Hey guys, i have 20s right now with a dropped car but i feel that the rims may be too small for the car, thats just my personal opinion but 20s still look good, but for those that did 22s, hows the ride and the tranny holding up? i have the 4 cylinder engine and thats the only reason why Im afraid of putting 22s on due to the strain on the tranny and engine, i know the bu is quite a strong car but i want opinions first

Wheels, Tires, Brakes, and Suspension forum maybe?

Hey guys, i have 20s right now with a dropped car but i feel that the rims may be too small for the car, thats just my personal opinion but 20s still look good, but for those that did 22s, hows the ride and the tranny holding up? i have the 4 cylinder engine and thats the only reason why Im afraid of putting 22s on due to the strain on the tranny and engine, i know the bu is quite a strong car but i want opinions first

id probably be the best person to ask since i have that exact same setup...... 245-30-22 and 4 cylinder here and no problems so far :)

only about 5,000 ish miles tho sooo ill keep you updated !

You guys will run into problems down the road with the tranny but how soon depends on how heavy the wheels are. Your biggest problem is getting those big wheels stopped the stock brakes are not enough.

can some1 message me and tell me why my img codes wont work

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You guys will run into problems down the road with the tranny but how soon depends on how heavy the wheels are. Your biggest problem is getting those big wheels stopped the stock brakes are not enough.

i think a lot of people underestimate the parts themselves....

the shifting is exactly the same and doesnt seem like it stresses at alll


I mean i might just have a lot of faith in GMC/Chevy but i mean i had really oversized rims on my yukon and my blazer before that and never had any tranny probs knock on wood lol :)

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WOWWWW it doesnt work ive tried that before it says my image code is dissabled or some shit where it says all the stuff u can do under additional options

im pretty sure you cant put a picture in your signature unless you are a paid member

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Sig images won't show up unless you become a paying member.

Hey guys, i have 20s right now with a dropped car but i feel that the rims may be too small for the car, thats just my personal opinion but 20s still look good, but for those that did 22s, hows the ride and the tranny holding up? i have the 4 cylinder engine and thats the only reason why Im afraid of putting 22s on due to the strain on the tranny and engine, i know the bu is quite a strong car but i want opinions first

I am torn with big wheels. On some cars they look good, on others horrible. I went with 20's since to ME anything larger just doesn't fit the image of the car. Also, while I was able to get 20's that weigh actually less then the factory 18's, that is 100% impossible with 22's. And once you add chrome plating to those 22's they will be super heavy and effect acceleration, handling and braking. But remember, it is your car. You can do what YOU like.

i think a lot of people underestimate the parts themselves....

the shifting is exactly the same and doesnt seem like it stresses at alll


I mean i might just have a lot of faith in GMC/Chevy but i mean i had really oversized rims on my yukon and my blazer before that and never had any tranny probs knock on wood lol :)

I ave faith to but you are comparing v6-v8 trucks and SUV's to a 4 banger car. The tranny and engine are the same used in the cobalt and are just not up to par with the other lines that GM makes. If not abused this car should last 300k and I hope you do not run into problems down the road. I am just giving you a heads up that it could be an issue in the long run.

Also please for everyone's safety and your own if you go larger with wheels please upgrade your brakes. This is a comment for anyone and every one that is replacing their wheels. Anything above 18 is going to start being a problem for the stock brakes.

On a side note they really need to step this car up with a supercharged model or a v8 model :)

On a side note they really need to step this car up with a supercharged model or a v8 model :)

I am one for more power! Ha, remember Tim Allen....

But I have driven a V8 Grand Prix, V8's and FWD's don't mix. Too much torque steer.

And as for the supercharger, the 3.6 actually makes more power then the supercharged 3.8 used a few years back. But I would love for then to make a new supercharger, or better yet turbocharger set-up to go with the 3.6. Hell, I would have payed more for the option of the 304 HP DI 3.6 from the CTS. 304 HP in the Malibu would be a solid low 14 sec car, pretty nice for a sedan.

I want some chrome 22s btw and I know the weight will be pretty heavy, but I don't want to run into problems down the road, maybe ill look into 21s as an alternative but hows the ride with the 22s? notice any loss in accleration or delayed braking etc.? I wish brembo made a brake kit for our malibus :mad:

I want some chrome 22s btw and I know the weight will be pretty heavy, but I don't want to run into problems down the road, maybe ill look into 21s as an alternative but hows the ride with the 22s? notice any loss in accleration or delayed braking etc.? I wish brembo made a brake kit for our malibus :mad:

21's are an odd size. You will have to go 19, 20 or 22 most likely. And you will lose some ride quality with 22's for sure. But the small sidewalls will gain you some handling advantages. But the extra weight might negate that unless you find lightweight 22's.

I will say the 20's on my car transformed it. I shopped around and found light ones, 3 pounds less then the OEM 18's I had, and got good tires. The ride is a little stiffer, but not much. I actually like it. The overall handling is much, much better. Lane changes, steering response, it improved that too. Only downside is you have to be careful of curbs even more so, and good performance tires won't last half as long as touring tires.

yeaah i agree, i have 20 inch dropstars on my car now with nitto neo gen tires, but their only for summer since winter in boston will murder any nice set of wheels, maybe ill wait until next summer to decide but malibuon22s keep me posted!

I am torn with big wheels. On some cars they look good, on others horrible. I went with 20's since to ME anything larger just doesn't fit the image of the car. Also, while I was able to get 20's that weigh actually less then the factory 18's, that is 100% impossible with 22's. And once you add chrome plating to those 22's they will be super heavy and effect acceleration, handling and braking. But remember, it is your car. You can do what YOU like.

yea i didnt think about the chrome weight


do you think because mine are painted black that thats why theres not much difference???

I want some chrome 22s btw and I know the weight will be pretty heavy, but I don't want to run into problems down the road, maybe ill look into 21s as an alternative but hows the ride with the 22s? notice any loss in accleration or delayed braking etc.? I wish brembo made a brake kit for our malibus :mad:

My ride is surprisingly very good =) People who also ride in the car don't feel like i have rims on at all either :)

yea i didnt think about the chrome weight


do you think because mine are painted black that thats why theres not much difference???

Yours only have those chrome strips from what I can see, so that weighs ALOT less then a fully chrome plated wheel. I'm sure the wheels are still pretty heavy though. But them not being chrome helps alot for sure.

Yours only have those chrome strips from what I can see, so that weighs ALOT less then a fully chrome plated wheel. I'm sure the wheels are still pretty heavy though. But them not being chrome helps alot for sure.

Sweet i accidently did something right lol



and that chrome is part of the light weight center caps :)

I want some chrome 22s btw and I know the weight will be pretty heavy, but I don't want to run into problems down the road, maybe ill look into 21s as an alternative but hows the ride with the 22s? notice any loss in accleration or delayed braking etc.? I wish brembo made a brake kit for our malibus :mad:
Contrary to popular belief chrome plate is a non factor in wheel weight it's more the wheel itself, plating wheels will only add a miniscule amount of weight, driving thru Mickey D's for a Big mac would have more effect :D


http://calchrome.com/service_chrome.php?mode=chrometime#chrometime

Contrary to popular belief chrome plate is a non factor in wheel weight it's more the wheel itself, plating wheels will only add a miniscule amount of weight, driving thru Mickey D's for a Big mac would have more effect :D


http://calchrome.com/service_chrome.php?mode=chrometime#chrometime

Proper chrome plating, with zinc or nickel base will add about 2-3 pounds more to each wheel. Plus some places cheap out and don't chrome the inner barrels. That place doesn't seem to do that going by what they wrote. And your correct, it does depend on the wheel for sure. My wheels in chrome are 3.3 pounds more each. Plus, going from say 17" wheels to chrome 22's will add alot.

And remember, that is unsprung weight, the worst there is. Adding a few more pounds to your wheels is like adding 75+ pounds to the rest of the car. :cool:

Here is some good reading about adding heavy wheels to your car. http://www.miamivalleymiataclub.com/technotes/ChromeWheels.pdf