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Let's talk about 18" Wheel Fitments

BRINK WHEELS

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Hey Team,

So as of recently we've been getting a decent amount of 18" wheel requests not only from this community but also from the GMC, Chevy, Ford and Tundra folks.

This has helped me push it up the roadmap to the point where we're gathering fitment data in prep for production.

With that said, what is an 18' fitment you find to be ideal? What width and offset combination would you run?
 

djevox

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Most guys here with questions are just worried about them clearing calipers. I think zero offset is the sweet spot if you’re thinking about it from a business perspective. It’s not sticking out of the fenders, and not inside the fenders. Pairing zero offset with aggressive tires would cause the tires to stick out a half inch to inch from the fenders and would look pretty good, but not too aggressive. Just my opinion, as my truck‘s a pavement princess with 22s.
 

BRINK WHEELS

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Most guys here with questions are just worried about them clearing calipers. I think zero offset is the sweet spot if you’re thinking about it from a business perspective. It’s not sticking out of the fenders, and not inside the fenders. Pairing zero offset with aggressive tires would cause the tires to stick out a half inch to inch from the fenders and would look pretty good, but not too aggressive. Just my opinion, as my truck‘s a pavement princess with 22s.

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah our designers have all the caliper specs available. We usually reference the front of a GMC AT4 and the rear of the RAMS as those are the most challenging.
 

Shots

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I agree with the zero offset. I swapped my stock 20's for a set of OEM Rebel take-offs. There's not a lot of good 18" options. They're either deep dish or stock offset. I don't want my tires to stick out really far, but it would be nice to have them out a bit more than stock. I think a zero offset would be the sweet spot.
 

Shots

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-12 offset seems to be a popular choice.
By this logic though, Ram has stopped making the regular cab truck. They claimed QC/CC were more popular choice, but they didn't offer a RC with good trims. You can't get a Laramie (or even a Big Horn anymore) with a RC. People are picking the QC/CC because they want that trim, not necessarily because they like that cab size better.
Likewise, I wonder if a lot of people are picking the -12 because the wheels they want aren't offered in a zero offset. They either have to get a zero offset in a wheel think is okay, or get a -12 in a wheel that they like a lot more. Just like choosing between a RC Tradesman or a CC Laramie.
 

BRINK WHEELS

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I agree with the zero offset. I swapped my stock 20's for a set of OEM Rebel take-offs. There's not a lot of good 18" options. They're either deep dish or stock offset. I don't want my tires to stick out really far, but it would be nice to have them out a bit more than stock. I think a zero offset would be the sweet spot.

Would you prefer a closer to flush with the fender look or would you rather they stick out?
 

BRINK WHEELS

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-12 offset seems to be a popular choice.
You think so? The -12 will stick out some and I'm not sure of those that do off-road aggressively would want that. I think they'd rather have an offset that will tuck when the suspension articulates, no?

Thanks for the Feedback!

By this logic though, Ram has stopped making the regular cab truck. They claimed QC/CC were more popular choice, but they didn't offer a RC with good trims. You can't get a Laramie (or even a Big Horn anymore) with a RC. People are picking the QC/CC because they want that trim, not necessarily because they like that cab size better.
Likewise, I wonder if a lot of people are picking the -12 because the wheels they want aren't offered in a zero offset. They either have to get a zero offset in a wheel think is okay, or get a -12 in a wheel that they like a lot more. Just like choosing between a RC Tradesman or a CC Laramie.
Good points. I'm thinking this indeed is the case. Thanks for chiming in.
 

jimothy

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I’ve got 295 wide tires on +1 offset wheels, and the look with OEM fender flares is perfect for me. I’d never want a lower (more negative) offset, though of course others go for a different look.

But, in a magic world where I could get anything I wished for, I’d pick +6 or +12, simply because this should mean less dirt and gravel kicked up onto the side of my Ram. More aggressive looking than stock, but easier on the paint than my current set.
 

BRINK WHEELS

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I’ve got 295 wide tires on +1 offset wheels, and the look with OEM fender flares is perfect for me. I’d never want a lower (more negative) offset, though of course others go for a different look.

But, in a magic world where I could get anything I wished for, I’d pick +6 or +12, simply because this should mean less dirt and gravel kicked up onto the side of my Ram. More aggressive looking than stock, but easier on the paint than my current set.

Thanks for sharing. I read on your sig you have the Fuel Blitz which is an 18x9. I'm seeing a trend where the consumers who typically run 17" and 18" prefer that more balloon type appearance on their tires. This also helps when airing down as a more narrower wheel helps to prevent tire spin.

With that said did you intentionally get 9" wide wheels or would you have preferred 8.5"?
 

jimothy

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Thanks for sharing. I read on your sig you have the Fuel Blitz which is an 18x9. I'm seeing a trend where the consumers who typically run 17" and 18" prefer that more balloon type appearance on their tires. This also helps when airing down as a more narrower wheel helps to prevent tire spin.

With that said did you intentionally get 9" wide wheels or would you have preferred 8.5"?
That’s a good question. Blitz only came 9” wide, so I didn’t have to make that decision. I was set on 18” diameter, but 8.5” vs 9” wide wasn’t a consideration.

To put it another way, if I were shopping today, I’d certainly consider a 8.5” wide wheel.
 

BRINK WHEELS

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That’s a good question. Blitz only came 9” wide, so I didn’t have to make that decision. I was set on 18” diameter, but 8.5” vs 9” wide wasn’t a consideration.

To put it another way, if I were shopping today, I’d certainly consider a 8.5” wide wheel.

That's the direction we're leaning towards. I'm thinking a 18x8.5 in a 0 and +18 would cover the bases well. But we're still researching.

Thanks for your input!
 

BilletMotoRam

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By this logic though, Ram has stopped making the regular cab truck. They claimed QC/CC were more popular choice, but they didn't offer a RC with good trims. You can't get a Laramie (or even a Big Horn anymore) with a RC. People are picking the QC/CC because they want that trim, not necessarily because they like that cab size better.
Likewise, I wonder if a lot of people are picking the -12 because the wheels they want aren't offered in a zero offset. They either have to get a zero offset in a wheel think is okay, or get a -12 in a wheel that they like a lot more. Just like choosing between a RC Tradesman or a CC Laramie.
I think some people just like that aggressive look. Some people like the flush look.
 

Belvedere

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I would just like to run a little wider tire without going crazy. Current Rebel wheels set the front tires almost against the upper control arms. I don't want anything bigger than 18, and I do prefer the "ballooned" tire on most my vehicles, especially 4wd. However, I'm not crazy about 90% of the aftermarket wheels these days anyway. Just too busy for me. I really like the look of my stock Rebel Night wheels. I had Level 8 MK 6's on my Nissan, and so far that's been the top of my list if I change.

I've only had my truck since February, so I haven't really done the math or looked into Ram wheels enough to know what offset I would want, but I can say a little tire sticking out beyond my factory flares is what I'd want. Maybe a 1/2"... 1" max.

If you came out with a nice simple wheel that doesn't take a bunch of time and special tools to clean that would help. My truck isn't a rock crawler by any stretch, but it's definitely not a pavement princess either.
 

ayoslickxd

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maybe make a 17 that fits our brakes 🤣


but serious note my 18 rim are -12 and i also would rather have the zero offset
 

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Would you prefer a closer to flush with the fender look or would you rather they stick out?
I prefer mine to be close to the fenders. Not tucked in, not pushed out. Maybe just a little out if anything, but not way out like the big offsets do.

You think so? The -12 will stick out some and I'm not sure of those that do off-road aggressively would want that. I think they'd rather have an offset that will tuck when the suspension articulates, no?
One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of people who are swapping wheels/tires aren't doing aggressive off-roading. I'd go as far as to guess that the majority of people who are doing it are only doing light off-road at most. That and many are also installing lifts, so contact with the fender on the up stroke of the suspension is probably very minimal among the vast majority.

I would just like to run a little wider tire without going crazy. Current Rebel wheels set the front tires almost against the upper control arms. I don't want anything bigger than 18, and I do prefer the "ballooned" tire on most my vehicles, especially 4wd. However, I'm not crazy about 90% of the aftermarket wheels these days anyway. Just too busy for me. I really like the look of my stock Rebel Night wheels. I had Level 8 MK 6's on my Nissan, and so far that's been the top of my list if I change.
This is exactly how I feel. Most of the aftermarket 18's are very busy. Bordering on rice burner wheels, rather than truck wheels. I love the look of the Rebel wheels and the TRX wheels, but as noted they push the tire right up against the UCA. I've done the math on it, and the widest you can hope to fit on a stock Rebel wheel (without offset spacers) is a 295. That's an issue for a lot of guys who want to run a 12.5 x 35 tire. It takes the OEM option away, and a lot of aftermarket options too that share the same offset.
I personally prefer a 285 wide tire, but that's because we get a lot of snow and a narrower tire does better in those conditions. That said, I've had wide tires, and would have considered them (a lot more tire options) if they wouldn't have required spacers or gaudy aftermarket wheels.
 
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djevox

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I prefer mine to be close to the fenders. Not tucked in, not pushed out. Maybe just a little out if anything, but not way out like the big offsets do.


One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of people who are swapping wheels/tires aren't doing aggressive off-roading. I'd go as far as to guess that the majority of people who are doing it are only doing light off-road at most. That and many are also installing lifts, so contact with the fender on the up stroke of the suspension is probably very minimal among the vast majority.


This is spot on. Most of the aftermarket 18's are very busy. Bordering on rice burner wheels, rather than truck wheels. I love the look of the Rebel wheels and the TRX wheels, but as noted they push the tire right up against the UCA. I've done the math on it, and the widest you can hope to fit on a stock Rebel wheel (without offset spacers) is a 295. That's an issue for a lot of guys who want to run a 12.5 x 35 tire. It take the OEM option away, and a lot of aftermarket options too that share the same negative offset.
I personally prefer a 285 wide tire, but that's because we get a lot of snow and a narrower tire does better in those conditions. That said, I've had wide tires, and would have considered them (a lot more tire options) if they wouldn't have required spacers or gaudy aftermarket wheels.
I like running 285’s for AT also. They’re roughly 1.25” narrower than a 33x12.5 tire (not all brands have the same overall width), are easier to balance, and have better behavior on-road than 33’s.
 

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Not to mention they're lighter than 12.5 wide tires. That helps with getting them on/off the truck if you do your own rotations too. And probably helps to save a little fuel.
 

Shots

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Put a 285 on a zero offset wheel and the outer edge will sit pretty close to the same place as the 12.5" wide that has just enough offset to clear the UCA. Same look, better tire, made possible by a zero offset.
 

LaxDfns15

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I would just like to run a little wider tire without going crazy. Current Rebel wheels set the front tires almost against the upper control arms. I don't want anything bigger than 18, and I do prefer the "ballooned" tire on most my vehicles, especially 4wd. However, I'm not crazy about 90% of the aftermarket wheels these days anyway. Just too busy for me. I really like the look of my stock Rebel Night wheels. I had Level 8 MK 6's on my Nissan, and so far that's been the top of my list if I change.

I've only had my truck since February, so I haven't really done the math or looked into Ram wheels enough to know what offset I would want, but I can say a little tire sticking out beyond my factory flares is what I'd want. Maybe a 1/2"... 1" max.

If you came out with a nice simple wheel that doesn't take a bunch of time and special tools to clean that would help. My truck isn't a rock crawler by any stretch, but it's definitely not a pavement princess either.
The MK6's are my favorite "off-road" looking wheel. Plain and simple, nothing fancy, don't take me 30 minutes to clean. Blacked out the center caps so they don't have the shiny 8 on them and good to go.
 

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