Rx Staggered Wheel Setup?

[bokch0y]

Has anyone done this to their RX? My understanding is that a staggerd setup on an AWD is NOT a good idea as they will lead to possible tranny probs down the road. However, i've been told that if you keep the diameters between the front and back the same or pretty damn close < ~1% difference, then you should be able to run a staggered setup. I'm a fan of the staggered setups especially after taking a good look at the BMW X5's.

Anyways, i'm thinking of running the following setup:

Front: 235/55/18 - Stock size

Rear: 255/50/18 - Wider rear size

Difference in diameter? The back will be ~0.5% faster is my understanding. But damn close to the Fronts so this shouldn't cause any issues.

Thoughts, ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[carguy07]

That's so close I would not worry about it. An under inflated tire would be off that much and not hurt the transfer case.

[pauljcl]

That's so close I would not worry about it. An under inflated tire would be off that much and not hurt the transfer case.

FWIW, when I was looking at newer tires on front or on one rim vs. all around on another car, I was told that Audi, for their Quattro (AWD) vehicles, allows no more than 3/32 in tread depth differences. I don't know if it is true, but it does give a sense of proportion.