Ride difference between 20's and 24's?

[MissCB25]

Ok please forgive me because I'm new and do not have a whole lot of experience with cars! But, I've had my '08 Tahoe LTZ since last year, and so far have just blacked it out (5% tint) and kept it detailed on a regular basis- hard to keep the leather clean with a 1 year old and a 2 year old

Anyway, my question is- I'm about to have chrome 24's put on the Tahoe, I'm currently riding on the stock 20" alloy's. What should I look out for when upgrading to the 24's? Do I have to lift or lower, are there any mods to make to the ABS or the wheelwells, and is there going to be a ride difference? I live in an area of Austin TX where they are always doing road work and there are quite a few potholes. I also like to make semi-illegal right turns over curbs and grass and dirt rather than waiting for a green light...lol. I just don't know what to expect, having driven an '04 Nissan Xterra on 18's up until last year when I got the 'hoe.

Any tips on upgrading would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks guys!

 

[R.Beezy]

i think its all personal preference. you'll be alright whether you decide to keep the stock 20's or decide to upgrade to 24's, as long as you dont drop your truck. if you do drop your truck, you could run into some minor issues depending on how much you drop it.

me personally, decided to keep my stock 20's cuz i didnt want to ruin the smooth ride that i already got. the bigger you go on rims, the thinner the tire yer gonna have to get just to clear the wheelwell. and the thinner you go on tires, the more of the road you'll feel

 

[sumo]

if those potholes are bad id recommend sticking with the 20s. Thinner tires will make the rider harsh, not to mention theres not much cushion when it comes to pot holes. tire damage and or rim damage. Gas mileage will be affected too. Like Beezy said, its preference

 

[Modded]

Contrary to what is sad above, when I switched to 24s I barely noticed a ride difference. This could be due to the soft Belltech shocks I had installed, or the quality Hankook tires.
Second, gas mileage loss is negligible. Most 24s mounted on a 295 series 24" tire will way the equivalent of the stock 20s (so a .5MPG loss), stops almost the same too.
I know from experience, so I am not just typing.

 

[MissCB25]

Thanks for the input- I'm fine with losing gas mileage, if that's the case. After reading around it seems like the general consensus is that it's not that big of a deal.

I'm pretty set on going with 24's, just want to make sure I go about it the right way to sacrifice the least ride quality, and as far as potholes and curbs go- I'll just have to be more adamant about avoiding them

@Modded, that is great to know! Your ride looks great- the rims & tires are really similar to the look I'm going for. I'm going high quality all the way around as well. Well worth it to achieve the final result. Do the 24's rub at all, did you have to modify anything to fit them? If you're an '07 we have the same body style. Thanks for your input!!

 

[demonal]

Go with the 24's, I bought my truck with 24's from the stealership... They were to good to be true... But I ended up getting 26's almost 6 months later

 

[MissCB25]

demonal, I'm going with 24's for sure. Just need to find a place around here that will hook it up!

 

[THE YETI]

Christina,

My wife has an 08 Suburban LTZ, similar to your Tahoe except its obviously a tad longer. She transports our 2 kids around in it and its a daily driver, averaging about 14k miles per year on it.

Anyhow, we had the stock 20" Alloys and she wanted to run a 24". We chose to lower it before we got the 24"s on because the wheel well gap is just too big if you leave it stock. So, we put a McGaughy's 2/3 drop on it and then threw on a set of 24" 3pc Asanti wheels. The first set of tires were 305/35/24 but we noticed some slight rubbing when you turned the steering wheel all the way. If you do not have the power steps on your Tahoe (which it doesnt look like you do in your pic) then you don't have to worry about the rubbing. We have since went to a 295/35/24 and have no rubbing at all, although I liked the slightly beefier look of the 305.

As far as the ride. I came from a lowered vehicle life, so I was a little apprehensive about lowering our family wagon and putting a large wheel and small tire on it, but she insisted. To my suprise, it is VERY close to stock. The truck is a tad firmer in the rear, but the front is completely unchanged. We can still go over small potholes, but I wouldn't try to go over a curb. She loves it and gets alot of attention driving it, so I can't complain, it makes her happy.

Anyhow, this is how she looked on the 305/35/24, lowered 2/3, etc. If it makes you feel any better, we're debating on stepping up to a 26" wheel now.

 

[Modded]

@Modded, that is great to know! Your ride looks great- the rims & tires are really similar to the look I'm going for. I'm going high quality all the way around as well. Well worth it to achieve the final result. Do the 24's rub at all, did you have to modify anything to fit them? If you're an '07 we have the same body style. Thanks for your input!!

Yeah Christina the 24s rubbed, but not much. Minor trimming got rid of that.
Now that I have 26s though its a whole different story. The front wheel liners are just about gone and it still rubs on the washer fluid tank (normally behind the wheel liner) and the parking brake cable. I also rub on the top of the inner fender housings over dips, thats it.
It gets annoying, but then again I have a 3/5 drop on 26s and a +35 offset. Tire is a 305/30/26.
Rides pretty damn good, except over harsh roads.
Newer pic of it:

 

[BOSS]

demonal, I'm going with 24's for sure. Just need to find a place around here that will hook it up!

Don't forget the all important wheel offset (how far off center the mounting surface of the wheel is to the bolts on your truck). You can search the 07+ section for that phrase and see what they guys are saying about the different ones.

Check with these guys on what they run and why they run it.

Welcome to the board, will hit you up for an Austin truck meet


B

 

[MissCB25]

Supercharged, nice choice on the Asantis! You and/or your wife have good taste. I bet she really turns heads running the kiddos around! I really appreciate the info.

Modded, love the new pic. Are those black bowties? I just ordered some- they are from AllSale (or something like that) recommended by a friend. I'm going to attempt to install them myself without screwing anything up...I think they really add to the look of a black 'hoe. Did you do yours yourself, if so was it difficult to do?

BOSS- I will definitely check that out. I want to make sure I have all of my info straight so I can have a great end result.

On another note, I removed the FlexFuel decal from the back of my truck today and the 2 GM decals from the sides near the front doors, beside the TAHOE logo. Used Goo Gone and a rubber spatula, then a 3M eraser wheel on a cheapo Black & Decker cordless drill and it came out great. Then dropped her off for a full detail and wax. Great way to start the week!

 

[Modded]

Yeah MissCB25 I have a black/grey bowtie I made to have the first letter of my name facing sideways, so it looks like a "Z" but is really an "N".
Its painted, was real easy to do, and I put like 5 coats of clear coat on it so it does not chip.

 

[chistoso]

Christina,
20's are the new 13's nowadays. I ride 24's with Yokohama Parada 295/35/24s and a 3/5 drop and it rides great, difference from stock is minor. Well worth the sacrifice IMO. Mileage was not an issue with me eitther and I don't think the difference was noticeable at all.. 24's on your truck will look really good and I think you'll sacrifice more if you were to go any bigger.. Good luck with your choice and post up pics when you do..

 

[GalaxyBlackEsky]

Christina, Your really are not going to notice to much.. I have had 24's on basically since I owned the car. Only time it got ruff was when I lowered it but still not to bad with it lowered.

 

[MissCB25]

Well today I shopped around a little- I'm looking at getting 24" KMC Slides with Nitto 305/35/24 tires. Haven't made a final decision yet- my other option is, a buddy of mine is selling a set of Empires that he's had for a year, he's upgrading to 26's. I'm going to check them out tomorrow and if they're in good condition I'm going to buy his, work on some other mods on the truch until Christmastime, and then go all out and get the best of the best. Kind of like my "test 24's."

We'll see how the rims look tomorrow! I'll let y'all know. You guys have made me feel really confident that 24's are the only way to go...and then up from there

 

[Modded]

Haha don't get Slides if you have any other options.
You will bw the twin to too many new models on here if you do.

 

[chistoso]

Haha don't get Slides if you have any other options.
You will bw the twin to too many new models on here if you do.

agreed. I'd go with a nice classy set of Asanti's or Giovanna/Gianelle.

 

[MissCB25]

Yeah I actually was talking to a friend of mine about it, and he said they're really common. Now I'm looking at Lexanis, Asantis, and more high-end brands. Now to talk my husband into it...

 

[chistoso]

Whatever you go with, go with some that are simple and easy to clean with not tight crevices where dust will find it's way into and it'l be a PITA to clean. I once had a set of wheels that were extremely busy and high maintenance. Took me forever to clean and took the fun right out of driving on them..

 

[denalianyone]

that are simple and easy to clean with not tight crevices where dust will find it's way into and it'l be a PITA to clean..

+100 so true..