2007 Chevrolet Colorado - 20 Inch Wheels and Aftermarket Brakes - The Wheel Deal

Last month, I lowered my Colorado to get the stance I wanted. This month, it's time to get the 20-inch MB Motorsports wheels from Discount Tire Direct and Hankook tires mounted on the truck.

The wheels that I chose really fit the look I was going for. The only issue is that they only come in one offset for my truck. My only two options were: 1) find another rim that fits the way I want but may not have the right look or 2) make the truck fit the wheels. I wasn't willing to sacrifice the look, so I chose the second option. In order to do that, I had to narrow the rearend to get the wheels to fit on the back, which was not that big of a chore, but once we mounted the rolling stock on the front we found out that each stuck out about 1/2 inch too far. With the SEMA Show right around the corner, modifying the front suspension was out of the question, so the only option was to modify the wheel.

With a little bit of research, I found that late-model Ford truck wheels have a bigger offset that would work for my application. The only problem is that they are drilled with a 6x135mm bolt pattern instead of the 6x139mm bolt pattern that my Colorado has. The fix was to have MC Motorsports drill the 6x139mm in the Ford wheels and insert a slug into the new opening. It's a really trick way to fit most any kind of wheel (within reason) you want on your truck. The final step was to install a big brake system, and SSBC had the kit for me.

If you're into larger-diameter wheel-and-tire combinations, then you probably already know about the drawbacks. See, larger wheels have much more mass to them than your factory wheels. They're big and shiny, but they're also much, much heavier, and it's a lot harder to stop them from spinning. Your factory braking system just wasn't designed to deal with this type of stress. People who've installed a basic 20-inch wheel onto their truck will notice severely diminished braking performance. A typical truck may require 50-percent additional braking distance. So if your 60-to-0-mph braking distance is 100 feet with stock tires and wheels, you may need upward of 150 feet to stop with 20-inch wheels.

This is where aftermarket braking systems come into play. They offer stronger, 14-inch, fade-resistant rotors and tougher, larger calipers to put the bite back into your brakes. You'll see braking distances decrease, a firmer pedal feel, and less brake dust and grime on your wheels. And in most cases, you'll see increased life out of your pads and rotors.

Part One: Narrow The Rear
Once Semon of ST Trucks removed the rear axle from the truck, I dropped it off at Diff Works to have 2 inches removed from each side. But before the axle could go under the proverbial knife, the internals needed to be removed. We started by taking out the pin that holds the axles in place.

1.We pushed the axles toward the center so the retaining clips (C-clips) could be removed. Once the axleshafts were removed, we checked them for wear. The one on the left is from my truck and is in excellent condition. The one on the right that we dug out of the scrap pile shows extreme wear. If your axleshafts look like the one on the right, it's time for new axles and bearings.