20" vs 22" Wheels; Bridgestone Dueler vs Michelin Defender LTX M/S

Terry Wood · March 23, 2020

I purchased a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali 5.3L with 81K on the OD. At 92K, I finally found my opportunity to switch from the heavy 22" wheels down to 20" wheels.

The 22" wheels (with Bridgestone Dueler Alenza H/L plus 288/45 R22) were 91 lbs each and the 20" wheels (with Michelin Defender LTX M/S 275/55 R20) are 77 lbs each. I've noticed an approximately 1 mpg gain in fuel economy (70/30 HWY/CITY), truck seems to accelerate and stop with slightly less effort, and most importantly, the ride is notably smoother.

To explain the ride difference: When riding on the highway and you have all the groves between concrete sections, in the 22" you FELT ALL of them but with the 20" I feel only 60% of them.... I still hear them however, feel is substantially less. When riding down a gravel road in the 22", I felt every rock, with the 20", I know i'm on a gravel road however, I feel the "group of rocks" not every one of them.

If I wasn't paying attention then I might not notice much because it's still a truck and rides as such but the 20" sidewall seems to soak up a lot more. Even pulling in my driveway feels less brutal on the truck. I've attached three pictures. The one on ramps was the only full side view I had with the 22" wheels. I was able to get the 2015 style Denali 20" wheels.

dieselfan1 · March 23, 2020

First off sir, Thanks for your service .

I never realized there was that much of a weight difference.

I wonder what an 18" wheel with a 265 tire weighs?

Ozer · March 23, 2020

i have aftermarket 20" now, i sold the snowflake 20s my truck came with. I recently got denali 22s locally for a great price so im about to put them on soon, we'll see how that goes.

If the ride is harsh i may just sell them and the 20s and just get 18s for all year driving. Im sure 18s ride a lot better.

da90 · March 23, 2020

Looks better with the 22s but I am bias. I personally think there is hardly any difference in 20s and 22s. I personally think it’s all in the tires. My current daily next to my old truck.

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Terry Wood · March 24, 2020

15 hours ago, dieselfan1 said:

First off sir, Thanks for your service .

I never realized there was that much of a weight difference.

I wonder what an 18" wheel with a 265 tire weighs?

Thank you for the support!!

The weights I posted were actually from the scale but I was able to get close by using specification data from sales sites (discount tire) and it turned out to be spot on. From what I found, it seemed like 5-10 lbs per 2" size difference on the wheels and about 4-8 lbs per 2" size difference on tires. The type of tire and wheel make a big difference also. BF Goodrich KO2s are some heavy tires.

I'm not sure if it was weight or width that changed fuel economy or a combination. I do know my acceleration, stopping, and ride improved. I get "reminded" daily as I drive around rough roads less traveled.

Terry Wood · March 24, 2020

14 hours ago, Ozer said:

i have aftermarket 20" now, i sold the snowflake 20s my truck came with. I recently got denali 22s locally for a great price so im about to put them on soon, we'll see how that goes.

If the ride is harsh i may just sell them and the 20s and just get 18s for all year driving. Im sure 18s ride a lot better.

The Bridgestone Dueler sidewall is very stiff. If I had kept the 22" wheels, I was planning to go with Michelin Defender LTX M/S. You can flex the sidewall on side-by-side comparison at the tire shop and feel the difference. I'm certain that my ride improvement was a combination of more sidewall mixed with softer sidewall. They carry the same load rating though.

I'm getting older so this matters to me.... wouldn't have been as big of a deal 10-15 years ago.

Terry Wood · March 24, 2020

14 hours ago, da90 said:

Looks better with the 22s but I am bias. I personally think there is hardly any difference in 20s and 22s. I personally think it’s all in the tires. My current daily next to my old truck.

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I'd venture to say that most of my ride comes from the change in tire brand however, I wanted more sidewall for "forgiveness". I live in a small town with lots of dirt roads and my wife likes to roll over curbs when she drives the truck....lol

I almost just increased the tire size to get more sidewall but didn't want the fuel economy loss. Out of my 35 miles daily round trip (sometimes twice daily), 28 of those miles are on the highway.

Good looking trucks you have!!

Nanotech Environmental · March 24, 2020

1 hour ago, Terry Wood said:

The Bridgestone Dueler sidewall is very stiff. If I had kept the 22" wheels, I was planning to go with Michelin Defender LTX M/S. You can flex the sidewall on side-by-side comparison at the tire shop and feel the difference. I'm certain that my ride improvement was a combination of more sidewall mixed with softer sidewall. They carry the same load rating though.

I'm getting older so this matters to me.... wouldn't have been as big of a deal 10-15 years ago.

The Dueler sidewall is probably only stiff on the larger rim sizes. I have them on 17" wheels on my '17 & they ride quite nice; quiet, smooth and good fuel econ.

dieselfan1 · March 24, 2020

I have a 2018 with 20's and a 2018 with 22's. You can tell the difference on the ride but not night and day.

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Terry Wood · March 25, 2020

15 hours ago, dieselfan1 said:

I have a 2018 with 20's and a 2018 with 22's. You can tell the difference on the ride but not night and day.

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I agree that it's definitely not night and day. I think most of my experience is due to the tire type change also.

21 hours ago, Nanotech Environmental said:

The Dueler sidewall is probably only stiff on the larger rim sizes. I have them on 17" wheels on my '17 & they ride quite nice; quiet, smooth and good fuel econ.

Good to know. Thanks!!