17 vs 18 wheels? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Aug 27, 2019
Threads
32
Messages
249
Location
ny
265/70/r17
vs
275/65/r18

which one would be a smoother ride as a daily driver in urban streets?
 
On road you'll probably find more variation in ride comfort due to the actual tire design, compound, and build/load capacity, rather than the rim diameter. Off road, the more sidewall, the better. I went with 17" TRD's for that reason. I'd run 16's if I could find a set that fits. It's a nit, but for like/like overall diameter and width, the smaller wheel size usually nets a slightly lighter wheel/tire combo, with its associated miniscule improvements to abysmally low MPG...
 
Generally, in the long run, 17" tires will be cheaper than 18"'s. That's why I always go with 17" wheels.
Check prices. 👍
 
More sidewall is generally more comfortable, but as stated above, tire compound, tread pattern, air pressure and load rating all come into play.
 
  • Like
Reactions: r2m
265/70/r17
vs
275/65/r18

which one would be a smoother ride as a daily driver in urban streets?
Both of these sizes have plenty of sidewall so your 'smoother ride' is going to come down to the specific tire selected. An E rated mud terrain is going to be worse on the street than a C rated all terrain, a cheap off-brand tire is generally going to be worse at everything than a reputable brand/model, etc.

17 inch tires are cheaper but that requires the initial cost of getting 17 inch wheels. Both of these are upsized from the OEM and will probably require a little bit of trimming/fender liner massaging if you are on factory suspension. I have 265/70/17s at stock height and had to trim quite a bit off the front of the rocker panel/sidestep. The 275/65/18s are like half an inch larger than the 17s so you may need to do a bit more.
 
17 inch tires are cheaper but that requires the initial cost of getting 17 inch wheels. Both of these are upsized from the OEM and will probably require a little bit of trimming/fender liner massaging if you are on factory suspension. I have 265/70/17s at stock height and had to trim quite a bit off the front of the rocker panel/sidestep. The 275/65/18s are like half an inch larger than the 17s so you may need to do a bit more.
Agreed about the initial cost. Why spend more, assuming someone actually likes the factory GX wheels with 33"+ size tires. But as a rule I don't think any one ever puts oversized off road tires on stock Lexus wheels, factory TRD wheels that come on some of the Toyota's, yeah, but not Lexus. So, speaking for myself, if I'm in the market for new wheels for off road, between the two sizes I'd chose the 17" wheels over the 18" wheels any day.
 
...17 inch tires are cheaper but that requires the initial cost of getting 17 inch wheels....
Depending on how budget conscious you are, you can do this for $100-ish, net. Hit up your favorite marketplace app for used 17" 4Runner/FJ Cruiser/Tacoma take-offs, and sell your 18" OEM rims (for ~$250, seems to be about the going rate). I paid $350 for TRD Off-Road rims, including lug nuts and center caps, a few bucks for some black wheel paint, and there you are. If you wanna drop $1,500 on new rims, you can, but you don't have to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: r2m
Here is my current setup:


Wheels: 18x9 et0 Rays 57DR-X. These clock in at around 26lbs if I remember correctly.

Tires: 275/65/18 Michelin Primacy XC. $500 takeoffs from a local Ford F-150. Again, very light, around 38lbs per tire.

Very smooth.

A855134E-845B-46F9-ABF5-DF0679788EA6.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: r2m
These are current model 4runner rims & tires taken off a 2021. Was in TX on vacation and saw them on C-List. Lexus center caps snapped right in. I can hit a speed bump at 35 and never feel it! - Justin
IMG_20210723_082805.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: r2m

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom