Michelin Defender tires installed on 20" wheels

[dp351]

Which tire did you go with that’s similar to stock 20s?

BFG All Terrains, size 285/60/20, on 9.0” aftermarket wheels that stick out more than stock wheels, which is likely the cause of the tire rub.

My tires are 1/2” taller than the stock 22’s and 1/2” shorter than the stock 20’s. That additional 1/2” sidewall is really nice. I’d like to drive one with the stock 20’s to see if another 1/2” of sidewall is even better, or if that’s too tall. I’m sure there’s advantages & disadvantages to each.

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[Rivian in CO]

I wouldn't use SL range on this truck. Most SL tires can't handle inflation pressures above 42/44 cold, so they'll wear excessively and reduce range on our vehicles.

Looking at the specs for this tire on the Tire Rack website shows a max tire inflation of 80 psi. So perhaps this isn't an issue for this particular tire?

 

[kayabusa]

Sorry for the delay. After the latest test, I’m actually seeing a range increase of about 4-8% when compared to the road tires, which is mostly driving in a mix of AP, Conserve and Snow modes, mostly city/town driving.

Hi ! do you have any KW/h numbers to share with us ?

 

[doubleblack174]

Thanks for taking the plunge on the tires and posting the information!

 

[OrthoBlock]

Sorry for the delay. After the latest test, I’m actually seeing a range increase of about 4-8% when compared to the road tires, which is mostly driving in a mix of AP, Conserve and Snow modes, mostly city/town driving.

Has the improved efficiency (compared to the OEM 21" Wheel/Tire combo) continued? Are you happy with the new Tire/Wheel choice?

 

[HaveBlue]

I have the LTX AT2 on my GX and they are the quietest AT tire I've had. Granted not as aggressive as a BFG AT or Dueler AT but they do fine off road and are superb on the highway. I debated about getting the regular LTX M/S (Defender). Some of my employees have them on their trucks. From comparing them, I'd say they are adequate as well for off road while likely being even better on the pavement. If you spend a lot of time in mud holes and are used to MTRs or break your junk on rock crawling trails you may want something else. However if you do some trail rides occasionally or want to hit some intermediate stuff in Moab, you'll be happy with the LTX. They are well built. Airing down any tire can do wonders.

 

[KeithPleas]

I've only got 2k miles on my R1S with Rivian 20 ATs, but my vehicle was in for a service (failed OTA update) and I had a loaner with 21s for a week. I expected to like the highway aspect of the 21s but...I actually didn't. They were definitely smoother over pavement but that just meant that any little thing in the pavement telegraphed more. I also took it through a fairly muddy section to access one of our properties in Eastern Washington and holy crap, they slid around like on slicks. Small sample size but I'm sticking with the 20 ATs probably forever.

 

[caiudalmau]

Sorry for the delay. After the latest test, I’m actually seeing a range increase of about 4-8% when compared to the road tires, which is mostly driving in a mix of AP, Conserve and Snow modes, mostly city/town driving.

So switching from stock 21s to Defender 275/65/20 and recalibrating you are getting a better range up to 8%? Wow, that is crazy, not sure why they would not offer this as an option

 

[caiudalmau]

slapped these on today, will report back on range impact. had the 21" road tires before.

275/65/20

Did you ever considered switching to the 275/60/20 so you didn't have to recalibrate the car since it's teh same diameter more or less than the 21s?

 

[goldburger]

So switching from stock 21s to Defender 275/65/20 and recalibrating you are getting a better range up to 8%? Wow, that is crazy, not sure why they would not offer this as an option

Don't the 20" wheels weigh more than the 21's? I don't know how a larger tire and heavier wheel would be more efficient than stock 21's, yet alone a whopping 8% more...

 

[caiudalmau]

Don't the 20" wheels weigh more than the 21's? I don't know how a larger tire and heavier wheel would be more efficient than stock 21's, yet alone a whopping 8% more...

That's exactly why I am asking because it seems more logic losing a little range with this combination. I was thinking about going to Pirellis AS3+ 275/60/20 but then I need to recalibrate etc... if these achive the same goal, better ride and better range seem like a better option to me

 

[goldburger]

That's exactly why I am asking because it seems more logic losing a little range with this combination. I was thinking about going to Pirellis AS3+ 275/60/20 but then I need to recalibrate etc... if these achive the same goal, better ride and better range seem like a better option to me

i would think they still would be an efficiency drop from OEM 21's because the 20" wheels weigh more.

i am considering the 1EV R1000 20" wheels since they weigh less than the OE 21" wheels

edit: wait... just did math... 20's weigh 38lbs and 21's weigh 42lbs? this is counter to what i heard...

 

[Autolycus]

Remember physics, everyone: Wheel and tire weight is an efficiency concern when accelerating and decelerating because the motor has to accelerate or decelerate extra rotating mass, but it's much less of a concern while maintaining a consistent speed because the rotating mass has inertia. Aerodynamics and rolling resistance are far bigger efficiency concerns for most driving.

Tests with a Tesla Model 3 showed a 3-5% efficiency loss just from removing the aero panels on the wheels. Everything else was identical, and better aerodynamics just on the wheels made a 3-5% difference.

There's an additional factor thrown in when you're comparing 275/65R20 with 275/60R20 or 275/55R21: tire diameter. A larger tire is actually more efficient at the same speed because it requires fewer rotations for the car to travel the same distance. The 1" difference isn't much, but it adds up over hundreds of miles.

 

[Goose]

That's exactly why I am asking because it seems more logic losing a little range with this combination. I was thinking about going to Pirellis AS3+ 275/60/20 but then I need to recalibrate etc... if these achive the same goal, better ride and better range seem like a better option to me

You don’t HAVE to recalibrate from what I’ve heard. The guessometer will just be off, although, the computer should be able to figure it all out after a few days of driving. The speedometer will apparently be off by about 3% tooz

 

[caiudalmau]

i would think they still would be an efficiency drop from OEM 21's because the 20" wheels weigh more.

i am considering the 1EV R1000 20" wheels since they weigh less than the OE 21" wheels

edit: wait... just did math... 20's weigh 38lbs and 21's weigh 42lbs? this is counter to what i heard...

You are talking about rims, rims in 20s are forged and smaller, way better than 21s and 22s which are bigger, but then tire is way bigger and heavier on 20s AT. So going to a smaller AS like a 275/60/20 would set them to same diameter 33 as teh 21 and 22. Some people are reporting similar range as with the 21s, but this is teh first case I've heard that the 275/65/20 are better range

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