SC430 wheels on an LS400

Daveyboy20 · June 24, 2018

Hi guys - I've just bought a set of 'pie-dish' SC430 wheels and remember seeing some posts from aomeone who's done it mentioning the need for spacers. I've tried searching but not found any info; does anyone know what I'll need to fit them to my '98 LS400? Also, tyre size suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks in advance. Oh - will my standard wheel nuts fit?

J Henderson · June 24, 2018

These wheels look really nice on an LS!

Quite a few have done this swap in the US. Apparently you'll need 15mm spacers to clear the front calipers on a '98 car. The ideal tyre to upsize with is 245/45-18.

Existing wheelnuts are probably fine if they are of the flat seat variety.

dendonc · June 24, 2018

Yes they do look good.....

Daveyboy20 · June 25, 2018

Fantastic - thanks 🖒

Do you know if the standard studs will need cutting down with a 15mm spacer?

J Henderson · June 25, 2018

They might do.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-1st-and-2nd-gen-1990-2000/836985-sc430-wheel-fitment-and-front-spacer-questions-for-97-ucf20.html

Same scenario in this topic and he had to trim a few mm off the end, not the actual threads though.

Daveyboy20 · June 26, 2018

Cool - I've bought some 15mm spacers so i guess a little trim is on order. Could've got 20mm spacers instead but didn't want the front track to be wider than the back. Bought 25mm spaces for the rear to be sure!

Fat Boy · June 30, 2018

When you use spacers the off set changes and you will need camber bolts to adjust

the stranded camber won’t take the off set and the handle of the car changes for the worst

will advise 2 things

get the right off set wheel

or spend more for camber part ie lower and upper wish bone

Haylands · June 30, 2018

43 minutes ago, Fat Boy said:

When you use spacers the off set changes and you will need camber bolts to adjust

the stranded camber won’t take the off set and the handle of the car changes for the worst

will advise 2 things

get the right off set wheel

or spend more for camber part ie lower and upper wish bone

Totally agree, use the wrong offset with spacers will ruin the suspension geometry that Lexus spent millions in developing, uneven tyre wear and undue stress on suspension components will happen. Not to mention ruining the ride and handling...

Just do a google on failed wheel spacers and see how common it is.... do you want someone with them driving past your childrens school...???

You also HAVE to inform your insurance company of ALL modifications. They will not like it..... Have an accident with an undeclared modified car and you will end up paying the whole claim yourself when the insurance company refuses to.....

Just my 2p.....

The-Acre · June 30, 2018

I have to agree with that. I put new wheels (with spacers) on my LS400 and drove it for about 20 miles before the factory wheels went back on, the ride was dreadful I'm afraid.

DAN@ADRIAN FLUX · June 30, 2018

Hi,

If you do find you have any issues with insurance for a change of wheels then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

Daveyboy20 · June 30, 2018

Well this thread took a turn for the worse! I've been modifying cars for over 20 years... I rarely keep any car standard, so I'm not afraid to deviate from the almighty wisdom of the manufacturer. I'm insured with a company that is specifically for people who modify cars, so no worries there either. Hubcentric spacers, when used properly, are perfectly safe. The whole point of them is that they increase track safely! They'll put a little more pressure on the bearings, but they're not dangerous. They're hubcentric for a reason.

Daveyboy20 · July 1, 2018

Also - it's about the quality of the parts. I've bought Japspeed spacers - not eBay rubbish. Cost more but worth it for peace of mind:

Japspeed hubcentric spacers:

Manufactured from high strength, lightweight aircraft grade aluminium alloy
Forged hard anodized for durability and corrosion protection
Limited life range tested for wheel bolts/studs (1 million times) in accordance with ISO3800
Strength tested for applications (bolt/stud/nut) in accordance to ISO0898-6, SAEJ429, SAEJ995
Anti-rust tested (NSS 72hrs) for applications (bolt/stud/nut) in accord

Daveyboy20 · July 1, 2018

10 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I have to agree with that. I put new wheels (with spacers) on my LS400 and drove it for about 20 miles before the factory wheels went back on, the ride was dreadful I'm afraid.

In what way? Lower profile tyres making it a bit harsher or a different issue?

Daveyboy20 · July 1, 2018

10 hours ago, Haylands said:

Totally agree, use the wrong offset with spacers will ruin the suspension geometry that Lexus spent millions in developing, uneven tyre wear and undue stress on suspension components will happen. Not to mention ruining the ride and handling...

Just do a google on failed wheel spacers and see how common it is.... do you want someone with them driving past your childrens school...???

You also HAVE to inform your insurance company of ALL modifications. They will not like it..... Have an accident with an undeclared modified car and you will end up paying the whole claim yourself when the insurance company refuses to.....

Just my 2p.....

Don't forget that manufacturers make many different versions of cars, with different options. The DHP for the 400 includes bigger wheels that stick out further than the 16s, yet all they have changed is the ride height - no major geometry changes. Had I gone for wider 17s and dropped it a bit i'd probably still be given grief for altering the manufacturers holy settings!

With regards to the pictures - they're unknown brand, unknown quality spacers. I could show you pictures of failed alloy wheels - would that mean you shouldn't run alloy wheels? No! It'd mean you wouldn't buy cheap copy alloys...

The-Acre · July 1, 2018

22 minutes ago, Daveyboy20 said:

In what way? Lower profile tyres making it a bit harsher or a different issue?

Slightly lower profile tyres which seriously affected the usual "magic carpet" ride. The road noise became very noticeable although that may have been just the tyres. The handling just felt wrong. It didn't tramline or wobble or anything like that, just not right. You won't know until you try, maybe yours will be fine, this is just my experience and I certainly wouldn't want to put you off doing something that may work fine for you.

Daveyboy20 · July 1, 2018

I'm expecting it to lose some of its comfortable floatiness purely because of the drop in side profile on the tyres. It'll still be lovely simply down to the suspension and size of the car. It should feel more planted through corners as a positive side-effect. It'll look sweet as another positive side effect! I'm using Japspeed spacers all round with the widest still only being 25mm. Everything will be torqued to the correct spec and done properly. Nuns and kittens are safe for a little longer...

The-Acre · July 1, 2018

1 hour ago, Daveyboy20 said:

I'm expecting it to lose some of its comfortable floatiness purely because of the drop in side profile on the tyres. It'll still be lovely simply down to the suspension and size of the car. It should feel more planted through corners as a positive side-effect. It'll look sweet as another positive side effect! I'm using Japspeed spacers all round with the widest still only being 25mm. Everything will be torqued to the correct spec and done properly. Nuns and kittens are safe for a little longer...

I think you'll be fine, it sounds like you're doing it without cutting any corners or skimping on cost. I look forward to seeing the finished item. After all, loads of LS owners do it and they're more than happy with the result, and let's be honest, the factory wheels aren't the most attractive on the LS!

dendonc · July 1, 2018

1 hour ago, Daveyboy20 said:

I'm expecting it to lose some of its comfortable floatiness purely because of the drop in side profile on the tyres

I've found my 1999 LS does not have the 'floatiness' of my last 1995 LS, apart from those two I have had 2 1996 LSs' but I can't remember if they had the 'floatiness' or not, as one of them was my first LS & the other my second I would not have been aware of the 'floatiness' concept.

Daveyboy20 · July 1, 2018

Done the front two - it's looking awesome up front! It drives better; it vibrated on the old wheels - nice and smooth on these! Doesn't tram line and the drop in comfort is not noticeable at the moment. Perhaps when the rears go on it'll be perceivable. 100 lb/ft on the spacer nuts and 80lb/ft on the wheel nuts. I'll drive it a week and check them all.

The-Acre · July 2, 2018

Looks brilliant!

dendonc · July 2, 2018

15 hours ago, Daveyboy20 said:

it vibrated on the old wheels

Do you mean the car was vibrating on it's normal wheels??

Daveyboy20 · July 2, 2018

Yeah I think they must've been out of balance. I think it needs tracking too as the inner shoulders had worn down a lot. I'll get it done soon.

Daveyboy20 · July 2, 2018

6 hours ago, The-Acre said:

Looks brilliant!

Cheers, mate - can't wait for the spacers to land for the rear ones!

dendonc · July 2, 2018

Yea, needs sorting sooner the better.

The-Acre · July 2, 2018

5 minutes ago, Daveyboy20 said:

Cheers, mate - can't wait for the spacers to land for the rear ones!

It makes it look very American which is what attracted me to the LS400 in the first place some years ago. I've always loved big American cars and the LS looked like one but better!