Tahoeguy2

I am considering purchasing a 07 Tahoe with 20 inch tires but have been told that the highway ride is smoother with 17 inch tires. Does anyone have any firsthand experience with this?

andy4639

I have the factory 20" wheels with the LTZ package with air ride. It rides better than my wifes 94 Elderado Touring Coupe in my opinion. I love the look of them also.

haidangwa

Larger wheels mean added unsprung weight to the vehicle. That decreases gas mileage andless horsepowerat the wheels. Your engine is wasting power just to move those heavier wheels. To that, the additional weight of larger brake rotors, calipers, etc, that you'll need to install to accommodate the larger wheelsdon't help with the decrease in HP and MPG either. If you live in an area that requires 4WD during the winter, you'll be glad to have the deeper sidewalls when getting around. The tires that get installed on 20" wheels don't have a chance at the really deep stuff. I own a '07 Tahoe LT3 with 17" wheels and it rides great -- dealer tried to sell me 20s, but I turned them down for the reasons stated.

engine2

4WD is a valid reason for the 17". I seem to recall seing a few 4WD tahoes with 20" with a waning that 20" were not optimal for 4WD mode. Needless to say, I have a 2WD LTZ with 20" and it rides very smooth (Way better than my previous Sequoia with 17"). I would say it depends on what you are going to be doing primarily with the truck.

doo600

I don't know about you guys but my 4wd on 20's goes like a raped ape through snow. By far the best winter truck I've owned and I've had a lot.

tahoe07

Snowy roads and true off roading are two different things. I love my 20s andNO issues on snow covered roads for me. I might be giving something up for stopping distance and mileage but I'm sure it is minimal and worth it to me to have the look. Ride and control is GREAT.

I agree they wheel/tire may weigh more but ... I don't think you get heavier/bigger brakes with 20s.

73shark

I believe all the 2007 Tahoes have the same size brakes regardless of wheel size. What you say is true if you go over the 20s tho.

Can't attest to off-roading with 20s, but mine was as sure footed as a mountain goat last winter. (had to use a different metahpor)

jmitchell

Alright let's just put to bed that the 20" wheel/tire combo "doesn't have a chance at the really deep snow." I have an LTZ with the 20's and when we got 3 feet of snow just before X-mas this year, we were one of the few vehicles on the road.Right along sidea few Jeeps and the plow trucks, we were trucking around in the snow no problem. The only thing I was worried about was ripping off the plastic piece just below the front bumper, since it's only 8 or so inches from the ground. I personally like the look of the 20's better and I like them better than most aftermarket 20's and larger as well. Also, it has a very very smooth ride. You won't be disappointed.

wwotr

OK I'll chime in here.
I'm looking to do, CLOSE to the same thing.
I'm ready to move up from the Stock 16" up to a set of 20" on my 1996 Tahoe.
I live at about 3000" Elevation, so the most snow we ever get is about 4" about 5-6 times a year.
Only off-roading I do, is from the street turning into my gravel driveway.
I'm currently getting around 24-26 MPG on 2 lane highways /twisty back roads in the area.
My conquest (and barganing skills),
can be seen at the Thread located here:https://chevroletforum.com/m_29206/tm.htm

Roger

engine2

I am sure the 20" tires do great in the snow, but I was talking about true off roading (Not snow on top of asphalt or nicely graded gravel roads). There is not enough tire sidewall to protect your rims from getting bent on the 20" wheels if you are doing serious off roadong. Needless to say, those you who do serious off roading are few and far between so 20" would not be a problem for most.