Picking the Best Wheels and Tires for Your Pickup Truck

Having the ultimate truck is one thing, but you won’t get the most out of your investment without the perfect wheel and tire package for your rig.  Truck owners choose a vehicle to fill a variety of needs–from hauling a fifth wheel to exploring the backwoods in offroad adventures.  Picking the best wheels and tires for your pickup truck will increase the performance of your vehicle and, likewise, your enjoyment of driving it.

Forged or Cast Alloy Wheels?

Your first decision will be to choose between forged and casted wheels. 

Forged wheels are produced from a solid block of metal.  The metal is heated and compressed until it becomes extremely dense.  This process results in a very durable wheel that will hold up in rough driving conditions.  Of course, that strength comes with a cost.  Forged alloy or forged aluminum wheels have a bigger price tag than casted wheels.  However, if your plans include off-roading, rutted roads, or other difficult conditions, investing in forged wheels will be well worth the money.

Cast alloy wheels are more widely available primarily due to their affordability.  They are made by heating the metal to become a liquid and then it is poured into a wheel mold to cool.  The cast is placed in a vacuum chamber so the material becomes dense and strong as it cools.  However, the final product is not as strong as a forged wheel.  Truck owners choose cast alloy wheels for the price, the looks, or because they are lightweight.  If you’ll be using your truck primarily on paved roads, cast alloy wheels will work well and give you slightly more miles per gallon.

Choose Tires by the Treads.

The key to selecting the right tire is to pick the right treads.  Tire treads are designed to deflect material and create traction with whatever surface you’re driving on.  It can seem tempting to buy the most rugged tires possible, but over-buying has several disadvantages including higher costs, fewer miles per gallon, and a rougher ride.

If you’ll primarily be driving on clear, paved roads, a simple tire with good treads to divert water away from your tires will work perfectly well.  You can always swap them out for snow tires during the winter months.  However, if your truck will be maneuvering over dirt roads, rocks, and mud you’ll need larger tires with tread blocks.  All-terrain tires work well for light off-roading and pavement driving, while extreme adventurers may need more rugged mud tires.

Enhance your tires and protect your investment with mudflaps from DuraFlap.

DuraFlap’s patented drill-less mudflaps use holes already existing in the body of your vehicle.  By doing so, our mudflaps are easier to install (they can be installed without taking the tires off) and present no new holes that are prone to rust and corrosion.  

Your new DuraFlap mudflaps will give you years of protection.  Our exclusive “rain grooves” direct rain, snow, and road debris down and away from the vehicle.  The flaps are constructed from ⅜” polyethylene/rubber blend material and feature anti-sail and anti-spray capabilities.  

Give your truck a custom look by adding custom weights to your mudflaps.  Our online art catalog features over 100 designs, or we can create custom artwork based on your ideas or sketch.  Your truck will represent your unique personality!