Hey I just had a few questions on wheels. I just picked up some 20" x 8.5 ADR Sterling rims. They came with tires 255/35/20. The fronts are worn and rears are almost new Nexen N7000. When I put them on I noticed a difference in handling. I guess that's to be expected but I just didn't think about it. But my questions are does everyone notice this or is it a result of worn front tires or wider rims? I do want to replace the front tires but I was wondering if I changed the front tire size to 245 would the steering improve slightly? Also is it possible to run 245 front and 255 rear on an X? Or possible but not recommended? I briefly browsed the X staggered rims thread. Also is it always recommended to get an alignment with new rims? Had no problems running stock. I'm new to rims so sorry for all the rookie questions. Thanks

 

I would not recommend staggering the tires on square wheel fitment for an X. You don't necessarily need a new alignment when swapping wheels but if you haven't gotten one in a long time I would advise you get one just to preserve your tires.

 

Thats common when you upgrade tires. Softer compound = better grip

 

Would 245 or 255 all around steer/handle better?

 

You have 20 inch wheels so its gonna feel alot different compared to a smaller wheel setup

 

If you've been running 18" rims and switch to aftermarket 20" rims you'll feel the difference due to the weight since they're not forged rims, and different tires too. Since the wheels aren't that wide you could easily run 245/30X20. When/If you get new rubber get a 4 wheel alignment, let the tech know you've moved up to 20" rims from OE....it makes a difference!
Gary

 

hey i have a dumb question too i got a set of used rims that are 18x7.5 same as the front oe but the back rims arent the staggared 18x8 like the oe rear was and someone told me that can be bad for your car but i was just curious if they are wrong or are they right cuz i dont really see how that can affect much other than less surface area for handling?

 

^Having the same width wheels all around won't have any negative effects, as long the tires are the proper sizes. Handling is effected by the footprint of the tire and not a half inch of wheel width.