bskylerj

I am new here and have been reading some of the threads and need some help on wheels and tires and to make sure I am heading in the right direction with it.

I have a 09 Scion xb and am looking at the Enkei LS-5 wheels in Black. I am torn between 18's or 20's. From what I read they both fit the specs but I am also reading that you need hub centric rings with most wheels for these xb's, is that correct?

Here are the specs of the wheels. I am going staggered as I want them to both sit flush but look a little wider in the rear, plus from I read the backs sit in a little more, please correct me if I am wrong.

front 18x8 40 offset 72.6 bore
rear 18x9 40 offset 72.6 bore

front 20x8.5 40 offset 72.6 bore
rear 20x9.5 40 offset 72.6 bore

I am not sure on what tire size to go with but I want to fit as much tire on either as I can. It is stock height for now but might lower it another day.

Any thoughts would be great. For those of you with 20's or 18's how do you like the ride? Did gas mileage n performance change a ton?

Thanks for any help.

1GreeKtC

iTrader: (3)

I would definitely go with 18"s, the 20"s are obnoxious and will kill your ride. (I speak from experience from 19"s) Slow it down significantly and possibly mess with you MPG. Get a moderate drop for 18"s. It will compliment the wheels a lot and will make your driving that much better.

May I suggest Hotchkis? :D
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=188618

With a 40et you should be able to fit a 225/40 in the front and 235/40 in the rear. (at leasttttt, since you're stock height)

...now wait for CIONIDE to chime in, since he's the wheel guru, but my opinion still stands on the rim size.

good luck man

streetxdreamer

Yes, you will need hub centric rings for it. The XB2 is 60.1mm. If you are getting them for tire rack they will include hub rings.

I'd say you need to answer the question of what kind of drop are you going with first? That way we can give you a better idea of how things will fit, what tires to run, and what not. And by we i really just meant CIONIDE. lol

bskylerj

Not really sure on the drop yet. The wife drives it so I might not even put one on after the wheels n tires. Depends on the gap. If I do it will just be a little to get rid of the gap. I don't want the wheels sticking out of the fenders though.

CIONIDE

iTrader: (1)

Virtually all after-market wheels require hubcentric rings, because manufacturers want to have their wheels fit as many cars as possible, and making wheels in every hub size would be prohibitively expensive to both make and then keep in stock.

It's your car, so you should do what you want, but I want to make sure you are fully aware of all the issues involved with running 20" wheels on the xB:

#1. Need for rubberband sized tires to clear fenders
#2. Stiff ride due to very little sidewall height of tires
#3. Tire damage from potholes due to almost no sidewalls
#4. Wheel damage from potholes
#5. Decreased acceleration from heavy weight
#6. Decreased mpg from heavy weight
#7. Decreased braking response (and increased brake pad wear) from heavy weight
#8. Decreased handling (resistance to turn-in) from heavy weight

Not trying to dissuade you from 20's, just making sure you're fully informed before making a decision that you might regret later if you didn't know what issues might crop up. I'm pretty sure the wife would not like 20's.

I recommend the 18's, and as spec'd above with a mild drop, I would go with 225/40-18 front tires and 245/40-18 rear tires. With +40 offset wheels, these will definitely sit inside the fenders.

bskylerj

Thank you for the input. I will look at the 18's then. That is exactly what I was wondering about the downside of 20's on these. Being new I was not sure but knew someone would. Thanks again for the help

bskylerj

Will I need a spacer with the 40 offset? On the 18"

CIONIDE

iTrader: (1)

No, not with 18x8 +40 front and 18x9 +40 rear, they'll sit in about 1/4" from dead flush.

papo

if your looking for a mild drop i have some tanabe nf210s for sale just been to lazy to put them on the private party sales

bskylerj

Pm sent

bskylerj

Sorry for all the questions. I was talking to the wheel place here today n they were telling me I shouldn't run staggered wheels on a front wheel drive car. I see alot of people running them. Are you guys having issues

CIONIDE

iTrader: (1)

The only reason to run staggered wheels on a FWD car is purely for looks. They offer no other benefit, and can actually dial in a little more understeer, but it's no problem at all. I've been staggered for the last 22k miles and love it.