What is the attraction to 20"+ rims?

[JohnMcClane]

Previously I thought you needed 20 inch for the max tow trucks to get the maximum tow rating. But I ordered my max tow and when you added it, it switched to 18inch wheels.

I actually think the 18 inch look sharp, and replacing tires could be cheaper with an 18 inch version vs a 20. But I still wonder for max towing specs do you need the 20inch? I’m actually looking to step up to some LT tires on some yet to be purchased take off wheels from someone but do I want 18 or 20?

18” will clear the brakes on max tow, some have had narrow clearance with 17” (like better never need a wheel balance weight clearance)

18 tires will actually cost more than 20.

LT 275/60r20 KO2 that come in at 33” are $342 per
LT 285/65r18 KO2 that come in at 32.6” are $371 per

Rubber is getting expensive and will need replaced…

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[Zengineer]

As a side note, I'm surprised nobody wigs out over so many people calling them "rims".

They are "wheels"....your bicycle has "rims"....unless of course you have a really expensive bike and in that case please do not tell us all about it.

Yes, your wheels have a part of them known as the rim but it's not as if you would buy just that part of the wheel any more than you can buy just the waist of a pair of pants.

 

[guppydriver]

Not sure the weight on the Welds vs stock, but you can probably beat tire weight, if wheel weight is higher than stock, you’re looking for an equal or lesser combined weight than stock.

When it comes to wheel/tire size, whole bunch of opinions. Some people like >22s, some people like <18s, what do you like? You can probably find a Ford dealer that has a 14th Gen truck with 20s on to take for a test drive. Food for thought.

I love the look of the 20" Cheyennes, I just thought I would sacrifice a ton of sidewall and have a cruddy ride.

Here's the thing about weight. To fill up that rear wheel well a bit with 18's with a 33 , you almost have to go to E rated tires. The one exception being the Grabber AT/X which in and itself isn't super light.

Point being, going with 20's and P rated tires are almost always going to be lighter than 18's with E rated tires. I want my truck to look good, but I want as minimal MPG loss as feasible.

I just don't like my Chrome OEM 18's at all, but I couldn't get the sport with the color I wanted. That's a great idea to find a truck with 20's and take a drive. I will say, I have 18's on my Tundra, and there isn't a speck of curb rash anywhere, which is appealing to me.

 

[Snakebitten]

I just don't wigout easy.
I'm too old. I'm probably protecting my heart.

Besides, the world doesn't need my help being serious about things that couldn't possibly matter.

 

[JohnMcClane]

I love the look of the 20" Cheyennes, I just thought I would sacrifice a ton of sidewall and have a cruddy ride.

Here's the thing about weight. To fill up that rear wheel well a bit with 18's with a 33 , you almost have to go to E rated tires. The one exception being the Grabber AT/X which in and itself isn't super light.

Point being, going with 20's and P rated tires are almost always going to be lighter than 18's with E rated tires. I want my truck to look good, but I want as minimal MPG loss as feasible.

I just don't like my Chrome OEM 18's at all, but I couldn't get the sport with the color I wanted. That's a great idea to find a truck with 20's and take a drive. I will say, I have 18's on my Tundra, and there isn't a speck of curb rash anywhere, which is appealing to me.

Pretty sure tiresize.com is where I found like the only 34” P rated tire.

33”+ P rated r20 tires are more common than you think.

 

[JohnMcClane]

As a side note, I'm surprised nobody wigs out over so many people calling them "rims".

They are "wheels"....your bicycle has "rims"....unless of course you have a really expensive bike and in that case please do not tell us all about it.

Yes, your wheels have a part of them known as the rim but it's not as if you would buy just that part of the wheel any more than you can buy just the waist of a pair of pants.

I do have a rim on the 3 piece wheels on the car in my garage. So cars can have them too.

It’s not meant as a brag, it’s meant to reinforce the thing that killed off grammar Nazis.

Nobody cares.

 

[dhrandy]

I prefer the comfort of the 18s over the looks of the 20s. But I also like the looks of the 18s.

 

[guppydriver]

Pretty sure tiresize.com is where I found like the only 34” P rated tire.

33”+ P rated r20 tires are more common than you think.

Sorry @JohnMcClane

I didn't specify. I meant 33 inch tire for an 18 inch wheel. If I go with 20's , I'll just go with a stock size P rated tire (275/60/20) of which there are tons.

Going 18 inch wheels , there is literally only one or two P rated tires (both from General)

 

[SilverPigeon]

Here is a mock-up of how my KR will eventually look when I get these 18" fuel beast wheels on it, hopefully with larger tyres too... will be off-roading, but no one can tell me this doesn't look good

 

[Zengineer]

If you don't like the ride or can't keep tires with 6.5 inches of sidewall away from curbs, I really question whether an extra 1/2 inch of it somehow changes everything.

Buy whatever wheels you like, no need to make up reasons...they all look silly with short beds and little mirrors anyway.

 

[Zyvin]

"they all look silly with short beds and little mirrors anyway."

LOL true...I wish the longer bed would fit in my garage.

 

[Bryan Simon]

I do have a rim on the 3 piece wheels on the car in my garage. So cars can have them too.

It’s not meant as a brag, it’s meant to reinforce the thing that killed off grammar Nazis.

Nobody cares.

Then there are the early to mid 60s
8 lug Pontiac rims.
rims with little tabs welded on for the lugs.
Sure Do like those setups.

 

[Bryan Simon]

I also dont get the level or lowering stuff. Its a truck. If i wanted a low vehicle, i would net a Mustang GT

But if everyone liked the same thing, this would be a boring planet..

I like what I like. Dont expect others to have same tastes.

I fully understand the leveling.
Im sure the biggest part of pickup owners really don’t care for the rake.
I did a 2/4 drop on my 79 Chevy.
Perfect for what I wanted. Easy to get in and out. Easy to grab stuff out of the box without climbing the box sides.
Increase in fuel mileage (with a 454 this was a big plus)
I fully intend on dropping the rear on my 21 2”, mostly for leveling. I don’t tow a lot, nor do I spend time off reading so ground clearance is not an issue. ( only reason for 4x4 is to get back out of my backyard once I get back there). Also, make it a bit easier to jump in the back when needed—to wash the roof.

 

[guppydriver]

If you don't like the ride or can't keep tires with 6.5 inches of sidewall away from curbs, I really question whether an extra 1/2 inch of it somehow changes everything.

Buy whatever wheels you like, no need to make up reasons...they all look silly with short beds and little mirrors anyway.

Solid post for a newb like me. I've never bought aftermarket wheels or tires on anything I own. This Lariat 502a will be my "dream truck" and I love everything but the wheels.

People tend to exaggerate when passionate about stuff, so based on my limited research, I had come to the conclusion that......

1. Going to 20 inch wheels would require a kidney belt
2. I would curb rash the hell out of them because of lack of sidewall
3. They would completely negate the fuel economy of the PB I paid 3g's for.

With my preconceptions, I thought I was tied into 18's. However, based on a number of posts and considering I never go off road, I see that 20's won't make much of a difference (like you said 1/2 inch of sidewall) and with 20's I won't be tempted to with a taller E rated tire to fill up the wheel well. I just didn't want my 70K truck to look silly with 18's and OEM tires (especially that rear wheel well).

Thanks for all your info and input. Honestly. I appreciate it.

 

[Pedaldude]

...I wish the longer bed would fit in my garage.

They fit if you get a regular cab. There’s also the added bonus that you don’t get stuck driving people around.

As far as the wheels discussion, I believe that nobody would be able to tell the difference on the street or off-road between 18” and 20” wheels fitted with the same model rubber on identical trucks.

17” wheels are the new 15”s and it’s actually harder to find tires nowadays for the smaller wheels.

18” wheels are the smallest ones that will fit my truck, the benefit is larger brake rotors fit and you can also fit the steering axis closer to the middle of the contact patch than with smaller wheels.

22” wheels may look preposterous on a 1988 Chevy Caprice as well as being terrible for the ball joints; however on a late model truck with their huge wheel wells and fender arches, you can fit 35” tires and rarely get a second look on the street. Back in the 1980’s the same setup would be stopping traffic!

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