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20+ Inch Wheels Void Warranty?

ChevyThunder

ChevyThunder

SM 2006
SM 2003
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Not sure if this is the right place for this post, but this forum gets the most hits and I hope that all will check it out. Please move if better elsewhere.

I picked up the June 2003 issue of Motor Trend today because there was a thick insert on wheels and tires. Inside this insert they discuss not only large wheels but brake rotors, calipers, and many other things. Highly reccommend this issue.

Anyway...in an article on large wheels it mentions an alert bulletin put out by GM saying that if any of there full size trucks have 20-inch or bigger wheels and tires on them they will not cover any problems under the warranty. They have the right to do that because thay didn't design the vehicles to have 20 - 24 inch wheels.
Can anyone validate or disprove this? Would it include the AV?
I plan on changing my wheels and tires soon and plan on sticking with 17's, but this still caught me by surprise. There was no date or name on the article.

Anyone know?


Later.
CT

 
There are also a couple of pics of an AV that is decked out with painted cladding and huge wheels.

The AV looks pretty good. The wheels.... :9:
Just my .02.


CT
 
If this is so........then why do the dealerships accesories dept. sell 20 inch wheels and tires to "upgrade" the av and Silverado!!! They just want you to buy from the dealer, so you can say that they will be covered under warranty. I would recommend......."from all of my research"....that if you do go with a different size wheel, have the dealership plug their "computer" into your vehicle and have them re-program the computer for $100. This way you can say......then why did your tech reprogram my computer if it is not covered?
That is what I will do!!!
 
I am a service advisor for Acura and can tell you GM is right.

bigger (heavier) wheels will put greater stress on suspension and brake components.
Heavier wheels would most likely warp the rotors b/c they are so heavy.

But I just put a set of really heavy 18" wheels/tires.
just put the stocks back on if you have a problem.
 
I believe to not cover it they would have to prove that whatever the problem is, it's being caused by the wheel/tire change.
 
...or just do the ol' switch-a-roo with the factory wheels if there ever was work that needed to be done. >:D
 
how about getting the wheels that come on the SS? they are an original GM part, right? so there should not be a problem. i think i want a set for my AV. they should go good with the cladding. i think i can cover the small brake rotors with something i have seen in Truckin'. you can get them in chrome or a paintable surface. they go behind the wheel. i think i will get them painted blue to match the truck.
 
I found this @ staceydavid.com

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act that was passed in the late 1970s legally gives you the right to modify and add to your vehicle without voiding the warranty unless the warranty specifically states that after-market parts will void it. It?s your vehicle; you bought it; you have the right to do whatever you want with it! However, there is a catch; a little common sense is needed here. If you stick a 300hp shot of nitrous on your car and blow the engine up, you can?t expect the manufacturer to warrant the engine, because the parts you installed ruined the engine. Also, if they can PROVE that the nitrous system damaged any other parts (i.e. transmission or rear-end); they can refuse to cover any service on those parts too. They cannot, however, void the warranty coverage on the rest of the vehicle.
For more information or to get you own copy of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, contact the Federal Trade Commission.

;)
 
i found that exact info before. i downloaded the act just in case i take my truck in, and get some b.s. from the dealer. i'm sure other members will find it interesting as well.
 
I went through the MM warranty act with my Trans Am when the engine blew up. All I had was a different exhaust system. Went to BBB, went through arbitration hearing and still lost.

It is really all dependant upon the service manager for your area (not the dealer). The dealer has nothing to do with what gets covered under warranty or what doesnt. If the service manager has reason to believe that what modification you performed caused the damage you are trying to have repaired under warranty then he can rightfully deny your claim. Granted the dealer only goes to the service manager for big dollar items, and most good dealers will force them to do it. Kind of like at your job where certain signatures are required for certain dollar amount purchases.
If he is a real ass hole like mine was he will fight it to the end, and he has GM and GM's money to support him. Just my 2cents and experience.

having bigger wheels and tires should not cause any significant enough damage to a vehicle that it would not be covered under the warranty, especially since GM sells them on their vehicles.
 
That is correct - the AV was designed for 17" tires. This means the wheelhouse is clear of the tire under full jounce conditions - front and rear with the front also allowing for full turn under full jounce.
If you take a 20" tire and do not restrict the suspension and go Baja'ing you could really tear up a few things.
 
Who is going to be taking a set of 20 inch ($2000+) tires bajaing anyways!!!! Anyone putting 20's on that wants to go severe off roading deserves to cause some major damage. Just go with the 295x50x20 (which is the same diameter as the stock 17's) and if you are going somewhere that requires severe off road driving.......put your stock 17's back on for the weekend. The 295x50x20 does not require you to reprogram your computer, so switching out every once in a while is no big deal!
This is just my crazy idea!
 
labsb4kids said:
That is correct - the AV was designed for 17" tires.
Click to expand...

My base model AV came with 16s...so it must have been designed for more than just 17s...

...and my 20s look REALLY nice with my Goodyear GT II 285/50/20 tire set up ;)

No recal required!

Kim
 
ApolloZ66-2 said:
I went through the MM warranty act with my Trans Am when the engine blew up. All I had was a different exhaust system. Went to BBB, went through arbitration hearing and still lost.
Click to expand...

So how exactly did your engine blow up? On a Trans Am with custom exhaust I'm guessing racing, dragging, or burning-out for fun? Heck, I've even seen people with a Nitrous shot that would remove it when they took it in to the dealership. Most of those an attentive service manager can see signs of though.

 
I told my local dealer that I was interested in looking at 18" wheels and what he said to do was hold onto the orginals. That GM is in fact telling the dealerships not to cover Transmisson or Suspension is with vehicles that dow no have the same size wheels as what came on it! Meaning that the overall measurement needs to be the same (Kindof what they did with the 16" spare tires for the people that have the 17" tires)

Wvusquatch
 
The ad is true. I bought my Avalanche last week and the dealer asked me would I be customizing the rig and I ask him what did he mean. He said as far as putting Bigger Rims on it and I told him oh yes. He replied and told me that I may want to think twice about it because GM won't cover any of the PowerTrain or Suspension due to these bigger wheels. I have 23's on it now, but this weekend I will be pulling them off. I will only install them when I'm going to a car show or something.

Thanks!
 
I have heard that with the duramax desiel (and ther is a tsb on this) matted to the allison 5speed, if there is a recal or pcm flash, they are not to touch the truck if it runs oversize tires..... I was told that if I lift my truck and put oversize tires on in (1500 Av) that the only thing that would not be coverd under the warrenty is any part that I replace..... also they will not cover ball, cv joints, and the front dif and transfer case may be an issue as well due to changed angle of the front drive shaft......

as far as larger wheels.... I can see them having an issue with this as you are increasing the unsprung weight beyond what the parts where desigen for....

as far as the SS rims.... the SS is fulltime AWD, and the driveline is different then that on our avs.... this would be thier argument not to cover them.

Grey_Av :B:
 
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