New Tyres

[oleary027]

Hi I'm new to this forum and to Lexus in general, have an is200 04 SE since November.

Got new rear tyres last week (Semperit Speed Life 215/45/R17) as they were the best that the garage had. The mechanic fitting them also did the tracking and told me he couldn't get the tracking and the cambers both in spec so he got the tracking in with the cambers slightly out.

Ever since the car has been all over the place on the road, the smallest bump throws it everywhere and it's also oversteering a lot. A friend told me to check the pressure and it was at 35psi on all of them. I brought this down to 30 psi but haven't tried it on country roads yet (where its most noticeable).

But if the pressure reduction hasn't changed it, just wondering if anybody else has experienced this and has any suggestions?

What should be the correct tyre pressure be?

[lexus loon]

Seah try 33 psi ,also can you get it tracked with a laser set up anywhere, if so try this first

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Chances are the geometry of your car is all over the place now. I would get it set up properly with a laser set up as suggested above.

[matt-c]

Laser tracking is pointless if the rears are out - because they use the rears (in most cases) to align the fronts. So if your rears are out, then aligning the fronts with lasers just means you have 4 wheels out.

Shame you're a bit far from WIM to have them set it up :(

[ISJason]

When i had my IS200, it's tracking was going out all the time.

Try a reputable garage like National tyres or Lexus themeselves will track all 4 for you for a price;

but it's good service there and you know they are done to top spec.

[oleary027]

Thanks for all the replies, think I'm gonna drop it down to the local toyota dealer at the weekend and get the tracking looked at, will keep ye posted!

[is153]

4 wheel tracking needed most good garages can do it for around £60.

[Stuart Aspey]

Hello is200 in Caerphilly.

Also, Hi Sean. Hopefully it is a small issue that can be quickly fixed. I had different tyres on the front, compared to the back (Goodyear Eagle Winter tyrss at the front with Continental Winter tyres at the back) and the car used to feel quite loose, but with four matching tyres all round, it feels assured, also it's on 17" alloys now, from the 16"s which I'll use only for winter tyres.

[is153]

Relly if your iffy about your rear end then is a simple fix. 10mm wheel spacers and 225/45 tyres on the rear job done lots more grip.

As for running different make tyres it doesnt matter ive go on track with bald tyres and tyres that are all different treads and even tyres facing the wrong way and it makes very little difference to grip (well the bald ones did lol) just make sure you have lots of tread and your fine for road driving.

[andyk134]

Luke I like your idea of spacers and bigger tyres on the back I will do that the next time I need tyres. I used to have 33 psi all round but when I put new tyres on they told me I should have 38 front and 39 rear which the Lexus garage also recommend. Since then it feels and handles a lot better something to try.

[is153]

38!!

I run 32 all round on all my cars which 3 have 17s..

[Stuart Aspey]

Yeah, I thought 38psi was for the 16" inch alloys, not the 17"s. If you're driving on the motorway only, maybe 38psi . . . . . .

[is153]

I thought that 36+ was on for cars when thay was full loaded doing motorway speeds all the time?

[Stuart Aspey]

Yeah . . What Luke said.

[matt-c]

I run at 32 in both sets of tyres (205/50/17 winter, and 215/45/17 summer). I very rarely load the car up fully, and the rare times I am 4 up in it, it's only for a mile or two anyway

[andyk134]

Well as I said it is what the tyre specialists and Lexus said and it feels and handles so much better, it feels very squashy on 33.

[Igino Cazzola]

...I had different tyres on the front, compared to the back (Goodyear Eagle Winter tyrss at the front with Continental Winter tyres at the back) and the car used to feel quite loose...

I ran Michelins at the front and Continentals at the rear, and the car was terrible.

I swapped them around, and after that it behaved acceptably.

[Stuart Aspey]

I'm sure people will say it's poppycock, but from my experience between the winter tyres (Goodyear Eagle at the front and Bridgestone amd Continental on the rear - winter tyres) and the Hankook tyres all round, summer tyres. The car is so much more settled on the same tyres, than having a mix.

[andyk134]

I have Dunlop Sport Maxx TT all round and run 38psi at the front and 39 at the rear as recommended by the Lexus dealer. I also have Eibach springs and anti roll bars and a front strut brace and in the dry the car is pretty much unshakeable and takes roundabouts like its on rails. Even in the wet it handles way better than when i had it standard and it feels better now i have Dunlops all round rather that a pair of worn Bridgestones at the back.

I guess I have never understood why people scrimp on tyres, you should buy the best and safest you can afford, it maybe your life you are saving!

[Stuart Aspey]

Andy, you're absolutley right. I put the part worns on simply because I needed to get winter tyres on and I knew I would not be usi g them for more than 3 months. I always put new tyres on and this is what is on the car now. The Winter alloys will be refurbed before new tyres go on in December.

I'm currently on 35psi because I was concerned that any more, with the potholes round here, would possibly cause the tyre to blow out. Is this not necessarily an issue, or is it simple that it can happen at any Psi? If so, I'll change to 38psi at the front and 39psi at the rear.

[andyk134]

Stuart, if you can afford the Eibach roll bars, they are amazing and feel like it is a different car, if you match them with the springs you will enjoy the drive a whole lot more. And the Lexus looks such a lovely car too, i will take some pics and post them here

cheers

[Stuart Aspey]

It looks like a good piece of kit, but I'm happy about the way the car is handling and it's an estate as I've got a baby on the way, so I'm not too worried about putting the anti-roll bars and suspension on, but $900 for the springs and anti-roll bar seems an okay price, I don't know what the other brands are charging. If I had a saloon/sport, I'd probably look into this with more thought, but all I'm going to do now is book her in to Wheels In Motion in Bristol and make sure the alignment is sorted and enjoy the driving. I'll get the psi sorted tomorrow and I've got to pick up some smaller wheel nuts for the wheels.. . . . . I'm currently using the same wheel nuts that were on my Lexus 16" wheels. I didn't think that the Lexus 17" wheels would use a shorter/smaller depth wheels nuts. I'll need smaller locking wheel nuts too . . .

[is153]

Well as I said it is what the tyre specialists and Lexus said and it feels and handles so much better, it feels very squashy on 33.

Lexus says

33front 33 rear for normal load for speeds upto 100mph

Fully loaded is 33 front and 35 rear.

38 front and 39 rear is for doing 140mph

This info is on the drivers door!

[andyk134]

Thanks for stating the obvious Luke. As I said before I was running 33 all round but specialists who know a lot more about tyres than you or I advised me different. As you said 33 is for up to 100 but as the Lexus will do more than that they recommend the pressures for over 100 which in my humble opinion has also improved the road holding no end so I am going to be guided by the experts.

[is153]

The hardered the tyre is the less grip it has, ie your tyres will handle better at 33psi than 38psi.