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16" vs. 17" wheels

WarWagon

WarWagon

Well it hits on 7 of 8...
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Is there any difference between 2008 factory 17" and 16" rims as far as handling, towing etc? Sure 1" on the size of the rim... :D

Looking at trading out my 17" bald wheels for 16" wheels that have good rubber on them. They want the updated look and I could use the good tires.

Just wondering if it makes any difference at all with the overall tire height being the same? and my spare being 16" with the 17" set...
 
I think you will be able to find more tire sizes for the 16" wheel then the 17" wheels. Other then that I don't think there is much difference.
 
16" tires are cheaper to buy...for instance on discounttire.com bfg at's are $170 each for a 16" wheel and $198 each for a 17" wheel. 17" wheels look a little nicer being a little bigger. Handling might be slightly improved with a 17 because of less sidewall flex; but 16's might ride a little smoother with a little more sidewall.
 
I have 17" stock steel rims right now on my truck right now, and have been thinking of getting some new rims, either the Alluminum stock ones (really like the look of them compared to the steel ones I have), or going with an aftermarket set. If I go with aftermarket ones, I have been debating going with 16" rims or stick with 17" rims. I really like the look of the 17" rims on my truck, but I think getting a little bigger tire with a mild lift or a leveling kit on my truck the 16's would look pretty good. So I'm going through this debate of my own.
 
On the GM's you can get away going down to a 16" rim as the NBS trucks do come with either 16" or 17" rims. My '08 had the 16" PYO's on it. As for the 3rd Gen Dodges and up, a 16" rim/tire combo will not work as the rotors are bigger then the 2nd Gens and therefore won't be able to fit a smaller then 17" wheel on the truck.
 
If anybody has a set of 17" rims to sell cheap, I am looking for a set for my daughters Suburban. I have a half wore set of 265/70R17 load range E's but they won't fit on the 16" aluminum wheels she currently has on her Suburban.
 
How good are the tires on the 16" wheels? Are they just the stock 245 tires? I have not looked lately but last I looked, the 17" were worth about $200-$250 more than the 16" so if you get that worth of tires out of the deal you can always buy a set later and sell the 16's.
I think (not certain) the 17" wheels might be a little wider which is nice if you might ever want wider tires. Some brands and sizes of 17" are a more expensive but a lot are about the same price.
There is no difference in the tire size between 16" and 17" (16"=75 & 17"=70) so the spare should not be a problem. (might even be 16")
 
It's only an inch of rim.

Any "performance" difference will be negligible.

Aesthetics is only what's important to you.

Load ratings are dependent on tire manufacturer/construction and you just have to choose properly when you buy.

You're not going to notice any real difference on a daily other than slightly less expensive prices come replacement time.
 
great white said:
It's only an inch of rim.

Any "performance" difference will be negligible.

Aesthetics is only what's important to you.

Load ratings are dependent on tire manufacturer/construction and you just have to choose properly when you buy.

You're not going to notice any real difference on a daily other than slightly less expensive prices come replacement time.
Click to expand...

Hold up there GW. My dad's car has 18's stock, mine has 17's stock, and there is a BIG performance/handling difference between the two. That "only an inch" can be a huge factor between a smooth ride and a bumpy one.
 
There is a big difference an extra inch of wheel makes on a number of factors. I have had the entire gambit of wheels from 12" to 19" on cars and trucks. Now I just dont get larger wheels just to impress people on the street. my larger diameter wheel is for a sole purpose-- peformance, whether it be speed or stability for towing.
Now for topic stakes a 17" wheel will give better sidewall stability with a larger diameter tire than a 16" wheel will with the same diameter tire. you can actually feel the side flex difference between a 285-75-16 over the 285-70-17. the 17" wheel combo is much more stable while towing and under loaded conditions. The biggest drawback to larger diameter wheels is the lack of quality/quantity and cost of load range e tires, although they are increasing due to the demand. 16" rims have been around for a long time and every manufacturer makes tires for it.
Now if you constantly run unloaded or are a driveway queen then this a mute point.
 
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