Are bigger tires better?

[vito]

I signed the papers for a new SUV the other day, and hope to pick it up in the next day or two. The base model of this SUV has 18 inch tires, and the better trim lines, including the one just above base that I am getting, has 20 inch wheels. The salesman made a big deal about it, but it seems to me that it is really just a matter of looks, and probably higher cost when the original tires need replacement. Am I missing something? Do larger diameter tires offer any advantage? Other than raising the vehicle one inch more off the road, which I guess would help if I have to drive in snow or sand it seems like just a thing for looks.

 

[kwselke]

Is your new SUV going to be a hauling and towing luxury truck or a poor performing oversized sports car that needs low profile tires for tight cornering ability?

 

[JJEH]

Larger tires are not necessarily more expensive, it depends on size and brand. But you are right, it's mostly looks, yes. The 18 inchers give you more "meat" for pot holes, side walks, etc.

I have 17" on my truck and people say their truck runs smoother with 20" wheels. Good for them, I want 17" because I got more meat plus I like the look

 

[vito]

I bought this SUV, a new Dodge Durango, primarily to use as a tow vehicle for a travel trailer. With a 6,000 pound towing capacity, it can pull far more than its competitor SUV's like the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot or GM Yukon. I was influence, I will admit, by Consumer Reports rating it as the top recommended large SUV, as well as the towing capacity. For towing, or use as my new primary ride, I didn't think it made much difference whether I had 18 inch versus 20 inch tires.

 

[jeffsmith]

Bigger Wheels (Rims) Usually mean Smaller Tire Depth

They are just the Current Auto Fashion Fad

Give me Smaller Rims and Meatier Tires

They tend to Ride better and have more Resisliancy for road hazards

 

[Cpo1944]

I think you are much better off with the smaller Dia. wheels. The overall tire height is no different but the larger dia. wheel = higher performance - higher price ,shorter life-tires with a narrow side wall.
The 18`s will last longer and probably perform just as well on a suv like the Durango. Plus you can have a better choice of off road tires if you choose to go that route.

 

[Jack Flash]

Everything is a trade-off so you have to decide what traits are most important to you and what are of lesser importance.

For instance, when people try to make a special car that gets ultra high gas mileage, they use the skinniest (smallest tread width) tires they can get, pumped up to the highest pressure they will take. I once read of an engineer who cut off all the tread on the test vehicle's tires except a one inch band in the center. The mileage was great but he didn't do the vehicle's breaking distance any favors.

Low aspect tires (aka low sidewall profile) tires are found on performance vehicles. The smaller the sidewall, the less energy is wasted in tire flex and the handling is much tighter, since obviously, the wheels (made from steel, aluminum, ...) don't flex much at all. Improved gas mileage, better handling, better braking, ... But just going to a bigger wheel doesn't mean the overall height changes because the factory may pair the big wheel with a very low profile tire. Go to Tire Rack's website. They tell you how to calculate these things.

Going up a size or two doesn't usually have all that big an impact on price, unless you get into something that is really rare. Why not go to a tire website (Tire Rack is a good one) and compare the costs of the different sizes you are considering? My Dad always liked to buy bigger tires on the theory they last longer. It doesn't take much math to show that a tire with a larger overall diameter doesn't make as many revolutions per mile as a tire with a smaller overall diameter will. So Dad had a point there. Just make sure your speedometer is calibrated for your chosen tire size.

I would stick with the tire / wheel selections that the factory offers. Having said that, an extra inch or two of ground clearance can be crucial. My wife used to have a Saturn that was a great freeway / around town car. Its biggest problem was in deep snow in the winter. It was so close to the ground that it thought it was a snow plow. I don't know how many times I had to shovel it a path or push it through a snow drift. My aching back would have appreciated more clearance!

 

[JJEH]

I bought this SUV, a new Dodge Durango, primarily to use as a tow vehicle for a travel trailer. With a 6,000 pound towing capacity, it can pull far more than its competitor SUV's like the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot or GM Yukon. I was influence, I will admit, by Consumer Reports rating it as the top recommended large SUV, as well as the towing capacity. For towing, or use as my new primary ride, I didn't think it made much difference whether I had 18 inch versus 20 inch tires.

Congrats, great choice. We have a 2013 Durango R/T and it's great. It came with 20" wheels though.

Check the tire for the max. load capacity and compare on the internet. Larger tires don't always increase load capacity. If you have to replace your tires check into NITTO. Love those tires...

For example:

Nitto NT421Q 265/60-18 max load 2601 lbs @ 50 psi while our size 265/50-20 only have a max. load of 2403 lbs @ 50 psi.

 

[Fishinfool]

With 20 inch rims, you tires will have less side wall height. That means less tire flex, and better road handling, compared to a 16 or 17 inch tire.

That also means a rougher ride, and increased chance of wheel damage when off roading or navigating street hazards. And you cant "air down" a 20 inch tire for better off road traction like you can a tire with more sidewall. I am assuming the 20 inch set up comes in with an overall height the same as a 17 inch combo. If the 20 inch option is taller, then it changes your gear ratio, and would lessen your max. towing weight.

On a truck destined to spend its life on pavement, they should work well, but I prefer a 17 inch rim on trucks that are going to be used off road.

Larry

 

[M29since14]

I don't think there is enough difference to worry about yeah or nay, but as has been pointed out, you may have a better choice of replacement tires with the 17-inch rim size.

My Traverse has 20-inch wheels and it rides and steers nicely. It came that way and I like it, but I would be loathe to pay much extra for just the 20-inch wheels by themselves. I think it is just another money-maker for the manufacturers. They have to have something new to offer.

 

[snake803]

My 2007 Ford F-250, king ranch came with 20's.. It's an FX4 with stiff suspension.. rides rougher than my 2012 w 18's, but the 2012 is not FX4..
I get about 65 -70K mile on a set of the 20's , but At the time for the first replacement set, only goodyear and michelien made them... $450.00 a copy with free mount and balance!!!! That was in 2009... Got 237,000+ on the 2007 now and about 10K from another set... Goodyears came on it new and i always stick with what came with it...
JIM...............

 

[snubbyfan]

Yo dog, you'd be a bad G from the hood rollin' on dubs!

It's just for looks, I personally like having some meat on my rims.
My truck has 17's and that's fine with me.


A salesman'll tell ya all kinda stories to upsale ya on a higher trim level. Everything from exaggerations to outright lies. Helps boost their commission.

 

[Tom S.]

Here's some tire 101 factoids.

In snow, narrow tires are best because the offer less resistance and will cut through deep snow to the ground for traction better. The reason for this is the narrower the tread, the more vehicle weight it is carrying, therefore the more pressure it's putting on the ground. This advantage also carries over to areas of mud, as long as it isn't too deep.

Big rims with thin sidewalls are the rage but have two big drawbacks: they have a stiffer ride and a pot hole is more likely to damage the wheel as there is less sidewall to absorb the impact. A lessor drawback is to build a tire that will carry the same weight with a narrow sidewall also is reflected in the price.

Be careful of all terrain tires. Some are excellent off road, but really suck in snow in paved surfaces. Some aren't even snow rated. There are of course exceptions, for example BF Goodrich makes a AT tire that excels in snow. But some of those real aggressive tread pattern are really great tearing up a hill off road, but are total losers in snow and even worse on ice.

As for your salesman, take everything he says with a ton of salt. Some salespeople are very knowledgeable. Others are blithering idiots. So the average isn't looking too good.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I've ridden in enough newer trucks and SUVs with big wheels to know that I don't want them. I'll take the smaller rim and standard sidewall.

 

[BigBill]

Larger diameter rims equals less sidewall tires harder ride.

Back in 1973 I had the first 1100 X 33" x15" tires on my chev k10. I was told wider tires were no good in snow because of less foot print equals more traction. In Vermont a k10 with four sets of chains slide off the road and was stuck. A day later I slide off in the same spot and drive out.

My 76 k30 with lockers and dual wheels with six super swampers was used on skidded trails to cut firewood. She was a monster with 72 leaf springs. She never got stuck. I needed rear chains to drive in on icy trails but once the 17k was loaded with firewood the weight was good. I did more miles off road in ice, mud n snow.

I don't like thin wall tires. They look cheesy.

 

[fr3db3ar]

As everybody's said, larger rims means Lee's sidewall and less tire roll. I take my rig offroad so I want more sidewall and more ground clearance.

Sent from my SM-T817V using Tapatalk

 

[AlHunt]

Shorter sidewalls deflect less when you tun the steering wheel, which is where some of the better handling comes from.

*IF* they filled the inside of that gigantic 20" wheel with enormous disc brakes, it might be worth the tradeoff.

 

[1morethan8]

vito...

Well, I couldn't really say. I run BFG KM2 tires on 16" wheels on my Rubicon.. I haven't found anything else to compare them to..
oh well.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_hjxfBhWzA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_hjxfBhWzA[/ame]

 

[Jack Flash]

As mentioned, low profile means stiffer sidewalls means harsher ride. Car guys love that "feel of the road" but if you're married be advised that females pretty much hate it.

Another thing to consider is noise. Some tires are extremely noisy, especially if they have deep snow / sand / off road capabilities. Again, men tend to tolerate that a lot more than ladies do. Putting up with nagging every mile till a set of 60,000 mile tires wear out is not on my wish list.

 

[vrichard]

I think the old 7:50 X 16 was the best tire for a P.U.
Dick