20 inch wheels vs 22 in wheels

[gmcsierra71]

I currently have a 2014 GMC with 20 inch wheels. Looking at purchasing a 2020/2021 GMC and I really like the 22 in bright chrome wheels. Anyone with personal experience that went from a 20 inch wheel to a 22 inch wheel? Would like to know some Pros\Cons?

[ItsDooomz]

I had a 2018 Silverado and I decided on 20 inch wheels. I tow a race car trailer and it's a daily driver so I was worried about ride quality and towing characteristics of the 22 inch wheels. I now have a 2019 Silverado and went with the bright chrome 22 inch wheels and love them. It's a different truck but it rides and tows like a dream. 22 FTW

[ItsDooomz]

Here's the 2018 on 20 inch wheels. That was a nice looking truck.

[mafd2]

Don't let anyone tell you 22's ride harsh.  I've had many sets on many trucks.  Actually I can't tell any ride difference between the 20's I had and the 22's. The 2018 and down used a 285/45/22 and for 2019 it's a 285/50/22.  I'm running Michelin Premier LTX and the ride like a dream and balanced out with very little weight.

[Thomcat]

All things considered, the ride depends more on the quality of the tire than the size of the wheel.

 

Running stock Bridgestone Alenzas on my 22's. Optional 22's were a dealer installed option and dealer replaced steel transport wheels during prep and mounted tires on GM rims. First 1K rode a bit stiff and bouncy, position of the valve stems against tire marking shifted since delivery....seems some hard stops walked the rear tires around the rims. Dealer road force balanced and rides nice and smooth and the low profile 22's improve handling on this big boat to the level of a passenger car.

[diyer2]

If I lived in the city I might consider bigger wheels for a pavement queen truck.

Living in the rural mountains of Colorado I wouldn't have a wheel bigger than 18 inches.

I also believe the more side wall on a tire the more it absorbs road defects.

Not to mention the extra cost of bigger diameter tires.

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by diyer2

[amxguy1970]

Same tire, one on a 20 and one on a 22, the 22 will ride a little harsher (hard to distinguish but it will, each person is different), it will be more susceptible to pot hole damage, it will be heavier which negatively affects acceleration and mpg (metal is heavier than rubber), it will respond to steering responses better so handling will be slightly improved but it will be more expensive in most cases. Going from a 22 to 18 is a much more drastic difference in ride. Straight smooth highway they will all ride the same, it is broken pavement that you will notice a difference. It is effectively like adding 5-10 lbs of air in your tires with the reduction in sidewall absorption. Some think larger looks better, I am in the other camp where prefer the look of some sidewall on my trucks along with the benefits that come with it...

 

Tyler 

[JimCost2014]

If you like the 22's, go with them. You are the one who will be driving the truck.

 

Had 20's on my 14, and 22's on the last two trucks, not a whole lot of difference in ride.

But, like mentioned above, tires make a huge difference, know this first hand swapping out the factory Bridgestone's on our Tahoe for a set of Michelin's. Night and day difference in every aspect.

 

If you plan on doing any off road driving, just be realistic in your expectations, which holds true for any combo you might have.

[L86 All Terrain]

As someone with 20" wheels I would recommend 18" wheels if you do anything off pavement. No comparison in ride quality. You will get a little more body roll with a 18" wheel. There are no benefits to a 22" whatsoever beside looks. They are heavier, ride worse, poorer economy, more expensive tires, less tire options, less rim protection, less traction etc. 

[Daverado]

On higher trim T1 trucks the overall wheel/tire size has increased by about 2", so you are about break-even on sidewall size with 2" bigger wheels.

 

Side-wall size probably contributes the most difference in ride quality and comfort given the same tire model and width.

 

If you stick with 20" wheels on the newer truck with the larger overall diameter, then it will look and ride more similar to the old truck with 18s.

 

[Yondu]

I swapped from 20s to 17s with the same brand/model tire and got a slightly but noticeable better ride. 

 

I would never do 22s on a pickup, but the roads here I'm MN are harsher than what you'd find in the southern states due to the winters.  

[jimmyboy8301]

I swapped from 20s to 17s with the same brand/model tire and got a slightly but noticeable better ride. 
 
I would never do 22s on a pickup, but the roads here I'm MN are harsher than what you'd find in the southern states due to the winters.  

I like the look of 22s much better, and the ride difference is extremely minimal if at all


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[oldmann]

22s are cool but they limit tire options a bunch.  I drive off road, so 20 is the biggest I was willing to go.  The sidewalls are still pretty big in my 20s

[Thomcat]

And to sum it up, it all depends upon your needs and pocket book.The profile of the tire changes with the size of the wheel and the larger the wheel size, the smaller the height of the sidewall so with tires from the same manufacturer the smaller wheel size is less susceptible to harshness and wheel damage because of the greater sidewall height to absorb road imperfections, off road travel conditions and the occasional pothole at the expense of reduced directional stability and performance.

 

Had aggressive treads 17's on the Goodyears on my Z71s and found them to be noisy and give a typical smooth, "snow tire" ride. Would be a great benefit on gravel, dirt, mud and deep snow all of which I never normally encounter, most I'd do was to go to a campground or maybe an off road jog on grassy hill areas or low brush in a wooded area. I don't even need them for snow because the main State roads/school bus routes are plowed before I can have breakfast, putter around and then clean the snow off the truck or SUV. Problem with these type of high profile, aggressive tread tires is loss of directional stability in a tight turn on a wet surface or a fast start from a stop sign or traffic light where the surface is compromised with a buildup of fluids from previously stopped vehicles. My early morning spins on paved back roads and hairpin turns would cause rear wheel slides even in Auto.

 

So this time there was no sense getting a Trail Boss with knobby tires, been there done that, so went for a pavement princess type setup on an RST with optional $3K larger 22" wheels w/ Bridgestone Alenza lower profile tires and normal sipe patterns on the tires which is more suitable to my driving situations. No doubt with a single speed transfer case and less aggressive tread pattern I'd have a problem with a heavy snow, mud or rock crawling but I'm not doing that......I sleep in for a heavy snow until roads are cleared and the harshest my tires will see is grass, crush and run, gravel or pavement. But the difference in handling and directional stability with large wheel, low profile tires is dramatic and worth every penny on this '19s wider, higher, greater turning radius boat. Even in 2WD with the low profile 22s I can now navigate the '19 on same teacups and hairpins at a higher speed without the rear slides I'd get on the '16 Z71 at lower speeds in Auto.

 

More fun to drive on the low profile 22s which is all I give a crap about. If I ever feel a need to go playing in the mud or go rock crawling I'll rent a Jeep with full coverage and knock the crap out of it.

[BigBadSierra]

20's would have never done this.  Destroyed two that cost 3K to replace on my 16 Sierra

I'm getting new summer rims for my 2018 Silverodo but staying with the stock rim size. The 20's ride better and I don't have to worry about the curbs.

Like other stated way more tire choices. You can buy top of the line tires for the 20's for less then anything that fits the 22 inch rims.