Truck Wheels Guide

Selecting a Wheel Based on Styling

Likely the first factor you'll consider when ordering a new set of wheels or when replacing tires is styling; after all, what's the point of throwing on a new setup if it doesn't compliment the rugged good looks of your pickup? 

Styling is subjective–meaning, what looks good to you may not sit well with the next guy–and that's okay! The most crucial aspect of personalizing your pickup is how it embodies you and your unique personality. While you likely already have an idea of the basic styling you're looking for, here are a few fundamental categories to consider.

Mild or Wild

What's your preferred aesthetic? Some enthusiasts prefer the classic, bullet-hole styling of a wheel like the Mammoth 8 or Nomad Convoy, while others may gravitate towards a busy, beadlock style like the Rovos Kalahari or Mammoth Split 8. In either case, American Trucks carries various styles to suit any enthusiast's taste.

Finish

Most aftermarket wheels are offered in at least two colors, providing consumers with loads of variety, even within a single style. As a primary reference, the most common finishes you'll come across when hunting for wheels include:

• Chrome
• Black
• Gunmetal
• Bronze

Selecting a Wheel Based on Construction

Another factor to consider is construction and for a variety of reasons. Depending on variables like the climate you live in, your pickup's primary use, and your driving style, you'll likely want to weigh the pros and cons of each–or how about we do that for you?

Steel

Steel wheels are a ubiquitous choice that's been around for over a century. Steel wheels are also popular among heavy-duty OEMs, with most base-model trims coming from the factory with bare steel wheels.

Pros:

• Inexpensive compared to alloy counterparts
• Incredibly strong
• Nearly impossible to crack, though prone to bending/denting

Cons:

• Heavier than alloy counterparts
• Prone to rust in areas that utilize road salt
• Generally less aesthetically pleasing
• Less variety in sizing and styling

Alloy

Alloy wheels arrive in two different configurations–cast and forged. However, cast wheels are typically more common than the latter. Both forged and cast alloy wheels are constructed from aluminum, though they utilize different material grades and are manufactured differently. However, for the purpose of this comparison, we'll stick to cast alloy wheels.

Pros:

• Lighter than their steel counterparts
• Greater variety of styling and sizing
• Generally more aesthetically pleasing

Cons:

• They are more prone to cracking than their steel counterparts
• Typically require more maintenance and upkeep than steel
• Less durable than comparable steel wheels
• Typically more expensive

Determining Proper Offset and Backspacing

Now that we've reviewed aesthetics and construction, let's discuss arguably the most essential facet of selecting a new set of wheels–fitment.

While some truck owners don't mind hacking apart inner fender liners or taking a reciprocating saw to body panels, we recommend purchasing a set of wheels that fit out of the box. While diameter and width play a significant role, two other measurements can make or break a proper fitment: offset and backspacing.

Offset

To explain wheel offset in simple terms, it's a millimeters measurement of how far from true-center the wheel's mounting surface is. As a baseline, we'll consider a 10-inch wide wheel with a 0-offset; this means that the wheel's mounting surface is perfectly centered within the wheel's width.

Most wheels are more complex, however. When eyeballing different sizes, you'll often see offsets such as -51mm or +25mm, but how do these values correlate to fitment? Negative offset pushes the wheel's mounting surface inboard, thus forcing the wheel to protrude outboard from the vehicle's body. By contrast, a positive offset pushes the wheel's mounting surface outboard, thus tucking the wheel inward for a "sucked-in" appearance.

In the example above, a wheel with a -51mm offset will protrude 51mm further than a wheel with the same width but a 0mm offset. Respectively, a wheel with a +25mm offset will tuck in 25mm more than a wheel with the same width but a 0mm offset.

Backspacing

Backspacing measures practically the same value, only in a different way. Unlike offset, which measures the distance of the mounting flange from the wheel's centerline, backspacing measures the distance between the mounting flange and the rear lip of the wheel.

Going back to the previous example, a 10-inch wide wheel with a 0mm offset would have a 5-inch backspacing, considering the mounting flange perfectly splits the wheel's width. While both measurements represent the same basic idea, backspacing is relatively outmoded and has been overwhelmingly replaced by offset.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to opt for an aftermarket option with a similar offset to your pickup's factory wheels, especially if remaining at stock ride height and tire size.

Determining Sizing and Clearance

When ordering wheels, it's crucial to have a general game plan for the rest of your build, ensuring that your new setup fits and functions properly. Things to consider when selecting your new wheel size are:

Tire Size

What size tires are you planning to run? Your options on a stock height pickup are limited, especially if you plan to run wider/lower offset wheels. Also, remember that just because a wheel and tire setup can be bolted onto your pickup doesn't mean it fits. When manufacturers recommend tire sizes, they account for turning radius and articulation, ensuring no interference in even the most extreme circumstances. 

If you need some help, just try our tire size calculator.

Lift Height

Are you planning to install a lift kit? Lift kits increase clearances in the fender wells, allowing you to run larger tires and lower-offset wheels without interference. If you're set on a particular wheel or tire size outside manufacturer-recommended specifications, you'll likely have to consider a lift kit.

Wheel Size

After you have decided on a stance for your rig, wheel size is going to play a factor in the look and feel of your ride. Smaller wheels allow for larger tires which often translates to better performance off-road, a "beefier" look, and a better absorbtion of bumpy terrain. Larger wheels means thinner tires, which provides slighter better handling characteristics, as well as a more luxury appearnace. 

Determining Your Pickup’s Bolt Pattern

Another essential aspect of selecting a wheel is ensuring that the bolt pattern matches your pickup’s hub. You’ve likely noticed a measurement on the specifications sheet of your wheels featuring a single digit followed by a decimal–i.e., 5x114.3 or 8x6.5. This measurement is referred to as the wheel’s bolt pattern or “bolt circle.”

In the example–8x6.5–the first digit represents the number of lug studs found on your vehicle or mounting holes in the wheel’s face (8). The second digit represents the distance, in inches, between the center points of two particular studs (6.5).

Depending on the number of studs your pickup is equipped with, the particular studs are to be measured differently. On pickups with even numbers of studs–4,6 or 8–you would measure the holes or studs directly across from one another, while on pickups with an odd number of studs–generally 5–you’d measure the distance between the center points two non-sequential studs, skipping one.

Of course, your vehicle’s bolt pattern is only an internet search away, but to double-check yourself, pull out the old tape measure!

Do You Need TPMS Sensors?

Does your pickup have TPMS sensors? By law, any light-duty/passenger vehicle manufactured after September 1st, 2007, must be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system.

If your vehicle's equipped with this modern safety system, there are a couple of additional questions to ask before pulling the trigger on your new wheels. 

Compatibility

While it's rare for aftermarket wheels to be incompatible with TPMS sensors, it isn't unheard of. So before making a purchase, verifying that your wheels are compatible with your vehicle's particular sensor style is essential.

The Age of Your Current Sensors

The non-replaceable batteries in most TPMS sensors last approximately 5-10 years, roughly coinciding with the approximate interval to replace tires.

If the factory TPMS sensors on your vehicle are around 5-10 years old, it may be worth the extra cost to replace the sensors when upgrading your wheels rather than paying for a dismount, replacement, and rebalance in a few months.

Considering Wheel Accessories

When ordering a new set of wheels and tires, you may be required to make additional purchases to ensure proper compatibility with your pickup.

Proper Lug Nuts

In a pinch, you may be tempted to reuse your pickup's factory lug nuts with your new wheels; however, even driving for a brief period on incorrect lug nuts can threaten the safety of you and your loved ones. In addition, lug nuts aren't one-size-fits-all; there are several measurements to consider when deciding which lug nuts are suitable for your application.

Thread Pitch

This measurement refers to the size and thread count of your pickup's lug studs, which can be either SAE or Metric depending on the year, make, and model.

Seat Type

Lug nuts feature several seat types: ball, conical, and flat. Each seat is designed for a different wheel and, thus, cannot be interchanged. In the case of aftermarket wheels, most rely on lugs with a 60-degree conical seat that centers the wheel over the studs.

Depth

When purchasing lug nuts, it's crucial to find a set that fits over your vehicle's wheel studs without bottoming out, ensuring that you can apply proper torque to the wheel. 

Wheel Spacers/Adapters

While purchasing wheels with the correct dimensions typically alleviates the need for wheel spacers/adapters, a set of second-hand wheels may require alterations to fit correctly. Wheel spacers/adapters are a simple and inexpensive solution, allowing you to effectively decrease the wheel's offset or adapt a wheel with an incompatible bolt pattern to your vehicle.

Hubcentric Rings

Typically, OEM wheels are of the hub-centric variety, meaning that the wheel's hub bore perfectly mates with your vehicle's hub, ensuring a perfectly centered installation and vibration-free ride. Unfortunately, most aftermarket wheels are engineered for various makes and models, leading manufacturers to enlarge the hub bore significantly. As a result, you may experience slight vibrations from the wheel at high speeds.

Hubcentric rings are an inexpensive yet effective solution. These composite or alloy rings take up the space between your vehicle's hub and the hub bore of the wheel, perfectly centering the wheel and reducing vibrations.