Well I have read a lot around here about rims but havent heard anyone say anything about the ride quality am looking at gettting 22" 305/45 R22 with Nitto tires "nt404" but before I get them I want to make sure the ride quality is not going to change or I dont want to have any problems as far as rubbing or something like that please help me out. just got the mada 2 months ago.....
Want to keep the same ride quality
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You'll be okay with 22's, shouldn't rub anywhere.
But, you will for sure lose ride quality. There's a couple threads on unsprung weight. The bumps feel bumpier, and you will feel it both in the steering wheel and through your ears. You will have more rubber in the ground though.
I know Centerline has a series of 22" and 24"wheels that are actually lighter than the stock 18" wheels. That would actually give you the best of both worlds. Not to pricey either. Only that they are more aluminum mirror finish than really bright chrome. I think they look good.
http://www.centerlinewheels.com/sub_wheel.php?mw_id=19
But, you will for sure lose ride quality. There's a couple threads on unsprung weight. The bumps feel bumpier, and you will feel it both in the steering wheel and through your ears. You will have more rubber in the ground though.
I know Centerline has a series of 22" and 24"wheels that are actually lighter than the stock 18" wheels. That would actually give you the best of both worlds. Not to pricey either. Only that they are more aluminum mirror finish than really bright chrome. I think they look good.
http://www.centerlinewheels.com/sub_wheel.php?mw_id=19
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22" will be ok for ride quality depending on the tires you get, where you drive, etc. You will have less rubber to soak up potholes so for example I wouldn't recommend them in the NE or around Chicago. Lower profile tires will increase the ride loss. My 20" still are fine for ride quality. You can fit basically up to 34" before you need to lift. 33 1/2" if you have a wide tread. As you eat this up with wheel, you loose off road ability, towing rating, and ride quality. You pick-up handling to a point, which then decreases. This was the original reason for large wheels to begin with. Ride quality will really start to suffer with less than 5.5" in sidewall and continue to decrease expodentially as you increase rim size.
Sidewall width
Stock 17" is 8"
Stock 18" is 7.3"
My 305-55-20 is 6.7"
The popular 305-50-20 is 6.1"
305-45-22 is 5.5"
305-35-24 is 4.25"
305-30-26 is 3.5"
You get the idea. Additionally as Andy pointed out, the larger you get, the slower your acceleration will be, worse your mileage will be, bigger bumps will feel, weaker your rims will be, and expenses go up rapidly. Most guys that do some off-road on trails that don't require major mods like 8"+. The reason street driviing is better with less sidewall is the lean of the sidewall diminishes in a turn. If you get below a certain ratio of tread width to sidewaill height, for us 22", you no longer have any lean but now there isn't enough give in the tire to absorb road imperfections. The tire then bounces to compensate and you loose traction. The effect is worse handling, not better. Too many rice rocket guys don't get this.
If you want 22", don't plan on anything offroad past a well groomed dirt road, and don't live in an area with many potholes, want the best handling you can get, and don't mind sacrificing some ride quality, go for it!
Hope this helps.
Sidewall width
Stock 17" is 8"
Stock 18" is 7.3"
My 305-55-20 is 6.7"
The popular 305-50-20 is 6.1"
305-45-22 is 5.5"
305-35-24 is 4.25"
305-30-26 is 3.5"
You get the idea. Additionally as Andy pointed out, the larger you get, the slower your acceleration will be, worse your mileage will be, bigger bumps will feel, weaker your rims will be, and expenses go up rapidly. Most guys that do some off-road on trails that don't require major mods like 8"+. The reason street driviing is better with less sidewall is the lean of the sidewall diminishes in a turn. If you get below a certain ratio of tread width to sidewaill height, for us 22", you no longer have any lean but now there isn't enough give in the tire to absorb road imperfections. The tire then bounces to compensate and you loose traction. The effect is worse handling, not better. Too many rice rocket guys don't get this.
If you want 22", don't plan on anything offroad past a well groomed dirt road, and don't live in an area with many potholes, want the best handling you can get, and don't mind sacrificing some ride quality, go for it!
Hope this helps.
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Glad to help. That's why I went with my rims. I still wanted enough sidewall to keep offroad working but I also wanted 305 width. They don't make 305 wide for 18" rims, at least not at this point, in an A/T tire and I didn't like the stock rim look anyway so I scaled up.LOONEY said:
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my two cents...
Lower profile equals harsher ride. You can't defeat the logic that you simply have less rubber to absorb the shock. You might consider a softer shock or lower spring rates to compensate for the added harshness.
Lower profile does not imply better handling. Especially with SUV's and their high center of gravity, the suspension is tuned to provide you the requisite stability for daily driving, towing and some off-roading. With the added VDC, the suspension is further tuned to provide stability in extremis. When you stiffen the tire (by decreasing the sidewall/enlarging the wheel) you change the forces at work on the suspension and you ultimately affect the ability of the vehicle to keep that tire contact patch planted firmly on the ground. To improve handling, you need to understand how the springs, shocks, rollbars, and overall ride height work with the tire and come up with an appropriate game plan.
If you are going to change your wheel/tire combo for looks - fine. If you think you are doing it to improve handling, there is a lot more homework to be done.
Lower profile equals harsher ride. You can't defeat the logic that you simply have less rubber to absorb the shock. You might consider a softer shock or lower spring rates to compensate for the added harshness.
Lower profile does not imply better handling. Especially with SUV's and their high center of gravity, the suspension is tuned to provide you the requisite stability for daily driving, towing and some off-roading. With the added VDC, the suspension is further tuned to provide stability in extremis. When you stiffen the tire (by decreasing the sidewall/enlarging the wheel) you change the forces at work on the suspension and you ultimately affect the ability of the vehicle to keep that tire contact patch planted firmly on the ground. To improve handling, you need to understand how the springs, shocks, rollbars, and overall ride height work with the tire and come up with an appropriate game plan.
If you are going to change your wheel/tire combo for looks - fine. If you think you are doing it to improve handling, there is a lot more homework to be done.
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Very true. I can say though that my handling has improved since the swap. Probably due in part both to slightly lower profile and better quality tires than stock. The stock tires stink.Armadaof1 said:
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