Advantages and disadvantages of 18" vs 20" wheels

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Old 09-08-2010, 08:17 AM
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Advantages and disadvantages of 18" vs 20" wheels

Hi guys. Im newly registered to the forum but have been reading it for a while now. I have an 07 FX4 that had some nice aftermarket 20" wheels on it when I bought it. They are not my style so I'm looking to go with some Black Rockstars or GEARs or something. My question is what are the advantages to a 20" wheel say over an 18" wheel other then they look cool? Im wanting to go with more of a 4x4 look and don't mind the taller tire profile. Wouldnt a 275/70/18 ride a little smoother then a 275/55/20 anyway? I know the prices arent comparable really. I'd just kinda like to understand this a little better. Thanks for any info.

Dusty
 
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Old 09-08-2010, 10:54 AM
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It's simply styling.
 
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Old 09-08-2010, 11:25 AM
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20s might give you slightly better mileage by having less rotating mass and better handling by having less sidewall flex. Both would be very minor though. 18s would allow for more sidewall flex which is better for crawling over rocks and such.
 
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Old 09-08-2010, 09:25 PM
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I personally do not like the look of a 20" wheel with anything smaller than a 35" tire. I think the 18" wheels look a lot better, they ride smoother on the road and they cost less money for the same wheel / tire combination.

KR-Texas
 
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Old 09-08-2010, 09:44 PM
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Originally Posted by KR-Texas
I personally do not like the look of a 20" wheel with anything smaller than a 35" tire. I think the 18" wheels look a lot better, they ride smoother on the road and they cost less money for the same wheel / tire combination.

KR-Texas
I LOOOOVE your truck by the way. Wanting to do something simular to my black one.
 
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Old 09-08-2010, 10:56 PM
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It's def a preference on rim size. If they weren't so expensive I'd be running 22s on my expedition.
 
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Old 09-09-2010, 10:14 AM
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I also went from stock 20's to 18's and have been happy. I was able to find better pricing on 18's vs. 20's. I also like having more sidewall on my tires.
 
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Old 09-09-2010, 11:43 AM
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20's just don't look right on a truck, unless it's something like a FX2. 18's are plenty big, cheaper to wrap in rubber and I like the look of a bigger sidewall. My prev truck (Z71) had 16" rims on it and I thought they looked great.
 
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Old 09-09-2010, 11:50 AM
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I think 20s look just fine as long as you wrap enough tire around them.

As said before, 20's are more expensive, and tires for 20s are more expensive. Thats one of the biggest differences. You might see a small change in MPGs, but not enough to worry about.

- NCSU
 
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Old 09-15-2010, 09:41 PM
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Still looking for more input....Im debating between some Ballistic Hostel 18" wheels with 295/65/18 Goodyear DuraTrac A/T's or the Ballistic Hostel 18" wheels with Cooper Zeon LTZ 305/55/20 A/T Tires....what would you guys pick and why? the 20's package would cost me about $150 extra is all. Also may consider the XD Monsters for wheels, not locked in on the Ballistics just yet.
 
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Old 09-15-2010, 09:51 PM
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idk i like the look of 20's, mine do look kind of small though sometimes.
 


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