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17" vs 20" Wheels for 2012/2013 Avalanche

ack999

New Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2019
Messages
3
I'm new to posting here, but I have used this site for help for years.  I apologize if this has been answered already.  I read down through several hundred topics and did not come to a definite conclusion. 
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I have an orange 2007 Avalanche LT 4WD with 17" wheels and 265/70R17 tires.  I have seven of these wheels (4 regular tires, 2 snow tires, and a handy spare).  My Avalanche is getting a bit long in the tooth and I am thinking of getting a 2012 (or maybe a 2013, but a 2012 LTZ is in sight).  I was wondering if the 2012 (or a 2013) could use the 17" wheels off the 2007.  I don't really care about modern appearance and I drive a fair amount in snow, mud, and gravel, so I thought keeping the 17" wheels would be good for me.  I am quite happy with them on the 2007.  So, would the 17 inchers fit on a 2012 (or 2013) and be safe?  I realize that some might eventually need to be replaced due to age, but the 17" aluminum rims have (so far) been quite easy to get.
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Also, I looked up tire dimensions and the 17" ones apparently have around 2.5% greater circumference.  Presumably that could introduce a 2.5% error in my speedometer reading (about 1.5mph at 60mph).  Is this a significant problem?  I wouldn't think so, but I'll listen to input here.
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Apparently the spare on 2012s is the same as my 17" ones, so I would think these should be OK.  But maybe Chevy presumes one would not drive much on the spare, so some small deficiency is tolerable for a short while.
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I really like the functionality of my Avalanche.  It carries a lot of folks and stinky outdoor gear very well.  I hope to be able to drive a newer one for another ten years or so.  Sadly not an orange one.
 
First welcome to the website and your first post......

The 17" rims should be fine. Since the only thing to worry about is brake size between first gen AVs (2002-2006)  and second gen AVs (2007 -2013) the second gen have larger brakes. The second gen came with 17" stock and 18" on Z71 AVs. Then they offered 20" rims as an option later on.
Your overall tire size should be about the same if they are factory size. Trick is if some owner put a non factory size tire on the Av you are looking at. Even if they are off the speedometer and odometer can be re-calibrated and from what I have heard it's not too expensive to do.
 
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