big wheels info 2008 escalade

[sgbaseball]

so i havent been able to find a concrete answer.

im considering 26's for my new escalade BUT
my last yukon got awful mileage with 24s

so i need to know about 3 piece forged wheels.

are they dramatically lighter than cast wheels?
will they still drain gas mileage/braking and to what extent will the difference be?

also...its 4wd. ive heard that 2wd salvages some ride quality but 4wd is awful for big rims. is this true?

thanks

 

[Nnaboy]

1. 3 peice wheel are bit lighter but way more expensive, get regular wheels, wont make much of an MPG difference.
2.Your MPG won't be losst much, it all depends on the car. With a 5.3L Tahoe you'll probobaly lose 1-2MPG at most!
3.I'm not so sure about how 4WD affects ride, it shouldn't make much of a difference!
Plus are you sure you don't have Autoride and not 4WD, I know all Eskys have Autoride stock, don't see many 4WD ones though!

 

[sgbaseball]

i know theyre lighter but i need a little more input on the mpg effect. maybe if someone has a 3 piece set they could give me some good feedback. 2 mpg less is pretty significant. i also really dont want to bog down the transmission...i mean i know werre talkin 26 inches here but every bit i can save on the wear and tear has to be for the better

 

[73shark]

If you go w/ the 26" wheels, definitely need to seriously consider a brake upgrade.

 

[omar]

i have had 0 issues with my 26's as far as brakes. I heard that the new body style has larger diameter calipers, and big wheels is not as much of an issue is it has been on older vehicles. I would like stainless steel brake lines, but thats as far as I would take it. As far as MPG, you can gear up for better mileage...... I am at 4:30 but with a tune i get about 14 mpg average (street and highway)

 

[sgbaseball]

the brakes are the last thing im concerned about.

what i want to avoid is the driveability changing from sweet as hell to less than sweet as hell. i love this ride quality and really dont want to change it for the worse.

on my yukon the transmission seemed to shift too soon and i had to press the gas harder to get it to downshift.
i know these things arent ideally engineered for 26s.

the question that i have that is still unanswered is how 3 piece wheels compare to cast wheels in affecting driveability and gas mileage.

i dont know why we keep referencing 5.3 engines...i have a 6.2 and its badass. i dont want to bog it down with big wheels and if 3 piece wheels arent much different then im gonna forget about it but i need someone who has some good info to convince me.

thanks

btw those zinetti wheels are badass. how much were they?

 

[jonnyenglish]

3 pce wheels are lighter no doubt. Not many people here have 26" 3 pcs wheels so all your probably going to hear are crickets.
You're running the 6.2 MOST here but NOT ALL are running the 5.3 so thats the most feedback youre going to get.
Drivability and ride quality will be sacrifised absolutely you're going from 22's to 26's with a rubber band for a tire.
The rotating mass will be significantly increased therefore affecting shifting and gas mileage and also braking, eventhough braking "is the least of your worries".
You're driving a $55K+ SUV with a huge 6.2 engine and probably thinking of dropping $6K maybe more on 3 pce forged wheels and tires and you're worried about gas mileage.
Subscribed & Got my popcorn
Best of luck

 

[sgbaseball]

well for one i never said i was worried about anything...
but im curious. im wondering what the benefit of a 3 piece wheel truly is. the difference in cost between a 3pc and a cast wheel cant only be due to its manufacturing process. and if the answer is that they are only a little lighter and that this doesnt transfer into anything that might be beneficial than so be it

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Brakes would be MY BIGGEST WORRY!!!!! The larger weight will be alot of drag on your drivetrain as well.

 

[jonnyenglish]

The cost difference is totally to do with the manufacturing process. Forging as apposed to casting is tremendously more expensive, strength and weight are also plusses to forging over casting
jonathan

 

[Nnaboy]

There is no reason to get 3-peice 26" wheels!
They are way more expensive and their benefits are little, I know many with 26" wheels and regular brakes and oem equipment.
Braking may be a litte worst but anybody who has ever been in one of these new Tahoe's/Yukon/Eskys with bigger wheel/tire packages will know a brake upgrade is just a want, def. not a NEED!
People with lifted trucks and 22" wheels with 37" tires don't even need brake upgrades, may want them though.
Plus with regular 26" wheels plus tires your looking at anywhere from 95Lbs-105Lbs per tire/wheel instead of 75Lbs per wheel/tire with 20" wheels!

 

[omar]

thanks for the comp.... you should look into a custom tune, because that will also solve your shifting issues, more so after the wheel upgrade. My shiftpoints have been tweeked and they are much more firm than stock (chirps every now and then on take offs). As far as ride quality, be prepared to suffer........ my 26's feel like they float left to right a bit (maybe I need re alignment). The bumps are still pretty crapy, but hey, I have been used to the look, not the feel for a long time

 

[NASTY GM]

I roll 26's as well. I have the 5.3 engine with stock brakes and drive mine everyday without any problems. Due to mine being low I had to cut and trim the inner plastic fender wells but no one notices. I have never payed attention to gas milage, so I can't comment on that. It sounds like you have some concerns so you might want to think about staying with what you have before spending 5k - 10k for wheels and tires

 

[sgbaseball]

do oversize wheels void warranties?

also what should i expect if i decide to pursue a tune for better shifting?

 

[Nnaboy]

Void warranty? Haha of course not!
Better tune needed? Maybe, depends on your taste and needs!

 

[omar]

also what should i expect if i decide to pursue a tune for better shifting?

i told my guy what i was looking for (i.e., more power on takeoff, tighter shifts, reducing torque management, and reprogram speedo for larger wheels and 4:30 gear swap) He also made the engine run leaner so I run 91 octane & changed the fan cooling temps to compensate.

if you want minor mods, you might be able to buy your own tunning device and try to adjust yourself as needed, but I would not trust myself with that. I would hit some guys up on this forum who actually do the tunes to get their feedback and costs.