leo.cheng

*sorry guys, i meant bigger wheels*

hi guys,

i'm planning to buy an 04-06 rx330 and i was wondering if there's a way to improve handling on the car. I heard that a bigger wheel(rims) and tires would make this a better ride and handles better.

So i was wondering what size tires you guys are using(please include brand and size) and if you guys are using wheels, what size are they and what brand are they.

also what are you guys doing to improve handling in the car and if larger wheel and tires really work.

THANKS!!

if possible can you guys also answer my question in regards to the bolt pattern on the car. are all 04-06 rx330 bolt pattern the same? is the bolt pattern all i need if i want to change the wheels of the car.

thanks!

Leo Cheng

mandyfig

All bolt patterns are the same for 04~09 RX. I have seen 19" and 20". 20's are better from what we heard form guys who did them. Good luck with your search.

leo.cheng

thanks for your input. for 20 inches...will there be any other modifications that i have to do to the car....because i all i want is to pop the oem wheels out and then put 19 or 20s on. and that's it right?

what combos do you guys have?

iKon_RX

look into one piece forged wheels.
size 19x9 +30s.
tires 245/45/19s. toyo,nitto,yokohamas very good.

invest in kyb gas struts along with some quality lowering springs. for ex. eibach, h&r.

those wheel/tire/suspension combo will GREATLY improve you handling. im not just typing smoke. its from experience

leo.cheng

from experience? so i just your RX has awesome handling right? thanks for all the great info. if i may, may i ask what brand is the BEST among the brands your listed...if possible can you get me the part number too for the lower spings and the gas struts... i was also wondering if the rx330 can have gas air springs install?

CL members, i am very new to the lexus rx forum and i have lots of questions....i know many of you are specialize in the gs or sc or the ls but for those of you who loves the rx and knows alot about them, can you please help me with my questions? THANKS!!

Leo

harleydjce

How about 255/45 ZR19's on 19" 7.5 +35 rims?

Continental, Pirelli and Bridgestone make tyres of the correct rating in those sizes.

leo.cheng

thanks harleydjce, do you have this setup persoanlly? also what does ZR19 mean?
what does 7.5 +35rims mean? is that the bolt pattern? also how much did you pay for your NUdge bar? may i see some of your pics of the car? thanks!

this is the setup i'm looking at....do you guys think it will highly improve the handling of the car? Also can i ask a dealer to install this for me or will these things void the warranty of the car. THANKS!

KYB GR-2 Strut
Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set
Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza 245/45/19s
wheels? nothing yet

would this be ok? or should i go with 255/45/zr19 tires that you recommended. what is the difference of them two? and i would like to put nice wheels on them but don't understand which ones are good and would like CL member input on this. THANKS!!

will this void any of the warranty? thanks!

jfelbab

Have you determined what "Better" means? What is it specifically that you want in improved handling? Changing wheels, tires, springs and struts all will make the ride different. Maybe better, maybe not. What is it you want your RX to ride/drive like?

Messing with larger, heavier wheels and tires will not only throw off your speedo and odo but will also slow your acceleration.

Adding heavier wheels and tires will also make your RX feel like it is plodding unless you change the spring rate and struts.

You can spend a lot of money and wind up with something you hate. You need to define what it is you want your RX to drive and feel like. What sacrifices are you willing to accept?

leo.cheng

wow..thanks for all the great advice...i didn't know that messing with the wheels and struts, that it will be soo complicated. i just want the ride to be comfortable for my passengers and that when i go through bumps or maybe a small hole, that the car/ride won't be too bouncy. Also I would like for the roise noise to be at the minimum and wish that when i make turns, it will be sharp and it wont sway the car. but i don't want to sacrifice the accleration/pick up.


besides messing with the wheels and tires, if i just change the struts and spring...how would those listed above change my ride? also will they void the warranty on the car. thanks!

LophatRX

Okay, so I kind of understand what you are saying and want. If you don't want to spend too much on wheels and sacrifice ride quality. Use a different tire. Here is my experience and input. I purchasesd some new tires, Toyo Proxies ST II. 255/50/18. According to about three different sites I found them to be around less than 1% decrease in ride height with the stock 235/55/18 sizes. You could see my other post with some pics about those tires. Overall performance I have noticed with those tires is the following; better cornering, less overall noise and very smooth tire. About cornering and freeway maneuvering, turning corners these tires really allow for quick turns around sharp corners, and on freeways and off ramps they are very confidence inspiring tires. Since the side wall is shorter and stiffer than a 55 series tire there is less flex and sway, so the vehicle is more stable on dips that you find on some of our terrible SOCAL freeways. Crossing things like railroad tracks, concrete patches and such these tires are very smooth compared to the MXV4 Michelins. Performance wise, I think these tires are very smooth. At freeways speeds you don't feel sluggish, and acceleration is smooth and before you know it you can be doing 100 and not realize it or feel squeamish. I don't know what else you have driven to compare the ride and performance you like. I have driven lowered vehicles and have a BMW Z4 that is very sporty and stiff, so I understand performance and handling and ride quality. As far as the last performance tidbit, that some people have is mpg. I think overall mpg is unchanged. But I have notice that city driving mpg has actually improved. I can remember after a week of daily driving of about 50% freeway and 50% city driving my mpg was between 18-19 mpg. With these tires I have notice a constant average of about 20.5 mpg. I have noticed the best freeway mileage I probably saw 24 mpg at about 65-70 miles per hour speeds. Between all speed averaging 75 mpg I have seen between 22.4 -23.4 on the computer.
So you have to figure this; if you increase your rim size you increase the unsprung weight unless you find rims that weight less than the stock rims. Also if you move to 19 or 20 inch rims the tires will be much skinner in sidewall the ride smoothness decrease since you will want a rim and tire combination to keep the overall diameter less than 1% in change plus or minus compared to stock, otherwise your speedo will be off and your mpg will change too. I am sure there are people who will vouch for their 19's and 20's and I am not saying don't do it. Just remember all the things that are involved with changing rims and tires and even suspension. One last tidbit, I do have the factory air suspension which I thing is smoother than the stock spring and strut suspensions that I have driven on loaners 350's.

harleydjce

I'm in a similar boat to you. I find 20" wheels diminish the ride too much so I have purchased some 19 x 7.5 " Wheels (Highlander wheels actually) with a 35mm offset. My choices for tyres are:

245/50 R19 or 255/45 R19

With 245/50 R19 my tyre choices are limited to Yokohama Advan's whereas with the 255/45 R19's my choices are wider:

Continental ContiCrossContact UHP, Continental Sports Contact 3, Pirelli PZero, Bridgestone Dueller HP Sport.

Many forum members have successfully ran 255/50 R18's so I think the 255/45 R19's should be fine however you will need to check with your tyre dealer.

You could try different sizes however I'm trying to stay within 2% of the standard wheel diameter so I don't have speedo issues.

My TJM Nudge Bar cost approx A$550 fitted and I purchased it from:

http://www.matadorbullbarstowbars.com.au/matador/

leo.cheng

Thanks Dave!

I was wondering if you any pictures posted with the nudge bar on, on your RX....from all angles and sides. So have you put on the 19s yet? can you tell me what your setup is now and how it drives compare to stock...thanks!

Leo

iKon_RX

wider stance= better handling. 19diamter by 9in width would be a good size. forged 19s would be lighter than the stock 18s. so overall you would improve acceleration as well as handling with the right tire set up. but if you dont want to spend money on wheels than just do the spring/strut, and buy 25mm spacers/adapters the widen the stance out 1inch both sides.

these bolt on over the stock studs. takes 5min to install. price range from $90-150 depending on brand.

leo.cheng

Hi LophatRX,

thanks for the nice advice, just a few questions, i can't the tire that you are talking about, Toyo Proxies ST II 255/50/18...if possible can you plase find me a link from tirerack.com Also of all the tired used for the RX, i have read that the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza tires were best for the RX but the only size they have is 255/50/20, what's the difference for the end number? 18&20. Also have you or anyone tried these tires? how are they compare to the ones you have. So the Rx330 have air suspensions? What are they used for? What's good about them? are air suspensions more expensive to maintain than the stuts? Also "sorry for so many questions" but if i can't get air suspensions and only have the struts and springs, can i change the struts and spring to KYB GR-2 Strut & Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set? how would that affect my ride? and if i want to change to 19" rims....what should i look for? what modifications do i have to do? What kind of rims will you recommend?

THANKS!

Leo

leo.cheng

sorry, i'm stilla noob in this, i still don't understand what these things do. So i should buy the Eibach Pro-Kit Spring Set & KYB GR-2 Strut set from tirerack with the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza tires...what size should i get? can i stick with stock rims? thanks! or should i go for 19s? what 19s rims would you recommend or what setup do you have now?

thanks!

Leo