Torque and Chrome

will 20'' in chrome rims effect my transmission in a 2000 impala?

I have twenties on my basic 3.4 liter impala. I just had my transmission rebuilt, and they said they didn't advise me to keep the rims on. They said it would hurt my transmission over some time.What I want to know is, are they just covering their butt or will it really effect my transmission?

Public Comments

1. it makes ur tranny work harder so itll wear premmature... mostly them covering their butt
2. Every time you modify something or make it custom it effects the quality of your ride like safety and longevity this car is not made to have 20 inch wheels so yeah, the extra weight effects your trans-axle more than you may know but if you wanna look fresh then what you gonna do.
3. I agree with the latter...larger overall diameter will require more power per revolution obviously. It's an easy statement, though I dont believe I would reach out and say "my rims caused my tranny to malfunction". By the way...the chrome part has no valid effect either LOL. Just kidding.
4. Rims do not necessarily affect the trans. low profile tires would nearly have the same outside diameter as 235 15" tire and wheel combo. But that is only my opinion, and I personally wouldn't want 20s on a car. The low pros are also harder or suspension parts because there is not as much sidewall flex. Feel all the bumps in the road also.
5. Added stress due to weight (and diameter). Usually it hits the axles first but it will eventually hit the transmission. You like the wheels obviously...so just roll with it (no pun intended) if you don't plan on keeping the car more than 3-4 years more.
6. The best think to do is check the towing capacity/ load capacity of your car. If you still have the owners manual you'll find something in there that talks about it. That's how you know whats a safe enough weight for your car to pull at a constant. Next if you do decide to ad the rims make sure you make all the necessary adjustment such as recalibrating your speedometer and if need be upgrading your brakes. This is the proper way to do it. If you go to the right place for the installation you should be fine because they foresee any problems and help you to avoid them.