Switching Rear Tire from 255/40/18 to 255/35/18?
08-04-09, 04:53 AM
#16
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Thanks for all the great feedback. Looks like I will stick with the 40 series on the back. Maybe I will look for a tire that had a little more curvature from sidewalls to threads (e.g., Eagle F1 All Season- it snows here, summer tires won't work all year for me). That might give me a slightly more defined look.
08-04-09, 05:05 AM
#17
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You don't think the rear tire looks weird being so thick? This is one of the only cars that I have had where the front tire and back tire have different side wall heights (not tire size, the actually distance from the top of the rim to the top of the tire). My A4 had even tires front and back and my 335 had 225/40/18 front and 255/35/18 rear.
08-04-09, 05:57 AM
#18
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absolutely. i would definitely want a smaller profile. but not the 255 35. it woudln't look right. i'm all about the smallest tires possible if they fit right but the 255 35 would look really thin. i think the 265 35 would be fine because its thinner than stock yet a bit thicker than the 255.
08-04-09, 06:31 AM
#19
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...omCompare1=yes
Lou
08-04-09, 07:28 AM
#20
I switched to a 255/35-18 years ago, and haven't regretted it at all. I don't understand why they didn't come that size from the factory instead of the funny looking "dragster" tires. Not only is the sidewall now the same on the front and rear, but it also performs better. The smaller outer diameter give about a 4% reduction in gearing to the ground. That makes the car "feel" like it has an extra 21 HP. I wouldn't consider going with anything wider than a 255/35-18 unless you go with a wider wheel.
08-04-09, 08:11 AM
#21
This would not be wise, IMHO, because you would be changing the OD of the tire and wheel combo by 1" from 26" to 25". This will throw off the spedo and may throw off the electronic driving aids. Not to mention it will not fill up the wheel well, even if you lower it. Again, IMO, not a good idea.
Your IS did not come from the factory with 255/35/18s. A dealer change maybe? Or you misread the markings on the tires?
Lou
Your IS did not come from the factory with 255/35/18s. A dealer change maybe? Or you misread the markings on the tires?
Lou
08-04-09, 08:14 AM
#22
I'm not looking to go wide on the rears and the 275 would have problems scraping. I wanted the 265/30 instead of 255/35 due to the sidewall width and not the width of tire. I don't think 10mm is going to make much difference as far as looks are concerened, but it will make a difference with clearance. I think the offset's 40...about 90% sure about that. The rim's are 19x8/19x9 for the fsport.
08-04-09, 09:02 AM
#23
Lexus Fanatic
I'm not looking to go wide on the rears and the 275 would have problems scraping. I wanted the 265/30 instead of 255/35 due to the sidewall width and not the width of tire. I don't think 10mm is going to make much difference as far as looks are concerened, but it will make a difference with clearance. I think the offset's 40...about 90% sure about that. The rim's are 19x8/19x9 for the fsport.
08-04-09, 09:04 AM
#24
Lexus Fanatic
I switched to a 255/35-18 years ago, and haven't regretted it at all. The smaller outer diameter give about a 4% reduction in gearing to the ground. That makes the car "feel" like it has an extra 21 HP. I wouldn't consider going with anything wider than a 255/35-18 unless you go with a wider wheel.
08-04-09, 10:07 AM
#25
Come on, obviously completely stock from the manufacturer means you get 17" rims with no tint, no mats, and just about nothing. The regional dealers tell lexus what to put on. All of the southwest region is fitted with 18" graphite alloy rims. It's a regional choice that the dealers make with lexus when they manufacture and ship the cars here. Every large region of the country is going to have different "stock" set-up. That's just obvious.
Lou
08-05-09, 01:14 PM
#26
When I swapped the ring and pinion in my Honda S2000 from 4.10:1 to 4.77:1, my gas mileage went from 20 city / 29 hwy to 24 city / 26 hwy. Since I didn't do much highway driving, it was a big win.
08-05-09, 01:18 PM
#27
Lexus Fanatic
That's not really true. If you do a lot of low speed driving on surface roads, gas mileage would go up slightly with the smaller diameter tires. It's just on the highway that mileage will be slightly reduced.
When I swapped the ring and pinion in my Honda S2000 from 4.10:1 to 4.77:1, my gas mileage went from 20 city / 29 hwy to 24 city / 26 hwy. Since I didn't do much highway driving, it was a big win.
When I swapped the ring and pinion in my Honda S2000 from 4.10:1 to 4.77:1, my gas mileage went from 20 city / 29 hwy to 24 city / 26 hwy. Since I didn't do much highway driving, it was a big win.
08-05-09, 01:21 PM
#28
Did you even read my post? Do you understand what I said? Never did I say his car didn't come with 18" wheels. I said it didn't come with 255/35/18 tires. Stock from the factory is 255/40/18s. I'm in the southwest, and you really don't know what you're talking about.
Lou
Lou
08-05-09, 01:28 PM
#29
Did you even read my post? Do you understand what I said? Never did I say his car didn't come with 18" wheels. I said it didn't come with 255/35/18 tires. Stock from the factory is 255/40/18s. I'm in the southwest, and you really don't know what you're talking about.
Lou
Lou
