[ajsandiego]

Originally Posted by Vaska

And yet the 20 inch wheels also come with 30 series tires defeating the purpose.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by ajsandiego

This is where I am atm. The struggle is real

You can also get ligher 20" aftermarket wheels that look unique. I had a 2LT V6 with the factory 18" wheels, and I don't think the ride was that much better compared to my current 20" wheels and low profile tires. I will say that I have MRC and switched to non-runflat tires (Michelin PS4S), which made the experience tangibly better.

All that said, the main advantage of 20" is definitely the look, we all know that

[JamesNoBrakes]

Originally Posted by Spaceme1117

Shorter sidewall gives better handling; less sidewall to flex so more responsive. But usually ride quality suffers.

In the dry. More sidewall gives better handling in the wet.

The 20s on the 1LE are too big. It really should come with 19s. The 20s are just massively too heavy/large.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by ajsandiego

Stopping is essential. Brembos no go on the 18s I take it?

As long as your OE brakes can make the ABS do its thing, you don't need bigger brakes for street driving.

Road course HPDE driving is another matter entirely, but there it's more about brake heat management over many very hard stops from high speeds than the once-and-done nature of slower street driving. You're either on the gas or on the brakes, so the brakes don't get as much time in between to cool back down from the higher temperatures involved.

Plus, small brakes tend to look lost inside big wheels.


Norm

[Seniorrs]

Their is a reason autocross drivers like "18 wheels on 6th gen.

[ajsandiego]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

... The 20s on the 1LE are too big. It really should come with 19s. The 20s are just massively too heavy/large.

And the truth comes out... But they look cool

[ajsandiego]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

As long as your OE brakes can make the ABS do its thing, you don't need bigger brakes for street driving.

Road course HPDE driving is another matter entirely, but there it's more about brake heat management over many very hard stops from high speeds than the once-and-done nature of slower street driving. You're either on the gas or on the brakes, so the brakes don't get as much time in between to cool back down from the higher temperatures involved.

Plus, small brakes tend to look lost inside big wheels.


Norm

Great reminder. Something easy to forget when putting a list of mods together. Since this thread is based on looks - OEM LT brakes look like crap.

[Vaska]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

In the dry. More sidewall gives better handling in the wet.

The 20s on the 1LE are too big. It really should come with 19s. The 20s are just massively too heavy/large.

Agreed. I would love 19s but with a 35 sized sidewall all the way around. I already run 275/35/20s in the front on 1LE wheels. The 18s I use in the winter are super soft over these trash roads.

[ajsandiego]

Thanks for the input folks! Just what I had hoped for.

[HCI2000SS]

In my personal experience I've found tire type (compound, design, etc) is more important to ride comfort than wheel size and sidewall thickness. Of course this assumes it's all within reason of course. An example would be my 18 inch winter setup vs my OEM 20 inch setup. Both setups have runflats, but the 18's have a 50mm sidewall vs 40mm on my 20's. And in all honesty one doesn't ride any better than the other. Just something to consider when shopping around

[ajsandiego]

Originally Posted by HCI2000SS

In my personal experience I've found tire type (compound, design, etc) is more important to ride comfort than wheel size and sidewall thickness. Of course this assumes it's all within reason of course. An example would be my 18 inch winter setup vs my OEM 20 inch setup. Both setups have runflats, but the 18's have a 50mm sidewall vs 40mm on my 20's. And in all honesty one doesn't ride any better than the other. Just something to consider when shopping around

Great info - thank you. Coming from the truck/suv world of wheel fitment - still piecing it all together. I Know for a fact I cant fit 37s on this stock set up...

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by HCI2000SS

In my personal experience I've found tire type (compound, design, etc) is more important to ride comfort than wheel size and sidewall thickness. Of course this assumes it's all within reason of course. An example would be my 18 inch winter setup vs my OEM 20 inch setup. Both setups have runflats, but the 18's have a 50mm sidewall vs 40mm on my 20's..

Please check the full tire size information for each. The '40' and '50' parts do not refer to sidewall heights in mm, but as percentages of tire section width.

Best information I can easily find has your 18" tires at 245/50-18 and your 20's at 245/40-20. Sidewall heights would be approximately 4.8" for the 18" and only about 3.9" for the 20's.

Both being runflats, sidewall stiffnesses were increased for both, relative to non-runflat tires in those same sizes, in order to carry the load that would no longer be supported by inflation pressure.


Norm

[HCI2000SS]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Please check the full tire size information for each. The '40' and '50' parts do not refer to sidewall heights in mm, but as percentages of tire section width.

Best information I can easily find has your 18" tires at 245/50-18 and your 20's at 245/40-20. Sidewall heights would be approximately 4.8" for the 18" and only about 3.9" for the 20's.

Both being runflats, sidewall stiffnesses were increased for both, relative to non-runflat tires in those same sizes, in order to carry the load that would no longer be supported by inflation pressure.


Norm

You're right, my bad on the MM measurement for sidewall. Yes I have 245/50/18 winters and OEM 245/40/20. I would've thought the thicker sidewall would create a better ride, but it definitely does not in my case

[S.Macias]

I'm running a 20"x9.5" on 275/35R20. Square setup. I have the V6 like you. The wider tires give it a completely different feel. Better planted, able to turn more aggressively with confidence, and just look better overall. Handles fine in that California rain we have out here too (when we have it..)