CFoote

Hi Everyone,

Ever since the 2009 RL came out, I really admired the nice 18" wheels they put on the car. I was getting tired of the 5-spoke look (it's been played out, in my opinion) and wanted something different.

I found a set of reconditioned '09 wheels on EBay, so I purchased them and then had some tires mounted.

We never had some actual pictures of '09+ wheels on an older RL, so here you go. I'll apologize in advance for the photo quality, it was with an iPhone I'll get a real camera soon, I promise...

Chas2

Looks great. Out of curiosity, did you use your 05 lug nuts, or buy new ones?

CFoote

I could have used my original '05 lugs, but they were starting to rust a bit, and the '09 wheels show the lugs much more than the '05 wheels, so I bit the bullet and bought $70 worth of new lug nuts and a wheel lock set.

This car really looks sharp with 19s, but 18s aren't too bad.

Chris

Treblig

Much better looking than the 5 spoke originals.

Chas2

Good decision. The '05 flat washer lug seats would be incompatible with the 09 ball seats. Nothing like new lugs with the new wheels anyway, a much cleaner package overall...

rmjse

Wow looks great! I might do this sometime in the future.

CFoote

Uh oh, what I forgot to mention was that the lugs I purchased were 2005 lugs, brand new from the dealer. Crap, so I need to get 2009 lug nuts? What exactly changed? I thought the RL's wheel setup (besides size of the wheel and PAX) has been left unchanged since '05.

Edit: Just checked the parts catalog, you are right, the lugs are definitely different! OH MAN...100 bucks down the drain This sounds like a safety issue, I should definitely get these replaced...

Chris

CFoote

I just thought of something else...the wheel locks I just bought probably changed too. My guess is the part # for locks between the '05 RL and the '09 changed?

Chas2

Hopefully your dealer took care of you because he knew you bought 09 wheels, otherwise

See post #3
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-tires-wheels-suspension-92/06rl-replace-09tl-19-a-779319/

037 confirmed that '09 RL's have the ball seat. And you can also confirm that in the parts catalog:

Diagram # | Part # | Description | Qty | Model Year
014 90304-SHJ-A91 NUT, WHEEL (SATO RASHI) 20 2005 RL
014 90304-SJA-A91 NUT, WHEEL (M14) 20 2009 RL

So what that means is that you potentially have a bowl shaped lug seat that only the edge of the flat washer is pressed into, and where you probably have not engaged as many threads as you might with the proper seat.

Also see the February 2007 Acura Service News on the topic...

"It’s important to know which wheel nuts go
on which wheels, because they’re not
interchangeable. If you install the wrong wheel
nuts on a wheel, the wheel could “chirp” when
you make turns because it’s not properly clamped
in place"

if you purchase locks, make sure you order the correct (ball) seat...which the 2009 RL parts catalog CONFUSINGLY identifies as the PAX lock sets (when the 2009 never had PAX!).

08W42-SJA-201A LOCK SET, PAX RUN-FLAT SYSTEM 4 2009 RL

The history on this apparent confusion is because '05-'08 PAX wheels were the first 14mm x1.5 lugs in which Acura used the now standard Acura ball seat. The general shift from the flat seat seemed to start with the 2007 MDX, then spread to the 2009 RL, the 2009 TL, and the 2010 ZDX

I only know this trivia because I thoroughly researched de-PAXing my 2006 RL when going to a set of forged wheels made specifically for the 05-08 RL's with lug seats machined to use OEM lugs.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

good info Chas.

CFoote

Great info Chas. Nope, my dealer didn't know and my guess is that I can't return the parts as they've been used

Live and learn. It'll be $200, I'll just order the proper parts and get this fixed.

I just wanted to make sure the '09 lugs will work OK with my '05 wheel studs. I don't believe the wheelbearing/studs changed throughout the RL's lifecycle, so I should be OK there.

Welp, looks like I'll have a set of wheel locks and lugs up for sale soon

Thanks for the info though, this isn't something to mess around with, its definitely a safety issue.

Chris

Chas2

09 lugs should work with 05 wheel studs. Check with your dealer to make sure.

Here is an alternative, which you may want to research also. Buy '06-08 PAX lug nuts and locks. Because PAX is a dead end, they may sell them cheaper, but I could make the same argument that because it is a dead end, they are more rare, and therefore more expensive. Regardless, if cheaper, PAX lugs and locks should fit.

Here is my rationale:

Diagram # | Part # | Description | Qty | Model Year
014 90304-SHJ-A91 NUT, WHEEL (SATO RASHI) 20 2005 RL 05-08 Flat Washer Seat
014 90304-SJA-A91 NUT, WHEEL (M14) 20 2009 RL 09 Ball Seat
014 90304-SJA-A91 NUT, WHEEL (M14) 20 2006 RL 06-08 PAX Ball Seat

Note the 09 lug nut PN is the same PN as the 06 PAX.

Certain late models (like 09 up) of Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline and Pilot also use the M14 wheel nut, and you may find better prices on Honda locks and lugs vs the premium Acura line, but you really need to make sure of the part numbers, because earlier models had very different lugs...

rtr

nice wheels but you need to loose the pin stipe.

Rob144

I almost did this but went with the A-Spec wheels when my dealer had a special sale. Now there's real pictures instead of my photoshopped photos.

What tires do you have on the car, and how has the ride/handling changed?

rl35kb1

Those wheels look like they belong. Now I know what i want for Father's day.

CFoote

Just an updated for everyone reading...

My dealership (Schaller Acura, Manchester CT) really stood up and took care of me (as always, these guys rock). They took the old lugs back and ordered the '09 lugs. They also exchanged the wheel locks

I am now rolling on proper lugs and locks

Thank you again Chas for mentioning this, I never would have thought to think about lug nuts. Now I know....

Chris

CFoote

I have the Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires (these are the really hard to find ones that are backordered everywhere as I write this...). Overall these tires are quieter than the OEM tires (no surprise there). The ride is a bit harsher (no surprise since I went from 17s to 18s), but the car definitely has less roll.

Overall I'm happy with the setup. The ride is slightly harsher but nothing that I would complain about at all! As we all know, if you want handling you have to sacrifice a little bit of ride quality...and this was well worth it.

A great purchase for anyone considering it.

Chris

lvnLegend

Thanks for posting the pic. I was thinking long and hard about doing this but didnt want to risk it. You confirmed my thoughts and your car looks great. Thanks again.