22” vs 20” wheels

[EMTPete]

I have a 2021 Yukon Denali that came with the22” wheels as part of the ultimate package. These are by far the biggest wheels I have ever had on a vehicle. my 2015 Yukon SLThad 18” wheels in it and I had the Michelin Defender LTX tires, which rode great for me. I have been debating since I got the 2021 about swapping the 22s for OEM 20s. Has anyone on here done this and if so did you notice any difference in ride quality or have any type of issue? my regular use is primarily on-road, but spi am in area that gets snow/ice (not too much) and the roads can have some nasty potholes. Am I worrying about switching to 20” wheels for no reason?

 

[adventurenali92]

From what I have read from a large number of guys on here that run 22 inch wheels, a good tire such as the Michelin defender LTX, that 22s can ride well on a good tire platform. It is going to be a slightly harsher ride as a 22 inch wheel will have less sidewall between the tire and the road to absorb bumps and imperfections in the roads. But there are a lot of guys here that will attest to riding well on 22 inch wheels with the right tire setup.

 

[CASTLEDFW15]

I put Michelin Defender LTX with the gloss black OEM rims. Same pattern as the TX edition polished aluminum 22’s just gloss black.

 

[TrueAt1stLight]

I have a set of OEM AT4 20” take off rims I use for my off-road tires and winter setup. My Denali with 22” rode LOTS worse on the OEM Bridgestones, better (surprisingly) on a super-meaty set of 20” Duratracs and SUBLIMELY on a set of 20” Blizzak DMV-2’s. I believe the OEM 22” tires are crap on these rigs and a set of Michelins would do a lot to correct issues but just going down a rim size made a huge difference for me, even with monter lug off-road tires.

 

[the_tool_man]

I went from 20" OEM Denali wheels with Bridgestone tires to 22" OEM Escalade wheels with Michelin Defenders and didn't notice any appreciable degradation in ride quality.

 

[91RS]

I would keep the 22”s. The wheel wells are so massive now that anything smaller looks like a 17” wheels.

 

[CASTLEDFW15]

Sidebar question……..for planning……

Has anyone tried and or had any problems switching the Premier TX Edition 22“ rims/tires to a normal 20” 2021/22 Tahoe? Any fitment, suspension, clearance or handling issues? Online Calculators show very minimal profile changes as in height, width, diameter…etc…

 

[SSGUNNER]

I would keep the 22”s. The wheel wells are so massive now that anything smaller looks like a 17” wheels.

I agree with this. My RST has the OEM 22’s and ride great. Not a fan of the OEM tires though I think they are Bridgestone they ride ok but thinking about getting some Toyo AT III’s. I like that rugged look and may have more sidewall. For sure I’ll be keeping the 22 inch wheels cause anything smaller for me personally looks odd.

 

[jimgeb]

I went from 20" OEM Denali wheels with Bridgestone tires to 22" OEM Escalade wheels with Michelin Defenders and didn't notice any appreciable degradation in ride quality.

I agree with this. My RST has the OEM 22’s and ride great. Not a fan of the OEM tires though I think they are Bridgestone they ride ok but thinking about getting some Toyo AT III’s. I like that rugged look and may have more sidewall. For sure I’ll be keeping the 22 inch wheels cause anything smaller for me personally looks odd.

Fo me, there is no question that the 20" tires ride better than the 22". Would be safer also having more absorption when hitting potholes and off roading. Of course, this depends also on the quality of the tire.

 

[R32driver]

My vote is also for the 20's having a smoother ride. If the overall tire diameter is the same, the 20" rim is going to leave you with more sidewall and that equates to more cushion which equates to smoother ride

 

[martinajm]

Is there any reasonable aftermarket for the 22's? I have found a vehicle that matches most of what I am looking for, but has 22" wheels, which I definitely would not have included if possible. It is $3k extra that I place zero value in - maybe even negative value as replacement tires will likely be more expensive!

 

[the_tool_man]

Is there any reasonable aftermarket for the 22's? I have found a vehicle that matches most of what I am looking for, but has 22" wheels, which I definitely would not have included if possible. It is $3k extra that I place zero value in - maybe even negative value as replacement tires will likely be more expensive!

It depends on the design. I bought some lightly curbed 22" Esky Platinum take-offs and had them refinished because I wanted OEM, liked the design, and got a decent deal. Local to me (SE US), I see sets range $400-$1000, depending on style, condition, and whether or not they have decent tires mounted.

 

[olyelr]

Is there any reasonable aftermarket for the 22's? I have found a vehicle that matches most of what I am looking for, but has 22" wheels, which I definitely would not have included if possible. It is $3k extra that I place zero value in - maybe even negative value as replacement tires will likely be more expensive!

To me there is. There is no way in hell i would go with 20’s, and i know many others feel the same way. I also know there are many others that would no way in hell go with 22’s. Its just personal preference. There are loads of oem 22’s and 20’s out there for sale.

The wife has had 22’s on her last 3 yukons/tahoe (roughly 10 years) and we have never once had an issue with them. Ride plenty good enough for us.

 

[olyelr]

I agree with this. My RST has the OEM 22’s and ride great. Not a fan of the OEM tires though I think they are Bridgestone they ride ok but thinking about getting some Toyo AT III’s. I like that rugged look and may have more sidewall. For sure I’ll be keeping the 22 inch wheels cause anything smaller for me personally looks odd.

I peeled off the oem tires for the at3’s with 700 miles on the rig. They have been working phenomenal for us!

 

[SSGUNNER]

I peeled off the oem tires for the at3’s with 700 miles on the rig. They have been working phenomenal for us!

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They look great. Have you tested them off road or sand? I’ll be heading to Sand dunes in Utah soon hopefully i can get me a set before then.

 

[Pro299]

To me there is. There is no way in hell i would go with 20’s, and i know many others feel the same way. I also know there are many others that would no way in hell go with 22’s. Its just personal preference. There are loads of oem 22’s and 20’s out there for sale.

The wife has had 22’s on her last 3 yukons/tahoe (roughly 10 years) and we have never once had an issue with them. Ride plenty good enough for us.

So true. I'm in the other camp. I'm old enough to want to see some meat on those rims. Wrapping a rubber band around the wheel just looks goofy to me. If the tire diameters used today weren't so big, I'd be looking to swap the 20's for some 18's which some have done and look good, too. To each his own, so you'll be able to find something you like, I'm sure.

 

[91RS]

I love hearing people still consider these stock 22" tires "rubber bands." That really gives me a chuckle. A rubber band tire to me would be like a 20 or maybe 25 series profile. Not a 45 or 50 series. The stock tires on the 22"s have plenty of sidewall, any more and you get sidewall rolling and bad handling. But as stated, to each their own.

 

[olyelr]

They look great. Have you tested them off road or sand? I’ll be heading to Sand dunes in Utah soon hopefully i can get me a set before then.

I havnt. Im sure they will do very well, though.

 

[olyelr]

So true. I'm in the other camp. I'm old enough to want to see some meat on those rims. Wrapping a rubber band around the wheel just looks goofy to me. If the tire diameters used today weren't so big, I'd be looking to swap the 20's for some 18's which some have done and look good, too. To each his own, so you'll be able to find something you like, I'm sure.

It depends on the vehicle for me. I run 35’s on 17’s on my pickup. Bigger wheels just look better on these suv’s imo.

 

[NYisles1]

Rubber band is

I love hearing people still consider these stock 22" tires "rubber bands." That really gives me a chuckle. A rubber band tire to me would be like a 20 or maybe 25 series profile. Not a 45 or 50 series. The stock tires on the 22"s have plenty of sidewall, any more and you get sidewall rolling and bad handling. But as stated, to each their own.

True these aren’t rubber bands - but 45 or 50 series is still considered low profile no? I’m sure you are correct there may be some handling benefit with a lower profile but on a 6000lb BOF SUV I don’t think that’s the main reason people go with 22s. I’d say it’s all about looks - and 24s are next if you go by what we know about the E-Silverado.