I need new tires for my 2010 FX35 and thought I'd spruce it up a bit and replace the tired 'ole 18's at the same time. I'd seen other FX's around with the 20's and always thought the larger diameter looked so much better. So I found a great deal on some OEM 20" wheels locally and threw them on last night expecting it to be love at first sight- but it wasn't. Sure there was more wheel in the well, but they look like dinner plates to me...I think I should have opted for the sportier 5 spoke model.

This is the style I have now:


The real gut punch happened when I weighed my new and old wheels and came up with as much as a 7 lb difference. Normally I pay good money for wheels that weigh LESS not MORE. I just can't live with that.
18" w/ tire: ~59 LBS
20" w/ tire: ~66 LBS

So now I'm spending an exorbitant amount of time searching for the perfect wheel that doesn't weigh more (maybe weighs less) and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I'm going to assume a 20" wheel doesn't even exist that meets this criteria. Ultimately I think I'm going to simply put new tires on my 18's but thought I'd post here and see if anyone had any other ideas. Putting on a different set of 18's almost feels like a wasted effort.

Can you rock your 20s while you get your 18s refinished? Maybe just sprucing them up will get you where you want to be.
Or, split the difference and get some 19s haha.

Chillin014 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 12, 2021 7:44 am

The real gut punch happened when I weighed my new and old wheels and came up with as much as a 7 lb difference. Normally I pay good money for wheels that weigh LESS not MORE. I just can't live with that.
18" w/ tire: ~59 LBS
20" w/ tire: ~66 LBS

For the most part, the entire recent craze for larger rims and less sidewall is completely counterproductive to handling. Even lightweight alloys significantly outweigh the 1/4" of rubber in a sidewall, so unsprung weight is doomed to rise as rim diameter increases in proportion to the tire. Moreover, less sidewall can only provide better grip in a straight line where it may allow the tread may deform less. In a turn, a radial gets its grip by flexing the sidewall so the tread doesn't need to. Very low sidewalls utterly defeat this. In a word, big rims are strictly for looks, big sidewalls are for handling.

Well, shorter sidewalls certainly roll less than the tall sidewall counterparts.

VStar650CL wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:41 am

Chillin014 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 12, 2021 7:44 am

The real gut punch happened when I weighed my new and old wheels and came up with as much as a 7 lb difference. Normally I pay good money for wheels that weigh LESS not MORE. I just can't live with that.
18" w/ tire: ~59 LBS
20" w/ tire: ~66 LBS

For the most part, the entire recent craze for larger rims and less sidewall is completely counterproductive to handling. Even lightweight alloys significantly outweigh the 1/4" of rubber in a sidewall, so unsprung weight is doomed to rise as rim diameter increases in proportion to the tire. Moreover, less sidewall can only provide better grip in a straight line where it may allow the tread may deform less. In a turn, a radial gets its grip by flexing the sidewall so the tread doesn't need to. Very low sidewalls utterly defeat this. In a word, big rims are strictly for looks, big sidewalls are for handling.

Interesting. I have gone down the hair-splitting rabbit hole of comparing tire and wheel weights only to wonder if I’m simply exchanging the same amount of weight in one part of the assembly for another. In most vehicles I don’t bother with larger wheels but on the FX the 18” tire/sidewall size and the offset of the wheel leaves a lot to be desired aesthetically.

I did ultimately decide to go with new tires on my 18’s because I need to take a road trip this week and it was the easiest option. I’m happier with the ride quality and appreciate the forgiveness that comes with a large sidewall when parking , etc.

Weight of the new tires on 18’s came in about 65 lbs.

PapaSmurf2k3 wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:08 am

Can you rock your 20s while you get your 18s refinished? Maybe just sprucing them up will get you where you want to be.
Or, split the difference and get some 19s haha.

Thanks for the response, I thought maybe the forum was dead.
I had those thoughts as well but couldn’t find any good options / worth the investment. I was getting excited at the value proposition of an OEM wheel / upgrade but really can’t find anything that checks the boxes. Ended up with new tires on my 18’s, maybe I’ll get some spacers or something.

Good luck!

I've always liked the bolt-on spacer option. Installed correctly, they really make a difference, without sacrificing acceleration or handling.

Measure carefully - Use a straightedge on the tire extending up into the wheelwell. Measure from that plane to the inner fender lip (where it folds toward the inside of the car). I'm going to guess it'll be around 25mm. Get some 20mm bolt-on spacers, make sure the studs match your OEM lugs, torque properly, and enjoy.