Can you tell a difference in the ride between the 18 and 20 inch rims?

[Ram1500OwnerMaybe]

Standard rims are 18 inches but the ones I like are the 20 inch rims.
Is there a noticeable difference in the ride between the 18 inch and 20 inch rims?
Objective is smoother and comfortable ride over aesthetic.

 

[jkm312]

No not at all. I had 20" rims on my last truck, an 09 Silverado with leaf springs. My RAM rides smoother than the Silverado. You could add to the aspect ratio of the OEM tires by going to a 60 instead of the 55. I considered it, but, passed when I replaced the OEM tires. You gain an inch in ground clearance, which I didn't need for my purposes. The truck is engineered for 55's so why have to reprogram to accommodate the lager tires. I ordered mine with a 3.92 rear end on purpose. I like the lower rear end, always have. YMMV but mine didn't.

 

[tabber02]

if you’re just highway driving and doing light duty towing — a 20” wheel will ride fine. need to pay attention to tire pressure a bit more. with less sidewall, a couple psi can really make the ride harsh or pleasant.

if you’re using the truck for offroad or have rough roads, then an 18” wheel and more sidewalk can be your friend. more sidewall also means a greater potential for tire flex—which ain’t the greatest feeling if you’re towing a heavier load. so… again pay attention to tire pressure.

 

[Rick3478]

For the same tire diameter, a larger rim will have less rubber and more aluminum, therefore lighter, rounder, and better balanced. This also means generally better suspension compliance and handling, but less sidewall will absorb less of the road shocks, so a little harsher ride. Some folks think the thinner sidewalls are more susceptible to curb bruising and such, and pressure is more critical. Overall, the perceived difference in feel between 18 and 20 usually isn't much.

 

[Mikent]

I recently replaced my 2019 Laramie ORG, Sport package with 20’ wheels and falken wildpeaks with a 2022 Laramie ORG with 18’ falken wildpeaks. Other than engine and the sport package the trucks are pretty much identical. My 2022 seem to have a little more bounce on roads I’m used to driving. The change is nothing substantial but my 22 seems to be a little more of a pickup truck ride vs an SUV ride of my 2019.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

No not at all. I had 20" rims on my last truck, an 09 Silverado with leaf springs. My RAM rides smoother than the Silverado. You could add to the aspect ratio of the OEM tires by going to a 60 instead of the 55. I considered it, but, passed when I replaced the OEM tires. You gain an inch in ground clearance, which I didn't need for my purposes. The truck is engineered for 55's so why have to reprogram to accommodate the lager tires. I ordered mine with a 3.92 rear end on purpose. I like the lower rear end, always have. YMMV but mine didn't.

Huh? What are you talking about with ground clearance? He was asking about rim size. This is not proportional to tire diameter. Heck, I have 35 inch tires on 18 inch rims.

For the OPs question, on paper with charts graphs and lines of mathematic equations, I am sure it can be shown that a 18 inch rim gives a better ride with more sidewall.

The real world "Butt-ride-o-meter" says it depends on the tire and how you drive probably never notice. The real world "Looks-like-a-cool-truck-o-meter" says smaller rim with more sidewall looks cool .

 

[User_3336]

Also can depend on the tire/wheel combo. 18 inch alloy rims on Nexen tires rides like ****! 18 inch alloy rims on Goodyear tires rides smooth.

20 inch rims on bridgestone dueler h/l tires rides pretty well!

 

[tabber02]

Huh? What are you talking about with ground clearance? He was asking about rim size. This is not proportional to tire diameter. Heck, I have 35 inch tires on 18 inch rims.

For the OPs question, on paper with charts graphs and lines of mathematic equations, I am sure it can be shown that a 18 inch rim gives a better ride with more sidewall.

The real world "Butt-ride-o-meter" says it depends on the tire and how you drive probably never notice. The real world "Looks-like-a-cool-truck-o-meter" says smaller rim with more sidewall looks cool .

agree … 40 psi in a tire with no sidewall (20 or 22” wheel) vs. 40 psi in a 18” wheel rides a lot different. the former, you roll over a dime and know whether it’s heads or tails. more sidewall is generally a more comfortable ride. but won’t necessarily tow heavy as well because of potential sidewall flex.

i ran 37x12.5x20s on my 2500, run 40x13.5x17 on my jeep, and 35x12.5x18 on my 1500