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18" or 20"?

Mark Halwa

Mark Halwa

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Just ordered a 2021 RAM 3500 SRW and am looking to replace the stock rims/tires when it arrives. Appreciate any thoughts/advice on whether to go with 18" or 20" wheels and why?

It will be mostly highway driven, towing a travel trailer.
 
when I ordered my 2020 / 3500 I went with the 18s just because I like some rubber between the rim and ground
 
I guess i have never understood why everyone has to have aftermarket rims. There just rims and unless your doing specific mods theres little advantages to gain other than looks. I just order my truck with rims i like... rim size on a 34"+ tire really doesnt matter its all personal desire, only advantage could be tire cost and selection.

- am very happy with the 20" night edition rims
 
If you plan on off-roading your ride more then a smaller diameter wheel makes sense that way you can go with a taller tire. If not then stay with stock or an OE (or at least a aftermarket HD wheel) replacement. I'm looking at a replacement as well, but I want to stay with an OE wheel. I like the Night ED wheels, 20", and my tire choice will be something close to a 35/12.5R20. I tow and also like to do some light off-roading. Good compromise I think. If I chose to spend over 2k for a set of wheels and tires I'd look at Method. But I can find a nice set of OE take offs and buy new tires for 1500-1700...hopefully less. I tow more than off-road and am currently getting 20-21MPG not towing and 10MPG towing a 12.5k lb 5th Wheel RV with my Tradesman 2500 CC 4x4 on stock 33's". So I also don't want to sacrifice MPG too much.
 
I also don't get the whole aftermarket rims thing particularly on an HD truck that in theory is typically intended for towing or cargo. For me, expensive rims have their place. I have a set of Forgeline 3 piece forged rims for my Pro-Touring car. I don't get a 2500 or 3500 truck being used primarily for off-road, and think the big rims and lower profile tires degrade performance of your truck actually does work. I also shake my head when I see the big honkin mudder tires sticking out with a ton of offset on a truck that never sees anything but pavement - all while they're throwing road debris all over the place and putting unnecessary stress on ball joints, etc. But that's just me. Everybody has their own value system - I just don't get it.
 
So, maybe a bit of a different take; I have a 2020 3500 ltd with the 20" rims that I upgraded from a 2016 2500. The 3500 is not nearly as rough riding as 3500s I've had in the past, but it was still noticeably rougher ride on any sharp ridges or bumps in the road than the 2500. (Up here in Canada in the winter it's frost heaves; down south you might have expansion cracks on the highway).
So, I began to do some research. Companies like CJC, Carli and Thuren all say that 20" rims are a bad idea if you want a smooth ride; in fact some say they wonder why manufacturers even offer them. I know those guys are off road biased, but they still do talk a lot about ride quality. And they recommend 18" for mostly highway trucks and 17" for mostly off road.
One other note is that I tow a heavy, ~17000lb 5th wheel, so no way would I go to a tire that was too soft or that had a lower weight capacity.

I ended up going with Fuel Blitz D674 18x9 rims and Falken Wildpeak AT3W LT295/70R18. The tires and wheels actually have a higher load capacity than OEM. And, the improvement in ride quality is very noticeable; far more than I expected! I would say that it made the empty ride quality of my 3500 improve to be almost as good as my 2500.

I am absolutely pleased with the choice and would highly recommend it. And, this from a guy who has not bought aftermarket rims for a truck for probably 20 years.

Here's a photo.
hth,
B
 

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I agree what what he said, I want with 18s to give me more sidewall on my 3500, going 35s on the 18s helped a lot with that ride quality. Before that my 3500 ride similar to my samurai - like a shopping cart.
 
+1 on the ride quality. I had a 2019 2500 6.4 with the Night ED and 20" stock wheels and it did ride rougher than my current with the 18" stock wheels. Granted it had an Off Road pack so the combo of the two made it rough. So I'm still deciding also, taller tire on 20's or go 18's. I'm leaning towards 17's or 18's again for the ride quality. Either way I'm going for 35" overall height.
 
20 inch wheels are a bit heavier than the 18-inch, unless you invest a lot of $$ for lighter wheels. lighter wheels offer better performance in acceleration
compared to heavier ones. 18-inch wheels offer improved performance in towing.
I drive my truck from the inside not the outside.
 
On 35" tires, there will be 13-14% more sidewall on 18" wheels compared to 20".
I can't think of any practical reasons to go to 20", although some like the look. OTOH, the advantages of the 18" will be better ride and usually less money.

B
 
I went with 18's for ride comfort and offroad capability. Not spending money on wheel upgrades, cheaper tires, and a small reduction in unsprung weight are nice bonuses. Plus I've never been a fan of the mall crawler look with the low profile tires.
 
Very helpful folks, thank you! I wondered if the 18" tires would be smoother due to the extra rubber - now I know. I'll look for some functional 18" rims - nothing flashy, it's a hauler! Next question, BF Goodrich T/A KO2 or Falken Wildpeak A/T3W's?
 
Well, you know my bias ;)
I looked at the KO2's and they are very well regarded. I went with the Falkens because they are noted as being quieter (especially as they wear), apparently softer riding, and cheaper. I think the softer ride may be due to the sidewalls; it seems the KO2's have stiffer sidewalls and may be more resistant to sidewall punctures offroad. Not an issue for me, but may be for some.

hth
B
 
The KO2s are a great tire, only thing I don't like about them is the square edge they have. I feel they catch the edge on asphalt more than a rounded edge tire.
 
Here's a good article from Carli:

carlisuspension.com

Tires and Wheels: How Do They Affect My Ride?

If you're looking for the cliff notes: 17"/18" wheels, 35"-37" tires and inflate them in accordance to THEIR load curve (40-45PSI Front, 35-40PSI Rear), not the factory tire's load curve to which most factory TPMS Systems are set. If you're going to run 20" wheels, stick to 37" MT tires as...
carlisuspension.com carlisuspension.com
 
Pronto said:
Here's a good article from Carli:

carlisuspension.com

Tires and Wheels: How Do They Affect My Ride?

If you're looking for the cliff notes: 17"/18" wheels, 35"-37" tires and inflate them in accordance to THEIR load curve (40-45PSI Front, 35-40PSI Rear), not the factory tire's load curve to which most factory TPMS Systems are set. If you're going to run 20" wheels, stick to 37" MT tires as...
carlisuspension.com carlisuspension.com
Click to expand...
The tires I'm looking at have a diameter of 33.2". Will a 35" tire fit a RAK 3500?
 
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