pdotlandy

the whole thing about the awd offsets staggered and tires is something i cant figure out.. things on performance i can figure out but wheels are new to me.. i crashed my car and the insurance company are paying for 4 new wheels and tires so i was debating on just getting rims with that money.. i came across some 18x8, 18x9.. offset 38mm.. 5 x 114.3.. i hear so many different things on the staggered wheels on a awd and i keep hearing mostly that is the diameter are the same size then you'll be fine.. what size tires will i need i live by NY so the roads around here are pretty screwed up so i cant do a low profile plus i think the wheel gap will look horrible with all that space.. if anything should i just buy the 8's for the front and back and just put a spacer in the back? and will i need to replace the studs if i do?

pdotlandy

or should i just go with a 19x9.5 offset 35mm.. rub in the front?

Mv350

iTrader: (23)

go with the 18x8 and 18x9 setup and be baller with staggered on awd sir. you will be good with those offsets. with 19's and no drop youll kinda looks 4x4, especially awd. unless your dropped then go 9.5 +95 all around and you should be good, youll have to mold your fender liner a little but nothing major.

acefalcon2

iTrader: (20)

you can go staggered on an AWD... as long as you keep the running diameters of the fronts and rears very close right?

pdotlandy

thats what everyone is telling me.. i think im just going with the 8 wide and just get longer studs with some spacers in the back.. anyone know whats a good tire size for a 18x8 that wont look stupid with the huge wheel gap and that wont look like nothing but tire and no rims.

cartistik

this staggered wheels on AWD topic has been beat to death on pretty much every lexus forum I can imagine. yet there always seems to be conflicting opinions as to if its doable or if will blow your AWD system and center differential to bits....so I decided to do some research on this matter and approach it from a more educated prospective. The general consensus on AWD seems to be that all 4 wheels like to spin at the same speed as much of the time as possible or else you will have an overworked center differential and increased wear. The easiest way to make this possible is obviously by making all for wheels the same size with the same size tires as well, in order to maintain specs between these wheels as identical as possible. Now we all know that on a microscopic level, this is impossible, that is, to be EXACTLY the same size..minor differences do to manufacturing and tread wear will always exist no matter what you do...therefore it is safe to conclude that there is a margin for error on AWD systems or else youd be in the shop every month and AWDs wouldnt sell for *****. The major reason manufacturers dont do staggered wheels on AWDs is to avoid any kind of potential liability towards them if some damage where to occur with the awd system, it couldnt be blamed on that. But yes it can be done, most supercars like Lamborghinis (Nissan GT-R, Dodge Cherokee SRT-8, etc, etc.)come factory with AWD and staggered wheels on a WAAAAAAY more expensive and sophisticated awd system. Y do that if it wasnt safe??
Another thing to consider is the only way you could keep all four wheels spinning at the same rate would be to drive in a straight line forward or backwards, never turning. this is pretty much impossible your since ur steering wheel is constantly turning corners, changing lanes etc. while driving around town. during any turn, ur inner wheels will always spin slower than your outer wheels as well as front to back...thats what a differential is for, to allow wheels to spin at different speeds while under power. It would be idiotic to say that you will damage your awd drive staggerring your wheels because it will make the differential do exactly what it was meant to do. So yes, as long as your rolling diameters from front to back are as close to identical as possible, the differences will be small enough for your differentials to compensate without any increased wear.
As far as the difference in traction due to a larger contact patch in the rear from a staggered wheel...well think of it like this...even if ur front wheels was 2 inches wide and the back were 50 inches wide, if the rolling diameter is the same front to back and all four wheels are contacting dry pavement, they will all turn at the same speed (again, in a straight line front to back) no matter how slow or fast you are going. Now on the other hand, if you are constantly trying to do burnouts or attempting to drift around corners (which given the cost of a Lexus and Lexus repairs, I dont think many owners do) meaning u are forcebly trying to get the wheels to slip, then yes you could eventually do some serious damage. Everyday driving will have no affect on this whatsoever.
So not to drag this out any further since I know half of you dont want to read all this, yes i do believe it is perfectly safe to stagger wheels on an AWD so long as you keep the rolling diameters on all four wheels as close to identical as possible, then go for it i say. Feel free to disagree, I wanna hear what yall have to say...educated of course please, not cuz ur cousin heard from his friend whose dads a mechanic at yadda yadda bingbang..facts mannn FACTS!! dueces

willfxp

What's the point of staggered wheels on an AWD?

laobo979

iTrader: (5)

Point is the looks of course and on a resale value its a easier to get rid of than a no stagger setup especialy if you spend 3grand on a setup.