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Truck Wheels

Truck wheels are different than car wheels in many respects. First of all, a truck’s load variation is much higher than a car’s. Even a quarter ton pickup can expect its wheels to be put under a much higher stress than a comparable car’s wheels would ever see. This accounts for some of the design elements of truck wheels that are notably different than car wheels.

For instance most trucks have a minimum of six lugs on each wheel. Cars use three, four, or sometimes five lugs. Larger trucks require eight or even occasionally ten lug wheels. The reason for this is that each lug has a specific load bearing ability, and exceeding that tolerance will cause the lugs to fail. If they start failing, your wheel will sheer them off, and take off on its own down the road. Needless to say that’s not a desirable occurrence.

Truck wheels are also designed differently than car wheels. There is a much lower instance of elegant or flowing designs when truck wheels are looked at. Truck owners tend to want macho, bulky looking wheels. The designers have acceded to their wishes and come out with a variety of truck wheel designs for the manly man.

A recent development is the coming out party for low profile truck wheels. These wheels look much like the similar wheels for cars. They feature oversize rims attached to extremely thin tires. They allow for a cartoonish look, with wheels that invariably look like they belong on a bigger vehicle. There is an undeniable style factor to the bigger is better idea, and these wheels are very popular among the city dwelling truck owner.

While low profile truck wheels may look good, they negate a truck’s ability to do one of the things trucks do best, go off road. A low profile truck tire will cause an extremely rough ride on even the best of dirt roads, and if taken on a seriously rocky trail, you are likely to blow out a tire or bend a rim. So the low profile truck wheel is more of a fashion statement than a functional truck upgrade.

If you’re looking for something that makes a fashion statement while also upgrading your truck’s hauling capabilities, you could choose to purchase semi styled truck wheels. These wheels feature the industrial, nearly solid hubs you see on semis. They also feature the protruding lug nuts that you also see on professionally driven trucks. Both these features make a truck look more solid, but they also serve functional purposes as well. 

A solid hub that fits back over the axle and brake assembly is more structurally sound than a wheel that juts outward from the axle. It also keeps the truck’s weight within its own footprint, rather than outside of it. And the protruding lug nuts allow an owner to quickly check for loose lug nuts without requiring a special tool. Both these things are important when a truck is going to regularly be towing or hauling a heavy load.