Wheels Make a Difference in Performance?

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if there is really a noticeable difference in running lighting aftermarket wheels vs. stock steel wheels if I plan on staying with 265/75/16s.

I ask because I noticed that after I added a camper shell roof rack and skid plates this offseason (already had a camper shell, cab roof rack, Plano box, and rock sliders), I towed my fishing boat (15' fiberglass, ~3,000lbs package) and the RPMs were running higher than they had previously. I assumed it's due to the added weight and was wondering if running lighter wheels might make a difference/ the engine wont have to work as hard.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Current setup:

DCLB, 4x4 SR5, Bilstein 5100s, OME 885s, AAL, Duratrac 265/75/16s, BAMF sliders, Leer 100XR camper, DIY Prinsu Style Rack for cab and camper, Coastal Offroad Skids

 

short answer, yes running a lighter wheel/tire combo will translate to more power to the ground, and make your truck more powerful. Whether you feel it though, is kinda subjective to your butt dyno

 

Thanks for the reply. Do you have a recommendation for wheels that would be substantially lighter than the stock ones? I see everyone running Methods and SCS and stuff, but I'm open to other brands that hopefully wouldn't break the bank haha.

 

I would have to say yes. Every vehicle I have owned that I end up changing wheels or tires on I have been able to notice the difference even when the difference is a few pounds per corner. When deciding on wheels for my tacoma I took into account all of that, I didn't really want the TRD Pro wheels but they are roughly 21 pounds, few pounds lighter than my stock OR wheels. Since my tire choice added about 4-5 pounds per tire over stock, in the end I only added about 1 pound per corner by going with the light TRD Pro wheel. Truck feels just like it did stock when it comes to the "butt dyno" which is what I was looking for.

 

My SCS F5's are 19 pounds each if I remember correctly. The steelies I had before that were 33.

 

Unfortunately not, didn't really concern myself with weight savings on the build myself. But I believe most stock wheels are in the 25-28lb range, so anything under that should do the trick, provided you keep similarly weighted wheels.

I'm sure SCS is fine, but I would be wary of other lesser known brands that weigh in below 20lbs...at that point you're usually trading off strength for weight, and depending on what you wanna do with the truck, that could be very dangerous. Last thing you want is a wheel to blow apart at freeway speeds, or in the middle of the desert.

 

I’ve been looking at those. How do you like them? Did you go 16”? I currently have 1.25” spacers and like how it sits. Would -25mm offset be similar?

Thanks!

 

Absolutely love them. I'm running them in 16x8 with 3.5" backspacing and -25mm offset,

 

Absolutely. I am also looking for the lightest 16x7 in 6x139.7mm lug patters to wrap in summer/highway tires for max efficiency and then another set for snow/mud, and off roading. I am trying to shave at least 14lbs from each corner, which was the last calculation I made using the Konig 16x8s and some Destination highway tires in 235mm spec, I believe they were. With an impact wrench, a floor jack, a torque wrench, and 10 minutes of time, you've swapped the sets as needed.

People laugh, but I will be going for weight reduction in mind for all the mods, including losing another 40lbs off my fat ass!!

 

Lighter wheels reduce the amount of power needed to gain and keep momentum, so they definitely do make a difference in mileage and acceleration, even if it may be(not saying it is) a small one. Some people also go with heavier wheels to lower their vehicle's center of gravity. Depending on the kind of driving you do or what your priorities for the truck are, those are two different ways to go. Hope that helps.

 

I definitely noticed a difference in acceleration when I went from fifteen52 wheels to steelies.

 

Thanks for the responses...I think that when the opportunity comes up, I'll try and snag some lighter SCS 16" wheels and throw on "off road" specific wheels and keep them in the garage...I might go back to running 30" tires for daily driving/ when I tow the boat since it sounds like that might help.

 

Here's another reputable company that offers a light wheel. 18.9 lbs.

https://www.fnwheels.com/new-products/fn-wheels-five-star/

 

Thanks so much! Yes, if there are other companies that offer light 16" options (I've found a lot of 17") feel free to post/ send them...I'm open to any suggestions.

 

wheel will help but its likely more the tires and all the extra weight. Weight is the biggest killer to performance. I had a fairly heavy truck with 285's and an OV tune. added some more weight went to 315's and added an S/C and feel the truck was quicker before on the 285's and tune.