Tein CS coilovers):

20x8.5 5x114.3 38 rims and 245/35/20 tires for the front
20x9.5 5x114.3 35 rims and 275/30/20 for the back

I was thinking about getting those 20s, but I really don't want to drive so carefully around everything. So... ADR also offers the same rim in 19s, however it only comes in one size for the 5X114.3 bolt pattern:

19x8.5 5x114.3 38

What do you guys think? I want the staggered setup, but with ADR 19s it doesn't seem like I can get that. Should I stick with the 20s and how easy is it to bend the rims on the 20s with that tire setup? Finally, some people say that without a bodykit 20s look weird on a GS vs 19s, any comments on that?

KevinGS

I have a body kit, though a subtle one, on my GS. And I have the 19" fat setup.

I belabored the same issue, for the same reasons. I live in the Northeast, and the roads in the cities are pretty bad (NYC, Phillie, Baltimore and Washington DC roads all bad, and these are my most frequently-traveled cities). And if you ever have to drive your car in the rain through a pothole-filled city, it's really becomes just prayer...because you can't see the water-filled potholes at all.

So, since mine is a daily driver, I went with the 19" fat setup for comfort, and opted for a more subtle drop with the Teins. Unfortunately, from some angles, the fatter tire makes the rim look even smaller, like an 18". And then from some other angles, especially close-up, the rims look like quite large, like 20s. It's strange, the whole optical illusion effect. The 20s certainly would have been a little more dramatic (it's amazing what that inch does), but I am happy with my compromise for now. It's a tough call though. Smoother roads, and I would have definitely gotten 20s.

If you are going with a dramatic body kit, with a big lip up front and a large valence in the rear, then, for aesthetic purposes, you will definitely want the 20s. The 19s will typically get dwarfed with the more aggressive, larger bodykits.

Here's a couple of pix of my GS with the 19" fat setup:

mhsu408

I will not be purchasing a bodykit for my car, and I have heard the 20s make the car look a little odd especially without a body kit. Is this true?

Without a kit, would it be better to stick with the 19s?

Also, is there such thing as 20s with FAT setup? I would like a larger tire, because I need more buffer, and definitely don't want to watch out for bumps. I have had enough of that with my older lowered Acura TL. It is too annoying.

KevinGS

Oh, I misread your post. I thought you were getting a body kit.

The simple answer to getting 20" fat setup is...no. I asked the same question when it was time for me to move to aftermarket rims. Here's the link that broke it down quite well: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...uality+on+rims

20" rims look great on the GS...I think that's the CL consensus on 20s. But, when you have 20s, it's typically time to lower the car because without reducing the height, the car begins to look 4x4ish since the 20s raise the ride height even further.

But if you are worried about potholes and bent rims, and drive your car all the time, the 19" fat setup is not a bad compromise, IMO.

sockfocks

iTrader: (1)

I would go 19's with the fat setup. Its what I have on my car with no body kit and our roads are pretty bad around here.