Hey guys, I'm thinking of putting some 20 inchers on the D, but I need some advice before doing so. Sometimes I use the Durango to tow our 18ft trailer with a well built Jeep on top. The Jeep weighs 4800 pounds. Since the larger wheels need lower profile tires, would it be ill advised to tow that weight when those wheels are on the truck?
Appreciate the advice,Thanks!

 

i wouldnt tow with low-profile tires on the truck, too much chance of denting the rims if you hit a pothole

but then i also wouldnt put low profile tires on a vehicle anyway for that reason, the exta weight from the trailer/load just increase the chances of doing harm, IMO play it safe and keep the rims/tires you have if you dont want to put bigger rubber on them

 

What do you expect from a guy from Sout' Joisey?...LOL I kid! But seriously, I would keep the stock tire/wheel setup for the towing and slap on the 20s w/ lows for profiling around the 'hood.

 

Alot would depend on the size of tire you intend to run & the load rating of the tire.

points to bear in mind.

twenty inch wheel will add a lot of unsprung weight. braking, acceleration & handling can be adversely affected by the additional weight of the wheels.

Risk to the sidewalls will be entirely dependant on height of sidewall. if your stretching a rubber band around a trashcan lid, the rubber band is not going to offer much protection.

what size tire are you thinking?

If the height of the tire/wheel combo is taller than stock, gearing will also be affected.

Truth is, while not something I would do, I do know a few guys running Dubs on their trucks & still tow. I have not seen any problems from it & I fix their rigs.

Just be aware there are downsides & I can't think of any benefits aside from looks.

 

Let's get this out of the way up front: I would do it entirely for looks . I'm not really into the "dub" look.
So here's my thoughts, and nothing is set in stone, just doing my research in advance: I can get 20" wheels that are identical in appearance to stock R/T wheels, with 275/45/20 tires so that I will remain with the same overall height. Nothing fancy. Oh ... and they're aluminum, so not much heavier than stock. I guess I'm really trying to decide whether I should sell or keep the stock set afterwards. Right now I see the consesnus is that I keep stock for when I tow ... as I suspected. Any other random recommendations about tire size & beefing up for towing?
Thanks

 

lets see a 275 is about eleven inches wide, that will put the sidewall at about 4.5 to 5 inches. that's actually not to bad if your roads are half way decent. just be sure to raise pressure to accommodate loads & you should be ok. Are tires that big going to fit? I seem to recall that is the size (though not in a twenty) we we're putting on the rams when they first came out. I think it was a 17" rim fitment... but I digress.

 

I tow a 26" travel trailer with 7,300 lbs on it (yea maxed out but built to handle) but I would agree to stay OEM for towing. If you search my threads in here (also one in 2nd Gen Durango) you can see what I did to handle the weight.

 

Great. Thanks for the advice guys. I guess I'll have to make room in the garage for the stock tires.

Dislander, yes, they will fit. Stock tires on an R/T Durango are 275/60/17.

 

Been a while since I updated the thread, but I figured to post here instead of making a new thread.

So the 20s have been on for a couple of months. IMO this has really streamlined the look of the ol' girl. I added mud flaps on all 4 corners, smoked tails - look silver, but they're not really - and clear front markers. I don't do the bling-thing. Just want the D to look like one of the cool kids . I know the hitch ball takes away fronm the "street queen" look, but it keeps lousy drivers off my bumper. So ... Whaddy'all think?

Before:


After: I don't have a pic yet of it with the centercaps (I was waiting to finish painting them).



She's a friend ... just showing the clear side lenses.

 

Looks great!