I currently have ugly 16” wheels on my Tahoe. I’d like to move up a size or so. What kind of options do I have? Will tires get more expensive as the wheel size gets bigger? I’d like to stay in the 17” to 20” range. Should I look for factory 17’s? I’d like something that looks sharp but not overly flashy. Thanks for any thoughts.
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Greetings John, welcome to the Forum.

As far as options go, the sky's the limit !
When increasing the size of your wheels, frequently it causes a couple problems. But if you're careful/selective about what you buy, those problems can be minimized or even eliminated.

Here's what happens, when you get a rim/tire combo which is much larger than your stocks.

1) There's a Speedometer error.
Larger wheels create a reading which is less than your actual speed. Sometimes, you can compensate for that by reprogramming your computer. If not, you just have to deal with it.
2) There's a perceived reduction in power.
When you increase the fulcrum between the ground and the center of your Axel, that distance, increases in loss as it increases in length.
3) There's a perceived loss in Breaking Ability.
Same reason as above, when you increase the fulcrum, it decreases the effectiveness of given applied pressure on the system. With increased petal pressure to compensate, you generate more heat, and subsequent wear on the components.

Now, people have been putting larger tires on their rides for a long time, and dealing with the above issues with varying satisfaction. So can you. However, like I said before, you can eliminate or at least reduce these issues. There are two things you need to do/consider to accomplish this.

1) Try to keep the Tire Diameter at, or as close to your original size as possible. So, you need to check what tires were originally on your ride, and find out what that (outer/rolling) diameter those are.
2) When you decide what Tire you are going to use, THEN decide what Rim Width is right for those tires, and purchase your Rims accordingly.

How does one get larger rims, with out getting larger tires ?

With the versatility of so many "Profiles" today, this isn't as hard as it sounds. Here's a couple of examples of how your can "flex" those numbers, to accommodate your "needed" diameter.

If you originally had...
265/70/16 which were 30.0" in diameter, you could get...
285/60/18 which are 30.0" in diameter, or...
295/50/20 which are 30.0" in diameter.

HA, I know someone is going to challenge my numbers here, but, these examples are for reference only, they're not completely accurate, ok !

How, once you're decided on which Tire is going to work for you, THEN you select a Rim in that Diameter, and has the exact Width to accommodate the Tire you're using. Having the sidewalls of the Tire running vertically is very important in achieving the best performance and life from the Tires.

A comment about Low Profile Tires...
You're going to realize an increased ability/stability in control. Cornering will feel a lot "tighter". This is because you're reduced the height of the sidewall, and removed the normal "roll/sway" that higher Profile Tires demonstrate.

However, that puts the Rim and the Road a lot closer to each other.
This makes for an increased occurrence of Road Hazard damage to your tires. Curbs and Chug Holes can eat a set of Low Profiles up quickly, IF you allow Air Pressures to drop. Keeping pressures in the higher range rating for a LP Tire is essential to it's life.

So in a nutshell...

1) Select a Width and Rim Diameter Tire, which you like.
2) Select a Profile of that Tire, which accommodates the OEM diameter as closely as possible.
3) THEN buy a Rim that's recommended for your vehicle, and that fits that Tire.

Good Luck !

 

I think I saw somewhere in the forum that the 17" and 20" are the same outside diameter, so no speedo correction is needed....(factory wheels and tires)

 

I went this route but mine had the factory tires mounted and balanced as well with less than 100 miles on them.

OEM quality,hub centric,correct offsets.,etc.Some REALLY good deals to be found searching the net.

The beauty of GM full size 1/2 ton trucks-SUVs is that all the wheels interchange form 99' to 13'

The link below is for REPLICA wheels but you get the idea.

Chevy Silverado 1500 Z71 18" Factory Wheels Rims Tahoe Z-71 Suburban Fit GMC | eBay

 

Here is a better example of what is out there....

18" Chevy SILVERADO Tahoe AVALANCHE Z71 Wheels RIMS TIRES 11 12 FACTORY | eBay

 

Thank you