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Normally lurkign and posting in the GX section as thats what ive been building the last couple of years. decided to let my 2 gas guzzling rigs go and scale down to the RX. AND I LOVE IT! i m wanting to be able to take this thing to the beach and or get away int the mountains for a bit but these 20's will get destroyed just from gravel. so id like to swap them out for a part of the year im traveling with maybe some 17's and something with a thicker sidewall.
Do any of you have experience or might know if the 4th gen RX 350 shares the same suspension set up as the RAV4 or Highlander? if not, can you point me in the direction as to where i can find info on after market wheels, A/T or M/T tire fitment and maybe a spacer or leveling kit?
The 4th gen RX shares the same suspension architecture as a 2014-2023 Highlander, and a 2010-2015 RX. The 3rd gen RX and newer Highlander have different front struts, but they can likely be interchanged by mixing & matching parts. Something I’ve done many times on my 2002 Highlander and 08 RX
The front brakes & hub fitment/spacing are the same as a 2010-2015 RX and can confirm that the smallest wheel you can fit is a 17”. Just for fun I tried a 16” Highlander rim and it wasn’t even close.
Normally lurkign and posting in the GX section as thats what ive been building the last couple of years. decided to let my 2 gas guzzling rigs go and scale down to the RX. AND I LOVE IT! i m wanting to be able to take this thing to the beach and or get away int the mountains for a bit but these 20's will get destroyed just from gravel. so id like to swap them out for a part of the year im traveling with maybe some 17's and something with a thicker sidewall.
Do any of you have experience or might know if the 4th gen RX 350 shares the same suspension set up as the RAV4 or Highlander? if not, can you point me in the direction as to where i can find info on after market wheels, A/T or M/T tire fitment and maybe a spacer or leveling kit?
About two years ago I was in your position. I've learned about the manufacturers hub size, wheel offset, bolt pattern, TPMS modules, wheel width, un-sprung weight and tire circumference. I had bought a 2014 Toyota Venza with OEM 20" wheels. Liked the car but hated the ride which would transmit the smallest bumps into the cabin. My goal was to buy refurbished Toyota 17" wheels and tires with the same circumference in order to maintain an accurate speedometer and avoid clearance issues. I sold the original 20" wheels. The Venza is a different car in a very good way. Smoother, quieter ride.
You plan on using the 17" tires and wheels when you travel into rugged terrain. Three things:
1) Replace the stock wheels/tire with your "new" 17" wheels/tires ($$). If you choose not to transfer the TPMS modules from the 20" wheels to the 17", the RX will illuminate the tire pressure warning light. This is because the car fails to see these TPMS modules. You can drive the car like this but the light won't go out.
2) Buy new TPMS modules for the 17" wheels and have the tire guys reprogram this new set into the car. The car can be programmed with only one set of TPMS signals at a time.
3) Have the tire guy transfer the existing TPMS modules into the the 17" wheels. This is what I did because I wasn't keeping the 20's.
Plan on spending between $150-$250 each on refurbished Lexus wheels originally from a 2009 Model RX. You can also check out Highlander wheel sizes. Your existing tires are sized at 235/55-20. Getting a 235/70-17 will keep a pretty accurate speedometer reading with only .7% error.
To check out tire size comparisons see https://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html. When you buy wheels, stick with either refurbished Toyota or Lexus wheels. This will minimize fit issues. The most critical measurement is will the RX's brake caliber clearing the smaller wheel size. Check: https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/
At this point maybe another option is to just buy a Jeep for those mountain adventures.
Soooooo Helpful! thank you. i've been running with warning lights for tire sensors in my 2 GX's because i couldn't figure out what it was despite changing TPMS sensors and keeping the right tire pressure. for some reason no one in the GX forums seems to know this. lol
Was thinking of trying this out just to help with clearance when going over ruts at the beach. shouldn't compromise the ride but maybe add a little firmness. not a huge fan of spacer lifts but that's all that's available
I did a little search too and that lift kit was all I could find. No longer dampers / springs unfortunately.
i actually wouldn’t mind this lift. I’m normally opposed to spacer lifts but this RX won’t be seeing any hard trails. So retaining the stock struts and springs is ideal for me but just a little height adjustment 👌🏾
06-11-22, 08:06 PM
Smaller rims with Bigger tires
