Alright, so I've got a few questions about replacing wheels. I've got the 17" Tech Package stock wheels on my '13, and my ride has gotten a bit bumpier, which I think is due to hitting a few...significant...pot holes and getting some bending. So I'm wanting to upgrade wheels, and go with winter/summer wheels/tires. So in my situation, I think I'd use my stock wheels for the winter kit, and buy some new ones for the summer kit, since I do more driving in the summer, and I would be alright with the stock ones getting a bit more torn up from winter driving.

So, from what I've read 18 might as well be the way to go, and I've found a few options on tire rack that I've been looking at and comparing. So my main question is, is going to 18" at all damaging to the car, or am I going to need to make any other changes beyond the new tires? I read somewhere that it can be damaging to the transmission, but I'm not sure how reliable that is. Additionally, if they don't have the exact same lug pattern, is that going to require some more changes? Finally, will I have to work with my dealership to get my TPMS working with tire racks after market TPMS sensors each time I swap out the wheels?

Let me know what you guys think, both about the style and my questions, any input is appreciated!

 

Hey HOR!

there are lots of aspects to buying an extra set of wheels
i recommend googling some terms so that you are comfortable with what you are buying, as an informed consumer is a smart consumer.

please google; height, width, and offset.
these three things are crucial!

the stock set is 17x7 +40
if you wanted to remain at these specs, the wheels wouldnt need anything but new tires and new TPMS

and yes, your new wheels need to have the same lug nut pattern; 5x114.3

 

Stock wheels with winter tires is a good idea as you typically dont want to go wider or larger for a winter set up.

If you go aftermarket wheels you need to lug nuts. These can be found at any tire shop that puts the wheels on for you.
If you go with an OEM wheel like something off a TSX or TL then you would use Acura OEM lug nuts.
Regardless if you get aftermarket or OEM you HAVE to get 5x114 lug pattern. There are ways to make other patterns fit but you dont want to bother with that.
Stick strictly to 5x114.

Going up in size to 18s will change very little with your driving. Your speedo numbers might read slightly off but no where near anything concerning. Like a mile difference maybe.
New larger wheels will not damage your transmission at all.

You will be buying smaller tires probably so if you buy the same quality tires the ride may get a tad more harsh. But you can research softer tires and find tires that even wen put on an 18in wheel will feel more comfortable than what you had on the 17s. Talk to your tire shop about that.

TPMS sensor will need to be transferred from your stock wheels or you will have to buy new ones which can be pretty expensive. I myself put normal valve stems in my stock wheels with tires re balanced and put my old TPMS in my new 18in wheels. This way if I want to use my stock wheels I can. The car will just claim I have a flat when I dont since they have no TPMS.

You can either do the same have just watch an error code during the winter months or buy TPMS sensors for the second set as well. Up to you. Not sure how many TPMS units can be matched to the one ILX at a time so you may be unlucky and only get the chance to pair one set at a time. That would suck. Id call your acura dealer or talk to the tire shop on that one.

Lastly you need to worry about the exact size.

As crabs mentioned, you need to know width, height, and offset. As well as the specs of the tires you want.
Just to whore my car out a bit... this pic may help and give you an idea of sizes..

Those are 18x8 +38 wheels with 225/40/18 tires.
I suggest you matching around those specs as they are pretty conservative and work well with no rubbing at all. You even have room for some 10 or even 15mm spacers if you wanted. Or bigger tires if you want a more cushioned ride.

To explain my specs...

18 is the wheel diameter. You see that number in both the wheel specs (18x8 +38) and in the tire specs (225/40/18).
x8 is the width. The wheels are 18in by 8in.
+38 is the offset. Most stock wheels are around 40-45 offset. Some are even 50 which is considered a high offset. Offset if more in the fine tuning of your wheel fitment. Stick with about 35 offset for aftermarket wheels as this will allow clearance both inside and outside the fenders.

You can go lower offset but your wheels will start to stick out from the car more. If you go higher the wheels will sink into the center of the car more. Again. 40 is where a lot of OEM wheels are.

Now for the tire specs. 225 is going to represent how wide the tires are.
40 is how tall the sidewalls are in ratio to the width of the tire. So larger numbers mean a beefier tire while smaller numbers will make for a smaller stretched tire.

Again I suggest following my specs or close to them. You can run 225/35 tires but they will look like thin tires. You can run 235/40 and the rubber will be wider with less risk of curbing the rim of the wheel.

Hope that info helps. I know it is a lot. Ask questions if you need!