Highlander Wheels On My 2009 Rx350?

Lexus getting old · November 22, 2013

We just bought a low-miles, certified 2009 RX350 AWD. This is to replace our late, beloved 2000 RX300. I'm looking to put winter tires and wheels on it so the minty 18" Lexus wheels look better longer and the new 18" summer tires last longer. I've bought winter tire/wheel packages in the past for various cars, but my experience is that the wheels in those sets are kinda soft and easily bent on curbs or pot holes, so I thought I'd try a different approach.

I have a line on a set of 2006 17" Highlander factory alloys, in excellent condition, and was wondering if they'd fit. The bolt circle and offset match, so am I missing anything?

The 18" wheels have the tire pressure sensors. Do I need that? If they just go away, will I get warnings of some kind? Or can they be installed in the Highlander wheels? What about aftermarket sensors?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, everyone,

Jim

1990LS400 · November 22, 2013

I don't think you are missing anything. You just need to be sure to buy 17" snow tires in a size that provides the same diameter as the 18 inch tires you have now to keep your speedometer accurate. I agree that you are better off with Toyota wheels than aftermarket wheels. I've been regretting for 10 years the wheel/snow tire package I bought from Tire Rack. I was in a hurry at the time and didn't bother to try to find OEM Lexus wheels to use with the snow tires.

We have TPMS on one of our cars and I really, really think it is of great value. I'd sure get a set of TPMS sensors to use with your Highlander wheels - you can get them pretty cheap in the aftermarket - look on Amazon or eBay.

If you are used to buying snow tires, I assume you appreciate the "real" ones with the mountain/snowflake label on the sidewalls - the only type I would ever buy. Exactly eight months ago we had 12 inches of snow here in the Kansas City area followed by another 12 inches of snow four days later. The city was paralyzed - not equipped for that much snow - but I got around quite well on my Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 winter tires except when I encountered snow so high that it high centered my Lexus and I had to dig out. I sometimes think I'm the only one in town with winter tires.

Lexus getting old · November 22, 2013

Thanks for the reply. This is our first car with TPMS, so I'm still figuring it out. And you're exactly right, I'll be looking at the real snow tires, not just an all season with an aggressive tread. And I'll be careful to get the OD that matches the originals. We're north of Boston, so our winters are either long and cold, or short and mild. Doesn't seem to be an in between, and i like to be ready either way.

Regards,
Jim

jetfixer01 · November 22, 2013

I don't think you are missing anything. You just need to be sure to buy 17" snow tires in a size that provides the same diameter as the 18 inch tires you have now to keep your speedometer accurate. I agree that you are better off with Toyota wheels than aftermarket wheels. I've been regretting for 10 years the wheel/snow tire package I bought from Tire Rack. I was in a hurry at the time and didn't bother to try to find OEM Lexus wheels to use with the snow tires.

We have TPMS on one of our cars and I really, really think it is of great value. I'd sure get a set of TPMS sensors to use with your Highlander wheels - you can get them pretty cheap in the aftermarket - look on Amazon or eBay.

If you are used to buying snow tires, I assume you appreciate the "real" ones with the mountain/snowflake label on the sidewalls - the only type I would ever buy. Exactly eight months ago we had 12 inches of snow here in the Kansas City area followed by another 12 inches of snow four days later. The city was paralyzed - not equipped for that much snow - but I got around quite well on my Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 winter tires except when I encountered snow so high that it high centered my Lexus and I had to dig out. I sometimes think I'm the only one in town with winter tires.

I agree. However, you will need to have the second set of TPMS sensors programmed to the car or you will still get faults. These cars are set up to allow two sets of sensors and after programming, you can easily switch between sets. If you buy after-market sensors make sure they are compatible with Lexus beforehand. Also, if you get your snow tires mounted somewhere other than a Lexus dealer, make sure you get the ID numbers of the sensors before they mount the tires. Those numbers are needed to program them into the cars computer. You'll have to go to a Lexus dealer or find someone that has the Techstream software to do the programming. I had to replace a broken TPMS in one of my wheels, and it only takes a couple of minutes to program it. I'd do it for you, but SC is quite a drive from BOS! Here is an excellent tire size calculator you can use to make sure you get the right size tire to maintain speedometer accuracy.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html