Jan 22nd 2025
2021+ TLX Gen 2 wheel fitment guide (A-Spec & Type-S)
The Gen 2 TLX Honda ditched all the new-fangled garbage and went back to ol’ reliable. No CVT, port injection, and most importantly, either way you get a turbo. So how do you put all that power down? Definitely not with the factory wheels and tires.
In fact, some of the biggest gripes we saw from owners are that A) the wheels are stupid-heavy and might as well be made from lead B) the factory tires kinda suck. So, in this fitment guide we’re going to show you all about fitment for the 2021+ TLX Gen II. You’ll learn how to get better lap times while looking good doing it. Or, more realistically, you’ll be able to get around the Starbucks drive-through a few milliseconds faster.
Quick links
- Basic fitment info
- Aftermarket wheels specs
- Brembo brake clearance
- Rolling/pulling fenders
- 19" wheel fitment
- 20" wheel fitment
Basic fitment info
- Lug pattern: 5x120
- Lug thread: m14x1.5
- Center bore: 64.1mm
- Lug torque: 93 ft/lbs
It still has the same grill as the previous gen (the one that looks like you're going lightspeed on the Millennium Falcon), don’t be fooled, because the fitment is completely different.
To start, the lug pattern and size has changed, meaning wheels from the older stuff aren't compatible with the TLX 2. Even if you could, you probably wouldn’t want to. These cars are bigger and badder than ever and they need wheels that bring the same energy.
Aftermarket wheels specs
Here’s an overview of what specs you should be looking at for your TLX. Don’t worry, we’ll look at examples after.
The Gen 2 needs big wheels, we’re talking 19s or 20s. Smaller wheels look good on the older ones, but these have giant wheel arches. It’s kinda a tossup on which size is better, but either way, these are both factory sizes so you won’t be throwing off driving dynamics with either. Depending on which factory wheels you got, they’ll measure 8, 8.5, or 9” wide. All have an offset of +50.
For aftermarket wheels, regardless of the diameter, the preferred width is 9 or 9.5” with an offset between +35 and +40 - effectively like putting 20 or 25mm spacers on your factory wheels. The fitment will be flush, but not excessive. Of course, you could go more aggressive than this if you want.
Type S Brembo brake clearance
Type-S with 19x8 +32 Enkei Raijin
The Type-S gets a nice Brembo brake package that can also be swapped onto the A-Spec. Even though the Type-S comes with 20” wheels, most 19s will still work. You might run into trouble with 18s, however (say for a winter setup). Unfortunately, there isn’t much information on which 18s clear TLX-S brakes at this time, if any. The best policy is to stick with 19s as the smallest size.
The cool thing about these Brembos is the rotor’s friction disk is decently inset from the hat - meaning these have good caliper-to-wheel spoke clearance. Still, it's good to err on the side of caution and try to confirm your wheels will clear the brakes before ordering.
Rolling fenders
With the ‘normal’ specs that we recommend, you’re free to go a bit wider with the tires and or a bit lower, and shouldn’t have any rubbing issues. If you want to push a bit further, you might have to roll your fenders. If you want tires 285+ wide, pulling will probably be necessary. In reality, you probably don’t need tires this wide anyway.
Examples of Gen 2 TLX wheel fitment
19”
Starting with 19”-diameter wheels. Again, there isn’t a preferred size for this platform. 19s will be a bit lighter, and look a bit more OEM+, while 20s give an aggressive look that suits lowered cars.
Fitment Facts |
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Front |
Rear |
Wheels |
Vossen HF5 19x8.5 +30 |
Vossen HF5 19x9.5 +40 |
Tires |
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Notes |
Eibach lowering springs |
Starting off with a staggered set of Vossens: square setups are the norm, but it’s possible to go staggered, even if you have a SH-AWD model. The key is to run the same tires front and rear. This A-Spec is kept the factory-size tires.
This fitment is much better than factory, but still not quite ‘flush’. These cars can take fairly aggressive wheel/tire packages before needing any fender rolling.
This car is on Eibach lowering springs. We found that a lot of owners swear by these for the ride quality and fact that you can retain active dampening, if you got it.
Fitment Facts |
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Front |
Rear |
Wheels |
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Tires |
Bridgestone Turanza 255/40R19 |
Bridgestone Turanza 255/40R19 |
Notes |
Factory tires size BC Racing coilovers. 2021 Tech SH-AWD |
Here’s a similar setup, but this one is square: Aodhan AFF7 - 19x9.5 +35 all around. Again, factory-size tires were used. There are zero issues running this setup, even with the car lowered on BC Racing BR-coilovers (it previously ran Tein Type-S springs, also with no issue). With these specs, no fender rolling was needed. The fitment is effectively like throwing 25mm spacers on the factory 19” wheels, but with reduced weight.
About half the cars we feature here are running BC Racing coilovers. They ride nice, and as you’ll see, they have the potential to go super low.
Fitment Facts |
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Front |
Rear |
Wheels |
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Tires |
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Notes |
Camber kit for rear correction. BC Racing coils. No rubbing |
If you like the fitment on the last, but want to upgrade the tires while you're at it, you could copy this setup. Instead of the stock 255/40R19, this car is running 275/35R19 - and it works without any rubbing.
Note that even though this car is on BC coils, they’re set a bit higher than the others on our list.
Fitment Facts |
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Front |
Rear |
Wheels |
SSR GTX01 19x9.5 +38 (effective +13) |
SSR GTX01 19x9.5 +38 (effective +13) |
Tires |
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Notes |
BC coilovers maxed out 25mm spacers |
If you wanna go for a stance look, 20s would be the natural choice, but you can make it work on 19s too. This 2022 Tech-pack is on SSR GTX01 wheels. The specs are the same as we’ve previously seen, the difference is this one has 25mm spacers, bringing the effective specs to 19x9.5 +13.
With specs this aggressive, rolled fenders are a must, plus you’ll also need stretched tires. It might not be the most performance-oriented setup, but that’s not the point - this one is mostly for looks.
Again BC coils were used. These are the regular models, not the ‘super-down-low’ spec, although they're just about maxed out. Any lower and you should probably be considering bags.
20”
If you’re gonna go this route we almost always recommend lowering, whether it’s springs, coils, or air.
A common misconception is that the TLX Type-S OE Y-spoke wheels are ‘lightweight’ (some retailers even market them as such), when in fact most aftermarket 20s are going to be noticeably lighter (while being wider).
Fitment Facts |
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Front |
Rear |
Wheels |
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Tires |
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Notes |
Stock height. No other mods needed. Wheels clear TLX-S Brembos |
Okay, so we lied a little bit when saying that you have to be lowered if you’re rocking 20s. If you want an OEM+ look, the way to do it is by keeping the factory tire size of 255/35R20 paired with stock suspension - larger sizes will look a bit too 4x4ish.
The width and offset are still in the ballpark for what’s considered flush fitment. The specs are equivalent to 19s from the last section.
The style of these wheels even looks factory. The only downside is they weigh 32 lbs/piece, so only about ½-1 lb lighter than the factory wheels that would be equipped on this Type-S.
Fitment Facts |
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Front |
Rear |
Wheels |
Stance SF-07 20x10 +38 |
Stance SF-07 20x10 +38 |
Tires |
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Notes |
Megan Racing coilovers. No rubbing |
When lowered, 20s give an aggressive look that 19s just can’t. Here is a look at an A-Spec on 20x10 +38 Stance SF-07. These look a lot like factory Y-spokes, but according to Stance, they weigh an estimated 25 lbs, meaning almost 7 lbs lighter per wheel.
This car is lowered on Megan coilovers. No fender rolling was needed.
Fitment Facts |
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Front |
Rear |
Wheels |
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Tires |
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Notes |
Eibach lowering springs. No rubbing Wheels clear Type-S Brembos |
How do multi-piece wheels stack up? In terms of weight, they really can’t compare to high-end forged or even flow-formed wheels - but those just don’t have the baller factor. And SSR Professors are about as baller as you can get. Sure, they might weigh a few pounds more than the already heavy factory wheels, but that’s neither here nor there - who’s gonna talk sh!t about your JDM 3P wheels?
As far as fitment, this car is just as good as the last one. Again, 20x10, offset is basically the same, but the tires are a size larger @ 275/30R20. Also, this car is lowered on Eibach springs rather than coils.
Wrap up
Most of the setups we covered aren’t going to require extensive modification. When you get into tires size 285 or 295, that’s when you’re almost guaranteed to need a fender roll/pull. Do you really need 295/30 tires? Probably not. These are Hondas, not Hellcats.
Whether you got a base, A-Spec, or Type-S the winning formula for aftermarket wheels seems to be 19 or 20” in diameter, with a 9 to 10” width, and 35 to 40 offset. You can go up a size or two in tire width, but no need to go crazy.
If you have TLX with some awesome fitment, be sure to upload it to our Fitment Gallery to show off your car and help others with their fitment endeavors. Got a 1st Gen TLX and looking for a fitment guide? Feel free to suggest it on our Insta or YouTube, we’re always looking for new ideas.
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