Thoughts on 20"?

Tazzieman said:

You need to state your intentions for use of your Grenadier.
For many of us here there are many reasons not to go beyond 18.

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IG_LA said:

I've scrubbed the entire forum and read through several posts, yet, no ongoing talks about the 20" rims. There was a mention once but only one response on it.

I'm not looking into wrapping them with 35in tires, looking more into 285/55r20 BFG KO2s which have a diameter of 32.3 in. Seeing that several people have already upgraded to 285/70r17 I've seen here, I assume no lifting is needed since 285/55r20 would be smaller?

I'm ready to purchase but I don't have enough information about whether it's the right choice or not. I understand the obvious why 17" is better than 20" but how big of a sacrifice to opt in for the 20"? Thoughts, opinions, and rants are much appreciated!

1) 285/55r20
2) 285/70r17

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Tazzieman said:

Wheel choice is a complex topic. I will say few 4x4s in Australia go larger than 18".
You will get a number of responses from people here so I'll let them chime in.

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Disco Dave said:

I would say, the only reason we went from 15 to 16 inch was fitting the brakes in (new braking regs). Same for 17 and on some vehicles like ummm - ND even larger. During this time 4WD’s were also starting to move to the big cities, where many/most have no understanding of small rim benefits.
So this is where we are, the 17” is now the standard, when it used to be the 15”.

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globalgregors said:

More to do with increasingly heavy caravans, do you reckon Dave? Manufacturers competing for tow rating…

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[ Adam ] said:

make sure your wheels have an appropriate load rating for the vehicle.

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Disco Dave said:

I would say, the only reason we went from 15 to 16 inch was fitting the brakes in (new braking regs). Same for 17 and on some vehicles like ummm - ND even larger. During this time 4WD’s were also starting to move to the big cities, where many/most have no understanding of small rim benefits.
So this is where we are, the 17” is now the standard, when it used to be the 15”.

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globalgregors said:

Offroad enthusiasts and overlanders amongst us will rail against this idea as contrary to the ethos of the vehicle, but if you are primarily using it in urban environments or on smooth, firm-packed dirt then why not.

After going around the world on 19” alloys I’d suggest it really is somewhat of a sacrifice offroad. It will reduce your options on soft surfaces and you will need to drive somewhat more cautiously on potholed or stony ground.

Key benefit of lower side walls and large alloys is cornering stability and acceleration/braking responsiveness. At 2700kg dry and with a rather distinctive steering character the Gren is not an obvious choice as a performance 4wd so I’m not sure how much upside you’d see from it.

Someone will eventually use the payload for armour however and they’ll be putting 20’s on that tank I’m sure, just in case they need to get out of Dodge stat.

LA is surely the place for this look, though (if not Moscow, Baku, Dubai). Will be interested to see where you take it!

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Krabby said:

Given the same overall diameter, I'd prefer more sidewall than wheel for a few reasons. Mainly though, more sidewall pays dividends both on-road and off - mainly more "cushion," better ability to airdown, and more protection for the wheel itself from scraping kerbs, rocks, etc.. If you really think you will spend 20% off the pavement (that's 2000 miles over every 10,000) I'd want more function than form. When we spoke to Greg he said they really tried to make 16s work but the brake package was just too big - that's a good indicator that sidewall height matters.

If I'm honest, beyond those reasons, my initial reaction what "seriously"? But hey man, it's your truck and if a different wheel and tire setup makes you like it that much more, sobeit. Good luck with your decision.

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anand said:

I think that's one benefit of having the same bolt pattern as a Sprinter... every wheel is rated way above what would be needed to surpass GAWR/GVWR

To the OP, if you're staying on road most of the time, go for it, but be prepared for any negatives that come with smaller sidewalls (rougher ride over bumps/potholes, more likely to bend a wheel, and a decreased ability to air down due to the shorter sidewall). You're increasing wheel diameter by 3", which means to maintain the same sidewall height, you'd need to increase tire diameter by 3", you're increasing tire diameter by only ~3/4".

In reality, for probably 90% of the drivers, this won't actually limit your driving in any way, so if you like the look, try it out. Worst case you buy another set of wheels and tires later if you realize you hate it!

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