Truck Wheels and Other Off Road Components to Consider

If you own a truck and like to go off-road riding, there are certain components that are more important than others. Before you hit the trails again, check out these upgrades you might want to seriously consider.

Tires

For the money, tires deliver the most performance. That is, the right set of tires will give you the most increased performance for your dollar. When driving on the street, you expect safe and controlled braking and cornering from a good set of tires, but what works very well on the streets does not necessarily transfer to off-road conditions. However, installing tires that are suited best for off-road driving when you spend 90 percent of the time on the streets is not really a viable option. Here are a few considerations.

Tread Design- Find a chart or ask a tire expert about tire choices. If you do a lot of off-road driving, then it might make sense to invest in tires that will get you through the mud. If you want the best of both worlds, great off-road and street tires, you will need two sets of tires.

Tire Size- Tire size is a big deal to some people and they believe the bigger the better. If you want to go big, there are compromises that have to be made. Really big tires might require advanced gearing, a lift kit or even brake upgrades.

Tread Depth- Bigger tread blocks will give you better performance in mud and rocks, but it certainly isn't what you want for cornering or braking on the streets. A tire that has a little less tread depth will prove to be acceptable for street driving while still giving you some pretty good capabilities off the road.

Truck Wheels

There are many types of truck wheels available on the market and whether you choose steel wheels, forged aluminum wheels and cast aluminum wheels, each will offer positive and negative aspects. Design choice, however, is personal preference.

Steel Wheels- Steel truck wheels are inexpensive, easy to repair and are very strong. That said, they are also very heavy and this weight contributes to decreased mileage, poor acceleration and longer braking distance.

Cast Alloy Wheels- Cast alloy wheels are the most common type of wheel. These truck wheels are lightweight, strong and reasonably priced. But if you happen to damage one, repairs are not easy. Also, if you don’t properly care for cast alloy wheels, the finish can become dull and refinishing these wheels is time-consuming and expensive.

Forged Alloy Wheels- When it comes to wheel choices, forged alloy truck wheels are the lightest and the strongest. But then, they are also the most expensive.

Suspension

For the most part, trucks come off the assembly line with relatively low ground clearance. This is totally acceptable for driving on the streets and highways, but if you plan on going off-road driving, you will definitely need more clearance.

Not only will a lifted suspension give you more ground clearance, it will also allow for larger tires for added clearance. In addition, a bigger, beefier suspension will also take you through the mountains or woods, miles from civilization, without breaking and leaving you stranded.

Light It Up

The factory headlights on your truck might do a mighty fine job when driving in the city but are hardly efficient when driving off road at night. Besides that, you really need more than just front-facing lights so you can see just what is lurking in the dark. And if you think that those weak factory backup lights will penetrate the dark of night, think again.

There are light kits you can buy that replace the factory headlights with more powerful lighting. There is also an array of bolt-on lights you can have installed.

Brakes

Factory brakes are designed to stop your truck within certain parameters as safely as possible. When engineers design brakes, many factors are considered including wheel weight and size. So if you are upgrading wheels, tires and even suspension, it makes sense to upgrade the brakes as well.

Filter

Your truck needs air to operate, and the air needs to be as clean as possible for peak performance. Your factory air filter does a fine job if you keep your truck on the street, but consider an upgrade if you plan on driving off road. 

Still, the best upgrade you can make for your truck is with a new set of wheels from BB Wheels. Shop now.