rominl

iTrader: (4)

not really, aspect ratio goes with width. 245/35 and 275/30 (or 285/30) have pretty much the sidewall, so they are just as similar in chances to get bent, if anything.

bottom line
1) 245/30 and 285/25, they are very close to stock diameters, safer in terms of rubbing, but more risk in terms of ride quality and bending wheels
2) 245/35 and 285/30 means better ride, higher chance of rubbing, but NOT "must" rub
3) wheel width and sizing is very important, that's the key to rub or not
4) every brand and model tires are DIFFERENT. dunlop 245/35 will likely stretch a bit on 9" wide wheels, but the same size from michelin and it's very meaty
5) same size tires on different size wheel will have different effect as well. for example 275/30 on 10 might clear for some aggressive wheels, but if for the same wheels you do 285/30, you will be asking for trouble

so no one can really give you a "ding ding ding" answer just by numbers. everything comes into play, from wheel widths and offsets, to tire brand, model, and size. a good shop will be able to help you on that, or someone that knows enough

Mesca

iTrader: (28)

Personally I'm getting Nitto NT555 235/35/20 F on 20x8.5 and 275/30/20 R on 20x9.5. If you lower with springs it really depends on what you want. NF210 is a normal drop and DF's are an aggressive drop. Really i SHOULD be going with 245/30 and 285/25. But imho, i think the tires are too thin and could damage my wheels. After all, my car is a daily driver. But if you don't drive often, I would go with 245/30 and 285/25.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

with the widths of your wheels being 8.5 and 9.5 i personally think 235/35 and 275/30 is a great setup for your car

Mesca

iTrader: (28)

haha mucho gracias rominl, ill post up pictures once i get them, but that wont be anytime soon. Maybe in a couple months max. =/

Valueguy

Thank you both very much. Very informative and helpful. In terms of tire brands what are my options out there for 235/30/20 and 275/30/20 besides Nitto? I prefer an all-season performance tire if possible like Bridgestone, Michelin Pilot Sport, etc. because the mileage is DOUBLE over a pure summer tire.

For those that decide to go with a 19" wheel will that appear much different in terms of the fender gap? For example, BMW's look good with 19" wheels and don't have a big fender gap. A performance Mercedes E63 comes with stock 18" AMG wheels and looks nice. My point is a 19" wheel would retain performance, ride and offer more tire choices/cheaper. Is there an acceptable alternative in terms of tires/wheels in the 19" size that looks good on this car (with Tanabe springs)? Almost every picture on the mod thread shows a 20" or 22" wheel on this car. The 19" wheels look small (even with Tanabe). Since the 19" wheels look small is there anything to be gained over 18" wheels (with Tanabe)?

Thanks in advance dor the reply. The advice is very helpful.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

for tires, i have had many many of them, and at this point, i would really say pay a bit more and get the michelin, especially the pilot sport a/s. it's not the best handling tires out there, but it's all season with very good performance in both dry and wet conditions. and tire life is pretty good. most importantly, the ride is very smooth, soft, and pretty darn quiet

i am running falken now, they are new so we will see how they become when i accumulate more miles

Valueguy

I have had 2 sets of Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons on last car (E430). I got 30,000 miles or more per set. Michelin offers limited sizes in 20".

For wheel width what is best for a mid priced non custom wheel? 8.5" or 9" in the front? What about the rear? 9" or 10.5"? Is rubbing more likely in the rear with 10.5"? How would a 8.5" front and 10.5" rear wheel set-up look?
I assume very aggressive.

My choices are limited to 9" or 10.5" in the rear.

Thanks.

Valueguy

From what I have found out so far all GS owners that have 20" wheels with Tanabe Springs have rubbing issues when the car is loaded with passengers.
The rears rub 275/30/20 with Tanabe and lowered when there are 3-4 adults in the car.

It seems that if you want the "lowered" look with Tanabe then 19" wheels are the maximum size limit for those of us in the real world who have passengers and drive 10-12,000 miles per year.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

then if that's the case, my question is, where are they rubbing EXACTLY? fender tab? top lining? fender / bumper junction? certain lining bumps?

i think that would be the right way to look at the problem and find the solutions.

i will put it this way. back when the 2gs started ramping, people were talking about rubbing here and there too with 20s and what not. but gradually, more people understand about the modding behind 2gs, they started playing with fenders, and little tricks here and there. and now, running 20s are a dime a dozen over in the 2gs forum

3gs forum is still very new and i don't see a lot of people really mod their cars. eternityGS3 and senseiGS43 are two of the few examples that i see who go out there. so there are still a lot for everyone to learn to make things happen.

of course, for those who just want a setup that works like that, yeah, they might say it's too much trouble, not worth it, etc... but without looking at the real problem, who knows for sure?

(this is just my GUESS)
the reason for rubbing is people want the wheels to be as outward as possible, but due to the fender design, there are some bumps and the slop also rubs again the wheels when the suspension is comparessed.

so solution is either to get a wheel that's more inset like the stock one so it has more room for suspension travel, but it looks stupid, or you use a heat gun to heat and push up up the lining to create the necessary space.

i believe in no free lunch, you want the car to look nice and cool and no issues? some work might be needed. bottom line is what everyone wants, someone enjoy the work and think it's fun, someone just want the minimal and be satisfied. so everyone is different i personally enjoy working on the fenders and get some nice setup fitted on the car

Valueguy

Thank You. For the handicapped like me, would a good body shop be able to use the "heat gun" and fix the problem? If I went with 20" wheels that are 9" wide in the front and 10.5" wide in the rear would that work in the GS? That is, after the body shop does some work with the heat gun and whatever else (do you know whatever else is?) could I use this set-up? I found the perfect wheels (for me) at my price point for the GS 350 but they only come in those width's in the 20" size.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

senseigs43 had 9 front and 11 rear i think (or 9.5 front i forgot). i don't hear him saying anything about rubbing. i know he did some fender work. so that's why i keep on saying, it can be done. and his car is low (JIC coilovers). as long as the shop knows what they do, they should have no problem fixing it

put it this way, i am no mechanic or body shop, but i am a bit handy. i did all the fender mods on my cars, from my gs400 to my ls460l, and of course the gs350 to come

Valueguy

Is it worth bothering changing from 18" wheels to 19" wheels in this car? That is, will the look be enhanced much?

Also, is it worth doing an 18" staggered set-up? 8" width in the front and 8.5"
in the rear. It seems like the 0.5" difference would barely be noticeable. Lexus offers this set-up for the IS.

RufRidn

iTrader: (5)

Mine rubs in the front regardless of passengers. Im going to probably do something about the front very soon. But I have never experienced rubbing in the rear even with 3 people in the back.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

Valueguy, another example on rubbing. there is no "fixed" answer

i will only do staggered setup on RWD cars, that's just me. and 8 and 8.5... that's too minimal, might as well not do it. i would say at least 8.5 front and 10 rear

upgrading to 19s or 20s that's your call, it's very subjective. i have 22s on ls460 and some people say they are too big but i think it's just right. i will only put 20s on the gs350, some people might not like but i think 19s are too small

Valueguy

I agree with you on the 20" wheels over 19". But, there are no problems with 19" wheels- no rubbing at all- and performance/ride is actually better. After all, Lexus GS is a compromise anyway between luxury and performace, a balance that extends to the wheel size it seems. Yes, the GS looks best with 20" wheels but for guys like me the compromise of the 19" wheel with Tanabe Springs NF 210 is the answer. I bought the Lexus to MINIMIZE my problems (thus no new E550 to replace the E430) not increase them.