tx2vaTL

Well I'm on my second set of 20 x 9's in two years and with both sets my front driver's side rim lip get dented in. I'm not sure if it's the crappy Virginia roads or if I a real problem. I thought about going from 235/35 to a 235/40 tire to see if it makes a difference but before I did, I wanted to get some opinions on what my issue might be.

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

It would seem that your tire sidewall is not thick enough to absorb impacts enough to protect your rims from damage. Logic would dictate that you decrease rim diameter in order to fit a tire with a thicker sidewall.

Bayam0n

^yes, i agree OR, buy wheels with no lip. i think they are stronger in regards to how they withstand blows from pot holes. my friend has some beautiful Volks G2, 20 inch on his Beemer, and I remember him hitting quite a few pot holes, but the wheels withstood the impact better then his deep dish volks which always had dents. SO, get smaller wheels to fit bigger tires, OR get stronger wheels with little to no lip.

Rafiton

I was thinking about that when I wanted to buy my rims. I love the look of the deep rims, but the lip(at least here on Puerto Rico) ain't going to last shit. On Puerto Rico rains a lot and the construction of the roads aren't the best. And beside im not on the finalcial situation to be blowing tires a lot and fixing bended rims every time it happens.

csmeance

monoblock forged rims are the best to get since they are the strongest and lightest. 2pc and 3pc rims that are forged are good, however the multiple joints do make them slightly weaker. The plus side is that it's easy to disassemble and replace a barrel, lip or center.

If you are running 20 x 9, the proper tire size in respect to keeping your speedometer, odometer and other various wheel based sensors in your car in tolerance is 235/30/20, and that is larger than the factory diameter by .9% which is acceptable.

If you find yourself bending rims, bump up the air pressure and that should help a bit. As well you might want to get yourself either some tires with a sturdier side-wall or may want to invest in some stronger wheels if you want to keep 20's. IMO go with some 19's, they look just as nice but you can have some extra protection to prevent bends.

Also you mentioned running 235/40/19, that is WAY out of spec, Nearly a 7.6% difference which is way past tolerance zones. If you are really going 60 MPH, your speedometer will show 55.4 MPH!

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

The problem with raising tire pressure, even slightly, is accelerated wear of the tire's centre tread....it's all about comprimises. After running my tire/wheel set up for over tow years...IMO, 18" is the ideal wheel diameter to maintain a near perfect blend of performance and looks for the 3G TL.

csmeance

This is very true, but with everything there is a cost. Running 20's on a TL is going to cost a lot if you live in an area with a bunch of pot holes! IMO the best protection for after market rims is to have a side wall of at least 35%!

tx2vaTL

Thanks you all for the help. I was almost ready to start replacing suspension parts.