Wheels

Now you have your rig and you want it to stand out. One of the easiest things to do is change your wheels! This is going to be a hard task for you. Why? Because there are 100’s of different wheels out there and you need to pick the best looking one…right? That all depends on you and what you want out of your rig.

The first thing that you should do is decide what type of driving that you will be doing. There is a large difference in the types of terrain that you will be driving on such as road, sand, mud, trails, gravel, rocks, snow and other types. Each type of terrain requires not only a specific type of wheel but a unique way of driving over them. You should also consider if the wheels get scratched up, how easy it will be to fix them or even if you want. To that end, there are 3 different types of wheels to choose from.

Steel. Lowest cost to purchase. PROS: These wheels are usually the least costly of the 3 options listed. This means you can get a set of 4 or 5 for (sometimes) less than 1/2 of aluminum wheels that are the same size. If you hit something on the trail, theses wheels will have a tendency to bend (not break) and allow you to bend them back (while on the trail) using tools that you have with you. CONS: Steel is heavier and can weigh 10 pounds or more per wheel. This weight may not seem like much it can add considerable weight to the rig, not to mention if you have to change a tire that weighs 110 pounds over a stock 80 lb tire/wheel. The weight will also cause the rig to handle differently on the trail and even affect gas mileage on the road. Scratches will need to be addressed with touch up paint or they will start to rust.

Aluminum.  Middle of the road cost to purchase. PROS: made of a lighter material that makes it easier on gas mileage, trailing and even changing a tire. Less strain on your suspension components and helps dissipate heat from braking. You do not have to worry about rusting or other damage from the environment. Many different selections to choose from. CONS: If damaged they can crack. Less chance of fixing them on the trail.

Forged Aluminum. Most Expensive. PROS: Similar to the pros for Aluminum. Can be combined with other materials such as Carbon Fiber to reduce weight even more. Not prone to the affects of the environment. CONS: Similar to the cons for Aluminum. More prone to unfix-able damage on the trail meaning that replacement is the only option.

Bolt Pattern. Every rig has a specific bolt pattern that is required for the wheel to match to bolt directly on to the axle. Most Jeep Wranglers use either 5×4.5 or 5×5. These numbers mean there are 5 studs and the 4.5/5 is the measurement of the diameter of a circle from one bolt directly to the other side. Make sure that you know what pattern you need before you buy.

Rim size and width.  You need to decide what size of rim that you want to run and the type of look. HEIGHT: If you want the look of a “show” rig, you may look for 20″+ size rims. If you are looking for off road capability, you should consider less than 20″. These numbers correspond to the amount of sidewall that you will have available. The reason you would want less of a side wall (more rim) is for looks and better street handling. If you get more of a sidewall, it will be better off road by allowing you to air down and get more flex/traction from the tire. You also have to be aware of the minimum size that you can go to. For example the Jeep JK, if you go down to a 15″ wheel, you may not be able to balance the tire due to the space between the brake caliper and the rim not being enough. WIDTH: this will help you define the width of the tire that you can put on your wheel. The wider the wheel, the wider the tire you can put on and verse visa.

OFFSET/BACKSPACING  This is the most difficult for the novice to understand as it is not normally discussed on regular vehicles. This is the measurement from the hub to the back portion of the wheel. This is important when you put “wider” wheels on than what the stock vehicle as when the wheels turn or at flex the inside of the tire may rub against the vehicle potentially causing other issues.

HUB -vs- LUG CENTRIC.  This just refers to how the wheel rests and lines up on the vehicle. HUB CENTRIC: A wheel that is designed to rest on the hub perfectly is called hub centric. This means that the wheel is resting on the hub and the bears wear “better” of their life. LUG CENTRIC: where the wheel does NOT rest on the hub but is more aligned when the lugs are put on. The weight of the wheel/tire is now carried on the lugs and more angled weight is on the bearings causing them to wear faster and is all dependent on how hard you wheel.