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Big wheels

General Discussion
#1

Thought I’d seen it all but today one of those Escalade P/U’s with obscenely huge wheels and low profile tires turned sharply beside me while I was walking past in the parking lot and the tires were hitting the inside of the fenders! What’s this obsession with ginormous wheels about anyway? They are impractical on so many levels, outrageously expensive and look stupid on anything other than a Caterpillar 797.

Maybe I’m in the wrong neighborhood or just an old crustacean but it looks like the idiocracy will deliver the fatal blow to car culture long before we run out of oil.

#2

London I know what you mean. Why buy a SUV 4X4 (evan the 2x2 model) and put rims and tires on it that defeat the purpose of owning one. I agree I don’t like the look.

#3

i never could figure why anyone would drop a Laredo either-Kevin

#4

They don’t CARE if the tires rub or the wheels break easily. That’s not the point…To them, it’s a wealth display and status symbol…It sends a message to all the other would-be gang-bangers “I’m The MAN!” Tank-tops, Tattoos, baseball caps on backwards, $600 sneakers…

#5

If they wanna spend the money, I’ll be glad to take it from them.

( impractical as all-get-out but hey, that’s business. )

#6

I agree with Caddyman.

And it gets worse. There’s the “ghetto” look… some kids around here are “slamming” their cars by cuttingspring coils out and putting on small diameter wheels with rims that are technically too wide for the tires. It makes the edges of the wheels stick out farther than the sides of the tires, with both sticking out the wheelwell, giving it a Hotwheels look.

IMHO this is extremely dangerous. A bead could easily pop, making an instant flat tire, bearings get destroyed, and as with all dramatically lowered suspensions the steering knuckle is moved well above ahere it should be relative to the articulation point of the link that connects the rack to the knuckle, causing the link to toe the wheel in & out as the suspension moves up & down. And then there’s the spooky handling and the damger of bearings seizing. And I won’t even bother commenting on what it does to the camber.

Kids don’t understand that things move in arcs, not straight lines, and the arcs interact with one another. And they certainly don;t understand how much added stress a deep wheel can place on a bearing.

#7

You ain’t seen nuthin. There is an early 1950s Studebaker Champion in a car port on my way to work. It’s jacked up a foot or more and has off road tires on the corners. The owner obviously put a lot of work into it (still needs paint). I think it’s awful, but that Studie is his baby. I’ve got to stop and take a photo for you guys. It’s rear faces the road I travel on mostly; maybe he’ll turn it around and I can get that iconic nose cone jacked to the sky.

#8

I don’t care for big wheels either, but I also didn’t care for the fake “Landau” tops. The one’s with the “opera lights” were especially gross IMO.

The huge wheels with skinny sidewall tires are a fad and like others will go away soon enough. Some of the ways owners “personalize” their cars appeals to me, whiile others don’t. Remember the wheel covers that kept spinning? Thankfully they didn’t last long.

#9

I told Triedaq if he had to have big wheels on something, he could revert to his childhood by purchasing a lawnmower with those big rear wheels. However, I won’t ride with him if he puts these big wheels on the Toyota Sienna.
Mrs. Triedaq

#10

Hell, big wheels aren’t that out-there anymore. You want dumb? Check out this new trend (youtube video)

#11

If you look close, you will see that the visible tires do not rotate when the vehicle is in motion. There must be a real set underneath that actually carries the load.

#12

Guy at my body shop put on some 28" rims on his sierra pickup.
I told him how stupid that was since there’s ZERO tire flex with such a low profile tire and he’d bend a rim on the first pot hole.

Dang thing looks like a conestoga wagon …rides like one too !

The other part of the stupidity ?
He has to drive like a snail to avoid bending a rim almost every foot of every mile.
What’s the use ?

#13

That video reminds me (and I can’t remember exactly where I saw it) but it was some complete tool driving half a car. The front wheel drive half of course. Not that there was anything to damage in there but the idiot wasn’t even wearing a crash helmet. Every time he backed it up what was left of the frame/floor would almost catch on the road. It’s a wonder he didn’t flip the d***n thing and kill himself. Very cringe worthy but those two brain cells looked like they were having a good time…

#14

I’ve looked close, Keith. They’re turning. And that’s not the only car to do this - the trend is called “Demon camber.”

#15

The low profile tires look nice on vehicles they were designed for…An SUV is NOT one of them.

First one I saw was on a Ford Escape…It looked like cr*p…but the owner thought they were the best ever. Was so proud to show me what he paid (little over $3500 for rims and tires).

#16

I too looked close and agree with Shadow, I also looked up “Demon camber” on the internet, and this does appear to be some sort of fad. A dumb fad, but a fad nonetheless.

#17

Most car owners wear their cars. Whether they pierce their skin or tattoo their bodies or wear loud colors, car wheels are just that bit of over the top that many go for. The problem I see is that while tattoos don’t create a hazard for others, over the top wheels can if they fail.
Looks like they rotate to me.

#18

Why do I have the feeling that if you get in an accident which is in any way attributable to these, ahem, status achieving but safety unconscious modifications, your insurance company is going to leave you flapping in the breeze. Giving unlimited credit to people who disdained to ever pay attention in grade school can be a dangerous thing.

#19

I’ve seen a couple cars awhile back that were lowered and had like 10 inch tall, 10 inch wide rims/tires on their car. rims stuck out like 4 or 5 inches from the wheel well

#20

I see them rotating. Plus you can see clear under the front left at 1:13.

It’s mutilation, plain and simple.