What Size Rims Can Fit On My 98' Gs300

[aLexus-Kia]

i want to add 20" rims to my GS300 ...can i just have them put on or is there something "special" i have to have done like..springs or somein'

Please help gotta "pimpette" my car out!

[aLexus-Kia]

Now all the people on the forum that have rims w/ 20's CANT tell me what i will have to do to fit them on........

This is crazy..... i need to go to the other website!!

[Neo]

Sorry if you are feeling ignored. For, me I don't check that often and I must have missed your first post. The question is somewhat general so I can only give a general response.

First, make sure the lug pattern will fit the car. You are looking for 5x114.3.

Next is width of the wheel. Are you looking for a staggered setup? Meaning, do youwant the rear wheels to be wider (the part where it touches the road) than the front? If so, a safe setup would be 8.5" in front and 9.5" or even 10" in the rear. You will need the offset to be right too or else there will be rubbing issues. Fronts should be mid to high 30s (+35 - +38) and the rear should be mid 40s (+45 or so).

If you going with the same size all around, then go with 8.5". I've also seen 9" all around but the offset has to be even more precise.

Anyway, this will get you started. When you have more specifics, post back. It is too hard to have a post with a bunch of "If this, then do that." ;)

[Neo]

Oh, as far as your question about springs, I assume you are talking about lowering your car. Although not necessary, I would recommend it otherwise your car will look like an SUV. With 20s, your outside wheel diameter will be bigger than stock. Add that witht he visual cue of larger rims and the stock space, it just is not pretty. Luckily for you is that since you going with 20s, you will not need to lower the car too much. 1" - 1.5" will do you just fine. It depends on the look you want though. You can tuck it if you want to lower more but then you risk some rubbing against the fender well. This can be remedied (to a certain extent) as well but that is another discussion. ;)

If you are getting lowering springs, I suggest getting a shock that is geared towards lowered cars too. The stock shocks will not last long with the lowering springs plus you will be spending for installation twice when you need to replace the shocks down the road.

It would also be helpful in this discussion (on wheels and suspension) if you give a better idea of what you are trying to achieve with the car (looks only/slammed/mild drop/handling increase) and what your estimated budget is for the different components.

Modding is fun but it also takes a lot of research (and $ ;)). Luckily, there is a good assortment of components for our cars.

Good luck. :D

[aLexus-Kia]

Thanks!!!! Finally someone who can help me!!!!

Now ok, to give you a better idea of me......i'm a woman.... not too into that "performance" look! I am going for more the look, not really sure about the other stuff I just want my car to have the biggest size rims as possible AND LOOK GOOD without alot of work being done.

So... What size rims can fit with out having to do EXTRA adjustments ?

Can 20's infact work with out the lowering and springs ect.....

or will i have to just settle for some 19's or 18's? (the spring comment i saw on another form i dont even know "what springs" )

And if i did go with the 20's how much will the lowering cost about.....If needed?

Meaning, do youwant the rear wheels to be wider (the part where it touches the road) than the front?

i dont know if this sounds funny but i want all the wheels to look the same and be the same size all around...

Thanks alot....someone posted instead of just looking i know most people on this site have rims...and noooooooo one helped!!!

i owe you one!!

[Neo]

OK. The rest of the discussion is on looks only and they are my personal opinions so if you disagree, no prob. B) I will refer to the "rim" as the "metal" part, the tire is obvious, and the "wheel" as the rim/tire combo.

Once you go 18s and above, you should lower the car. In your case where you want to go to 20s, the wheel diameter will be about 1" bigger than stock. This in itself will elevate the car an extra 1/2". 1/" may not seem like much but I think the car is high enough as it is. From a distance, you will see much more rim since 20s are bigger than the stock 16s or 17s. Both these issues combine to give your GS an elevated look that is akin to an SUV. If you like that look, then go for it. I like the agressive look of somewhing like a BMW. The main thing is to eliminate the wheel/fender gap.

Luckily for you, with the bigger wheel, you will not need to lower the car as much. Even 1" will help tremendously and 1.5" will be nice without tucking the wheels into the wheel well. Springs and shocks willbe in the neigborhood of $400 - $500. Installation should be about $150 - $200 (not dealer prices). You can get some that will not diminish the ride quality by much. BUT, your ride will decrease already since you have 20s on. Because of the 20s, you will need to get low profile tires which then has less rubber sidewall. Less rubber, less cushioning. Also, since the sidewall is shorter, they are usually stiffer to protect the tire and rim. You can't look good without giving up something. ;)

The other look issue is how much the wheels will be inset in the wheel well. If you look at some cars, the wheels come out very close against the fender. This is a very agressive (nice to me) look. If you look at your wheels now, they are inside the wheel well. I am not talking about tucking underneath but just how far it sticks out. The rear wheel well is a bit deeper. This is why some people get staggered wheels so that both the front and the rear will be similar in terms of how flush the wheels stick out.

The staggered setup looks much nicer to me but it comes at the cost of not being able to rotate the wheels since the front and rear are different widths. You do get better handling/control but that is a different topic. ;) The staggered setup only affects the front, rear and angled views since you can see the wheel position relative to the car. From the side, the diameter is the same so they will look the same size. One other option is to runn the same wheel size but use a spacer in the rear to push out the wheels. Some have had good luck with this and some have had vibration issues since you are extending the stance of the car. If you do this, invest in nice H&R spacers that keep the wheels hub centric. (I can get into this if you are really interested. This post is getting to be long enough as it is. :))

With all this, here are some general safe numbers for you to consider.

If all 4, rim size should be 20x8.5 with +38 offset. Tires should be 245/35R20. If you want a staggered, then go with 20x9.5 with +38 offset in the rear. Tires should be 275/30R20. Lug pattern (again) should be 5x114.3.

Again, this is but one example of what will work. You can tweak some of the numbers for a more agressive setup but this will get you started. Ask more if you want more details. Also post back once you find the types/styles of wheels you like.

[aLexus-Kia]

BUT, your ride will decrease already since you have 20s on. Because of the 20s, you will need to get low profile tires which then has less rubber sidewall.

So if i bought my car for 15,000 then it wont be worth that price if i sell it?

ok i think about the wheel thing i get a idea ...... if you find any pictures that i can look at to give me a example please post or let me know they sight to be clear... i will find some rims and hit you back with a pick and we can go from there...thanks for the help again!!

[Neo]

BUT, your ride will decrease already since you have 20s on. Because of the 20s, you will need to get low profile tires which then has less rubber sidewall.

So if i bought my car for 15,000 then it wont be worth that price if i sell it?

Huh?

Anyway, I'll try to find a few pics for you of GSes with 20s and a mild drop.

[Neo]

Here is a pic of one of my friends' car. It has 20s and the L-Tuned shocks and springs.

[Neo]

Here is a pic at an angle to show you what I mean by the wheel inset. You see how his wheels come out to the edge of the fender/wheel well. The stock wheels would be more "inside" the wheel well.

[alexus]

20"s?:) heeh good choice, i have 20"s on my GS400, lowenhart ld1, damn good lookin one

[aLexus-Kia]

ok NEO getting the idea a little more now....Damn i thought i would just be able to "smack" them on.... :)

so is there a measurement to get them just slightly inside the wheel well? (dont want them comming out side but a little space b4 the out side would be good ......right???)

Alexus what is your wheel size not the 20" part the 38 by ..... so i can get a idea!!

[Neo]

ok NEO getting the idea a little more now....Damn i thought i would just be able to "smack" them on.... :)

so is there a measurement to get them just slightly inside the wheel well? (dont want them comming out side but a little space b4 the out side would be good ......right???)

This works out well. As you understand more, it makes additional info easier to digest. The measurement you are looking for is the offset.

Now that you get the general idea that you can't just put them on, read this article:

http://www.lexusgonewild.com/WheelFitment.shtml

There are more complications that I have not yet mentioned but it really depends on how aggressive you want to take the wheels. This article mentions some of the issues. Some of my friends and I are trying to build this site as an info resource for modding the Lex. There will be more articles as time goes by so some of the details in this article will be described in future articles. Take a quick read and if you have more questions, come back and post and I'll try to help.

[alexus]

Alexus what is your wheel size not the 20" part the 38 by ..... so i can get a idea!!

what?

[TurboGS300]

Alexus what is your wheel size not the 20" part the 38 by ..... so i can get a idea!!

what?

:P She's speaking in female code or just gibberish, since I am an expert in this field, I will decode what she is saying She's asking what the offset is on the rims <_<

[Neo]

Alexus what is your wheel size not the 20" part the 38 by ..... so i can get a idea!!

what?

:P She's speaking in female code or just gibberish, since I am an expert in this field, I will decode what she is saying She's asking what the offset is on the rims <_<

Haha! How did you get to be such an expert in this field? ;) I also assumed she was talking about offset.

Hey Alexus,

What is your car lowered with? I did not see specs in your sig. I also assume the sig and pic is old since you said you had the TTE grille and neither the pic nor the sig reflects that. :D

[bluelex]

dam neo, i couldn't have explained it any better myself, u hit every point on the money...alexus-kia i know u said u didn't care so much about a performace wheel u just wanted looks but i think when looking into getting wheels get quality wheels that don't weigh so much and crack and peel later like some of the cheaper flashy wheels on the market now...good luck

[aLexus-Kia]

Thanks i will take all post and figure out what i will do from here....

AGAIN TURBO.....GET A LIFE A NEED HELP NOT ANOTHER !Removed! 

still dont know which ones will be the best for me at this time... i know i want the rims for the look but i will also have to consider lowering, do i want to be able to rotate, the way it drives, ect.....

I like the way "alexus" wheels look ...what is the OFFSET ( B) ) on those?????

Well i guess maybe i should find some rims first then i can figure out what the hell to do next!

Thanks i will post back in a few

P.S. for all that was confused i was talking about offset in the other post!!

[Blizzie]

Can I put 9.5 wide wheels with the offset 35mm on a 1993 lexus gs 300?