More wheel help needed please...

[Huskerman]

I still have some wheel questions that I need answered and I hoping somebody can help.



1) If I go with a wheel that has less off-set tham stock, will that require me to lift my truck?



2) What kind (if any) of damage can be done to the ball joints etc, by using an after-market wheel with less off-set?



I am now looking at getting a set of wheels that have somewhere between 4. 5-5. 5 off-set and running a set of 35x12. 50 Toyo MT's. As I said in another post, I have a 2in leveler but I don't want to lift my truck any more because I like that it fits in the garage. Any advice? Thanks.



Huskerman

 

[Huskerman]

Still looking for some advice... thanks.



Huskerman

 

[Spooled-up]

Huskerman,

I have the Kore/Weld wheel and It's got the same backspacing as stock. DRC has a new Walker Evans wheel that has a 5" backspace. Stock is around 6".



The problem you will run into is the tire rubbing on the fender with offsets that are significantly different than stock.



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If you can stay around 5-5. 5" of backspacing, you should be o. k. with your leveling kit. If you get into a wider wheel (9-10"+), you will also run into problems with the tire rubbing on the fender depending on the backspacing.



There is one member on here that is running the AE 114 on his truck with the KORE setup. That is a wider wheel at 18x9. 5, but the backspacing is 6". He says it works fine and doesn't rub. I think he had to trim the plastic inner fender liner at the rear of the front fenderwell.



As for damage to ball joints, I've never seen any evidence that the offset of a wheel has damaged the parts in the front end, but it makes sense that it puts more strain on them because the tire sticks out more which makes for a longer "lever" on the parts which exerts more force on things like bearings, ball joints, steering parts, etc. The same could be said of larger tires by themselves due to the extra weight and height. They will probably cause these parts to wear more quickly, but I haven't noticed it yet.



Good choice to go with the Toyo M/T's. I run that tire, and it's great. Not too much noise, and they are wearing well. I think the load range E makes them more stable and helps prevent the dreaded Death Wobble that so many have experienced with the BFG's.





I have a 7 foot door on my garage and with the Kore suspension and the Toyo's, I can't even come close to getting in my garage. My driveway slopes up starting right at the garage door though. I could get in with 1/4" to spare with the Kore suspension and the stock tires. The Toyo's are a true 35" tire. The BFG's and most 315's are around 34"



Hope this answered your question.

 

[Huskerman]

Thanks Spooled-up, this is exactly the info I was looking for!! I really appreciate you taking the time to write so much detail.



At this point, I know I still want the Toyo's and it sounds like that even if I went with an after-market rim, as long as the off-set is close (5-5. 5) and I don't go any wider on the rim, I should be ok.



After looking at your pics in your readers rig, I wonder if I could get away with the Kore wheels but without the lift or Kore suspension.



I have also toyed with the idea of buying somebody Dodge aluminum wheels off of ebay so I could run something other than my plain steel wheels.



I guess what I am looking for though is something that will stick the tire out enough to make the fender flares I want not look stupid but at the same time not need to lift. Maybe that's asking too much.



Thanks again.



Huskerman

 

[67guzzler]

You might also find this helpful: http://www.rsracing.com/tech-wheel.html

 

[Spooled-up]

I guess what I am looking for though is something that will stick the tire out enough to make the fender flares I want not look stupid but at the same time not need to lift. Maybe that's asking too much.

I like the look of fender flares, but after having them on a previous truck, I wouldn't do it again. They scratch the paint, catch dirt, and open up an opportunity for rust to form. Others disagree, but that's just my opinion.



That's one thing about the Kore/Weld wheels. They don't stick out at all, so you don't need the flares.



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I haven't seen a shot of the Walker Evans wheels, but they might stick out a little more. To "fill out" the fender flares, you will probably have to go with a standard wheel like Gale Banks uses on his Sidewinder truck.



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They used standard 20x10 Weld wheels and fender flares to give the truck a wide stance. They have the Kore system on this truck, but had to trim the rear part of the fender wells to keep the tires from hitting.

After looking at your pics in your readers rig, I wonder if I could get away with the Kore wheels but without the lift or Kore suspension.

I don't think you could run a true 35" tire with no lift. It might fit on the truck, but once the suspension moves, you'll hit something for sure. I know some guys have run stock wheels with the 315 BFG's and no lift, but the Toyo's are taller and wider. The KORE wheels are actually 1/2" wider than stock also. To make sure these tires don't rub on the fenders, the KORE suspension gave me 2. 75" in the front and 1" in the rear.

I have also toyed with the idea of buying somebody Dodge aluminum wheels off of ebay so I could run something other than my plain steel wheels.

You can get the 17" version of the Toyo M/T's and mount them on some polished stock wheels and with your leveling kit, you'd be fine. It would look sharp too.





JGann,



That's a very informative site!

 

[4xquadrod]

I was running a wheel with a 4. 5" back spacing and hated it. The biggest complaint was tire scrub at low speeds. I thought it was the 35" tires but when I mounted the tires on the stock wheels the steering got alot easier. I will stay with stock back spacing.

 

[TheBigSgt]

I have HALLO wheels on mine with 325 70 17 TOYO Open Country AT. I Running the BDS Puck lift. 2 inch. And Warn fender flares.



Look at mine in reader pics



Walker Evans is one Heck of a nice guys. He'll be competing at Super Crawel in Vegas. Oct 28, 29, 30.