Im thinking of changing my 18" inch rims to 20 inch rims, besides making it look better ,do you think it will make the handling and ride of the car better?? and is it even worth it?
changing to 20" inch rims
yancybhoy
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2013 Forte Koup SX; 2012 Kia Sorento SX; 2012 Kawasaki Z1000
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changing to 20's might as well do 20x8 do a 245 or 255 tire stability in cornering will improve, an dont go less than 10mm offset.. steering will be affected esp w/ uneven roads.. also, be careful in choosing, check wheel weight must not be heavy acceleration braking will be affected
cheers
(see pics prior to this post)
cheers
(see pics prior to this post)
2014 Sorento Ex V6 AWD - 3.3L GDI V6 - 20" x 8.5" Menzari VM08 wheels, Yokohama GeolandarH/T-S275/45
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255 Posts
Just google 'tire diameter calculator' and you can find a suitable tire size to use on a 20" wheel that will keep the overall diameter as close to possible to the original OEM wheel size, to keep your speedo as accurate as possible.
I have just put 20" x 8.5" wheels on my Sorento, I went with Yokohama Geolandar 275/45R20 tires, and the overall diameter is very close to OEM, a tiny bit taller (larger diameter) so my speedo is off by about 1.5 (when I'm going 60 on the guage it's actually going 61.5 or something, not terrible difference). The ride is very good, comfortable, bumps aren't that much worse than the OEM 235/60R18 wheels/tires, and nowhere near as harsh a ride as you'd get from a low profile performance setup of something like 245/35ZR20 etc. I'm surprised as to how good it feels even though I went up to a 20" wheel and down to a 45 series tire.
The biggest issues you face when upsizing tires/rims on the Sorento is clearance between the inside surface of the tire/rim and the lower control arm in the back, and in the front the clearance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the strut/spring assembly above it.
Similar sizes that keep your wheel close to OEM with a 20" wheel are 245/50R20 and 255/45R20. The wider you go in the tire (the 245 or 255, 275 mentioned above) the shorter you have to go in the aspect size or 'series' which is the 45, 50, etc.
I wouldn't go any shorter in the sidewall than a 45 series personally, the rims I got came with 245/45ZR20 tires, and I felt that even these felt like they were on the borderline of comfortable and rough ride, and I would definitely be worried about hitting potholes and damaging the wheels, and that's why I went with a 275/45R20 for the bigger sidewall, tires sticking out past the lip of the rim for more protection, less roll over in cornering too, especially with a heavier vehicle on these rims that the SUV/Sorento and similar vehicles are.
Just remember that the aspect ratio or 'series' size is in direct relationship to the cross section measurement, a 245/45R20 means that the sidewall height is 45% of the 245mm across the top of the tread, or a 275/45R20 means that the sidewall is 45% of 275mm, so that one would obviously have a taller sidewall at 45% of 275mm than the 45% of 245mm would.
Try something like this link to figure out what size you would want to move to:
Tire Size Calculator & Converter, Tire Size Conversion | Discount Tire
or
Tire Diameter And Circumference Calculator
Might help you out
I have just put 20" x 8.5" wheels on my Sorento, I went with Yokohama Geolandar 275/45R20 tires, and the overall diameter is very close to OEM, a tiny bit taller (larger diameter) so my speedo is off by about 1.5 (when I'm going 60 on the guage it's actually going 61.5 or something, not terrible difference). The ride is very good, comfortable, bumps aren't that much worse than the OEM 235/60R18 wheels/tires, and nowhere near as harsh a ride as you'd get from a low profile performance setup of something like 245/35ZR20 etc. I'm surprised as to how good it feels even though I went up to a 20" wheel and down to a 45 series tire.
The biggest issues you face when upsizing tires/rims on the Sorento is clearance between the inside surface of the tire/rim and the lower control arm in the back, and in the front the clearance between the top of the tire and the bottom of the strut/spring assembly above it.
Similar sizes that keep your wheel close to OEM with a 20" wheel are 245/50R20 and 255/45R20. The wider you go in the tire (the 245 or 255, 275 mentioned above) the shorter you have to go in the aspect size or 'series' which is the 45, 50, etc.
I wouldn't go any shorter in the sidewall than a 45 series personally, the rims I got came with 245/45ZR20 tires, and I felt that even these felt like they were on the borderline of comfortable and rough ride, and I would definitely be worried about hitting potholes and damaging the wheels, and that's why I went with a 275/45R20 for the bigger sidewall, tires sticking out past the lip of the rim for more protection, less roll over in cornering too, especially with a heavier vehicle on these rims that the SUV/Sorento and similar vehicles are.
Just remember that the aspect ratio or 'series' size is in direct relationship to the cross section measurement, a 245/45R20 means that the sidewall height is 45% of the 245mm across the top of the tread, or a 275/45R20 means that the sidewall is 45% of 275mm, so that one would obviously have a taller sidewall at 45% of 275mm than the 45% of 245mm would.
Try something like this link to figure out what size you would want to move to:
Tire Size Calculator & Converter, Tire Size Conversion | Discount Tire
or
Tire Diameter And Circumference Calculator
Might help you out
2015 Kia Sorento SX Regency Red, 2012 Kia Sorento SX, 2011 Toyota Hiace
Joined
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585 Posts
^ A very good post for those who are still confused about upsizing and downsizing wheels/tires.
But for myself, what's really hard to "visually" measure is the wheel's offset.
Remember that with a 2015 SX having 19" OEM wheels, the offset is +50.1ET with the rims having a width of 7.5" only.
If you go upsize to 20" rims, I guess the least you can get for offset would be +40ET and no less. If you do, the tires will rub the fenders because having lesser offset pushes the wheels/tires inwards. So having said this, a 20x8.5 wheel must have a minumin of +40ET (best if you can get +45et). Going +25 or +30et is asking for problems.
My winter set right now have 235/60R18 Nokians with 20x8 wheels having an ET of +45 with no rubbing and very OEM-fit.
But for myself, what's really hard to "visually" measure is the wheel's offset.
Remember that with a 2015 SX having 19" OEM wheels, the offset is +50.1ET with the rims having a width of 7.5" only.
If you go upsize to 20" rims, I guess the least you can get for offset would be +40ET and no less. If you do, the tires will rub the fenders because having lesser offset pushes the wheels/tires inwards. So having said this, a 20x8.5 wheel must have a minumin of +40ET (best if you can get +45et). Going +25 or +30et is asking for problems.
My winter set right now have 235/60R18 Nokians with 20x8 wheels having an ET of +45 with no rubbing and very OEM-fit.
I think his wheels are +38 offset from what he said in the other thread. But yeah if anyone is curious about offsets, I always go to willtheyfit.com then you can play around with the numbers....
2014 Sorento Ex V6 AWD - 3.3L GDI V6 - 20" x 8.5" Menzari VM08 wheels, Yokohama GeolandarH/T-S275/45
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255 Posts
Offset of around +35 to +40 in an aftermarket wheel will fit on the Sorento.
My new 20" wheels are an 8.5" wide wheel with +38 offset, 275/45R20 wheels and there are no issues with tire rub either inside or with the fenders etc. As long as you're not increasing your overall wheel 'diameter' or only slightly (an inch at most) you won't run into fender rubbing, or contact with suspension parts, inner fender well etc.
You can google 'tire and wheel upsizing calculator' or similar and you will find calculators where you can input various things to determine if your wheels and tires you are looking at will fit your vehicle or cause you issues with clearance etc.
The factory kia wheels on my Sorento (18") are +50 offset, so the +38 offset wheels that I got (aftermarket 20" x 8.5" wheels do stick out from the vehicle a little bit, but depending on the tires you choose, you shouldn't run into clearance issues with 20" wheels and tires.
The tires that came on my 20" wheels were 245/45ZR20 tires and they didn't stick out as much past the edge of the wheels/rims as much as the newer tires I got installed on them, which are 275/45R20. The first number is the tread/width measurement, so 245 is 245mm, where 275 is 275mm across the top edge of the tire (across the treads, from sidewall to sidewall).
The 'aspect ratio' or 'series' is the second number, 45, 55, 60 etc. and that is the percentage of the first number, so a 275/45R20 is a sidewall that is 45% of the 275 number. A 235/60R18 has a sidewall or 'aspect' ratio that is 60% of the 235 number. a 245/45R20 has a sidewall that is 45% of 245. So each number affects everything else in the tire size, the wider you go in the cross measurement (the first number 275, 245, 255 etc.) the taller the sidewall will be (45% 50% 60% etc.) and the bigger both numbers are together, the 'taller' the tire will be, or the larger 'diameter' or overall diameter of the entire wheel & tire assembly will be, so you've got to choose numbers that will work when taking into consideration the overall width and height of the wheel & tire, compared to the vehicle and the distance between the wheel and tire, and the fenders, inner fenders, suspension parts like the bottom of the strut tower in front, and the control arms/suspension arms in the rear that go from the 'axle' towards the front of the vehicle.
275/45R20 on a 20x8.5" wheel with +38 offset work on my 2014 Sorento EX V6 AWD, and I've seen guys on here with 22" wheels and they work with the numbers they chose (tread width, aspect ratio, offset, wheel size etc.) so it is do-able, if you figure out the numbers properly and get the offset correct.
I for sure would not go with anything less than +35 offset because you will most likely run into clearance issues at that point, as well as the look won't be right, if you don't like wheels and tires sticking way out past the fenders, like an offroad jeep or lowrider type of set up. You can always tell guys that bought used rims and didn't know anything about offset or calculating a wheel & tire package that fits their vehicle properly when they're driving down the street with wheels and tires that stick WAY out past the fenders, wheels and tires that rub or hit the body or suspension etc. Doesn't look 'good' and definitely isn't safe either.
My new 20" wheels are an 8.5" wide wheel with +38 offset, 275/45R20 wheels and there are no issues with tire rub either inside or with the fenders etc. As long as you're not increasing your overall wheel 'diameter' or only slightly (an inch at most) you won't run into fender rubbing, or contact with suspension parts, inner fender well etc.
You can google 'tire and wheel upsizing calculator' or similar and you will find calculators where you can input various things to determine if your wheels and tires you are looking at will fit your vehicle or cause you issues with clearance etc.
The factory kia wheels on my Sorento (18") are +50 offset, so the +38 offset wheels that I got (aftermarket 20" x 8.5" wheels do stick out from the vehicle a little bit, but depending on the tires you choose, you shouldn't run into clearance issues with 20" wheels and tires.
The tires that came on my 20" wheels were 245/45ZR20 tires and they didn't stick out as much past the edge of the wheels/rims as much as the newer tires I got installed on them, which are 275/45R20. The first number is the tread/width measurement, so 245 is 245mm, where 275 is 275mm across the top edge of the tire (across the treads, from sidewall to sidewall).
The 'aspect ratio' or 'series' is the second number, 45, 55, 60 etc. and that is the percentage of the first number, so a 275/45R20 is a sidewall that is 45% of the 275 number. A 235/60R18 has a sidewall or 'aspect' ratio that is 60% of the 235 number. a 245/45R20 has a sidewall that is 45% of 245. So each number affects everything else in the tire size, the wider you go in the cross measurement (the first number 275, 245, 255 etc.) the taller the sidewall will be (45% 50% 60% etc.) and the bigger both numbers are together, the 'taller' the tire will be, or the larger 'diameter' or overall diameter of the entire wheel & tire assembly will be, so you've got to choose numbers that will work when taking into consideration the overall width and height of the wheel & tire, compared to the vehicle and the distance between the wheel and tire, and the fenders, inner fenders, suspension parts like the bottom of the strut tower in front, and the control arms/suspension arms in the rear that go from the 'axle' towards the front of the vehicle.
275/45R20 on a 20x8.5" wheel with +38 offset work on my 2014 Sorento EX V6 AWD, and I've seen guys on here with 22" wheels and they work with the numbers they chose (tread width, aspect ratio, offset, wheel size etc.) so it is do-able, if you figure out the numbers properly and get the offset correct.
I for sure would not go with anything less than +35 offset because you will most likely run into clearance issues at that point, as well as the look won't be right, if you don't like wheels and tires sticking way out past the fenders, like an offroad jeep or lowrider type of set up. You can always tell guys that bought used rims and didn't know anything about offset or calculating a wheel & tire package that fits their vehicle properly when they're driving down the street with wheels and tires that stick WAY out past the fenders, wheels and tires that rub or hit the body or suspension etc. Doesn't look 'good' and definitely isn't safe either.
2015 Kia Sorento SX Regency Red, 2012 Kia Sorento SX, 2011 Toyota Hiace
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585 Posts
What's the best color for my '15 SX's wheels? I'm thinking of having them painted.
White? Bronze? Black?
White? Bronze? Black?
Depends on color of sorento? I always liked black but everyone has black..... we were joking around today with our shop truck at work. It's white and we were joking around about painting the wheels white.... tint the tail lights smoked white instead of black like 70% of the trucks in Alberta. ...
I have been asked to comment on 20" Rims, I changed to 20" Niche Rims. The tires are 255/55R20. The current tires are the same make as what is standard on the KIA's sorry escapes me at the moment. The dealer warned me that I might feel effects on the steering since the new wheels are wider than the original. I Have felt very little effect on steering and no change to the speedometer that I test with a GPS before and after the change.
I am saving up for a new set of Pirelli Tires 255/45R20 as I am looking for a smother ride, better road holding and less contact with the wheel wells. I have had Pirelli tires on my cars before, they are rounded on the inside of the tread to stay away from the wheel wells and more square on the outside for better road holding. The higher cost is worth it in my opinion.
Withe the 255/55R20 I found it is a great look and soft ride but even just 5 adults the edge of the tire scuff the fender.
I am saving up for a new set of Pirelli Tires 255/45R20 as I am looking for a smother ride, better road holding and less contact with the wheel wells. I have had Pirelli tires on my cars before, they are rounded on the inside of the tread to stay away from the wheel wells and more square on the outside for better road holding. The higher cost is worth it in my opinion.
Withe the 255/55R20 I found it is a great look and soft ride but even just 5 adults the edge of the tire scuff the fender.
Wheels look good, thanks for posting the pictures/info, yeah 255/55/20s are about 2" taller than stock. No issues with the front rubbing though? I guess if someone wanted to, they could run a little more offset if they wanted the bigger tires.
There's a few things here that I'm having trouble with...
If you went from the stock tire size of 235/55R19 to 255/55R20, it is not possible that your speedometer was unaffected. Your speedometer would read about 6% too slow - when it indicated 60 mph you would be going 63.6 mph.
Switching to 255/45R20 will make the speedometer much closer - only about 0.5% too fast. When it indicates 60 mph, you'll be going 59.7... hardly noticeable. But going from a 55 series to a 45 series won't soften the ride. Quite the opposite... you'll be shortening the sidewall by a full inch making the ride noticeably firmer. And the width will be exactly the same (still 3/4 inch wider than stock) so the only effect on fender contact would be from the difference in overall height. That means that tight turns causing contact without regard to load/suspension compression will still cause contact. In other words, if you experience contact with the inner fender, changing the aspect ratio from 55 to 45 but keeping the same section width will still cause contact with the inner fender.
I should correct my statement. Although I have never taken the time to do the math, there was not much or any noticeable difference on the analog speed display, maybe if the car had a digital display.
I have noticed in other cars that using Pirelli or Yokahama wheels that are composed of softer rubber and designed with a curve on the inner tread to give better road holding and less noise that I personally do not mind that the wheel lasts fewer miles.
The difference in the photos can clearly be seen when there is a trailer and passengers there was very little clearance to when just parked in the driveway.
I have noticed in other cars that using Pirelli or Yokahama wheels that are composed of softer rubber and designed with a curve on the inner tread to give better road holding and less noise that I personally do not mind that the wheel lasts fewer miles.
The difference in the photos can clearly be seen when there is a trailer and passengers there was very little clearance to when just parked in the driveway.
If you experience rubbing only on the outer edge and only when more heavily loaded then switching to the 255/45 thus reducing overall height will most likely alleviate that problem. On the other hand, if you are experiencing rubbing on the inside at any time or on the outside even when not loaded then the section width (and wheel offset) is the problem and that particular size change won't help. To be honest, it looks like your wheel offset is incorrect - the wheel itself is too far to the outside causing the tires to look like they stick out from the wheel openings.
Yes, softer rubber compounds will improve traction - especially dry traction. That's why summer performance tires use softer tread compounds... they grip better but they wear out faster. The "curve" on the inner tread has nothing to do with it. That is just for noise control. Also, the brand is equally unimportant. Almost all major brands make soft tread performance tire models along with their harder tread high-mileage touring tire models. BFGoodrich g-force, Firestone Firehawk and Hankook Ventus are examples of soft compound performance tires that are comparable to the Pirelli P-Zero but far less expensive.
However, the softer rubber is only in the tread area not in the sidewalls. The sidewalls (especially on lower profile tires) are made much harder to prevent squirm and sidewall deformation during cornering. That makes the ride correspondingly harsher because there is less sidewall in the first place and the rubber is also harder. So don't expect a softer ride (or even a ride as soft) from the 255/45 as you had with the 255/55.
Yes, softer rubber compounds will improve traction - especially dry traction. That's why summer performance tires use softer tread compounds... they grip better but they wear out faster. The "curve" on the inner tread has nothing to do with it. That is just for noise control. Also, the brand is equally unimportant. Almost all major brands make soft tread performance tire models along with their harder tread high-mileage touring tire models. BFGoodrich g-force, Firestone Firehawk and Hankook Ventus are examples of soft compound performance tires that are comparable to the Pirelli P-Zero but far less expensive.
However, the softer rubber is only in the tread area not in the sidewalls. The sidewalls (especially on lower profile tires) are made much harder to prevent squirm and sidewall deformation during cornering. That makes the ride correspondingly harsher because there is less sidewall in the first place and the rubber is also harder. So don't expect a softer ride (or even a ride as soft) from the 255/45 as you had with the 255/55.
2015 Kia Sorento SX Regency Red, 2012 Kia Sorento SX, 2011 Toyota Hiace
Joined
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585 Posts
I looked on the manufactures website and with our bolt pattern, they come in 8.5, 10, 10.5 wide, I assume these are 8.5 wide only, not sure if 10 or wider would even fit. There is 4 offsets for the 8.5, they are 38, 35, 25, 15. My guess is a 38 offset, 25 and 15 will poke way passed the wheel wells.
This is assuming these are the right wheels.....
Targa - M130 - Niche Wheels
TARGA M130 FG-1PC SPECS
This is assuming these are the right wheels.....
Targa - M130 - Niche Wheels
TARGA M130 FG-1PC SPECS
Yes those are the correct rims. If I remember correctly they are 8.5
I do not have have a problem unless I have a load, this is why I will be going to a 45 profile. When the rear wheels start to just rub the outer fender is when the helper springs inside the main springs contact the axle.
I do not have have a problem unless I have a load, this is why I will be going to a 45 profile. When the rear wheels start to just rub the outer fender is when the helper springs inside the main springs contact the axle.
2014 Sorento Ex V6 AWD - 3.3L GDI V6 - 20" x 8.5" Menzari VM08 wheels, Yokohama GeolandarH/T-S275/45
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255 Posts
Just remember, if you go with a smaller section width in the tire (235 vs 255, 245 vs 255 etc.) and keep the aspect ratio (55R20) you will reduce the over all size of the tire.
The aspect ratio, or the second number changes with the change of the section width or first number in the tires size, so if you have a 255/50R20 and a 235/50R20 the sidewall or aspect is going to be different because the aspect is the percent of the section width, so a 235/50R20 has a sidewall that is 50% of 235mm, which would mean the tire isn't as tall or has an over all smaller diameter than a tire measuring 255/50R20, which would mean the sidewall was 50% of 255, making the sidewall taller than the tire that's at 50% of 235mm.
Also from the reviews I've read on Pirelli tires, they aren't what they used to be and are in fact quite horrible for the price you'll pay for them. All the reviews I've read on Pirelli's say that they wear out fast, they reveal lots of road noise only part way into their tread life, and that their handling etc. isn't the greatest. I know Pirelli is a well known name, especially in the racing world, but in the every day all season or summer tire world for SUV's trucks and cars they aren't very good. A lot of the regular brands like Goodyear, Hankook, Yokohama, and even Kumho are rated better than the Pirelli brand and cost a lot less, some versions of the brands anyways. A well known name doesn't always equal a better tire.
The aspect ratio, or the second number changes with the change of the section width or first number in the tires size, so if you have a 255/50R20 and a 235/50R20 the sidewall or aspect is going to be different because the aspect is the percent of the section width, so a 235/50R20 has a sidewall that is 50% of 235mm, which would mean the tire isn't as tall or has an over all smaller diameter than a tire measuring 255/50R20, which would mean the sidewall was 50% of 255, making the sidewall taller than the tire that's at 50% of 235mm.
Also from the reviews I've read on Pirelli tires, they aren't what they used to be and are in fact quite horrible for the price you'll pay for them. All the reviews I've read on Pirelli's say that they wear out fast, they reveal lots of road noise only part way into their tread life, and that their handling etc. isn't the greatest. I know Pirelli is a well known name, especially in the racing world, but in the every day all season or summer tire world for SUV's trucks and cars they aren't very good. A lot of the regular brands like Goodyear, Hankook, Yokohama, and even Kumho are rated better than the Pirelli brand and cost a lot less, some versions of the brands anyways. A well known name doesn't always equal a better tire.
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