Notorocaca
New member
I was wondering if any Limited owners that have switched wheel size, could shed some light on the ride quality between the stock 20 inch wheels vs. 17 inch wheels. And what about gas mileage? Thanks. :bigok:
Ride quality of 20 vs 17 inch wheels?
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Chrisinvermont
Member
Well I probably have a different scenerio than what you have in mind but here are my thoughts. I have the stock 20" rims and tires for summer use and 17" rims with Nokia Hakka's for the winter. When I put the 20" back on this spring I felt that the gas milage and ride quality was better. I attribute this more towards the difference in tires than the difference in rim size. The stock 20" are smoother will less rolling resistance than the snow tires. I think the choice of rubber would be more important than the rim size. If you are looking at something like an all terrain I would expect the ride will be different and the mileage less than the stock tires. I don't know how a 20" AT tire will compare to a 17" AT tire. Maybe someone else has tried both and can comment.
Paragon1
Member
20 in wheels usually result in getting a tire with less sidewall and therefore less lateral sway/bounce, this is readily evident in a 20x9 wheel. I'm still on the stock 17s for the TE and will be making the move up to 20's in a couple months. One for looks, and 2 for a more planted feel.
SOMDRUNNER1
New member
After switching to 17's with more aggressive tires (than stock), I have zero regrets. The mileage overall might be 1 mpg less (due to taller more aggressive tires). The handling may be slightly "worse" with the taller sidewalls and more aggressive tread, but I am still happy in that area. I'm sure the taller sidewalls do absorb road imperfections (potholes, etc.) better than the stock 20's. Overall, I'm very happy with 17's and it's nice to have many tire choices now.
Not to hijack this thread but, will you be selling the OEM 17" Trail wheels ? If so, where are you located ?
Thanks
Notorocaca
New member
Given the same tires would the 17 still be a bit mushy?
Notorocaca
New member
:bump:
Switching to 17 inch for LE
I switched to 17's (from a 2014 TE) on my 4wd LE a couple weeks ago and also have no regrets. I was sick of looking at the skinny tires on my LE and now have AT tires size 265 70 17. I feel that turns are much more stable with more rubber touching the road and bumps are less noticeable. Also, hardly any nose dive when braking. I still am surprised Toyota built a 4wd suv with 7 inch wide rims.
I switched to 17's (from a 2014 TE) on my 4wd LE a couple weeks ago and also have no regrets. I was sick of looking at the skinny tires on my LE and now have AT tires size 265 70 17. I feel that turns are much more stable with more rubber touching the road and bumps are less noticeable. Also, hardly any nose dive when braking. I still am surprised Toyota built a 4wd suv with 7 inch wide rims.
It kind of makes sense because most LEs 4x4 will more likely end up going to someone who prefer 'better' performance on snow/rain/dirt. 7 inch wide wheels will perform better than 8 inch wide wheels when it comes to not spinning on snow/rain/mud because there is more weight per inch touching the ground. Plus, although seemingly counterintuitive, LE buyers are more MPG conscious.
simplemind
New member
What he said, and I will add another point, if you do any off-road where you encounter rocks and scree, I think the higher side wall will protect the rims much better.
I had an Escalade at one point (please no flaming, it's a highway monster), and it had 22's. I can't compare the ride, but I did take it up a common trail in western CO, and let's just say " I wish I hadn't". There's just not enough rubber between the rim and the ground. I know this is intuitively obvious, but thought it needed to be said.
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20's vs 18's or 17's on 2010 limited 4runner
My questions is similar... Just bought 2010 limited and came with the stock 20" wheels. I wanted to replace tires with the BFG AT KO2 (275/45/20 I think is what they replace with) and leave it be but I do some hunting here in CA and am worried if that is too much rim when hitting 4wd on the dirt. No rock crawling or anything crazy but 4x4 required roads ... Thoughts??? Second option scrap it all and get a whole new setup. Thinking 17's or 18's with 275/65/18. Drive 80% highway for work and 20% hunting off road in CA (as well as some snow trips). Please help!!!
My questions is similar... Just bought 2010 limited and came with the stock 20" wheels. I wanted to replace tires with the BFG AT KO2 (275/45/20 I think is what they replace with) and leave it be but I do some hunting here in CA and am worried if that is too much rim when hitting 4wd on the dirt. No rock crawling or anything crazy but 4x4 required roads ... Thoughts??? Second option scrap it all and get a whole new setup. Thinking 17's or 18's with 275/65/18. Drive 80% highway for work and 20% hunting off road in CA (as well as some snow trips). Please help!!!
Hope this helps
I've got a 2014 LE 4x4 I got it a year ago. First month I had the stock Bridgestones. I live in NE, first snow I had the stock tires on and they were not good. That being said, I've had snow tires on my cars since 2001, so I'm spoiled. I put Blizzak DM-Z1's on the stock 20's in the stock size. Problem solved.
Spring came around and I wanted to take the Blizzaks off. I put on some 17 FJ Cruiser 10 spokes with Toyo AT2 E load rating. Noise aside, the tires handle similar. The soft Blizzaks in 20 to the relatively hard sidewall of the E rated 17 (265/70) was an interesting transition. I'm not sure much changed ride wise. Handling they were a bit of a wash as well. The 20's rode a tiny bit rougher, but not much.
Mileage wise it was a wash to me, actually slightly better on the wide 17's, I drive more highway in the summer though. Keep in mind that in NE we have "winter gas" which usually hits mileage about 1-2 mpg in the winter. (I get ~18.5 give or take year round). Reading into that, I'd say the mileage is a tiny bit better on the 20's, but I only put 1000 miles on the stock tires. The Blizzaks have a high rolling resistance.
Anyway, I know that wasn't apples to apples so to speak, but I hope it helps.
T
I've got a 2014 LE 4x4 I got it a year ago. First month I had the stock Bridgestones. I live in NE, first snow I had the stock tires on and they were not good. That being said, I've had snow tires on my cars since 2001, so I'm spoiled. I put Blizzak DM-Z1's on the stock 20's in the stock size. Problem solved.
Spring came around and I wanted to take the Blizzaks off. I put on some 17 FJ Cruiser 10 spokes with Toyo AT2 E load rating. Noise aside, the tires handle similar. The soft Blizzaks in 20 to the relatively hard sidewall of the E rated 17 (265/70) was an interesting transition. I'm not sure much changed ride wise. Handling they were a bit of a wash as well. The 20's rode a tiny bit rougher, but not much.
Mileage wise it was a wash to me, actually slightly better on the wide 17's, I drive more highway in the summer though. Keep in mind that in NE we have "winter gas" which usually hits mileage about 1-2 mpg in the winter. (I get ~18.5 give or take year round). Reading into that, I'd say the mileage is a tiny bit better on the 20's, but I only put 1000 miles on the stock tires. The Blizzaks have a high rolling resistance.
Anyway, I know that wasn't apples to apples so to speak, but I hope it helps.
T
Jhalko
New member
You could sell the 20's and pick up a set of the 17's and get an LT tire (c rated not e rated). I was able to get enough for my 20 inch rims to fully pay for the 17'. When discount first mounted tires they put a p metric on and I didn't notice, the were softer then I would have thought. I figured out the mistake and they swapped them out for my C rated LT tires, highway drive ability was great (all this before suspension change). Great traction in snow and off-road as well.
If you don't have much rocks, you'd probably be fine with the 20's though.
bimrunner
New member
It's a bit interesting... Tire debates. For me, I planned to wheel the 4Runner so I wanted more sidewall, more choice, more... Off roading. No matter how nice the LE is, it is not a luxury vehicle to me. However, only you can decide what wheel/tire is best for your uses. If you want to spend time off road, going to 17s makes sense. If you plan to cruise the mall, it's up to you if you like the 20s. It's been said already, but each has thier own best use. I've been very happy with my decision, but if I want cushy comfy performance, I drive the MDX... If I want a hard for ride, I cruise my FZJ80. If I want a little of both, I drive my runner. I drive the runner most! Great compromise and BA!!!
JMG73072
New member
For what it's worth I started with 20's and some nice Michelin LTX MS2's in about a 32" 275/55/20 and they rode awesome and I had a 3/4" spacer. Then I took it offroad and was hooked and changed direction of the build. Since I already had spent the $$$ on the wheels I just kept them. Since then I know have a 34" TA/KO on there and they ride pretty good to me. It's all about what YOU want to do with it and what makes YOU happy because in the end it's your ride and your cash paying for it!
