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I have recently acquired a MDX Elite 2010, and I have somewhat of a newbie and complex question...
I would like to have different wheel size at the front and the back, in order to achieve something like a BMW X5 (wider at back), and was wondering : would that affect handling or anything at all ?!?!
I mean, per example, having 20x9 in the front and 20 x 11 in the back ....
I would love to have that rear end looking as "bad" as possible...and love the way the BMW have their rear wheels looking so large!
So thats the first question...
Second question : how big can I go at the back, and what kind of OFFSET I need if I go with 21x11 wheels at the back ?
I am a complete noob when it comes to car, so I will appreciate all your answers and opinions!
Rule off thumb is not to Stagger an AWD Car with Center Differential.. You will disrupt the AWD Rear and Front Bias by having more traction in the rear.
The SH-AWD has a Center Differential system.
I like having the same size tires on all four corners that are also non-directional. I can rotate and then cross-rotate every oil change. I just went with a 255/45/20 Conti DWS 06 on my 11 Adv and my rear camber is off in the rear and being able to rotate/cross-rotate made it possible to get the full 50,000 miles from them.
There isn´t really a fitment guide on the MDX subforums but RonJon made wheels that fit the MDX so I can at least give you the size they mention fits without issues:
Depends on offset and width together, one is not independent of the other. Generally, a 10" wide would need about 45mm offset to play it safe. 9" wide about the same if not 5 or 10 mm lower. I can hook you up with some perfect fitting hubcentric wheels in 20" x 9".
To answer your original questions in the first post:
1) staggered wheels may affect performance as the MDX is considered AWD. Additionally, it's primarily FWD with RWD assistance depending on various factors. BMW you are thinking may be rear wheel drive.
2) 20x10 was advised above. You may be the first to explore anything wider if your are interested.
Also, it's your vehicle, so if staggered is what you are looking for, give it a shot! If you run staggered, it would make sense to run wider wheel in the front though since that's where most of the MDX power will be coming from when you get on it.
MDX does have a REAR BIAS since SH-AWD does effectively transfer 70% of the power to the rear wheels under hard acceleration, Thats where most of the power is when on the throttle.
The MDX only becomes FWD Biased at Highway Speeds to save gas but its always Full Time AWD, The Weight Balance is that of a FWD Vehicle but that has very little to do with the Drivetrain force distribution which is Rear Biased under hard acceleration. This and Torque Vectoring in the Rear is actually what makes the MDX handle better than most BMW X5s.
Last edited by Skirmich; Apr 12, 2017 at 06:06 AM.
MDX does have a REAR BIAS since SH-AWD does effectively transfer 70% of the power to the rear wheels under hard acceleration, Thats where most of the power is when on the throttle.
The MDX only becomes FWD Biased at Highway Speeds to save gas but its always Full Time AWD, The Weight Balance is that of a FWD Vehicle but that has very little to do with the Drivetrain force distribution which is Rear Biased under hard acceleration. This and Torque Vectoring in the Rear is actually what makes the MDX handle better than most BMW X5s.
I stand corrected lol...
I've never got on our X to see this. When watching the power on the MID, it always show more power to the front wheels
I've only seen my MDX do 70% rear when slowly going up a steep incline. Most other times I'm 60/40 to 70/30 on acceleration on level ground. I can get the 70% tq on the left or right side on a tight turn with the "sh" feature.
I would stick with rims of the same size front and back. I've notice the tire and rim selection starts to get pretty thin once you start to go above 20 inch rim size or extra wide tires. You might be stuck with "gangsta" looking rims or having to choose tires with poor bad weather ratings, more road noise, faster wear, etc... The MDX is pretty much top of the list for 7 passenger SUV in the handling department. Acura's always felt like an extension of me and my senses instead of just along for the ride and being isolated from the road in a cocoon. I'm always rotating, cross-rotation, balancing, adjusting PSI, and doing alignments several times a year to keep a smooth ride on every surface in any kind of weather. My sister-in-law has a Lexus IS250 with different size directional tires front and back. She is always needing replacements around 20K because of the extra wear on the fronts and she can't rotate left/right or front/back to even out the wear.
Last edited by mrgold35; Apr 12, 2017 at 08:00 AM.
So I had to step out really quick and decided to full throttle the X in D and S mode. According to the MID, it shows more power going to the front wheels. Maybe a change in '10-13s? Pedal to the floor showed four bars to each front wheel and 3 bars to each rear wheel.
You will have to brake launch it in order to see the 70% Rear Bias instantly (MID will not show a disparity between the Front and Rear Axle though), if you WOT at a full stop you should see all 5 blocks in all wheels turn up in the MID but it should not launch as FWD Biased (See more power in the front than the back). After you launch It will slowly start to shift the power to the front since the Rear Wheels Stops being needed (In a straight anyway), that release of power from the rear is what sustains pickup because it will throw most of the 300HP power (or what ever is left of it after drivetrain loss) at the 2 front wheels.. By the time you are going way above 80mph you should see very little action at the rear wheels.
You will have to brake launch it in order to see the 70% Rear Bias instantly (MID will not show a disparity between the Front and Rear Axle though), if you WOT at a full stop you should see all 5 blocks in all wheels turn up in the MID but it should not launch as FWD Biased (See more power in the front than the back). After you launch It will slowly start to shift the power to the front since the Rear Wheels Stops being needed (In a straight anyway), that release of power from the rear is what sustains pickup because it will throw most of the 300HP power (or what ever is left of it after drivetrain loss) at the 2 front wheels.. By the time you are going way above 80mph you should see very little action at the rear wheels.
Gotcha! Not to thread jack, but it does bring up some good points. In this video, I see what you are saying. The start of the launch you can barely see, but I think I saw all 5 blocks light up for each wheel. It's so quick though and I was hoping to see the power remain in the rear, but instead of slowly releasing power to the front it seems very quick. I didn't brake launch the X and doubt I ever will lol.
If he brake launch it he could see low 6s... The MDX needs the brake launch in order to compensate for the lack of low end torque, Its a different animal if you brake launch it but I do not recommend it if you love your Torque Converter and Transmission, Once in a month wont hurt it though..
Brake Launch procedure:
Hold Brake with Left Foot
REV to 2000RPM
Release the Brake and Marvel at the almost full second you just dropped from your 0 to 60.
New owner 2010 - Question about max wheel size
