Mr. Fallon Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 A few months ago I test drove a 2019 Lincoln MKZ with the turbo 4cyl. The ride quality was very nice, and then I heated about the optional 400hp AWD option and I was sold. I picked up a 2018 model (CPO) but it came with 19" wheels (satin finish painted etc) and it's second set of tires which are Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 245/40ZR/19 (would you consider these "low profile"?). The ride quality is still really nice, but I think if I swap wheels and tires it could be better. I'm thinking about trying to trade the "upgraded" wheels and tires for some smaller factory ones. 18" Wheels and Michelin tires. My questions are.. - What are the exact tires that come from the factory? - Do you think there will be ride issues when going from the current 19" setup to the proposed 18" setup? Will it change the camber, caster, angle etc enough for premature wear, would it need to be realigned afterwards? - What are your opinions on the suggested trade, am I shooting myself in the foot? - What tired would you recommend for a smooth comfy ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 (edited) On 1/17/2020 at 12:58 AM, Mr. Fallon said: A few months ago I test drove a 2019 Lincoln MKZ with the turbo 4cyl. The ride quality was very nice, and then I heated about the optional 400hp AWD option and I was sold. I picked up a 2018 model (CPO) but it came with 19" wheels (satin finish painted etc) and it's second set of tires which are Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 245/40ZR/19 (would you consider these "low profile"?). The ride quality is still really nice, but I think if I swap wheels and tires it could be better. I'm thinking about trying to trade the "upgraded" wheels and tires for some smaller factory ones. 18" Wheels and Michelin tires. My questions are.. - What are the exact tires that come from the factory? - Do you think there will be ride issues when going from the current 19" setup to the proposed 18" setup? Will it change the camber, caster, angle etc enough for premature wear, would it need to be realigned afterwards? - What are your opinions on the suggested trade, am I shooting myself in the foot? - What tired would you recommend for a smooth comfy ride? Hi Mr. F. Yes, the 245/40-19 tires are "low profile". There was a time not to long ago when even 50 series tires were considered "low profile". Nowadays, 50 or 55 series tires are essentially the norm, and sidewall ratios lower than 50 series are now "low profile". And yes, if you went to an 18" wheel with 45 or even 50 series tires, the ride will be softer. Of course, that is comparing apples to apples on tires, since tires can be a big part of ride comfort too. You will sacrifice some handling though, if it matters to you. Concerning your other questions: 1- The 18" wheel is factory equipped with 245/45-18 Michelin Primacy MXM4's. The 19" wheel is factory equipped with 245/40-19 Michelin Primacy MXM4's. 2 - Not sure what you mean by "ride issues". Apples to apples with tires, the ride will be softer and more compliant with an 18" wheel and larger sidewall tire than it is with a 19" wheel and the same model but lower sidewall ratio tire. You normally would not need to worry about alignment issues if only installing new tires, unless you already noticed abnormal tire wear. However, since you have no idea when your CPO MKZ last had an alignment (if ever), I would recommend having an alignment performed after you install the new set of tires, for this one time. Then have alignments performed as recommended and necessary from there on. 3 - Do what you feel is best for what you want. Yes, the 19" wheels are more expensive and so are the tires that come with them. But what is the difference, if you can have something that is more comfortable for you? So do what will make you happy. 4 - The factory Michelin MXM4's are a good riding, "Grand Touring All-Season" class tire. That is what I have on my 2018 MKZ 3.0T (still the factory set with ~7,500 miles on them). I tend to prefer Michelin Tires lately, so that is what I would recommend. If you wanted a little more performance/handling (which does not seem to be your priority), I would recommend the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+. It is an "Ultra High Performance All-Season" classification tire. That is what I have as replacement tires on my 2007 MKZ. I would also recommend you go to The Tire Rack https://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/homepage.htm Use their Tire Decision Guide https://www.tirerack.com/content/tirerack/desktop/en/tire_decision_guide.html to choose the tire traits that are most important to you, and the Guide will list tires which fit your guidelines. It is a good place to start. Anonymous Internet opinions (mine included) are okay for somewhere to start, but I would recommend also getting the advice of the experts. You do not need to buy from The Tire Rack, you can just use their resources for informational purposes, although their prices are very good and you can have the tires shipped to their "preferred installers" in your area. And they have loads of preferred installers, so installation should not be a problem. Also, if you are a Costco member, they have excellent pricing on tires, although they have a more limited selection. Mainly Michelin, Continental and BF Goodrich. If nothing else, use the low pricing at The Tire Rack and Costco to negotiate lower prices at your local tire shops, if you prefer buying locally. Hope this information helps. Let us know how you make out and good luck. EDIT - Also, be sure to check your current tires to ensure they are inflated to the proper pressure. It is 38 PSI for the 245/40-19 tires.. You can find the Lincoln recommended pressure on the drivers side door sill placard. Ideally, that is a cold reading, before the car is driven in the morning, since driving will increase tire temps. Even the tires on the sunny side of a parked car will have higher pressures than the tires on the shady side, by up to several PSI, due to the sunlight heat. Low profile tires have a much smaller margin of error than higher sidewall ratio tires do. Therefore, it is important to check regularly and keep them properly inflated. This is especially important in the winter, when lower/varying temperatures can drop tire pressures by 1+ psi per 10° F temperature drop. Edited February 9, 2020 by bbf2530 Mr. Fallon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 i put wider tires on a previous car, which meant lowering the profile, to make sure the change didn’t affect the speedometer. Any concerns in this proposed mod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) 14 hours ago, Spaceman said: i put wider tires on a previous car, which meant lowering the profile, to make sure the change didn’t affect the speedometer. Any concerns in this proposed mod? Hi Spaceman. Are you asking the OP or just anyone in general? And are you asking about the OP's proposed changes or some future change of your own? If you are asking about the OP's question, the answer is no, there are no concerns, since he is simply changing from the factory 19" tire size to the factory 18" tire size. The overall diameter change is negligible. If you are asking about your own car, you need to provide more specifics and details about your car, the current and proposed tire sizes etc. It is not really possible to accurately answer your question without more information. You can use this Tire Size calculator to find sizing of your current and planned tires: https://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html Hope this helps and good luck. Edited January 18, 2020 by bbf2530 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaceman Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Just asking in general as it’s something I would consider! Thank you very much for the reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 36 minutes ago, Spaceman said: Just asking in general as it’s something I would consider! Thank you very much for the reply. Hi Spaceman. Then if your question is whether there are any concerns in switching from the factory 19" wheel/tire sizing to the factory 18" wheel/tire sizing, the answer is no. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khovius Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 I took another route. I have the 245/40R19 on my 2016 and have bent the rims a few times. I looked at the 18" rims and decided to stay with the 19" I did change to 245/45R19 to give me an additional 1/2" of sidewall and address the speedometer calibration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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