I have spent too much money on wheels an tires ruined by bad roads in our area. I have always regretted getting the low profile setup (packaged as part of some other desired feature). Even if the roads were in perfect condition I would not be driving as fast as the rating of the tires (something like continuous 130 mph if I remember correctly). And, also, comfort is more important than coolness. So, has anyone changed out the wheels/tires? What success, failure or words of caution when doing this? I know that the outside circumference should be the same as what I have now to not screw up speed and mileage.

I tried to find something on the forum, but evidently, do not know what keywords to use.

Stephen

 

Stephen, stick with a good all season tire. Going with something like "Sporty", "aggressive tread", "excellent cornering", etc will tend to really mean "stiff side wall". A stiff side wall means a harsher ride. If you have the 17" wheels, stick with the factory tire size (225/45R17) and you should have lots of options. Next, you want to get a tire with a "load index" of 87 or as close to 87 as possible without going below. The lower the number, the less weight that the tire has to support. This tends to mean (but not always the case) that the sidewall will have a little more flex to it resulting in a nicer ride.

You may find this an interesting read: What Tire Performance Category Do I Need? - Hunter's Ramblings about Performance wheels & tire | Tire Rack

The other thing that I will tell you to do is to keep your tire inflation pressures around 35 psi. This will keep the tires fairly soft and will allow them to squish some. Upping the pressure will make the sidewall stiffer and result in a harsher ride (granted, higher pressure helps to save the rim though too). I tend to run 38 psi in the front and 35 psi in the rear of my car since the front end carries a little more weight than the rear. Just make sure that the tires are rated for pressures above 35 psi.

 

X-Types were offered optional wheel sizes, 16", 17" and 18", in various years. However, in 2004 the 17" wheel was standard. The rear suspension was changed slightly so the 2004 lower shock attachment interferes with a 16" wheel. A slight modification is possible to allow clearance for the smaller wheel. However, it will be do-it-yourself because most shops won't make the modification.

 

my 04 came with factory 16s.

 

Thank you Justink201,

You are correct. The 17" wheels were standard on the 3.0 model. I forgot about the 2.5.
Interference between the lower shock bracket and the 16" wheel required a slight trim to fit on my 2004.