19" Alloy - What To Consider?

[agent_dess]

Hey guys,

I'm contemplating 19" beasts lol

What I want to know is what sort of things I should take into consideration?

1) Do I need bigger brakes fitted or will the standard brakes be sufficient?

2) will the speedometer be effected or is it within acceptance tolerance?

3) I'm not lowering the car, how much is the ride likely to be affected with the standard setup?

Anything else I have missed ?

Cheers :)

[Mouser]

1. Ideally yes, as the standard ones aren't great IMO and look small behind larger wheels. If you're keeping the standard wheels for winter then you'll be limited size wise.

2. No, so long as you choose the right tyres

3. Some yes, but not massively, especially if you choose lighter ones. Choose heavy chrome junk and that answer changes.

Lighter is better - we're talking unsprung rotating mass here.

I assume you don't kerb your current wheels, you'll have less margin for error with narrower tyres. You're also more vulnerable to damage from big hits from potholes at speed.

It does look better lowered a bit, but if you live somewhere like me then that's not practical. As far as handling, spend your money on tyres first.

[agent_dess]

Thanks for the quick response Mouser.

Does the insurance company need to be informed of the changes wheel size?

I wouldn't have thought an extra 2" would make the existing brakes look noticeably smaller? Or affecting the braking performance.

As for lowering the car, Edinburgh has the crapiest road in Britain when it comes to potholes so,I'll leave it on standard setup and no I don't kerb the car but I'm pushing my wife to start driving more so all that may change! Lol

[ColinBarber]

Your insurance needs to be notified of any modification made.

[johnatg]

Also consider that lower-profile/usually-wider-tyres wear faster than standard size tyres and cost much more to replace.

You need to choose tyre sizes such that the overall diameter is approximately the same as 17" wheels with 45 profile tyres. There are various calculators available on line to help you do that. Tyres for 19" wheels are bound to be lower profile than those for 17/18" wheels.

Larger wheels inevitably weigh more than smaller wheels, given similar construction and materials - but there are wide variations.

The combination of lower profile tyres/heavier wheels leads to harder ride.

[DAN@ADRIAN FLUX]

Hi,

If you have any issued with insurance at all then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

[agent_dess]

I don't drive as many miles as I used to.. I don't think I'll hit more than 5000 a year so not fussed about tires wearing quicker on a 19".. I plan to keep my old 17" to use with the winter tyres...

What problems am I likey to have with the insurance company? I've got other mods planned for the car so will tell them in one go.

Ride comfort is going to be fairly essential as I have 2 young kids and wife and pram to carry around... Also don't want an increase in road noise.

[North west beast]

Come to carlisle one day and I'll let u have a go in my isf .then you can see how hard 19s are ,obviously the suspension is harder too but will give u an idea .

[agent_dess]

Thanks for the offer North West Beast :)

How much would the mpg be affected by going from 17" to 19"!

Also is it even worth going from 17" to 18"?

[pedrofromredro]

Hi agent-dess I been considering 19" wheels to im in the same boat as you I got kids and this missus drives the car more than me.i looked down the 18" avenue as well thinking the ride may be better but I just took the plunge and purchased a second hand set of 19" wheels I'm just awaiting the delivery so I will soon find out

[Mouser]

19" alloys aren't going to change your ride into being rock hard, far from it. As far as weight, the stock ones aren't exactly svelte, so it's possible to reduce the weight. I'd honestly be surprised if you noticed an MPG difference in the real world. Road noise you might see a couple of db difference, but your concern there shuold be the more limited selection of tyres.

If you're planning on keeping the 17s for winter time then you'll not be able to go much larger with brakes.

Insurance wise I was quoted an extra £25/year or so if I fitted ISF alloys, but some insurers are much more awkward. Phone yours and check.

[PilgrimIS]

8 days ago I went from 17" OEM to 19" aftermarket...I also lowered it but that was a couple of months ago to give it time to bed in.

I have so far seen no real difference on MPG. I have only done 200 miles though since the change.

The biggest shock to me is the very little change in ride quality since the lowering and 19s fitted....to the degree that my partner still cannot feel the difference in ride quality from the OEM setup! The roads here on the Isle of Wight are crappy in places and it still is good.

I have not upgraded my OEM calipers...and don't have any plans to either.

Yes, I agree that going to 19s gives an increase yearly cost...both on insurance and potential alloy cracking with those pesky potholes....however I am perfectly fine with that. I couldn't be happier with the new setup!

Just to note, I increased weight by 1KG going to the 19s....that's 1KG in total for all four corners!

I did a lot of work before taking the plunge. I took a ride in a few different IS models, this different size rims and tyres. I also took time working out overall size from 17" inc tyre to the 19" and lower profile tyre. Oh...I also did work on working out the best offset of rim after selecting the correct tyres sizes so I could get the cleanest look possible without the need for wheel spacers!! I am a geek...so it was in my comfort zone! lol

The rims I purchased are Axe CS Lite. The config is:

Front - 225/35/19 - 8.5" width with 40 ET (Offset)

Rear - 265/30/19 - 9.5" width with 40 ET (Offset)

I fitted some Falken 453s and there's very little road noise and overall a pretty decent tyre. I get no rubbing so far.

I hope all that helps

Here's a side on view...remember though this is lowered (1.4" front and 1" rear):

[Mouser]

Wow, those look really nice... good prices too... hyper silver would be my choice, but mine is slate grey metallic not black. LFA style wheels were high on my list as well, although they're not particularly light.

I'd still suggest upgrading the brakes - the stock ones don't inspire me with confidence compared to the ones one some of the nicer Audis I often drive.

[agent_dess]

What's the verdict on stock brakes with 19" wheels? I'm getting a sense of mixed response regarding it.

[PilgrimIS]

I'm good with the oem calipers... They work extremely well, certainly on mine and I drive mine like I stole it most days!

However if you paint your calipers anything other than black then the rears look very small! The fronts on mine are red and they sit nicely imo. The rears are small so I've left them black and they fade away into the background so no issues.

If the brakes were bad then I'd look at upgrading them, however as mentioned, at least on mine they are very very good so no need.

Saying all that... The rears might stand out more if you have very open (5 spoke etc.) light coloured aftermarket rims.

[agent_dess]

I'm eyeing up Silver or Gun Metal alloys, going to local seller see some wheel in person for some inspirations.

Ive got my calipers waiting to be painted in red, i bought the paint a year ago never got round to do it.

My cars going to bodyshop to get the "keyed" damage! sorted out so i asked the guy if he can paint the caliper for me and he agreed.

Also with 3rd part alloys is it possible to get Lexus Hub caps??

Also looking at lowering springs now what the wife doesn't know won't harm her :winky: lol

[PilgrimIS]

Lol... Keep quiet... Always the best way! Haha.

I would only them them to do the front calipers red and then the rears black... I think the rear would look way small if coloured bud.

Unfortunately it's a hit and miss re getting centre caps to fit. It depends on the size. Mine are way too big for oem centre caps. They are 70mm and the oem ones are somewhere around 60mm I think. I've had to get some domed stickers made up, just waiting for delivery

[agent_dess]

No change in the Spare wheel thats in the boot then?

Out of curiosity does anyone know if the NEW IS250 /300H come with spare wheel or have they gone mad with the tyre sealant crap?

[PilgrimIS]

The overall size of wheel has not changed so I have kept the spare.

[hamj267]

Well I've got 19s on mine I'll put up a quick picture now and take another tomorrow. But you don't notice and difference from the ride quality and the brakes look fine.

[bobbyc]

I have TSW Vortex 19 inch alloys on my IS250 and I dont notice the difference in ride quality. They were on the car when I brought it and had been completely refubed. I was initially not very sure about them, but I have grown to like them but they are murder for getting kerbed on the passenger side. The worse place for this is the school run where the streets are very narrow, but this is not the car's fault and maybe me and the wife should learn to drive better. The question about the brakes is interesting. I dont feel my brakes are as good as they should be but I suspect my calpiers are sticking a bit and they are going in to get looked at in the next couple of weeks, therefore once this is done I may have a better idea. As previously mentioned the tyres are quite key and I have Dunlop sports on the car and they seem to work very well and road noise is very acceptable. It really is a personal thing with 19 inch alloys, sometimes I think mine look a little boy racerish but other times I think they enhance an already good looking car. Really depends what mood I am in.

[johnatg]

Jon - I see you have rim protectors - which brand are they and do they cause any problems? Did you fit them or get them done? Cost?

Thanks

[hamj267]

Yea I got them because the lip on my rims are quite far out so the kerbs are rather scary aha. There rim blades I think you can get them from Halfords for about £30 and took me about an hour to fit all in all but I did paint my calipers at the same time.