F-150 Project 1.1 – Wheels
As soon as I purchased my truck, I knew that the monochromatic look of the paint and stock wheels wasn’t what I wanted. I really like the paint, but I needed some color in the wheels. My favorite color happens to be blue. My search for the best looking blue wheels uncovered other aspects of wheels that I had to make decisions on, and those decisions would limit my options. Here are some common things I learned about:
Diameter and Width – My stock wheels are 20” in diameter, and 8.5” in width. These measurements are key, as they relate directly to the tire options. Tires are made in many sizes and widths, but they must be matched to compatible wheel. I knew that I wanted to stick with a 20” diameter, and stay around 9” in width so I could run a pretty standard width tire (as the truck spends most of its time on the road), but a slightly larger outer diameter. My stock tires are 275mm in width (275/55R20). They are about 31” in outside diameter. There is another post on tires coming soon!
Offset – Refers to the variance in the mounting position from center and affects the position of wheel. Often, aftermarket wheels have near zero or negative offsets to make them sit further out and have a more prominent or aggressive stance. Stock wheels on the F150 are classified as +44, so the wheels and tires tend to sit hidden completely under the wheel well. My goal was to move the wheel position slightly outward to have a more flush look than stock. So, I needed to stay somewhere in the + offset territory.
There are a number of other factors to be aware of, such as:
Load rating (how heavy is the truck and how much weight do you tend to carry)
Bolt Pattern (the size and spacing of holes for mounting – can be specific to brands/models of truck)
Here was my short list of wheels:
….and the one I picked!
These wheels are awesome! Weighing in @ 43.5lbs, and a load rating of 2500lbs each, they are solid. The blue is even better in person, as there is a bit of a metallic shimmer, and overall glossy look:
