15" vs 17" wheels

RoryH19 · Dec 14, 2020

Hello,

Has anyone changed from 15" wheels to 17" and noticed a difference in ride?
Is the ride better or worse, more stable, etc?
Will be for my 4x4 K5 with 33x12.5 tires.

Thanks.

bucket · Dec 14, 2020

Depends on the tires you get. Many 17's in the 33" range are going be a load range E, which makes for a more firm and stable ride, besides the shorter sidewall.

77 K20 · Dec 15, 2020

If you air down the tires for more traction off road then 15" wheels will be a bit nicer. Gives you more sidewall to flex and a bigger footprint.

TubeTruck · Dec 15, 2020

I'm running 285/70/R17 Cooper AT3 XLT's. Yes, load range E1. Super nice ride but it's most likely the tire. A lot of wheelers are running 17's these days. 17's are the new 15's and 37's are the new 35's lol

77 K20 · Dec 15, 2020

I moved up to 17" from 16" as there aren't a whole lot of choices in 16 anymore. And zero beadlock wheels in that size unless it custom made.

Might check out prices first though. 15" are cheaper for the most part. At least in General and BFG the 15" were around $50/tire cheaper.

And at least at Discount tire they have 22 results for 15" tires and only 10 tires for 17".

RoryH19 · Dec 15, 2020

77 K20 said:
I moved up to 17" from 16" as there aren't a whole lot of choices in 16 anymore. And zero beadlock wheels in that size unless it custom made.

Might check out prices first though. 15" are cheaper for the most part. At least in General and BFG the 15" were around $50/tire cheaper.

And at least at Discount tire they have 22 results for 15" tires and only 10 tires for 17".

Right, this is what I've been trying to decide. Is it worth the $$ to move to 17"?
I'd have to buy wheels and more expensive tires.
The 15" BFG KO2's are $193 at discount tire with the 17" at $287 each.
KM3's are $262 vs $315

In either case I have to buy tires, mine are shot.

Grit dog · Dec 15, 2020

33s on 17s is still a lot of sidewall. No issues with it being too stiff, however at the same pressure as 15s it will be less mushy and handle better.
Depends what you want out of the truck. More handling or more sidewall/off road. But in reality the difference will be subtle.
move never understood how folks think higher load ratings ride rougher. Yes the tires themselves are thicker sidewall/ stiffer, however air pressure determines the ride. And a couple psi lower on a stiffer tire is the same as couple psi higher on a softer tire. (Approximately)

^Not directed at your comment bucket. What you said I agree with but commonly folks think E tire ride rougher than say C.

RoryH19 · Dec 15, 2020

Grit dog said:
33s on 17s is still a lot of sidewall. No issues with it being too stiff, however at the same pressure as 15s it will be less mushy and handle better.
Depends what you want out of the truck. More handling or more sidewall/off road. But in reality the difference will be subtle.
move never understood how folks think higher load ratings ride rougher. Yes the tires themselves are thicker sidewall/ stiffer, however air pressure determines the ride. And a couple psi lower on a stiffer tire is the same as couple psi higher on a softer tire. (Approximately)

Good points. I know there are more plys in the 17's than 15s, at least in the tires I'm considering.
Not worried about a stiff ride, not a caddy. I actually prefer that. With the current setup 33x12.5R15 it just feels a little spongy. Could also be that the tires are worn out, IDK.

Dutch Rutter · Dec 15, 2020

I'm going the other way. Finally going to do away with the aftermarket 16.5s. I'm moving to 16"s (original size on the truck) and I'm planning on a 285/75r16 wildpeak atw3 load range E.

I'm looking forward to the higher load capacity and better ride then my small 14 year old toyo ATs.

RoryH19 · Dec 15, 2020

Dutch Rutter said:
I'm going the other way. Finally going to do away with the aftermarket 16.5s. I'm moving to 16"s (original size on the truck) and I'm planning on a 285/75r16 wildpeak atw3 load range E.

I'm looking forward to the higher load capacity and better ride then my small 14 year old toyo ATs.

I had an 86 k20 with 16.5's and 33x12.5 BFG KO's years ago. I liked the look and the ride.
I'm with you, I think the tires are my main problem.

F-64 · Dec 15, 2020

If appearance is a big factor to you then that may pull you toward the 17's.
It's all about compromises.
Your rotating mass and unsprung weight may go up quite a bit with the 17's.
With the higher weight your shocks will have to work harder to keep the tire on the road.
Your acceleration and braking may not be as good with the 17's, but that may also depend on the tires you choose. You may be able to find a better quality tire in the 17" size.

I've stayed with 15's and run a light weight rim. My problem is the tire selection in the 15" diameter is getting worse or more expensive.
You'll have to do the math with the weight change.

RoryH19 · Dec 15, 2020

mike broussard said:
If appearance is a big factor to you then that may pull you toward the 17's.
It's all about compromises.
Your rotating mass and unsprung weight may go up quite a bit with the 17's.
With the higher weight your shocks will have to work harder to keep the tire on the road.
Your acceleration and braking may not be as good with the 17's, but that may also depend on the tires you choose. You may be able to find a better quality tire in the 17" size.

I've stayed with 15's and run a light weight rim. My problem is the tire selection in the 15" diameter is getting worse or more expensive.
You'll have to do the math with the weight change.

I was thinking the weight would be approximately the same if I went from 15" steel wagons to 17" aluminum.
BFG makes both the tires I like in 15 and 17, no issue there. Not sure if in the future that will change. I know many are having this problem with 16/16.5 wheels.

F-64 · Dec 15, 2020

It's not so much the total weight. It's where the weight is placed on the circle.
A 17" wheel will have more weight further from the center of the hub than a 15" all other factors being the same.

Your 17" aluminum rim may make the differences less of an issue.

Scott91370 · Dec 15, 2020

With that tire they will be E rated and that much sidewall there won't be much, if any, difference.

shiftpro · Dec 15, 2020

Just for what it's worth, the weight difference between my 16" wheels and tires vs my 17" wheels and tires (03 VW Jet TDI) is substantial. I didn't put them on a scale yet, that will happen in the spring but I'm guessing an easy 10 lbs per wheel/tire unit. I'll be adding a min 40 lbs to my car to use the 17s..? Kinda sucks.. These are both factory VW rims btw.

15" vs 17" wheels

RoryH19

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