Rim size ride differeence

[Richwhitver]

I have a 2003 Yukon Denali. Can you really tell the difference in ride quality between 17 inch, 18 inch and 20 inch rims with the correct tire size?

 

[Trey Hardy]

I have a 2003 Yukon Denali. Can you really tell the difference in ride quality between 17 inch, 18 inch and 20 inch rims with the correct tire size?

In my opinion no not unless you run some rubber band tires

 

[B-train]

And it depends what tire pressure you generally run. I had 22 inch wheels on my 2017 and they were OK with new tires, but slowly sucked more and more. Ditched them for a nice set of 18 inch wheels. I have 18 and 20 for my 2008 and it all comes down to purpose and pressure.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving opinions from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

It all depends on what your definition of a "quality" ride is.

IMO, the larger the rim diameter size for a given available wheel well space, the less tire rubber sidewall you have, and there is less vertical deflection that the tire will exercise. As such, with less available vertical deflection, the stop/starts of the vertical deflections will be harsher, and your body will feel it more. So, if your definition of quality ride is a soft ride, then the softness will decline as the rim diameter increases.

For me, a quality ride is a good handling ride, and this can come at the expense of softness. I find that the 50 profile tire gives me the best of both worlds for my ride preference (with emphasis more on handling versus softness), and on my truck, that equated to a 20" rim.

 

[Marky Dissod]

I have a 2003 Yukon Denali. Can you really tell the difference in ride quality between 17", 18", & 20" rims with the correct tire size?

If you canNOT, it's either
an outstandingly spec'd designed and implemented suspension system, or an outstandingly well-maintained set of roads (or both).

Lets say, for example, 265/70R17 (31.60" tall) or 265/65R18 (31.56" tall) or 265/55R20 (31.47" tall).
The worse the roads, 17" tire will protect the wheel / suspension / steering from impacts better than the 18", & the 18" tire will protect better than the 20",
because the 17" tire has 7.3" of sidewall, vs the 18" tire's 6.7" of sidewall, vs the 20" tire's 5.7" of sidewall.
That SHOULD be obvious.
It may NOT be obvious that the 17" wheel is USUALLY lighter than the 18" wheel, as the 18" wheel is nearly always lighter than the 20" wheel.
Those two factors together usually explain why smaller wheels are more comfywumphie -
up to a point; shocks directly damp spring vibes but cannot directly damp sidewall vibes,
so 265/75R16 (31.64") tires may protect better against potholes, but the tires may finish damping road impacts as quickly.

Say one were lucky enough to find an (incredibly rare) 18" wheel that weighed the same as a normal 17" wheel (both of sufficient load rating).
It'd be somewhere between difficult and impossible to distinguish between the two on all but the worst road faults
because the unusually light 18" wheel would make the suspension's / shocks' life easier.
(Not enough people bother to weigh their wheels.)

Other major factor is sidewall construction, about which I'm less well-versed.

As mentioned, bigger wheels tend to respond to driver inputs better,
up to the point where the shocks are stressed by the additional wheel weight.
Although bigger wheels make room for bigger brakes, again, the additional weight makes things tougher for the shocks.
The balance is up to you.

 

[Marky Dissod]

The balance is up to you.
I'm VERY SERIOUSLY considering going from 18" wheels & tires to 17" because:
NYC roads ain't getting any better
Vast majority of 265/70R17 tires are cheaper than ANY 18" tire I'd ever consider mounting on my Tahoe,
and the ones that are more expensive have an even higher load rating than the 18" analogous equivalents
Although I want better handling via stiffer springs swaybars & shocks (think 'Tahoe 2500'),
I'll never autocross for profit or glory, so 17" tires might be in my future.

 

[tooleyondeck]

I also have a 2003 Denali, and have been running 305/40R22s on it for almost 4 years. It rides smooth as one could expect a 21 year old truck to. I am switching to 275/65R18s for aesthetics and more off-road capability, but if they ride smoother as a bi-product then cool beans, but it rides pretty smooth currently. New tires will be .5" taller and 1.2" narrower.

 

[Chubbs]

I also have a 2003 Denali, and have been running 305/40R22s on it for almost 4 years. It rides smooth as one could expect a 21 year old truck to. I am switching to 275/65R18s for aesthetics and more off-road capability, but if they ride smoother as a bi-product then cool beans, but it rides pretty smooth currently. New tires will be .5" taller and 1.2" narrower.

I find that very hard to believe. I drove on 20” wheels and cooper all-terrains (very nice tires and rode quiet by all standards) and switching back to factory 17” wheels and tires was the best day of my adult life. The ride is 10x more comfortable.
As you will soon experience with the 18’s, even that will make a huge difference.

 

[swathdiver]

I have a 2003 Yukon Denali. Can you really tell the difference in ride quality between 17 inch, 18 inch and 20 inch rims with the correct tire size?

The taller the tire sidewall, the softer the ride for a same or similar diameter tire.

There's not much difference between the 17 and 18 inch feel but there is between those two and the 20 inch wheel.

 

[tooleyondeck]

I find that very hard to believe. I drove on 20” wheels and cooper all-terrains (very nice tires and rode quiet by all standards) and switching back to factory 17” wheels and tires was the best day of my adult life. The ride is 10x more comfortable.
As you will soon experience with the 18’s, even that will make a huge difference.

Had the 18s for a couple of weeks now and there isn't much of a difference honestly. I can definitely tell when crossing certain bridges (the gaps between the concrete segments), and railroad crossings. I'm not sure if that is a testament to the Z55 or if there was a trade-off losing 120mm of road contact with the narrower tires, but it's not as dramatic as I imagined. Still happy with them.

 

[GMCChevy]

There was a noticeable difference between 22 and 20 on my 2017.
Tires make a difference too.