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Wide Wheels And Tires Buyer's Guide - Size Matters
A Guide To Wide Wheels And Tires And The Stuff To Make 'Em Fit
By Calin Head
Photography by The Manufacturer, Mike Finnegan
When it comes to custom trucks, size matters in one way or another. Don't believe us? We can prove it. The next time you talk to someone about your truck see how long it takes for the conversation to move towards the size subject. Remember, the amount of drop, lift, and engine cubic inches all fall into the size category. When the subject moves to wheels there are two sizes that can be considered-diameter and width. The diameter trend has been well-covered over the years with rims increasing to 30-plus inches, so we are checking out wide wheels here. The main focus of this guide is the aftermarket wheel size that started it all-width. That's right, way before there were 17s there were 17-inch-wide slicks slapped on the back of hot rods. The wide tires weren't just put out back because they look cool. They were installed in an attempt to wrangle the oodles of horsepower guys were starting to find. When that need for traction and added style met the road it was called the Pro Street look. Heck, there was even a Phantom Dually trend that fueled the fat tire truck market in the early '90s as well. Needless to say, the wide-tire look is pretty cool, even our models Elisabeth and Sarah know that wider is better. So sit back and enjoy our guide to everything you need to achieve the wide look, and hopefully it will help transform your stocker into a steamroller, Phantom Dually, Pro Street, or whatever you want to call it.1. Air BagIt Suspension
The company has a full line of rear suspension setups from bolt-on to universal kits for just about every truck made. Shown here is a universal triangulated four-link kit that comes with everything you need minus the welder. You can also pick up a C-notch, 'bags, and everything else needed to complement your new suspension.
Airbagit.com Suspension
(800) 842-8789
www.airbagit.com2. Art Morrison
You can't just stuff wide wheels on your truck without some chassis mods and Art Morrison can engineer, build, and fabricate custom rear clips for a variety of applications. Whether it is for drag race, Pro Street, corner carving, or laying rail, AME can take your dimensions and by utilizing a number of suspension options (ladder bar, 4-link, 3-link, 4-bar, air springs, coil springs, etc), create a rear subframe to fit your needs. All custom orders are drawn on a CAD (computer aided design) program, and the drawing is sent to you for final approval. Once the company gets the OK, fabrication begins. Art Morrison Enterprises Inc. can also supply axles, brakes, and third-member components to complete the package.
Art Morrison Enterprises
(866) 321-4499
www.artmorrison.com3. Billet Specialties
These 15-inch-diameter Street Lite Wheels are available in either 14 or 15 inches wide with the 5-on-5 bolt circle. Of course a matching front wheel is available in sizes from 15x4 thru 15x10. Each Street Lite comes with SFI 15-1 certification for street or strip use and will work with 5/8-inch race studs and washers or standard mag shank lug nuts. The Street Lite is also lightweight with a 15x4 barely moving the needle on the scale at 9 pounds and a 15x15 coming in at 22.2 pounds. With these wheels you can truly walk the walk and talk the talk.
Billet Specialties
(800) 245-5382
www.billetspecialties.com
Ford Ranger Research
The all new Ford Ranger is a good car, with practical styling to fit your lifestyle. Fuel efficiency is important and the 2010 Ranger with a 17.0 gallon main unleaded fuel tank 14.2 capacity gets 24 mpg, and is available in the following bodystyle: Trucks. Other similar vehicles are the Chevy Colorado and the Ford F150.
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