how do 20's handle????

[tommbo]

i want to put 20's on my yukon but im not sure how they will handle. i do alot of high speed hiway and country road driving.is the ride more rough? will the speedometer read correct? do they take turns ok? do 305's handle the same as 285's? how about in the rain?? thanx for your replies....which brand is best also?

[audi1031]

I am in the same boat as you and want to know if 20 vs 22 is there a diffrence in the ride.

[ukaussi]

Stock size is 16" or 17" depending on if you have the Denali.

Ride will always be harsher if you go with a bigger wheel as there is less tire sidewall to act as part of the shock absorbing.

To ensure your speedo etc run the same make sure you keep the rolling radius the same. Tire rack has a formula I beleieve that you can use to check what size tire to pick with certain size rims.

We had 18"s for 4 years on 2 seperate Yukons (2nd was an XL). These were std Yukon XLE and did not have autoride etc. The ride was harsh but not sure how much worse than 16" as we had them put on when we bought the Yukon new and swapped them when we got the 2nd one.

We now have a 2004 Denali with 22" and there is a LOT of diference in ride quality. The Denali actually rides a lot smoother due to its different suspension setup but you do notice any pot holes etc, although no more that on the std Yukon with 18"'s.

Handling will always improve if you reduce the tire sidewall size as the is less tire to "squash" when cornering so it handles "sharper".

Be careful on the width you choose as ours are too wide and rub when cornering. The rears also rub slightly sometimes when cornering. I will have to check exact size

[griegjo1]

I have a 2004 Denali with 20's wheels and the wheels are 10 inches wide. I do have 285 tires and are a little smaller in diameter than the stock tires.

As for the ride, the ride is a little rougher with 20's but tolerable given that they look so good. One thing I will caution you on is that the handling is compromised by the wider tires. The tires tend to follow the ruts in the road and tend to jerk the vehicle when trying to slow down or stop. Additionally, I aligned the front end after sixth months due to the larger wheels and tires.

The small difference in the diameter of the tires has had no noticable impact on the speedometer readings.

I would recommend that you select a wheel less than 10 inches and likewise a tire that are not as wide which will improve the handling and performance. The wider the tire side wall is the better the ride.

I have gotten used to the slight difference in the ride and handling and am considering purchasing another set so I can decicate a set for winter and summer driving.

[tonytone]

Ride and handling are not one and the same--not that you didn't know that, but I mention them in the context of your post...namely, the ride will be a tad rougher than on the stock 16" or 17" wheels due to less sidewall. You could possibly gain a bit on the handling end by going with a wider tire, though keep in mind that you need to make sure you either keep the overall tire/wheel circumference as close to that of the stock setup or use a programmer like Hypertech or similar to correct for a non-stock tire size so as to keep the speedometer and odometer accurate.

audi1031--anecdotal evidence has shown that 22" will give you a slightly-rougher (but still tolerable) ride than 20".

[tommbo]

thanx for your help guys!!! it really helps me out. i saw a new denali at the stealer with stock 20's and it looked nice! nice wheels!

[ukaussi]

Our 2004 Denali XL with 22's rides way better than our 2002 Yukon XL with 18's.
The AUTORIDE suspension and softer shocks on the Denali appear to soak up a lot of the bumps.

FYI, our 305/45R22 tires are too wide as mentioned above.

[griegjo1]

I am considering buying a set of 22's for my 2004 Denali. I do have 20's now with 20x10 wheels. The tires are really wide (approx. 11 inches) and I have had no rubbing at all. The tire diameter is a little less than the stock tires.

For those of you that have 22's can you recommend a wheel and tires sizes that will not result in rubbing?

[azteca]

iam also considering buying 22" for my 04 yukon slt, does anybody know if there is a lot of difference between yukon slt and denali's suspension.
since ukaussi mentioned that the denali handles very well with 22's.

[ukaussi]

Originally Posted by azteca

iam also considering buying 22" for my 04 yukon slt, does anybody know if there is a lot of difference between yukon slt and denali's suspension.
since ukaussi mentioned that the denali handles very well with 22's.

suspension is very different as the Danali has the airbag suspension, with auto-rise and also auto ride height.

the 2003 Yukon SLT rode much worse and that only had 18's

[the blur]

you can all throw your 17"'s my way !
My Denali rides great, and I wouldn't change it for the "pimp look" of 20's, or even worse 22's.

[azteca]

thanks a lot for your input guys.
i had ordered the 22's i will see how it goes.

[Denalix5]

If you have a Denali the 305/45/22's work just fine. I've had mine on for over 2 years and have had no problems. They do slightly rub when reversing at full lock but otherwise they ride great. Have driven them to Tahoe in the snow 3 times now with no problems. Be sure and get M+S tires. I would recommend Toyo's. I have Nitto 404 on mine now but I think the Toyos give you better mileage. My next set will be Toyo proxies.