Maybe at this early stage no one has experimented with wider tires yet. But I am curious to find out if 245 width tires will fit on the TLX.

The plan is to ditch the factory tires and run 245/45R18 on stock rims plus a set of 17" rims for the winter.

Or if I find a good deal, a set of 19s for the summer running 245/40/R19 and use the stock 18" rims for the winter set.

According the spec sheet the I4 TLX, V6 TLX, V6 TLX SH-AWD all have different steering ratio and turning radius. So, maybe each model will have different clearance?

 

I am curious to know if someone can photoshop the HPF 19" Acura Wheels on a new TLX. You can buy this wheel new from the dealers for around $300 Each.

 

I don't believe they share the same bolt pattern though.....

 

^^^^^

Correct.

That particular 19" OEM wheel (post #2) is for the 4G TL, which has a 5x120 bolt pattern.

But the TLX is using a 5x114.3 bolt pattern.

 

Sad but true, the 4G advanced wheels will not fit. I looked into it as well since I really liked them on my 4G... oh well

 

I was under the impression that the TLX was 5x120 as well? 17x7.5 on the 2.4 and 18x7.5 on the V6. I really hope it is 5x114.3 that way I wouldn't have to sell my summer wheels.

 

Acura salesman said that the winter wheels from my 3gen TL would fit the TLX. This may help in your research.

 

^^^^^

Both the 2G TL and the 3G TL are using the 5x114.3 bolt pattern, it's just the odd-ball 4G TL that suddenly get shifted to the 5x120 bolt pattern.

 

You will have somewhat degraded handling with 245/45-18 on the stock 7.5", they really need an 8" min. even though the range goes down to 7.5". Stick to 225/50 unless going to 19x8". I had 225/45-17 on 8" on my BMW, and they used 245/40 on 8.5" on the 97+ M3.

 

Wider tires

To keep the diameter as close to stock as possible you would need to go 235/50/18. If you want to go to 45 tires you would need 255 and those are too wide

 

Not necessarily base on my own experience. Ran 225/55/16 on stock 6.5J rim when I had my 2nd Gen TL with very good results. The minimum recommended width for that tire was 6.5 and it ran perfectly fine with significantly better handling characteristics.

Probably mostly due to going from all-season to performance summer tire, but the point being that running tires on the minimum recommended tire width did no harm based on my limited experience.

I would like to replicate that with the TLX if I end up getting one.

 

Actually 245/45/R18 is the closer of the two. Interestingly per TireRack, 245/45 is made in France and cost $221 each while the 225/50 is made in the US and cost $145 a pop. The price difference between the two might make me stay with stock size.

Overall Diameter of Michelin Pilot Super Sport for each size

225/50/R18 - 26.9"
245/45/R18 - 26.7
235/50/R18 - 27.3

 

Pretty much all of that came from the category. One thing to note is that the 55/50 series are more flexible in rim width range (~2") than the 45/40 series (~1.5", see spec charts). You generally want to be in the top half of the range for optimal handling; while bigger looks better it may not give better performance on the same size wheel.

Here's my crazy analogy - a 225/55 with the taller sidewall is like a high top sneaker, something larger than your foot (the rim width) can still be anchored with laces and not be too much of an issue. The sidewall will curve around and still allow the contact patch to remain flat, but there's more flexibility to sway.

A 245/40 with a shorter sidewall is like a short boat shoe, anything larger than optimal and you start to swim in it, the equal being that while the tire is still anchored, the wider short sidewall bends in and starts pulling up the contact patch edges. Next time you're at the tire shop try squeezing the beads of a 55 vs. 40 series and see what happens. :wink:

I'd bet money on handling tests of response and grip that show for a given wheel size/tire the smaller widths do better overall than larger ones. But the fashion euro/asia look of super stretch is way off performance wise as well.

 

Interesting, I'll say it depends on the specific tire. Going from 225/50-18 to 245/45-18 the Hankook increases the section width by .2" and tread width by .8", but the Conti jumps by .4" and 1.1" respectively. That may make up for my dissertation above. Ah, but the 225 is measured on a 7" rim and the 245 on an 8".

 

Heavier duty setup, based on MDX and Ridgeline.

 

245 could fit but would look weird on a 7.5" rim. I know this because I had the same problem with the stock G37 sedan which has the same wheel and tire size.