19's or 20's???...need advice

[SSGAMER]

Hey guys, I am wanting rims on my Berlina..
not sure if I want 19's or 20's....
I am only planning on lowering it slightly because I have heard the ride is pretty bumpy...basically I want a sweet looking car but still comfortable
the little kids & wife...what are your thoughts...

 

[Jesterarts]

I don't think you will noticed the difference between 19's and 20's in terms of harshness.

My opinion, if you go 20's and get a GOOD suspension setup it will ride smoother than 19's and a **** suspension setup.

Having said that, I'm not sure how little kids deal with a harsh ride in cars? Someone will have to share on this front.

Good luck.

 

[UFO]

20's and lowered with pedders sportsryders. on the family car, wife and kids are fine with it.
do it... i promise you wont regret it, ride is not harsh... perfectly fine.
if you were local i'd be happy to take you for a spin to prove it. trust me mate, perfectly fine.

 

[DAKSTER]

Settle with 18s and keep some comfort.

 

[PhatCommy]

I had 19's for a while on my calais, I just thought they looked too small. I switched to 20's and I think they suit the VE's much better.

 

[bonners]

The VE certainly needs bigger rims to suit the car.

That said, to say they are not harsh is incorrect. OP, have you ever driven a car with 20's? Last year, I spent about 2 weeks on a set of 18's while I had my 20's in being painted. There is a massive difference in the ride between 18's and 20's. Simply the extra amount of rubber. On 20's you will notice pot holes more - trust me - and they will buckle easier. I have buckled two wheels on Brisbane roads. But I wouldnt have if I had been on 18's.

 

[jbray1984]

Anyone here happen to have experience with how 20's go on Mackay roads?

 

[UFO]

On 20's you will notice pot holes more - trust me - and they will buckle easier. I have buckled two wheels on Brisbane roads. But I wouldnt have if I had been on 18's.

???
I'll agree you'll notice bumps a little more, but holy crap dude... "buckle easier" is just a little bit of a stretch. You'd have to hit one huge pothole to buckle an OEM rim. Different story if you are driving on cheap chinese knockoffs.

OP, I dont know if you've ever been to Sydney, but Parramatta Road isn't exactly smooth as silk- yet it's bling bling 20+" rim central. Not saying you should go for massive chromies, but living in Mackay or anywhere else you need to be aware of the road in front of you. If you live in area that has terrible roads that buckle rims on a daily basis, then maybe you should reconsider. But if you are an observant driver and know most of the roads you are driving on 'should' be ok, then dont let buckling rims horror stories scare you.

If you really want a better idea on how 20's might feel, pump up your current tyres to heavy load capacity. Read the tyre plaque on bottom of front door. Put in maximum pressure and go for a drive. Most people on 20's should be driving on around 36-38psi (depending on user preferences). If you temporaryily put in more than that in the stock tyres, you'll get a good idea of how much firmer the ride will be (just dont exceed tyre maximum printed on tyre). Personally I doubt you'll notice much difference. In actual fact the most difference you'll notice isnt comfort, it's road noise. 20" tyres will make more noise than stock ones. But as I've said a billion times before, there are thousands of happy people driving around in VE's delivered FROM FACTORY on 20" rims. If Holden thought it wasnt suitable for VE's, they wouldnt sell 20's with them.

 

[bonners]

Maybe I should've taken photos..... Ok, not OEM, but my current rims are made by MHT and they certainly arent cheap.....

So, I'll stick to my statement. They will buckle easier than 18's. Obviously you havent driven on Brisbane roads lately. Especially after the floods

 

[gambler]

I've had 18's, 19's, and 20's on old omega which was lowered, and to be honest, on Sydney and country roads, it didn't make that much of a difference. Nothing I noticed to the point of wanting the smaller wheels back. The VE is very suited to the bigger wheels, both in looks and ride, and it deals with it very well.