I can barely believe I'm going to say this - the Tahoe needs some +2 wheels and tires to fill up that horrid wheel well gap. It's that or we need to drop it about an inch and a half - maybe two inches but no more. I like the Tahoe's ride and I'd hate to compromise it too much.
I've seen several Tahoes and Avalanches that were lowered a bit and it makes the truck look tough, less tall and dorky.
Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 14, 519 miles...
rick8365 says:
03:55 AM, 06/12/07
It seems like this oversized wheel gap thing has been a Tahoe look for a while now - too big indeed.
carfreak8394 says:
09:31 AM, 06/12/07
The reason there is such a big gap on your Tahoe is because you guys got the LT trim level. If you had stepped up to the LTZ trim level, you would have gotten 20 inch wheels, and that would shrink the gap between the fenders and the tires. So before you start complaining, maybe you guys should have opted for the 20 inch wheels.
aspade says:
09:44 AM, 06/12/07
Nothing says 'tough truck' like 5 inches of ground clearance.
billt9 says:
09:50 AM, 06/12/07
Does 1,776 lb payload capacity answer it?
Ugly but functional.
bimmerjay says:
10:52 PM, 06/12/07
Car designers hate dead cat space like that... it looks like GM's bean counters won this round. I saw a new Yukon today and it looked like it had enough room to set up retail space between the top of the tire and the wheel well. The more costly solution is to give models with the big wheels a higher ride height or lower profile tires, obviously. I guess this is the bad thing about offering a wide variety of wheel/tire sizes on a vehicle.
thebigal says:
10:06 PM, 06/13/07
Trucks in general have always had a wide wheel gap, especially in the rear fenders. In 2 words - TOWING and HAULING. Sure it looks a little dorky. I myself have debated whether or not to block the rear of my truck to give a more level rake, but haven't yet becuase it's a truck, it's supposed to be like that.
jerrywimer says:
08:32 PM, 08/10/07
Try 9", aspade. And that's under the lowered front air dam that's there to improve aerodynamics and fuel economy, along with the lower bumper height now on nearly all regular 1/2 tons for better bumper "compatibility" with small-car drivers during accidents. It doesn't keep these trucks from towing or hauling as good or better than their predecessors though.
If, on the other hand, you have been brainwashed into believing that a "truck" is primarily an off-road (meaning WAY off-road) vehicle, you really should be considering certain Jeeps or Hummers, or even more likely, custom built rock-crawlers or mud boggers. :D