Ok, I am torn between two rim sizes. I love the look of 20's and would really like to get some, but I dont quite make six figures and cant afford to be replacing bent rims and worn out tires all the time. So, honestly, can 20's be used on a daily driver. How many miles can you get on a set of tires, and is alignment a big issue. I also plan on either doing a 2/4 or 3/4 drop. I dont want to worry about rubbing. The reason I am afraid to go 18's is I dont want a large space left in the fender after all this work and have to put some large sidewall tires to make up for it. Some say 18's arent enough. I have looked at the gallery and seen many types of setups, but I would like to know what yall's tire/wheel setups are and your opions on ride and durability. Thanks

 

Joni Nitro,

It would all depend on the look you are going for. I had some Roush Classics on my Exp'd with some 285/60/18's. The ride was almost comparable to stock. The Bridgestones give a great ride and the wear is pretty good too. I got about 15000 miles on them and yes I drive it daily - everywhere! But keep in mind that this depends on how you personally drive your truck (seeing your name would suggest rapid time change intervals)!

As for the 20's - I'm actually trying to sell my Roush's for a set of 20's (yet to be determined which kind). I definitely like the way they look. I don't think the ride quality will suffer with the lower profile tires for these wheels. I know Goodyear makes 2 varieties - the Eagle GTII and the new LS. The GTII comes on the HD F150's and the LS are the ones for the new Dodge Rams. The LS comes in 275/55/20 and the prices are not that bad (www.tirerack.com has them for 143.00 per). The wear should be decent also, but I'm not too sure exactly how good - hope to soon though. I would imagine that because these two are OEM tires, they would be and could be considered "daliy driver" tires. I couldn't see the factories choosing OEM parts if they wore out too quickly.

Finally, as for the costs for the damaged rims and ect... If the truck is going to be driven daily and/or in rough terrain, I would go with a good quality alloy wheel. From what I have researched, billets are not that forgiving if you drive over railroad tracks all day long! Also, at least go with a good size tire - the 275/55/20 would be ideal (I think). The combination of a billet and low-pro tire is just asking for trouble. Besides, I would imagine that you want to keep the "truck-look" instead of the import tuner car look. The alignment will need attention either way since your going for the drop. And with the drops that you're thinking of, the gaps will not be that significant with either one. I knew a guy that put the same Roush setup I had on his 4x2 Exp'd and without even dropping an inch the gap was perfect - about an 1/2 to 1" play (no rubbing either). Although, I am planning another 2" all around when I get the 20's on. That's just me.

I hope this helps... good luck! Post some pics when you get either.

Christian

 

i have 20x9 inch rims and 285 / 50 / 20 GOODYEAR GTII tires .they ride great..i got the 50 series instead of the 40's because of the chance of rim damage ..also the ride is better because of the larger side wall..haven't any problems so far..i also have a ..-3/-3.5 ROUSH drop..

 

I've got 20x9.5 Boyd Coddington billet wheels with some 275/45/20 Goodyear GTII tires and this combo has been great so far! I heard about billet wheels being weaker too, but Boyd Coddington says they are forged. My truck is a daily driver and I've hit a few potholes that were really bad and have had no damage yet! Although I did knick a wheel on a damn curb last month. I think curbs are more of an enemy than potholes or train tracks since they are everywhere! At the time of my purchase I had to decide between 18's or 20's even though they cost more I figured I would regret no going bigger in the first place so I went with the 20's. I have yet to regret that decision and I doubt I ever will! If you look around you will find 20's for a good price, I know i did.

 

I forgot to mention I haven't had any alignment problems with my 3/4 drop and no uneven tire wear. Also the treadwear rating for the tires are 420 and thats pretty high so I should see alot of life out of them!

 

The HD rims are 20's. I like 'em but wish I had some extra sidewall protection. I was surprised to find out that the GY Eagle II tires were only $130-$160. I would recommend staying away from cheap/lightweight wheels like 99flareside says. If it doesn't look sturdy it probably isn't (unless they were made from titanium).

Some of the folks in the HD forum are using the Toyo Proxes S/T 295/45/20. I will probably go with this setup when the time comes to replace the stock GY's. The extra 20mm of width should be enough to protect the rims witout sacrificing the profile.

 

I want to thank everyone for their input, I am sure all of you know that wheels and tires is probably one sigle most expensive mods we do to our vehicles and the last thing I want to do is wate money. I will probably just hold a couple months and save up for those 20's, havent really decided but I like the 20" L wheels I see on ebay(chrome of course).
Does anyone know if these wheels are a sturdy and a good quality wheel. The price on them is fair.
Also whats the deal with f150 wheels studs, are the 14mm compatible with 12mm. Then the 12mm wheels would obviously not fot on a 14mm stud right? Please explain

 

I have a set of Expy wheels for winter driving and they work fine. They fit tight so I have to use care not to bung up the threads.

12mm Expy
14mm HD (same as L)

 

Joni Nitro,

Here's my '00 Lightning with new Boyd 20's. The tires are BFGoodrich g-Force T/A's 295/40/20. The ride is great on these wheels and tires, I just took it on a trip to Florida from Chicago and no complaints.



A few things to consider though. Billet wheels are a pain to keep clean so they might not be the best bet for a daily driver. They are also expensive. Second, if you buy a chrome plated wheel make sure you get a long warranty on the chrome. Third, the aftermarket 20" Lightning wheels you see on the net are ridiculously heavy. Try 95 lbs. each with a tire. My Boyd's are 55 lbs. each with the tire, and the aftermarket Lightning wheels don't have a good reputation for their chrome quality.

For a daily driver I would consider Center Line wheels or KMC wheels. Both have a good reputation and the wheels are good quality and affordable. A crappy set of wheels will cost you double in the long run so shop carefully.

 

SVTRobG, thanks man thanks great info. By the way my roomate has seen your truck online before and loves that paint shceme, he is currently torn between a L and an 03 Cobra and cant decide what to get. Thanks again, I will look into some centerlines