Escalade Tire sizing

[MRIcure]

Would like feed back on tire/ rim size diff for the 20 or 22 inch. Seen a few out there and I think they look great. Currently have factory 17's. Want to keep the good ride, but need to know if there any pit falls. or detrimental issues.

Thanks to all you experts out there, GREAT forum

First time caddy owner (finally got a good one)

[Ed Hall]

The larger the rim and the lower the profile of the tire, the rougher the ride. Going from 17's to 20's will sacrifice a lot in ride quality there's no getting around it. For a smooth ride, you want the second set of numbers (eg. 255/70/R17) to be as large as possible. A 255/70/R17 is going to ride a lot smoother than say a 255/45/R20.

[JasonA]

The larger wheels will also be a lot harder to turn (meaning accelerate) and also harder to stop. You'll probably notice softer throttle response as well as softer braking response. Here's an excerpt from an article on motortrend.com:

Not long ago, 17-inch-diameter wheels were limited to upper-end sports cars, while 20-inchers were strictly for lunatic-fringe tuners. Now, many minivans come standard on 17s, and 20-inch "dubs" are original equipment on pickups. If you're buying a new car, should you go for the optional 19s? If your considering an "upgrade" to your current vehicle, should you go to 20s, 24s or 26s?

Here's the short answer: If show is more important than go and the roads in your region are so smooth you think a pothole is something that causes pasta sauce to leak onto the stove, then, sure, go for the bigger size. Just be sure to keep the OE wheels for when you want to sell the car because those certain-to-no-longer-be-trendy versions will be lucky to bring 50 cents a pound at the aluminum recycler.

The long answer is that there's no performance advantage or even steering-feel improvement to be gained by increasing wheel diameter beyond about 17 or 18 inches for most cars. When asked what diameter Formula One wheels would go to if the current 13-inch mandate were removed, the head of Michelin's F1 program predicted 17 to 19 inches, adding "certainly not 20 or beyond."

If you were to select larger-diameter aftermarket wheels that weigh more than stock or have a different offset than the stock units, or if the new tires are of a significantly different diameter or lower load rating, the vehicle's handling, ride, emergency capability, and safety could be severely impacted. Auto manufacturers spend millions of dollars on their vehicles' suspension engineering and chassis tuning, including factory tire fitment. Any change you make after you buy a vehicle means a trade-off must be made. The more dramatic the change, the more severe the compromise. The best general guidance regarding plus-sizing is to look to the automaker's own offerings. If a car is available with 18s, then rest assured, the suspension and braking is engineered to work effectively with this heavier setup."

[navion]

One other negative to add to the above is reduced ability to absorb shocks from potholes, speed bumps, etc. I have seen and heard sob stories where someone with 20" rims ruined one in a pothole.

I forget where I read it but some magazine had someone describe this large diameter wheel phenomena as (in his eyes) looking like a rubber band streached over a trash can lid.

I say, if that is what you want, go for it. But I suggest that you try to find a vehicle that is simialr to yours that has the large wheels and take a ride in it. See what the ride is like. If it is acceptable to you, OK. If not, you have just $aved a chunk of change. You wouldn't buy a pair of shoes with out trying them on, why would you do a radical change on your vehicle without knowing how it will affect it's ride?

Britt