18" or 20"
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Dodge City, KS
18" or 20"
Looking at a new Supercrew. I drive on dirt roads a fair amount and wonder what the ride is with the 20's compared to 18's. Do the 20's ride rougher and how are they in the mud and snow. I know they have less sidewall and that concerns me. All the trucks my dealer keeps finding equipped like I want have 20's on them.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,762
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From: Maryland
I ran into the same problem and 'settled' on the 20s. I never wanted them and have now acquired the 18" FX4 rims for my truck. I am in the process of getting new LT tires for my 18s and selling my 20s.
If I could do it over I would have gone with the 18s and LT tires from the outset. This is me though, but since our situations sound similar I'm weighing in. Good luck; just don't settle. Keep looking and get what you want.
If I could do it over I would have gone with the 18s and LT tires from the outset. This is me though, but since our situations sound similar I'm weighing in. Good luck; just don't settle. Keep looking and get what you want.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2006
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IMHO the center cap is not "right" on the 09-10 18" wrench wheel. Chrome cap, no lugs showing... something missing. I tryed to fit a 04-08 center cap on one but its too deep. Just my 2 cents though.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Michigan
I dumped the OE tires for a set of Firestone Destination A/T's in the same sice as the stock ones. Tire Rack rates them #1 for all All Terrain tires. So far I like them but we'll see come winter.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Denver, Co
Granted this is looking solely at OEM "shoes", but it all depends on which 18" tire & rim combination you are comparing against the 20" combination. Ford lists two different 18" tire & rim combinations, as shown below:
P265/60R18 --- 10.4" x 6.2" x 30.5"
P275/65R18 --- 10.8" x 7.0" x 32.1"
P275/55R20 --- 10.8" x 5.9" x 31.9"
While there is ~1" of sidewall difference between the 2nd 18" option & the 20" option, you are still looking at a decent size sidewall. Having had the 20" tire/rim combo on my Mark LT, I can say that the ride quality did not suffer. However, the corner was better than a friend's similar F150 with that 2nd 18" option for tires & rims.
(To be completely honest, this may have been due to a difference in sway bars. I do not know what his F150 had for sway bar(s).)
P265/60R18 --- 10.4" x 6.2" x 30.5"
P275/65R18 --- 10.8" x 7.0" x 32.1"
P275/55R20 --- 10.8" x 5.9" x 31.9"
While there is ~1" of sidewall difference between the 2nd 18" option & the 20" option, you are still looking at a decent size sidewall. Having had the 20" tire/rim combo on my Mark LT, I can say that the ride quality did not suffer. However, the corner was better than a friend's similar F150 with that 2nd 18" option for tires & rims.
(To be completely honest, this may have been due to a difference in sway bars. I do not know what his F150 had for sway bar(s).)
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Detroit
The only reason to have 20" wheels on your truck is for looks, as well as costing a lot more for tire replacement. If you drive your truck in real world truck situations, the extra sidewall height of the 18's is an advantage. If you want major ghetto bling, the 20's are for you. In inner city Detroit, it's cool to have 26" wheels on your Hummer with tires having 1" of sidewall height. Kind of like hiking trails with 5" women's high heels--completely stupid. George
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Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Michigan
The only reason to have 20" wheels on your truck is for looks, as well as costing a lot more for tire replacement. If you drive your truck in real world truck situations, the extra sidewall height of the 18's is an advantage. If you want major ghetto bling, the 20's are for you. In inner city Detroit, it's cool to have 26" wheels on your Hummer with tires having 1" of sidewall height. Kind of like hiking trails with 5" women's high heels--completely stupid. George
That all being said, yes I did buy my F150 partially on looks. If I needed to have a truck to work and pull with I would have bought a SD. But I still have my 01 Excursion so I have all my base's covered.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,269
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
I don't see how factory 20's are ghetto, most are decent looking. Now some aftermarket wheel styles out there are really ghetto looking.
also the stock size 20" tire replacement does not cost "alot more" than 18" tires for example.
also the stock size 20" tire replacement does not cost "alot more" than 18" tires for example.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Detroit
When I said "ghetto" I was not talking about wheel styles but the idea of going bigger and bigger for the sake of looks. You end up with a heavier wheel/tire combination, less wheel protection when you hit chuckholes or rocks, and more expensive tires and wheels. I also call BS on 20" tires lasting longer--have you driven 18" and 20" tires till they wore out and confirmed this? Hit a chuckhole hard and tire life ends way more quickly with a 20" tire.
Get what you want, enjoy what you have, but I've had trucks for 32 years and have never had the urge to move to gigantic wheels. It's all about fashion for trucks that people wear, not use. I take it you like the idea of reduced payload at a higher cost?
George
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Detroit
You do know that the new SD's also come with OE 20" wheels, right? They out "truck" your wimpy (and mine) F150 by a substantial amount, 20" wheels and all.
That all being said, yes I did buy my F150 partially on looks. If I needed to have a truck to work and pull with I would have bought a SD. But I still have my 01 Excursion so I have all my base's covered.
That all being said, yes I did buy my F150 partially on looks. If I needed to have a truck to work and pull with I would have bought a SD. But I still have my 01 Excursion so I have all my base's covered.
On the F150, the 20" wheels REDUCE payload by a couple hundred lbs per my other post, so the 18's will out-truck the 20's on an F150. If you want to use the truck, get 18's.
No offense intended. I'm an old guy who thinks of a truck as a tool, not as a costume or as a limousine.
George
Posting Guru
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From: Denver, Co
Here again there seems to be a preconceived notion that a 20" rim automatically means a low profile tire. With almost 6" of sidewall, I cannot see how the OEM 20" tire & rim combination can be cast in that low profile role. The 22" rim on the Harley-Davidson F150s is a lot closer to being in that low profile category, but even they pale in comparison to what I see on cars on trucks everyday.....something that is little more than a rubber band stretched around a rim.
In fact, back when trucks still ran 15" rims regularly, 6" sidewall height was very much the norm.
Yes, the 20" combo has less sidewall than the 18" combo with a 7" sidewall. However, it is roughly 1/4" away from having the same sidewall height as the other 18" combo, and I do not see any rants about that being ghetto, ill thought out, a pavement princess, or any other descriptions for that particular 18" combo.
If you hit a pothole hard enough to overwhelm 6" of sidewall, what are the chances that 7" of sidewall is going to be enough?!?
In fact, back when trucks still ran 15" rims regularly, 6" sidewall height was very much the norm.
Yes, the 20" combo has less sidewall than the 18" combo with a 7" sidewall. However, it is roughly 1/4" away from having the same sidewall height as the other 18" combo, and I do not see any rants about that being ghetto, ill thought out, a pavement princess, or any other descriptions for that particular 18" combo.
If you hit a pothole hard enough to overwhelm 6" of sidewall, what are the chances that 7" of sidewall is going to be enough?!?
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2006
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In a very long thread about payload, it was also discovered that ordering the 20" wheels on an F150 Supercrew REDUCES payload by a couple hundred lbs, to 900 lbs or so (barely more than an Escape). This makes the truck LESS capable with the only payback being looks.
When I said "ghetto" I was not talking about wheel styles but the idea of going bigger and bigger for the sake of looks. You end up with a heavier wheel/tire combination, less wheel protection when you hit chuckholes or rocks, and more expensive tires and wheels. I also call BS on 20" tires lasting longer--have you driven 18" and 20" tires till they wore out and confirmed this? Hit a chuckhole hard and tire life ends way more quickly with a 20" tire.
Get what you want, enjoy what you have, but I've had trucks for 32 years and have never had the urge to move to gigantic wheels. It's all about fashion for trucks that people wear, not use. I take it you like the idea of reduced payload at a higher cost?
George
When I said "ghetto" I was not talking about wheel styles but the idea of going bigger and bigger for the sake of looks. You end up with a heavier wheel/tire combination, less wheel protection when you hit chuckholes or rocks, and more expensive tires and wheels. I also call BS on 20" tires lasting longer--have you driven 18" and 20" tires till they wore out and confirmed this? Hit a chuckhole hard and tire life ends way more quickly with a 20" tire.
Get what you want, enjoy what you have, but I've had trucks for 32 years and have never had the urge to move to gigantic wheels. It's all about fashion for trucks that people wear, not use. I take it you like the idea of reduced payload at a higher cost?
George
Whats gigantic? 16 used to be gigantic? When the 1997's came out, the off road pkg had 17"s for the first time ever and they looked massive! You draw the line +18, I do +20. Dodge had 20"s with the '02's, old news.