20" vs 22" wheels, and why?

[dizzygoat]

Im torn between 20 or 22 when comes to wheels. I like the look of both pretty equally, and the wheels i want are available in both sizes, so heres my questions.

Is there any reason to go with one or the other?
Tire selection?
Tire price?
Ride quality?
gas mileage/performance?

any and all info or opinions will be appreciated!

Thanks
Brad

 

[whatwhine]

ive liked 20" on an L.... Leaves enough sidewall and looks sharp. i want 20's

 

[Tex Arcana]

20's are lighter, so don't affect unstrung weight as much; plus, with more tire, you get better ride. I think they look better too.

 

[paulie03svt]

I have 20's on my svt, larger circumference means more rotations to go the same speed ive been thinking about going back to the 18's. i've worked for goodyear for 2.5 years now and yes 22's will generally be slightly more expensive, either way it will be a pretty penny. 22's will be a stiffer ride because of less sidewall. hope that helps.

 

[dizzygoat]

thank you!
I really think im gonna go 20

 

[Tex Arcana]

larger circumference means more rotations to go the same speed .

... WHAT!?!?!? :nonono:

A larger circumference means that, for each rotation of the tire, more distance is covered; therefore, the wheel turns less for the same speed than a smaller one.

In other words,

Got it? oke:

 

[paulie03svt]

please then explain why a vehicle will show i higher rate of speed with larger rims then you are traveling? example my truck says 37mph when i am actually doing 35 mph? but when i have the stock 18's i says 35mph when in fact i am doing 35mph. motor must work harder to rotate the increased size and weight. yes distance would increase if that was only factor.

 

[Dusten]

please then explain why a vehicle will show i higher rate of speed with larger rims then you are traveling? example my truck says 37mph when i am actually doing 35 mph? but when i have the stock 18's i says 35mph when in fact i am doing 35mph. motor must work harder to rotate the increased size and weight. yes distance would increase if that was only factor.

Wheel size has nothing to do with it, its all in the tire size.

Example, a 295/45/18(stock size) is 28.5" tall and has a circumference of 89.4". This means in 1 mile the tire rotates 709 times.

to get a 22" wheel to rotate the same you would need a tire that is 235/35/22. I am curious what your 22's are for tire size?

From what you say your speedo reads your 22's have a tire that is 5.5% smaller or 84.5" in circumference/26.9" in diameter

Which as far as 22's go is tiny, so I think something is off with how your calculating speed.

An example that shows your flaw is my 18's were stock on my powerstroke, i lifted it and went to 17's to run the 37's i wanted. Did my speedo read off? yes. did it have anything to do with my wheels? No.

 

[INFAMOU$]

22's all the way. Fits the wheels well nicely and you will notice next to no difference in ride quality over a 20" wheel.

22's are also very common now and tires are not an issue.

 

[dizzygoat]

ugh you're not making this any easier!

 

[funair02]

FWIW I my fuel mileage has increased 15% since I put the 16s on there...:kaboom:

anyways --- here's a good article for you all to read...

Big Wheels Can Present Big Problems

What those 22-inch wheels mean for your car's performance.

By Mike Bumbeck, DriverSide Contributor







Upsized Downs
A sentence or two uttered during the Lincoln MKS presentation outlining the extensive suspension development required to support use of the optional 20-inch wheels served as a valuable reminder to those thinking of throwing a set of 26-inch dubs onto their Caprice Classic. Big wheels and low profile tires may look cooler but do not necessarily improve handling. A larger wheel and tire package can actually decrease maneuverability and increase braking distances. Trend-based thinking is that, by dropping the sidewall height of the tire and increasing the diameter of a wheel, an improvement in steering response and lateral handling can be found. While this is true to a certain extent, there is a point of diminishing returns.


Low Profile
In theory, an improvement in handling comes with an upsized wheel and tire package. Decreasing the tire aspect ratio, or the percentage of tire width to tire height, also decreases side-to-side tire flex. While crisper handling is possible with a shorter tire, the pneumatic cushion between the road and car is less effective. The difference can be as dramatic as dozing off on an overstuffed mattress or trying to get cozy with a 1/2-inch thick foam camping pad.



Unsprung Weight
Increased mass of larger wheels causes other problems. The body of the vehicle sitting atop the suspension is sprung weight. The wheels and tires are bolted to the ends of the suspension are unsprung weight. Anyone who remembers playing with a gyroscope as a kid can recall how difficult the toys were to tilt or move around once they got spinning. Unsprung weight like 26-inch spinners can overwhelm the ability of a suspension to maintain vehicle control. Forged racing wheels are light. Diamond encrusted dubs are not.



Rotating Mass
Big wheels want to keep on turning. Added rotating mass of bigger wheels can overwhelm brakes designed for smaller diameter and usually lighter wheels. Consider a brake and suspension upgrade if rolling into the donk or dub zone is the plan. As did the team behind the Lincoln MKS, engineers submit a vehicle to long hours of development and testing to determine the best wheel and tire combination. Suspension and brake system are designed for the wheels and tires the factory bolts on. Anything else is style-based guesswork


Form over function -- yea!!!

 

[nastyl]

ill prob go the 20s route

 

[INFAMOU$]

LOL when was that article written? Let's be serious here if you buy cheap heavy wheels with cheap tires then yea you have potential for some problems...

I had 23's on my truck for 4 years, towed huge horse trailers, drove daily on all types of roads from Ontario to Texas to Florida etc and never had one flat, not one bent rim nothing! Oh yea I was also on a 5" front 7" rear drop.

I had quality OZ wheels and went through 2 sets of Nitto 555's on 295/30/23's.

So anyone on here trying to BS you on impracticality is just jealous or stuck in their ways.

The only thing that I "will" agree with is that there can be a difference in your braking performance if you go to a large profile tire on a bigger wheel that increases the rotating mass/circumference. BUT there is no difference between this and having weight in your truck or towing a trailer without brake assist. You need to be conscious of it or upgrade your brakes.

Otherwise I guess I should get rid of my factory 22's on my SRT-10...

 

[funair02]

So anyone on here trying to BS you on impracticality is just jealous or stuck in their ways.


Otherwise I guess I should get rid of my factory 22's on my SRT-10...

Well the 22s on your FACTORY SRT are engineered for the brakes, wheel angles, centerlines, springs, ball joints and their respectful locations...but still 22s will always be tougher to stop than a smaller wheel. Also if your tired of getting 6MPG them maybe you should get smaller wheels.
There is nothing in that articles that is untrue. Actually I am experimenting with smaller wheels now and seeing larger MPG gains and shorter braking distances.

Another thing - NASCAR uses 15in rims that are 12 inches wide. Also their tires are about 30 inches tall. That makes their sidewall a 75 series. They whip around Daytona and Talladega with 75 series tires. OMG!

so...

Think of it this way, take a 8in piece of string and stick a washer on the end, now spin it. It is pretty easy, force wise, to change the plane.

Now take a 14in piece of string, put a wahser on it, spin, and now try to change the plane. It is much more difficult.

Another way would be to hold a pedalstal fan while it is on high. Take one with a 10in diameter and another with a 20in diameter. I bet you you would drop the 20 trying to change its plane. The 10 would be easy.

Lastly if we take an 18in wheel and a 20in wheel, all things being the same, the 20in wheel has 20% more inertia than the 18. Just thought you'd like to see some concrete numbers.
18 in wheel -- Rim Inertia is: 0.323 kg-m2
20 in wheel -- Rim Ineriia is: 0.399 kg-m2 <---20% more.

Respectfully, it isn't very becoming of one's self calling Newton's Laws of Physics BS. And, the laws of physics are stuck in their ways

Trying to reinvent the wheel is ludichrist -- don't ya think

:rockon:


Check this out: The Effects of Rotational Inertia on Automotive Acceleration

Reminds me of my college days

 

[INFAMOU$]

Well the 22s on your FACTORY SRT are engineered for the brakes, wheel angles, centerlines, springs, ball joints and their respectful locations...but still 22s will always be tougher to stop than a smaller wheel. Also if your tired of getting 6MPG them maybe you should get smaller wheels.
There is nothing in that articles that is untrue. Actually I am experimenting with smaller wheels now and seeing larger MPG gains and shorter braking distances.

Another thing - NASCAR uses 15in rims that are 12 inches wide. Also their tires are about 30 inches tall. That makes their sidewall a 75 series. They whip around Daytona and Talladega with 75 series tires. OMG!

so...

Think of it this way, take a 8in piece of string and stick a washer on the end, now spin it. It is pretty easy, force wise, to change the plane.

Now take a 14in piece of string, put a wahser on it, spin, and now try to change the plane. It is much more difficult.

Another way would be to hold a pedalstal fan while it is on high. Take one with a 10in diameter and another with a 20in diameter. I bet you you would drop the 20 trying to change its plane. The 10 would be easy.

Lastly if we take an 18in wheel and a 20in wheel, all things being the same, the 20in wheel has 20% more inertia than the 18. Just thought you'd like to see some concrete numbers.
18 in wheel -- Rim Inertia is: 0.323 kg-m2
20 in wheel -- Rim Ineriia is: 0.399 kg-m2 <---20% more.

Respectfully, it isn't very becoming of one's self calling Newton's Laws of Physics BS. And, the laws of physics are stuck in their ways

Trying to reinvent the wheel is ludichrist -- don't ya think

:rockon:


Check this out: The Effects of Rotational Inertia on Automotive Acceleration

Reminds me of my college days

So you're saying my SRT-10 is engineered better than the FORD? Now you know why I sold my L anyways...

Is all the stuff your saying true? YES. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things for someones daily or occasional driver? NO!

If you're going to the track obviously you'd be wasting your time running a larger wheel. I just find it funny how people think that running 22" wheels on a lightning for street use is so BAD when it's really no problem at all. To run 20" wheels and have the same profile tire you do on the 18's is just a waste of time in terms of looks... and let's be honest, if you're going to a larger wheel it is for looks and not function. Perhaps if the OP was considering 22's over the stock 18's this would be a better argument.

I am simply trying to give a realistic opinion to the OP that he shouldn't be scared to run 22's on his truck if that's what he wants to do.