18"vs 20" wheel ride quality

[Zengineer]

Would it be fair to say that 20's are more susceptible to bumper rash than 18's? Or is this not the case in a truck where a 20 inch wheel and OEM tire still gives you 6.5 inches of sidewall?

We have some pretty tricky drive thrus where I live and I don't want to bugger up my wheels if I get 20's.

Curb rash I assume you mean...

Yes the wheel lip is closer to the ground with a 20 but as you mentioned it is still 6+ inches above the pavement. In my mind 20 is the natural size now that stock tires are taller than years ago. Unless I crawled rocks I rather have the better handling and general sqishiness that comes with a smaller wheel. In the summer my car has 255/35/19's and maybe 3"of sidewall and I've managed to keep them rash free for 6 years.

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[guppydriver]

Curb rash I assume you mean...

Yes the wheel lip is closer to the ground with a 20 but as you mentioned it is still 6+ inches above the pavement. In my mind 20 is the natural size now that stock tires are taller than years ago. Unless I crawled rocks I rather have the better handling and general sqishiness that comes with a smaller wheel. In the summer my car has 255/35/19's and maybe 3"of sidewall and I've managed to keep them rash free for 6 years.

Yep.....curb rash...blonde moment

The part of your comment I bolded though. Wouldn't you definitely want smaller wheels if you crawled rocks? So you could air down the tires? Sounds like for a pavement princess, the 20's wouldn't be too subject to curb rash.

The more interesting question. How have you kept your wife from driving your car for 6 years?

 

[pg318]

Would it be fair to say that 20's are more susceptible to bumper rash than 18's? Or is this not the case in a truck where a 20 inch wheel and OEM tire still gives you 6.5 inches of sidewall?

We have some pretty tricky drive thrus where I live and I don't want to bugger up my wheels if I get 20's.

Mine came with the base 17s, so when I was looking for a used set of wheels to pretty it up, I looked at mostly 20s, and a few sets of 22s. Almost all the 22s had curb damage, few of the 20s did, so that's what I bought.

There is a difference in the ride, for the worse, since the 17s have about 6" of sidewall, but it's also a lot less wallowy. Overall, I'd say it's a worthwhile trade.

 

[Zengineer]

Yep.....curb rash...blonde moment

The part of your comment I bolded though. Wouldn't you definitely want smaller wheels if you crawled rocks? So you could air down the tires? Sounds like for a pavement princess, the 20's wouldn't be too subject to curb rash.

The more interesting question. How have you kept your wife from driving your car for 6 years?

Yes, typing on my phone while eating...

Meant to say unless I was rock crawling I would not want smaller wheels...so smaller wheels better for offload.

I guess I just don't drive into things no matter what size wheels and with the 157 wheelbase you have to pay attention.

She drives it some but isn't allowed to parallel park and is pretty careful.

 

[Zengineer]

A 1996 F150 came with roughly 29 inch tires on 15 inch wheels. A 2022 with 20 inch wheels has a 33 inch tire. The amount of sidewall is almost the same. I'm not saying everyone should get what I got but it is kind of a misconception that 20 inch wheels on a modern F150 are some low profile mall crawler rubber band low rider tire. I forget what year my "Nite" was, it was a beater that I bought used. I think it was a 1992 and also had 235/75/15's.

 

[AgieF150]

I prefer squishy ride do I dropped 22 to 17 and 18” rims.

 

[tucsonbill]

I know this is a very old thread but the comment about 4" makes no sense.

Regardless of wheel diameter, the overall tire diameter is likely the same. A 20" diameter wheel is a 10" radius. An 18" wheel is a 9" radius. A 20" wheel only takes away 1" of tire sidewall....and with tires this big you still have a ton of tire between the road and the wheel. A 20" wheel on these trucks still has over 6" of tire between the wheel and the road and is not an extreme set-up for a vehicle that is primarily a street driven truck. What you may give up in rough road ride comfort you gain in cornering and stability if you tow.

Outstanding analysis. I found to my surprise that my 18'' OEM Ford wheels were actually about 19.5'' in diameter, and my 20'' OEM wheels [Lariat wheels as above] were about 21.5'' in diameter.

My ride on the new 20'' wheels is definitely firmer, and hopefully I will not need that extra inch for offroading.

 

[Zengineer]

Outstanding analysis. I found to my surprise that my 18'' OEM Ford wheels were actually about 19.5'' in diameter, and my 20'' OEM wheels [Lariat wheels as above] were about 21.5'' in diameter.

My ride on the new 20'' wheels is definitely firmer, and hopefully I will not need that extra inch for offroading.

I did go one size up when it came time for new tires but it honestly was just for a fuller look. The wheels ere sized by the inside where the tire bead seats.

 

[MaxMaster1]

I'm choosing between 18-inch wheels
Cooper Discoverer AT-3 XLT LT275/70 R18 122/125S
Maxxis AT-811 Razr AT LT275/70 R18 122/125S
Maxxis AT-781 Razr ATS LT285/65 R18 121/118R

Or 20 inches between the wheels
Maxxis Razr AT811 275/60 R20 116S
TOYO OPEN COUNTRY AT3 275/60 R20 115H
Hankook DynaPro AT2 RF11 275/60 R20 115T

Riding on 22 wheels is very tiring and a lot of everything is transferred from the road to the body

 

[Chili]

Very little, it's more about the tire quality. I went from oem Goodyear 275/65r18 to Michelin 275/60r20 and the only difference is the Michelins are smoother on the highway and get better dry and wet traction (haven't driven them in the winter yet). Don't forget you are also going from a 32 to a 33.

They are heavier though. If your suspension is worn it's going to have an even harder time controlling these.

Ride quality will go to crap if you buy LT's, or aggressive all terrains. I assume 22's are noticeable as well.

 

[MaxMaster1]

If we consider buying wheels with a diameter of 18 inches, then they are available only in LT
That's why I doubt it. I think maybe 275/60R20 tires will be enough for daily use on country roads and disgusting asphalt pavement.

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