Originally Posted by mbeach
You want a wheel that has:
6x139.7 bolt pattern, this is the same as 6x5.5"
It should have a hub bore of 108mm. This is 4.25"
I prefer to ignore backspacing, as it takes the width of the wheel into consideration. Use offset instead.
Stock wheels are 7" wide, and have an offset of +38mm. If you choose, say, and AR rim that is also 7" wide, but has an offset of +20mm, you will move the outside edge of the rim 18mm to the outside of the truck. This is not enough to cause rubbing. BUT, if you choose a more common 8" wide wheel, the +18mm will be added to +13mm (1/2 inch) and you'll have moved the outer edge of the rim outwards by +31mm. Depending on your tire diameter and lift, you might rub cladding.
My philosophy is "no compromise."
If your new wheel/tire combo weighs 10% more than stock, you overwork your brakes.
If your new tires are 10% larger than stock, you alter gearing, steering, ABS and speedo readings.
If your tires are 10% wider than stock (@1"), you wander into ruts, increase roadforce, and wear your steering components.
If you have to cut/bash/trim or otherwise modify your vehicle just for the sake of fitting tires that only serve their purpose occasionally, you have compromised the design of your truck.
I recently lifted my VX -I feel like it went too high, and it bothers me. I hope that the springs settle a bit.
As for selecting wheels, you can't go wrong with stock for two reasons. One, is a guaranteed fit, and two is the quality of the wheel. Granted, they are cast and not forged, but you won't find a stronger cast wheel out there than an OEM selection. Think about this:
If some bargain tuner wheel breaks, no big deal to the company. If some OEM wheel breaks, than the company's looking at a lawsuit. They pick the best wheels that can be reasonably purchased for each factory application.
Also, a note about powdercoating.
Aluminum is not heat-treated like steel. It uses a curing process completed at low temperatures, over longer periods of time. Without going all metalurgical, I can say this:
Do not powdercoat your cast aluminum wheels at high temperatures. Most experts say that anything above 275F is too high. You can cause brittleness in the outer layer of the wheels (since they are cast, the grain structure is not uniform throughout the wheel).
Instead, I'd recommend a high-quality epoxy paint, professionally applied (just like what the OEMs use). This stuff is tough -I just spent a week and two gallons of Aircraft Stripper trying to remove it from a set of wheels.
Also, if either of those stock wheels are chromed, good luck finding a place that'll remove it. The disposal license for chromium is in the $25k range, so most places won't touch it.
