F-250 Wheel Sizes & Upgrade Suggestions

For the barebones performance enthusiasts or budget-oriented builders, you may be wondering why they should even consider swapping wheels if all they need are higher-performance tires. Larger wheels open a lot of doors in terms of wheel sizes and their characteristics can even impact the width and height of a tire that can be fitted to the truck. They also help with traction as they impact sidewall heights and even can make it possible for some high performance mechanical parts like larger brakes, to be fitted if need be.

Selecting the best truck wheel is not a simple process. With the right salesperson to help guide you it may appear as such, but in all reality a lot goes into picking out the proper wheel. At the very least you need to have an idea of the wheel diameter and width in mind as these contribute to the tire size you will need. But to make sure the wheel and tire combination will fit on the truck you will need to look at a few more factors.

Offset: Wheel offset is a measurement taken to tell you where the mounting pad sits in relevance to the centerline of the wheel. The measurements will be taken in millimeters, positive or negative, values. A negative value places the mounting surface further to the inside of the wheel itself which will bring the wheel further from the vehicle; a positive value indicates the exact opposite, tucking the wheel further inside the wheel well.

Back Spacing: Backspacing is very similar to wheel offset but the measurement is a bit different and taken in inch values. Backspacing is the measurement taken to measure the distance between the inside edge of the wheel and the mounting surface. The larger the measurement the further in the wheel will sit and the smaller the further out it will sit.

Wheel Bolt Pattern: The most important measurement you will need to know is the wheel bolt pattern. On a 2019 F-250, single rear wheel application, the bolt pattern is 8 x 170mm. The 8 is the number of lugs, and 170mm is the distance between the adjacent lug.

There used to be little debate when it came to the right material choice for wheels. The characteristics of the materials made it easy to choose between the two as aluminum wheels were the choice for those who were interested in the lightest wheels possible. Steel was the choice for those who needed high strength.

Today, the advancements in the materials make the choice even more difficult to say which is truly better. Steel wheels will always have the upper hand in strength, and aluminum in weight - but the differences are minimal. The real choice comes down to personal preference or budget as steel wheels are still much more cost effective.

Wheels may have a protective barrier surrounding them known as the tire but this by no means indicates wheel strength is of little importance. An F-250 will be subjected to harsh environments and a weak wheel can be the difference between finishing a job and sending the truck to the shop. Rough terrain means the truck will bounce around a lot, and if you factor in any additional weight, whether it be from equipment in the bed or a trailer, these bounces can bend the rim or even break it. This is why it’s so important to pick a strong wheel designed to take the beating.

Knowing the factory wheel sizes is very helpful for aftermarket wheel section. It is an excellent guide for knowing what will fit on the truck with ease. The only drawback is each submodel of the F-250 arrived with a different wheel size and has for some time. To help you breeze through the process, we have put together a chart with the wheel sizes fitted to each submodel.

A reason to look toward aftermarket wheels is on account of the use of a lift kit. Lift kits will impact the geometry of the suspension, which will affect where the wheel sits on the vehicle as the mounting surface tends to be pulled inward. This will vary quite a bit as there are a variety of widths one can choose from. In other words, with a 6-inch lift, a 10-inch wide wheel will require a different offset to fit your F-250 than an 11-inch wheel. This also is made a bit more complicated with tire size thrown in the mix. Though, the manufacturer of the lift can help point you in the right direction if recommended sizes are not given.

In regards to wheel selection, finish is as important as material. Steel wheels will almost always come with a powder coated finish to preserve the material from corrosion. This finish is very durable and is extremely easy to maintain.

Aluminum wheels are much harder to deal with. They can have much more delicate finishes on account of aluminum’s resistance to corrosion. Care for aluminum wheels will vary on account of the finish and you will need to make sure you follow the proper procedure with the proper materials to ensure you have a long lasting wheel finish.