Why Would They Put Low Profile Tires And Wheels On Trucks?

[thunderchicken]

I used to have a set of step bars on my truck but they rusted off. I'm 5'7" and it gets harder to climb in my truck every day.

My dad is 6'4" and recently had to replace the step bars on his truck. While they were off, he struggled to climb in and had to use the handle on the A pillar to pull himself in. Poor momma just couldn't do it at all.

Moat people hardly ever haul a sheet of plywood let alone a heavy load that would need so much suspension travel/ride height

 

[thunderchicken]

A lot of people don't buy trucks to do truck things, they just want the imposing presence on the road.

Kind of like the jeep guys who have all the latest off road stuff and won't even drive in grass. Mall crawlers

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My dad is 6'4" and recently had to replace the step bars on his truck. While they were off, he struggled to climb in and had to use the handle on the A pillar to pull himself in. Poor momma just couldn't do it at all.

Moat people hardly ever haul a sheet of plywood let alone a heavy load that would need so much suspension travel/ride height

I should put on another set, but I'm not sure there's enough solid steel left to mount it to. It's a rustbucket. But I only drive it probably less than 1000 miles a year. Hard to justify buying even a used truck with prices being what they are these days.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Kind of like the jeep guys who have all the latest off road stuff and won't even drive in grass. Mall crawlers

It always cracks me up when I'm following one of these "monster" trucks or Jeeps that slow down to a crawl to go over a manhole cover. I'm like, "Are you freaking kidding me??"

 

[KellyinAvon]

HoughMade did the Valpo squat with a 6'x6' concrete pad and 54" concrete block fire ring in the back.

View attachment 191525

I approve of the Valpo Squat! What's the point of having a truck if you don't over-load it occasionally.

 

[Ingomike]

Um....idiocy? I'm assuming Ingomike isn't referring to big wheels with commensurately big tires. Big wheels make way for big brakes (at least they can).

It's things like this:

View attachment 191501

View attachment 191502

Hey, it's their money, have at it. But just as it is their right to engage in whatever this is, it is my right to call it out as asshattery.

I was not even going here, just the factory wheels on so many trucks are impractical for truck things….

 

[Ingomike]

Am I right that these big wheels will likely be damaged when my 16 inch wheels would not?

 

[HCRMPD1]

Am I right that these big wheels will likely be damaged when my 16 inch wheels would not?

My son had low profile tires on his vehicle. After replacing the tires several times and having the rims fixed numerous times he finally decided that the bigger sidewall tires suited him much better.
If the big wheels are low profile tires the answer is yes. If the big wheels are thicker sidewalls then the answer is no. In either case your 16 inch tires should be fine.

 

[Rookie]

I'm not sure. I've hit some pot holes and ruts in fields pretty dang hard and haven't bent mine. Mine aren't LOW profile 285/55r22

 

[bobzilla]

You mean like this:


Sone people just like to ruin trucks.

 

[Ingomike]

You mean like this:
View attachment 191533

Sone people just like to ruin trucks.

Yes, like the truck in the background likely has. LOL

 

[Colt556]

I know most don’t consider SUVs as trucks but my SQ5 came with 20” wheels and 255/45/20. A lot of guys put 21-22” wheels on these bit o don’t think I’d want any less side wall.
The car has 255/35/20 and the same goes for it. I’m always scanning the road for pot holes and obstacles.

 

[bobzilla]

Yes, like the truck in the background likely has. LOL

You mean this one?


Yeah those 245/70/17 are soooo low profile.

 

[Super Bee]

I am not into the 26" wheel with zero sidewall on the trucks either.

I still love the look of Lee Majors truck from The Fall Guy look. Nice looking old square body.

 

[Ingomike]

You mean this one?
View attachment 191576

Yeah those 245/70/17 are soooo low profile.

Those are closer to my 285/75/16. I thought the truck was newer. Is that two wheel drive?

 

[Ingomike]

I am not into the 26" wheel with zero sidewall on the trucks either.

I still love the look of Lee Majors truck from The Fall Guy look. Nice looking old square body.

I wanted to buy a 79 3/4 ton in 81 with that paint scheme. I tried so hard to scrape up the $4500 and just couldn’t do it.

 

[xwing]

Am I right that these big wheels will likely be damaged when my 16 inch wheels would not?

Yes. (Assuming you're keeping the same outside diameter, so bigger wheels, usually lower profile tires.) Low profile tires look nice, but are very easily damaged. You have to CRAWL over every pothole, since there isn't enough tire to mitigate the impact.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I feel personally attacked

Pics of my truck...

 

[Ingomike]

I feel personally attacked

Pics of my truck...

You should feel attacked, those potholes are going after all of us. LOL

Bent one of those impractical wheels yet?

 

[jkaetz]

Am I right that these big wheels will likely be damaged when my 16 inch wheels would not?

I'm going to go with the lawyer answer of "it depends".

With regards to pot holes, the ones I see that would damage a "large" wheel would also likely damage a "small" wheel. I put those two in quotes because you're only looking at the rim size. Most OEM 19" - 22" wheels also use a larger diameter tire than your 16" wheels. Yes there is less sidewall than the wheel/tire combos of old, but for the most part they have found a happy medium that significantly improves handling of modern vehicles without completely sacrificing durability. Tire technology has also massively improved since the days of the 16" standard. The sidewalls used to be very soft and squishy, that's why trucks and SUVs with 16" wheels and massive tires don't feel super stable at interstate speeds. Modern tires have very advanced construction techniques that allow them to flex in specific ways so they can be stable at speed, complaint over bumps, and not get completely destroyed on our roads. Add to the improved tire technology improved suspension technology and you have modern vehicles with functional wheel sizes that were comical in the past.

All that said, there are limits to everything.

Personal experience, in 25 years of driving old and new vehicles with "low profile" tires, only one had significant issues with pot holes and that was the wife's 2002 Eclipse with 17" wheels and very small sidewalls. The current vehicles have 18" and 19" wheels, but still have 2" - 3" of sidewall which I believe is enough for normal road conditions. This still means you have to pay attention and avoid the massive holes in the road, but man hole covers, road joints, and construction things won't be a problem.