[Aussie Jeep]

I have bought a new GC Overland Diesel that I collect in 7 days time. I am being told by some that I should swap my 20" wheels for the Laredo 18". When I spoke to the dealer about it he said that they would have to recalibrate the odometer to allow for the change. Is this correct?
I thought it odd when it is an option to have the 18" in the brochure. The Adventure Pack II offers them also.. I was also wondering if this Offroad pack comes factory fitted and they do something that makes it possible to have 18".
I have to call the dealer tomorrow and tell him which wheels I want and I really dont know what to do...
He said that they are happy to swap them from one of their Laredos though.
Any advice appreciated.

 

[SNUKE]

Although your user ID does give it away, you should probably specify that you are from Australia as our spec is completely different to the US.

I have a Limited on the water and we are swapping its 20" for the 18" too, simply because we hate the bland look of the 20s.
You will also get more options for replacement tyres and they will costs less for the 18s.
The Michelins on the 18s are generally considered better than the Kumhos on the 20s.

However, the 20s will have better performance on road form a cornering standpoint as there will be less sidewall flex.

Recalibrating odometer, possible if the overall diameter of the 18s is smaller than the 20s, then it will be required.
The ORA II pack is a factory option, not modified locally.

One more point, they had better not charge you for this as they will make a few hundred dollars out of up-selling them to a Laredo buyer.

Only swap them if you want, not based on what others have told you to do.
Do it for actual reasons, even if it as as basic as ours of preferring the look of the 18s.

 

[AZhiCntry]

Dealer is wrong!! Recalibrating the speedo is not needed as rim diameter size does not equate to tire diameter. Tire diameter is what determines speedo calibration. It's very likely the tires on 18" wheels are the same diameter or within 3% of the diameter of the tires on the 20" wheels. So the speedo won't be affected.
You can look up tire diameters by size and brand on line.

 

[mfa81]

265/50/20 and 265/60/18 are pretty much the same size... no need to recalibrate

 

[BobT]

All good answers above! I think the dealer is trying to talk you out of it because he doesn't want the hassle for something he can't charge your for.

 

[gctrailster]

I have bought a new GC Overland Diesel that I collect in 7 days time. I am being told by some that I should swap my 20" wheels for the Laredo 18". When I spoke to the dealer about it he said that they would have to recalibrate the odometer to allow for the change. Is this correct?
I thought it odd when it is an option to have the 18" in the brochure. The Adventure Pack II offers them also.. I was also wondering if this Offroad pack comes factory fitted and they do something that makes it possible to have 18".
I have to call the dealer tomorrow and tell him which wheels I want and I really dont know what to do...
He said that they are happy to swap them from one of their Laredos though.
Any advice appreciated.

I have done the same swap.....like the 18 inch tires and wheels better, from a looks standpoint as well as offroad performance. The original upgraded 20's had goodyear fortera tires which really are light weight tire for rough and rocky roads. The Michelins are a better tire (cost more too) and ride great,,,no roughness and vibration that is common with the Forteras in 20 inch. No need to change odometer calibration..tires are pretty close to the factory ones on the Laredo...but the TPMS system wants you to put 36 psi in the 20's which is higher thatn the 3 psi for the standard 18 inch. (I checked the tire labels on the driver door jamb to confirm this, dealers generally have no idea) The only problem is that if you keep the tires at the 33 psi, on a cold day the pressure drops to a point where it triggers the EVIC to alert you to low tire pressures...when tires warm up, every thing is fine. Probably can recalibrate it (reflash) for the 33 psi setting. Hope this helps.

 

[Booze_Traveler]

Here's a tire size calculator that can help you find a tire that's the same, or close to the same, diameter as the 20s.

Tire Size Calculator

 

[Aussie Jeep]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

Well you know how I said I was picking the new car this week? I received a call from the dealer on Tuesday to say that my car was damaged in pre delivery and they can't sell it to me. They now say that I might get a car in Nov or Dec. Not happy! I don't believe a word of what they said and presume they got more money off someone else. Is this a common occurrence in Australia. I want to tell the Melbourne dealer to jump on the lake but I do want my new car.

 

[SNUKE]

Call all other dealers (especially Shannon at Weribee) and see if they can get you a car at the price you had arranged, if so, then you have the right to cancel contract and get refund.