You guys with aftermarket wheels

[JasonH]

Yes, I want a re-engineered wheel. Actually a 17" wheel rather than the newer larger player type wheels that's on every soccer mom's SUV nowdays. I don't want spinners or anyother c****.



How about getting Weld to make some 17 inchers, 8. 5-9" wide, with an offset & BS correct for the 04 Dodge? I want to mount up some 35's, not 37 super swamper mud boggers!!!



Why have tires that stick out and sand blast the paint off your truck?



Perhaps we could get a 'group buy' organized?

Originally posted by kentkroeker

Example - we're using an 18" wheel with a 35" tire for off-road racing. Optimal for off-road is a 17" wheel with a 37" tire. Why? The aspect ratio is greater on the latter example - better for absorbing bumps and the larger diameter provides slightly more ground clearance.



I mean, were not trying to reengineer the wheel here, fellas!



hahahahahah!



Cheers,



Kent

 

[Matt400]

Originally posted by JasonH

Yes, I want a re-engineered wheel. Actually a 17" wheel

Perhaps we could get a 'group buy' organized?

A group buy would be nice or even a discount for TDR members. I wouldn't mind paying more for a wheel that was specific to our truck. The new T-Rex/Weld will be a nice wheel but I just saw that Cheyenne wheel on a Ford the other day and I don't know if I want wheels that would even fit another brand. With Weld going to all the trouble to make the size just for the Ram it would have been nice to make it a different design also.



IMO custom wheels are a statement or we would all be running steel wheels so who wants a wheel thats on a GM or Ford?



Alcoa was supposed to roll out a new 17x8 with the correct offset for our trucks but I have not seen it. Nothing yet on their web site.

You can read a pres release here



#ad

 

[JasonH]

Originally posted by Matt400

I wouldn't mind paying more for a wheel that was specific to our truck.

Same here. I emailed both American Racing and Weld. Both stated that they are working on new designs, however their objective is to sell as many wheels as possible so it's doubtful that they would intentionally limit market potential.



Best we can do is to get a large number of people to email/contact these companies requesting a wheel with the correct offset and backspace for the Dodge.

 

[KHogan]

I just drive mine on the street (20k mi a year just to/from work... that's without going for a burger at Mc D's), so I want sharp chrome wheels WITHOUT the monster mudder tires. I want some kind of economy and low tire noise. Huge tires look great, but they aint practical. I other words, If I can't mount a set of standard-sized Michelin LTX M/S's or A/T's E-rated OWL's, I'm not interested. I like the T-Rex wheels, but that size precludes the use of any reasonable street tread.

 

[CSilkowski]

Alcoa wheels

Alcoa wheels are strong as they are forged. If the 3rd gen Alcoa wheels are priced anything like their existing line of wheels, they will be a steal at about $150 each. I don't know where else you can get quality forged wheels at such a reasonable price. And they fit!

 

[blake underwood]

Weld Cheyenne 8

Are these wheels from T. Rex chrome-plated?

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

You can get the T-rex wheels in polished aluminum or chrome. Kent is running the chrome ones on his truck per request from Weld. They want to show how tough the chrome is. I have seen these wheels in person and they are beautiful. Go to a local shop, look at all the wheels and you will see why the Welds are more money. They are twice the wheels of an American or an Eagle.

 

[JasonH]

Originally posted by Greg Boardman

I have seen these wheels in person and they are beautiful.

I agree. I was considering the Cheyenne as well but in the 17" dia.



For the 18" wheel size here's what I could find that fits:

Toyo MT: 35x12. 50R18/E



BFG MT: 35x12. 50R18/D 2910@50(max load), rating is less than 17"



BFG AT: LT285/65R18/D - sorry BFG doesn't offer a 35" AT tire & 18" wheel



Goodyear MT: Not available

Only offer LT305/70R17 D



I didn't do an exhaustive search but it looks like choices are very limited.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

I think the reason Kent went with the Toyo 18" tire is because they are a much better tire. They are an E rated tire and can withstand the abuse of Baja too. The tread is much quieter than even the BFG AT's I am currently running on my truck. I think it is a better tire all around.



Greg

 

[Bertram65]

It may be a good tire but it sure limits your choices. Next year you will have tons of choices for 17" load range E tires as the Ford Super Duty's are coming standard with them. I do not think many tire makers will be making load range E tires in 18" sizes, there is very little demand. Ford SDs going to 17"s standard is a good thing for us as the tire makers make what they can sell, Ford truck sales are huge compared to Dodge, there are probably more accessories out already for the new F150 than the new Dodge that has been out for two years.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Well,



If I was only going to use my truck on the street I would run a stock sized Michelin tire. No need for a great off road tire around town. An occasional trip to the mountains to play snowball fight and a dirt road here and there thy will be fine. But in the extreme conditions I encounter every day, only the best available tire and wheel combo will do. I have run BFG's for years and this tire is "Hands Down" a much superior tire. It has 1. 5" sidewalls... ... ... That is HUGE!!!!!!!! The lugs are as aggressive as the TSL type of tire but it is a radial. E rating means we can run them as low as 22 psi and not have to worry about sidewall pinch flats. This tire is not for everyone. It is for the guy who considers himself extreme. For extreme use on an extreme truck under extreme conditions. Yes I know that the 18 inch thing is a little different too. There are some pretty important facts on why they went with the 18" wheel. I am not well versed enough to hash that one out yet. I will find out more later and hopefully answer some questions. Oo. This is just too fun.....



Greg

 

[Matt400]

I bet the tire mfg's will bring on more 18" sizes, dunno about E range though. I have mixed feelings about all of it. For now my toyo's are doing real well and am happy with them but look forward to going back to a more HD tire for safety.



The hub cap on my truck is a sore subject for me and may take new rims to get on with things. Still open to 17, 18 or even 20's as long as they are 33's, quiet with excellent snow traction rated over 3000 lbs.



As for the Toyo M/T being much quieter than even the BFG AT's is hard to believe unless the comparison was new Toyo's against worn BFG's.

I wonder how quiet the Toyo M/T's will be when 1/2 worn??

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

I guess we will find out how the MT's will sound after a few thousand miles. The BFG's are new.....

 

[Matt400]

Originally posted by Greg Boardman

The BFG's are new.....

That's an impressive comparison then... I might have to cave in, sacrifice some power and go taller if they are truly that quiet.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Matt,



I didn't notice much power drop from the stock DRW 235's to the 315's. I actually got better mileage.

 

[moorepowercoatings]

The Alcoa wheels are finally out . They are the lts-8 style. The pn is 768681. They told me to expect 4 weeks for delivery. They are a 17x8. 5 with 4. 5" backspace. They are going to stick out 1" further than oe, but the quality is top notch.

 

[CSilkowski]

Originally posted by moorepowercoatings

The Alcoa wheels are finally out . They are the lts-8 style. The pn is 768681. They told me to expect 4 weeks for delivery. They are a 17x8. 5 with 4. 5" backspace. They are going to stick out 1" further than oe, but the quality is top notch.

I was told that the new Alcoa's were going to match the OEM specs for our trucks. I guess they were wrong.

 

[moorepowercoatings]

I t/w them 10 min ago and that is wht they told me. Th guy I taked with is putting them on a friends new h/d to test the fit this weekend and he told me to call back for a report.

 

[Matt400]

Originally posted by moorepowercoatings

They are a 17x8. 5 with 4. 5" backspace.

Too bad... .



1/2" more in width plus 1. 5" less back spacing means they will poke out 2"

 

[RottnDogue]

Does this wheel require any type of lift, or will they bolt right on to stock and not rub?



Darren

Originally posted by kentkroeker

Gents,

Not only is our wheel of the correct offset for the new Rams - so the tires don't stick out of the fendewells, it's also "hubcentric" - meaning the centerbore is an exact size match for the Dodge hub. This is done so that the lugs don't bear weight, the hub does - exactly the way Dodge designed it. It will be the only wheel on the market with this feature. All other wheels (to our knowledge) have a centerbore several hundred thousandths larger than the Dodge hub. Not good. Dangerous.



Our T. Rex Weld Cheyenne 8 carries a lifetime structural warranty and a 5 year chrome warranty. These wheels are forged and then machined from solid billet - like all our aluminum parts - made the correct way. Casting alloys must have a high silica content to flow into a mold. The glass doesn't hold chrome and will break instead of bend because it's brittle. Our Weld wheels are of 6061 and have a T-6 temper - exactly the same strength and ductility of our racing shock mounts - because it's exactly the same material. The best stuff you can buy.



We currently have a waiting list for this wheel. An 18" EVO wheel like this retails for $575. When it comes, we will sell them to TDR members for $435 each. For this price, just mention TDR when you call T. Rex.



Kent