advice on choosing rims

i got a 94 ls400 and am having trouble choosing which rims i want to go with. ive decided to go with the AME Shallen's but dont know which style. either the LX's or AX's. also, should i go 19's or 20's. this is my first VIP car and dont want to mess up the first time, i actually come from a sport truck community with a bagged silverado lay'd on 22's. anyways.... both these LS's got 19's on them and they dont look too bad, but im convinced that 20's are the way to go... am i wrong to think so? all help is greatly appreciated....

19" shallen AX
[img]http://www.inspection.jp/line_up/airo_parts/vip_sedan/celsior/duce/10celsior/pict/01b.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.inspection.jp/line_up/airo_parts/vip_sedan/celsior/duce/10celsior/pict/02b.jpg[/img]

19" shallen LX
[img]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/calitri808/VIP/ameshallen.jpg[/img]

The problem with 20s is that you will be forced to 'tuck' the wheels. Its a subtle difference that most people dont notice at first, but most VIP cars dont tuck their wheels - they leave the entire face of the wheel in full sight (this might be a foreign concept if you are coming from the minitrucking scene! :))

Dont get me wrong, some VIP cars do tuck, and they still look hot when tucking, but you need to pay more attention to other details to get the 'look' right if you do this: vip bodykit, tight wheels etc. You *could* do the flush look with 20s but then your car will be kinda high still... its all about getting as low as you can without hiding the wheels!

both of those wheels are nice. there is nothing wrong w/ 19's, even 18's, for VIPstyle. the focus is more on how the wheels fit and look on the car and not how big they are. i work at a shop where we do alot of minitrucks so I know where you're coming from as the big thing in the truck world is "bigger is better" haha. but thats not neccesarily the case w/ vip.  i had a bagged first gen GS and i rocked some 20s for awhile but i liked it better w/ a set of 18's as it layed out. 20s didnt allow it to lay, and it sat lower in the back as it couldnt tuck as much of the 20s in front.   hope thats helps alittle!

[quote=Dominik]
The problem with 20s is that you will be forced to 'tuck' the wheels.
[/quote]

You ONLY need to tuck the wheels if you want the car slammed but VERY HARD to drive that way.............. I have 20's

When my car is lowered down to the lip EVEN though its NOT slammed it still looks GREAT. I have stock air so I get the look I want when its parked.

I think 18s, 19s and 20s are all acceptable sizes for a LS. If you have your heart set on 20's, then go for it. Just make sure you have the wheel fitment right and your half way there. The other half would be getting the stance right like the pictures you have.

It does depend on the car i guess. Some cars have lower wheel arches, so you cant lower them as much before tucking. And if you have a low kit, it can look slammed without tucking 20s

Since you are from mini-trucking you might not be scared of the trend which i have started seeing more of in VIP magazines though: Raising the fender arches. Basically, they tub, then cut the fender arches higher, so that even when laying frame with 20"s, the full face of the wheel is visible.

Dominik, that's very interesting that they're doing that...do you have any pics of cars that have it done? This is where owning a bodyshop may have its advantages.

One of the ones doing the show circuit right now is this UCF20:
[img]http://www.k-break.com/event/35gw/01.jpg[/img]
(thats a pretty extreme raising though, others are more subtle - the rears are done just as high on that car)

Usually its just the rears that get raised to the same level as the front arches (since the rear arches are usually lower than the fronts. Might not allow you to 'lay frame' but combined with a kit you would get the really slammed look

This one is more subtle:
[img]http://www.k-break.com/event/27dsu/13.jpg[/img]

more obvious:
[img]http://www.clublexus.com/gallery/data/500/931.jpg[/img]


Of course now i cant find any pictures, but there is a sweet Y33 Q45 in one of the recent vip mags that was sitting flush while on the ground with 20"s on the rear and 19"s on the front... Looked VERY cool...

Thanks for the pics! Something to consider when picking out your wheels! I already ordered 20" Work SL's for mine and wasn't sure if I had made a good choice or not...but now I know what to do.

That Green 2nd Gen LS has 20x10 front and 20x11 rear!!! :o

yeah i guess i gotta try to switch mentalities when going from my truck to my ls.so the VIP thing is to go as low as possible and show the whole rim right? 
i found this, they look like 20"S though. but i think ive set my mind on 19's now... thanks for all the feed back....
20's
[img]http://www.k-break.com/event/14tokusima/07.jpg[/img]
19"
[img]http://www.inspection.jp/line_up/airo_parts/vip_sedan/celsior/duce/10celsior/pict/01b.jpg[/img]
figured id show you guys my truck (never ending project) which has nothing to do with anything....
[img]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/calitri808/DSCF4999.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/calitri808/DSCF5007.jpg[/img]

I've seen that truck on GMFS and FSC.... :2funny: I've got a NBS with the 04 escalade front end.

well i fintally decided to go with AME Shallen AX. 19x9 front and 19x10 rear. BUT i wanted to knwo what offset would fit perfectly. this guys at a rim shop that brings AME's in showed me a picture of a UCF11 with 19x9 w/ 45 offset and 19x10 45 offset, and it came almost flush with the lip of the fender. i was talking to the guy and asked him if +35 front and +30 rear would work, he said it would be agressive and i would haveto roll the fenders a bit. would this combination work with my car? havent ordered them yet cuz i want to best fitment. thanks...

[quote=mista808 ]
19x9 w/ 45 offset and 19x10 45 offset, [/quote]

NO NO get the ones you have to roll the fenders some........... they look alot better after words.


45s are too weak

x2  :police:  do some more research on what will fit an LS with fender rolling and stretch

[quote=mista808 ]
well i fintally decided to go with AME Shallen AX. 19x9 front and 19x10 rear. BUT i wanted to knwo what offset would fit perfectly. this guys at a rim shop that brings AME's in showed me a picture of a UCF11 with 19x9 w/ 45 offset and 19x10 45 offset, and it came almost flush with the lip of the fender. i was talking to the guy and asked him if +35 front and +30 rear would work, he said it would be agressive and i would haveto roll the fenders a bit. would this combination work with my car? havent ordered them yet cuz i want to best fitment. thanks...
[/quote]

almost flush? then that means you have about 5 mm, so u can do 19 x 9 40 offset and 19 x 10 40 offset. That is 5mm more lip!

I'd say go 19 x 9 via 35 offst and 19 x 10 35 offset and shave the rear fenders.

if you don't have to roll -shave fenders then that means it's not aggressive enough.

According to the vip mag tsuraichi guide, you should be able to fit 9J/10J +20~+25 if you run stretched tyres and lower the car right down.

[quote=Dominik]
According to the vip mag tsuraichi guide, you should be able to fit 9J/10J +20~+25 if you run stretched tyres and lower the car right down.
[/quote]

Yup Yup

If your worried go Low 30s but please dont go 45's

[quote=V8_Aristo ]
I think 18s, 19s and 20s are all acceptable sizes for a LS. If you have your heart set on 20's, then go for it. Just make sure you have the wheel fitment right and your half way there. The other half would be getting the stance right like the pictures you have.
[/quote]

exactly what he said ....

I HAVE A SET OF CHROME AX's for sale, 19x10 +10, 19x9 +08.... let me know if you are interested ,they are en route via USPS from a friend in Japan