Bent Rims Sc430

[trotterleg]

I have 9K on my car- 3 bent and replaced rims- and those horrible run flats. I love my car but the tires are shameful and those rims bend under those New York potholes and generally ill maintained roads.

Can ANYONE advise me what to do to prevent those bent rims and immediate non runflat replacements.

Lexus should be ashamed of those wheels and tires, its a disaster.

Lady in a SC

[dhoosee]

I sympathize with you! I have a 2002 SC and loved everything about it except for the Bridgestone Potenza run-flat's that came with it. They should be outlawed, and I fully agree that Lexus should be beaten for putting them on their cars, especially the SC :chairshot:

I highly recommend replacing the run flats with Pirelli P-Zero Nero's. I got mine @ Dicount Tire here in Chicago (dont know if they have shops in New York). They did a wonderful job with mounting/balancing/etc. Wherever you buy them, be sure to have them mounted at a reputable shop that is experienced in dealing with run-flats and air pressure sensors (which the SC has). An inexperienced shop may not have the proper equipment to take the old run-flats off of the rims, and they will probably break the tire pressure sensors, which will send you to Lexus for replacement (not exactly cheap). Ask the tire shop if they do run-flats and if they'll guarantee the job.

Finally...the ride! It took exactly 10 seconds on the road to realize what I'd been missing all along. The Pirelli's offer a much more forgiving ride; no more hitting pot holes and feeling like the car is going to shake itself loose. Run-flats are unforgiving tires after they've been run a few thousand miles, but the standard radials have remained smooth and provide a 100% improvement in ride. They're also quiet; my old run-flats were loud as hell, and made an annoying "whooping" noise at any speed over 15mph. Cornering has improved greatly too, as it used to feel like the car was going to roll off of its sidewalls with the old tires when taking a spirited jaunt off of an exit ramp. Finally, the radials dont "tramline" at all. The old RF's would sometimes get "a mind of their own" and violently pull the steering wheel to the left or right (right out of my hands it seemed!) unless the road was perfectly flat and free of grooves or imperfections. It hasn't happened to me once since I put on the Pirelli's.

A spare tire you ask? Lexus will nail you $700-plus for their spare tire kit which is a tire on a steel rim and the hardware to mount it in your already-meager trunk area (the tire would stand up vertically, not lay down horizontally). I bought a mini air compressor that plugs into the cigarette lighter, and a can of fix-a-flat (only to be used in extreme emergency's, as it will ruin the tire pressure sensor if used) that I keep in the tire well with the tire tools in the trunk under the trunk mat. How often do you get a flat tire? Think about it...almost never (except in your case, when you bent your rims badly enough). My "kit" cost me about $30, and if I ever have a blowout, a call to AAA for a flatbed is still a lot cheaper than the spare tire kit.

Bottom line: Ditch the RF's immediately, as almost ANY radial tire will be better. You truly will love your car again! Go to this thread to read more:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...wtopic=565&st=0. If that link doesnt work, just search the SC430 forums with the title "SC430 replacement tires".

Good luck!

Dave