Trucks

How to Choose a Fishing Guide Based on the Condition of His Truck

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:47:13 -0400

by Joe Cermele

Last July, while backing my float boat into the river at a tight ramp, I made the mistake of focusing only on my side-view mirrors and not watching my front end. Next thing I know, there's a nice little paint scrape on the bumper thanks to a tree stump (below). It's one of those truck wounds that's not so bad I feel the need to dump buckets of money to fix it, and it's not so terrible that it bothers me every day. But over the weekend a buddy of mine saw it and said, "wow, you should really take better care of your truck." I probably should. At the same time, I look at a truck as another tool that is going to get somewhat messed up if you're using it properly. Take the trucks of fishing guides, for example.

I fish with a ton of guides, and over the years I have made an observation that so far has held 100% true. The trucks of the guides that catch the most fish feature one or more of the following:

A cracked or chipped windshield

An illuminated "Check Engine" light

Floor mats that reek of old, dried coffee

Flies hooked directly into the ceiling liner

A trailer ball and hitch receiver with some degree of rust

One door that no longer opens from the inside

You might think I'm joking, but take notice of your guide's ride next time you hire one. If he/she picks you up in a flashy, new Escalade or tells says you can't eat/drink/smoke/chew in the truck, consider bolting and hiring someone else. If the truck features any criteria from the list above, you're probably going to catch lots of fish. As for my truck, I'll leave the scrape for now. Maybe it'll help me catch the same amount of fish as a full-time guide.

2011 RAM Outdoorsman Pickup

Joe_Cermele — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 22:24:51 -0400

This May, I had the chance to hit the road in RAM's 2011 1500 Outdoorsman, a truck that's generating plenty of buzz in the hunting and fishing world. With so many after-market accessories available to rig your ride for sporting quests, it seemed only a matter of time before an automaker took the needs of the avid outdoors into consideration and made all the little extras stock. I covered more than 600 miles in this truck, trekking up to Buffalo, N.Y., in pursuit of smallmouth bass. Though the trip did not lend itself to off-road pursuits, spending that amount of time in a vehicle let's you really get a feel for it, and there are plenty of perks for the fisherman that cruises pavement as much as muddy trails.

Though the 1500 I drove had a powerful 5.7L HEMI V-8, take your foot off the gas on the highway and the engine cuts out 4 cyclinders. The amount of time I was running on 4 may have seemed trivial in the overall course of 600 miles, but it made a noticeable difference in fuel economy. By my calculations, I averaged 17 miles per gallon during this highway-heavy adventure. That's not too shabby for a truck this size.

If you need to haul a boat or trailer, the Outdoorsman has you hooked up, literally and figuratively. The large sideview mirrors adjust to stand horizontally or vertically, while a heavy-duty cooling package and standard four- and seven-pin adapters let the Outdoorsman pull up to 10,250 pounds.

But most unique about the truck is its RAM boxes. Two lockable, insulated boxes on either side of the 6-foot, 4-inch bed feature custom, adjustable brackets designed to securely hold rifles, shotguns, or fishing rods. While I could see how long guns would fit snugly in these brackets, I noticed that fishing rod design limited the ability to use the RAM boxes to store them.

What I found worked best were two piece rods with the reels removed. With spinning reels still attached, I was able to get 2 rods in each box, though without reels, the brackets can hold up to 12 rods. If I were to own an Outdoorsman, I would likely use one box to store a few fly rods for local outings, and the other to keep ice for drinks and the day's catch. Drain plugs in the RAM boxes make using them as coolers even easier. But if a fishing trip calls for taking one-piece rods, they'll have to go in the bed. - Joe Cermele

SHOT Show 2011: Ram's Outdoorsman Pickup

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:32:30 -0500

by Phil Bourjaily

At the pre-SHOT Shooting day we saw lots of guns, most of them black, and tactical. We'll have more video from that event soon but in the meantime, here's a look at Ram's Outdoorsman pickup which has some cool features like locking gun storage in the sides of the bed. Forgive the audio, which is a little out of synch, but we wanted to get this up and start our SHOT coverage right away.

Merwin: Thoughts on Mud Season

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:12:17 -0400

The world around here this morning is “mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful,” as a very good poet once wrote. It is indeed spring, and we are in the throes of mud-season. The melt-and-thaw cycles of warmer days and overnight freezes turns our gravel roads--and my driveway--into a deep, coffee-colored goo.

Trout season opens soon. Maybe I’ll make it and maybe not. The problem will be getting there.

A flatbed car-hauling truck came up over the weekend to pick up my wife’s car, which wouldn’t start. The truck bottomed out in the mud. It took another big wrecker to extract it, which generally made a hell of a mess. The car remains; it, too, stuck in the mud and no longer accessible to a recovery truck. Eventually, things will dry out enough so I can yank the car out and get it fixed. But for now, my wife drives my 4X4 truck to work, and I’m stuck, too. It’s a sorry tale.

I think all fishermen deal with mud at one time or another, since we of course fish around lakes and streams that are by nature muddy at the edges. So is Vermont mud worse then Wyoming mud? Having seen both, I’m not sure. Maybe Alaska mud is even worse. Is there mud in Michigan? I know there’s Mississippi mud, but only from the song.

So let’s hear it. Maybe your local mud is even worse than mine...

Anchorage Outfits Fleet of Trucks to Salvage Road-Kill Moose

Online Editors — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:15:56 -0500

From the Anchorage Daily News:
The city of Anchorage and the Alaska Moose Federation have teamed up speed removal of road-kill moose from area roads. Using a state grant, four trucks have been outfitted with winches that can quickly get a carcass off the road and deliver it to wherever a charity wants it, reports KTUU.

To protect passing cars and charity workers, police officers stood on scene, sometimes for hours.

"Butchering it alongside the road creates a lot of problems, both a traffic hazard and it's an attractive nuisance. People watching as that happens, they often have accidents," said Anchorage Police Lt. Dave Parker.

Chad Love: A Back Seat Full of Memories

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:26:20 -0500

It's late February and I hear the click of my seasonal odometer rolling over once again. It's time to back the truck into the driveway, grab the shop-vac and start clearing away the accumulated detritus of the past hunting season. No more birds, no more deer and no more ducks until I start hearing the whispered promise of fall on the late August wind. Time to sweep out the dog box and replace shotgun shells and game bags with bumpers and launchers. Hunting season's over, but training season isn't and there's much to do before next year's first bird is brought to hand.

Sorting through the cab of the truck is like an archeological dig, a grimy chronology of the past six months: Dog hair. Candy wrappers. Spent hulls. Feathers. Mismatched gloves. Mud. Pens and notebooks. Dog-eared copies of the hunting regs. Chewed-up bumpers. A chewed-up road atlas. Chewed-up water bottles. A bird-hunting vest with not nearly enough dried blood in the game bag. A forgotten duck call stuffed between the seats. An unopened package of string cheese that looks like it's slowly developing life.

Just random stuff, the same kind of random stuff we all accumulate over the course of a season, but if you could somehow divine a measure of truth out of it all, what would it say about you?

My garbage would probably say this: this guy's obviously neither rich nor very successful. He can't shoot very well and his dogs are dirty, misbehaved, slobber too much and apparently one of them yacked on the passenger seat. He eats too much junk food and his son isn't very good at putting the cap back on the BB container. But that's OK. Dogs are supposed to shred things of value, slobber and barf on the passenger seat. Young boys are supposed to spill BBs and feed part of their candy bars to the dogs, who then barf all over your passenger seat. This isn’t junk I'm sweeping out the truck: It's six months of memories

Bourjaily: Why Minivans Make Great Hunting Vehicles

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:14:42 -0500

My Jeep Liberty chose the last Saturday of pheasant season to suffer power steering problems quite possibly related to -13 overnight lows. When it warmed up to -1 or so, I closed out the year taking my wife’s car – a 2002 PT Cruiser – to the field. Jed’s box fit neatly in the back with the seats folded out of the way. It held me, my older son, our guns and gear, a snow shovel just in case, and, on the way back from the field, a couple of unlucky roosters.

I tried to snap a picture of the car for you, but it was too cold for my camera to work. Taking the PT Cruiser reminded me that the Jeep is actually the first 4WD hunting vehicle I’ve ever owned. Before that, I drove minivans for hunting. In fact, I drove minivans for hunting and I liked it. There: I said it and I don’t care who knows it.

When we replaced whatever van we were hauling kids in with something newer, I got the old van. My first hunting van was a 1985 Plymouth Voyager; the second, a 1995 Ford Windstar.* Say what you will about their lack of manly appeal, they were extremely practical. I could haul three passengers and immense amounts of gear in either one: dog boxes, decoys, layout blinds, you name it. A corn-fed 145-class whitetail fits in the back of a Windstar, too. I know because I tried it.

The big back hatches were great for loading and unloading gear, as were the sliding side doors. In fact, when I went looking for new hunting vehicle I briefly considering buying a new Dodge Caravan (it was a great deal) before I found a late model Liberty at an unbeatable price. I like the Liberty, but I am still getting used to its lack of cargo space compared to my old vans. If I had found the vehicle pictured above when I was car-shopping, it would have solved all my problems.

Anyone else out there willing to admit to hunting from a minivan or the family sedan?

*A famous lemon. Nearly half the 95-98 Windstars blew headgaskets which leads in short order to thrown rod and a ruined engine. When it happened to mine, Ford put a factory rebuilt engine it, and it was trouble-free after that.

Cermele: Turn Your Pick-Up Into a Fishing Machine

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:08 -0500

So I’ve recently become a pick-up truck owner. I've only had SUVs in the past, but given the nature of my hobbies, I finally decided that a pick-up was more practical in many ways. I only had one problem: I couldn’t stand laying rods in the bed with them hanging over the tailgate. I’ve just seen too many sticks get snapped or lose guides that way. So I began to tinker.

Not many pick-ups have roof racks, but Thule makes crossbars and ski holders for just about every vehicle under the sun. I can hold (and lock) seven rods on my roof, and I use this primarily for freshwater outfits and fly rods. But is that enough rod storage? Heavens no. I also splurged on a custom 7-rod rocket launcher that clamps into the bed made by a local aluminum welder. Each tube even has a removable pin that allows me to schlep offshore rods with gimbal-lock butts without them swinging. That’s 14 rods total I can tote anywhere without a single one lying in the bed.

My last SUV was leased, and I learned the hard way that dealerships don’t take kindly to rugs full of sand and river mud. Since I own the new truck, a set of WeatherTech mats became priority. Now there’s nothing my waders can track in that a hose can’t blast out (vacuum sand all you want, you never get it all). To keep my coolers and boxes in place, I also picked up a cheap ratcheting cargo bar for the bed. This in and of itself is unexciting. But the little holes that the ratchet’s cog grab make excellent lure hangers.

Perhaps I’ve gone overboard, but I’ve seen plenty of tricks and projects online regarding pick-ups and fishing. There’s lots of PVC, milk crates, and two-by-fours involved. Have you rigged your ride for fishing in any way? I’d love to hear about some of your modifications. – JC

Get The Most Out Of A New Set of Truck Tires

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:37:22 -0400

It didn’t take me very long to learn how to tell a brown trout from a rainbow or brookie. And I easily mastered the differences between a pumpkinseed and a bluegill. But when confronted with the redear, redbreast, or longear sunfish, things got a good deal more complicated. Even now, I occasionally consult a field guide to be sure.

So it is with tires for a 4x4. With so many designs available, how can you identify the correct tire for your pickup or sport utility? Consulting the simplified “field guide” below can make things easier. Use it to narrow the choice to a particular type of tire. Then go to a dealer for information on the specific model within tat tire type.

Essentially, there are four types of tires of concern to outdoorsmen: 1) highway rib; 2) highway/all-season; 3) offroad/all-terrain; and 4) maximum traction offroad.

1) Highway-rib tires usually have a four-or five-rib design. (A rib is the standing tread that circles the tire.) Each rib is siped, which means the ribs have little slahes that help provide biting edges for traction in dirt, slush, and snow.Their design provides good, even wear, low noise levels, and a smooth ride. These tires often have low rolling resistance that helps increase fuel economy.

Highway rib tires usually have a four- or five-rib design. Each rib is siped, which means the ribs have little slashes that help provide biting edges for dirt, slush, and snow traction. The grooves between the ribs can be jagged to provide even more of a bite. The shoulders (the inner and outer ribs) are wider to help cornering and braking performance. These tires are designed primarily for highway use, but will perform adequately in light to moderate snow and on level gravel and dirt roads.

2) The highway/all-season tire maintains the rib-type look, but the ribs now consist of small, independent blocks positioned around the tire, which help it deliver greater performance in dirt and rain. The zigzag sipes in the blocks also help traction on snow and ice. This type of tire is an evolutionary step up from the tire profiled above. The more aggressive tread design helps it better deal with dirt and snow, so that as loose dirt and snow are compressed into the openings, you actually end up with more traction. At the same time, the rib-type design helps the tire maintain on-road performance very close to that of a highway-rib tire. The highway/all-season tire works well on dirt roads, gravel roads, sand, and in moderate snow.

3) The offroad/all-terrain tire has as much capability on the road as it does off the road. The tire features an interlocking tread design, which means that before the leading tread block leaves the ground, the following tread block has already come into contact with it. This allows the individual blocks to work together to help maintain ride quality and promote even wear. In addition, the multi-faceted tread blocks help deliver traction from any direction on dirt, sand, and gravel; provide handling, acceleration, and stopping ability in order to avoid a rock or a stump; and help the vehicle negotiate other obstacles. The lugs on the shoulder of the tire and the pockets between each lug foster good offroad steering response and traction. This is a tire for dirt trails, rocky trails, shallow mud, and moderate to heavy snow, yet it remains fairly civilized for highway use.

4) As the designation suggests, the maximum traction offroad tire is focused mainly on offroad travel. Nonetheless, the newest designs are acceptably refined for highway travel. Notice that the interlocking tread design now features large, free-standing blocks. Also, the siping has been replaced by large gaps. The goal of this tire is to bite into loose or muddy surface areas for maximum traction and propel the vehicle forward. The very large opening between the lugs helps make the tire self-cleaning: the mud is compressed as the tire gets a grip and then expelled as the tire rolls on. (Smaller grooves allow the mud to pack in between the lugs and not be expelled.) The wide grooves also help the tire perform well on loose shale and rocks. (Grooves that are too close together can’t get a grip, sort of like a rock climber who can’t spread his fingers.)

The tire’s shoulder area has two designs to further enhance traction on loose or muddy surfaces. The varying shoulder width offers different biting edges for traction, which makes the tire the only choice when you are likely to encounter deep ruts. To take advantage of this feature, deliberately alternate right and left turns of the steering wheel; this will gently pinch the tire against the edges of deep ruts, which allows the shoulder lugs to claw at the sides of the rut and pull the vehicle forward. In effect, the tactic provides the feeling of an additional lower gear. Though it’s probably too aggressive for deep sand, this tire is best on loose surfaces, mud, and extremely deep snow.

Tire Tips
* Unless you have the luxury of using multiple sets of tires for your 4x4, select a tire design that meets the worst driving conditions you expect to face. When you’re stuck axle deep in mud, you will forget all about how comfortable your highway rib tires have been.

* Make sure to buy replacement tires that meet or exceed the original equipment tire’s load capacity. Tires that aren’t designed to carry the load will wear out faster and make the truck handle poorly, especially when fully loaded.

* Radial tires dominate the market. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most important is that the design helps the tire envelop an obstruction rather than bounce off it or be punctured. Radial tires are available in each of the tire types presented in this guide.

* Light truck tires feature beefier construction. Generally, they can handle heavier loads and rougher terrain. Depending upon the design, they may ride rougher than passenger-car tires when you drive on the highway.

* Sidewalls are a tire’s Achilles’ heel. If you routinely venture into terrain with sharp rocks or thorny vegetation that can pierce the sidewall (such damage is not repairable), consider tires with actual three-ply sidewall construction.

* Be aware that the sophisticated electronic equipment found in modern trucks can be negatively affected by a change in tire size. There is an acceptable range, but if you exceed it your truck’s performance may suffer. Consult a knowledgeable tire dealer if you’re considering changing tire size.

* A set of good tires isn’t cheap. (The range of good tires runs from $400 to $800 depending on the brand, size, and whether you buy on sale.) However, buy the best tire you can afford. Cheap tires aren’t worth the money; they’ll wear out faster and perform poorly.

A Question of Size: When many truck owners think about new tires, they often look at new wheels as well. In this case, they often opt for wheels with wide rims, to give the truck a really macho look. Well, wide rims are fine if the truck spends most of its time on pavement, but if you want the truck to be a useful offroad tool, you should actually go with narrow-width rims.

Why? Because the narrower rim causes both beads of the tire to tuck in, which minimizes sidewall exposure. The net result is additional rim and sidewall protection from rocks and other objects that could cause air loss or tire failure. Moreover, the added sidewall flex allows the tire to absorb bumps, resulting in a softer ride.

Inflation Pressures: The number one reason for premature tire failure is improper inflation pressure. For best results, keep the tires at the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle maker. (You’ll find this in the owner’s manual.) The inflation pressure branded on the sidewall is the maximum and should be followed only when the vehicle is carrying an extremely heavy load.

There are exceptions to this rule. A common offroad tactic is to reduce tire inflation pressure to improve driving performance. This is ordinarily done when driving over sand, where airing down widens and lengthens the tire’s “footprint.” Doing so puts more tire in contact with the sand, improving traction. Airing down also works on rock- or stump-studded trails. In this case, the lower inflation pressure allows the tire to wrap itself around a rock, which reduces the chance of a sidewall puncture.

When driving through this type of terrain, impact absorption takes precedence over quick-steering response. For this reason, tire inflation pressures as low as 25 pounds per square inch (psi) may be used--as long as speeds are less than 15 mph.

Be sure the tire has adequate load-carrying capacity at these lower pressures. To be safe, don’t go below 18 psi. The disadvantage to airing down is that you increase the probability of pushing a tire off the rim. Be alert.

Always make sure the tires are returned to the proper inflation pressures before you return to the highway. Severe internal tire damage or outright tire failure can occur when an underinflated tire is driven at typical highway speeds.

Driving Tips: Joe and I had parked the 4x4 at a small pullout next to the public access area and were uncasing our shotguns. The road in was ravaged; it was full of nasty ruts and gravel mounds, and the last 100 yards were especially treacherous because it dropped so steeply. As I slipped on my game vest, I heard the sound of another engine, and when I looked up I could see the driver was having trouble coming down the trail.

“Joe,” I yelled. “Get out of the way!”

Joe leaped behind our truck as the vehicle careened by and bounced off a huge tree. Fortunately, the driver wasn’t badly hurt--but his new truck had a nasty dent in the front quarter panel. He climbed out and said, “Sorry, boys. Didn’t mean to make you jump like that. I don’t understand it. I just put new offroad tires on this thing.”

New tires or not, if you don’t pay attention to the trail, trouble will always find you. Later, when I stopped by to talk with Steve White, Light Truck Tire Marketing Manager at

Uniroyal, and tell him the story, he said, “That guy made a classic mistake. He relied on technology rather than common sense to get him out of trouble.”

“Yeah,” I said, “I see that a lot.”

“What people forget,” White said, “is that good tires are only part of the package. You also need to hone your offroad driving skills. And you begin with equipment every driver already has.”

“And that would be?”

“Your eyes. You need to know what to do with your eyes. Too many people simply stare straight ahead, focusing only on what is immediately in front of the vehicle. Wrong! You should be using your eyes to gather much more information. For instance, what’s on each side of the truck? Are there sharp rocks or overhanging tree limbs? What about cactus? You need to know this. Now, take a look down the trail. What’s coming up? Deep ruts, a blind turn? Do you have an obstacle that you need to steer around? Or can you drive over it? You need to know this too, so trail challenges don’t come as a surprise.

“Always try to keep in mind what I call ‘the picture,’ which I define as where I want the truck to go, not where it currently is. That’s a big difference, but if you can do it, you’ll avoid a lot of trouble.

“In order to see ‘the picture,’ you need to be seated comfortably in the vehicle. You shouldn’t have to strain to reach the pedals or steering wheel, and you should be able to clearly see the gauges as well as the mirrors. Drivers who aren’t comfortable will get fatigued, and this affects your ability to control the vehicle.”

The next step, according to White, is to drive the vehicle with the correct speed and rhythm. When you get it right, you should be to hold a full cup of water without spilling it as you drive.

“You need to learn how to accelerate properly. Too many offroaders employ a herky-jerky on- and off-throttle type of driving. This only upsets the balance of the vehicle. Instead, gently accelerate to a level where you can keep relatively steady pressure on the accelerator. Make only subtle adjustments to slow down or speed up.

“Do all of your braking before you get to a turn, hole, or whatever it is that is forcing you to slow the vehicle. Remember, your brakes are going to be a lot more sensitive in dirt or sand because the tires have less traction. Make the braking action as subtle and as smooth as possible. If you do encounter a crisis, brake as hard as you can until the vehicle begins to skid. At that point, gently ease off the brakes in small increments to allow the tires to regain traction, but keep enough pressure on the pedal to continue to slow down the vehicle.

“Obviously, the slower you’re going when you get in a panic situation, the easier it will be to deal with. In fact, one of the major difficulties in trying to execute turns in offroad situations is excess speed. In many cases, the driver is not aware of vehicle speed--and most are going much faster than they think. And when that happens, you’ll find that the truck wants to keep going straight ahead rather than turning in the direction you are steering.

“That’s what I call a skid,” I said.

“Right. And it’s trouble, so slow down.”

F&S Guide to Truck Wheels

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:19:12 -0400

The hand-drawn map was pinched between my thumb and the steering wheel. According to the smeared lines, I would be able to see the river after the next curve. I had been told that the pullout overlooked a great stretch of pocket water. “Big ‘bows,” my friend had said over the phone. “Even better, almost no one fishes this stretch.”

“Why?” I asked.

“The road is really in miserable shape. A lot of it washed out last winter. Take it slow.”

The road was bad--but when I made the pullout there was one fellow ahead of me. He was shucking his waders as I pulled in.

He nodded, stowed his rod, and then ambled over to talk. “Nice looking wheels,” he said. Then he bent down for a closer inspection. “Aluminum?”
I nodded.

He spat a long stream of tobacco juice. “Don’t care for it. I want a strong wheel. Steel for me.”

Stressful Matters: Like most outdoorsmen, this guy didn’t beat around the bush when it came to opinions on gear. And he certainly wasn’t the first who questioned the wisdom of tackling tough offroad trails on aluminum wheels.

When I got home I tracked down Laurie Simpson, staff product engineer at Alcoa Wheel Products International, and asked her, “Look, I haven’t had any trouble with these wheels, but boy do I catch it when other guys learn I’m driving on aluminum. What gives?”

I could hear Simpson take a deep breath. Obviously, this was a familiar question. “The aluminum forged wheel manufactured by Alcoa is actually stronger and tougher than a steel wheel,” she told me. “The other goodie is that our wheel is about half as heavy as steel. And a lighter wheel gives the vehicle better handling characteristics.

“What many of your guys don’t know is that there are actually three types of aluminum wheels on the market--cast, billet, and forged. Each process leaves the product with certain traits as distinctive as fingerprints.”

That brought us to a technical discussion on metallurgy--not my field. Boiled down, Simpson said that a cast wheel is produced by pouring hot molten metal into a die. The process creates little air pockets, which can lead to “fatigue cracks that can reduce the strength and performance of the wheel.”

The way to solve that is to create a heavier wheel in which cracks take longer to form. That’s why cast aluminum wheels can weigh as much as 20 pounds more than a forged aluminum wheel. (Steel wheels, by the way, can weigh as much as 30 pounds more than a forged aluminum wheel.) The extra weight, however, can compromise handling. In this case, heavier is not better.

The rolling process that creates billet wheels help eliminate the porosity problem, but the process requires the manufacturer to build a two-piece wheel--a machined billet center welded or bolted to an outer rim. The weakness here is the strength of the weld that holds the two sections together.

Forged wheels, on the other hand, have no air pockets. Solid aluminum is heated, compressed, and formed into the shape of a wheel--a process that eliminates the pores that can lead to cracks. One-piece forging also aligns the grain flow of the metal, which significantly improves strength and durability. All of this means that the wheel is less likely to fail in tough offroad situations. The wheel may bend, but it won’t break.

And steel? The problem with steel wheels is that two separate welding operations are required: one to form the rolled rim, another to attach the center disc. Welds concentrate stress; and where stress is concentrated, failure gets an opportunity to do its worst.

Going to Extremes: I next asked Simpson to give me an example of how tough forged wheels really were.

“Easy,” she said. “The Ford Rough Rider offroad racing team has been on Alcoa forged wheels for the past four years. They’ve had more than 30,000 miles of desert racing without a single wheel failure. In the past, it’s been common to change a wheel three or four times in one event.”

“What has desert racing got to do with hunting and fishing?” I asked.

“Actually, a great deal. Offroad racing teaches us what can go wrong in extreme situations, which gives us the opportunity to make a good lightweight product for guys who hunt and fish in tough terrain.”

Again with the weight. “Most people don’t think weight savings is important, but it is,” Simpson said. “Lighter wheels improve handling, especially when you’re offroad. The less weight you have bouncing up and down underneath that spring, the easier the vehicle is to control.

“And as long as we’re talking ride, keep in mind that forged wheels ride better with less vibration. The design helps eliminate brake shudder and excess tire wear.”
To put the matter totally to rest, I called the owner of a truck conversion center, who said,

“In all the years I’ve been installing forged wheels, not one has been returned because of breakage. I think a major reason is the one-piece design. Two-piece wheels, which are also known as fabricated wheels, regardless of construction, don’t seem to fare as well over the long run in 4x4 applications.”

As for my tobacco-squirting friend, he no doubt recalls the debate that raged among hunters and fishermen a generation ago when aluminum wheels first made large inroads in the aftermarket offroad wheel market. There were some quality issues, but those were put to bed a long time ago. In fact, many trucks come out of the factory with stock aluminum wheels.

So, the big question: Should you buy cast, billet, or forged wheels? Forged wheels are the best overall choice, but however you decide to go, buy the best wheels you can afford. Cheap wheels, like cheap tackle, won’t do the job.

Looking Good: Outdoorsmen want a rugged wheel, but they also want to improve the appearance of their 4x4. An advantage of the forged aluminum wheel is that its bright chromelike appearance requires little maintenance. There is no paint to chip or flake off, and the wheel won’t rust--definitely a problem with steel.

“Although many companies use a conventional clear coating to help protect the appearance of the wheel, Alcoa does not,” says Simpson. Why? “Because the coating can be damaged in certain applications, which degrades the overall look of the wheel. With our wheels, all you need to do to keep them looking good is a seasonal wash and polish.

“The wheels may not help you catch more fish,” Simpson said before signing off. “But they’ll look good. And they certainly will get you where you want to go--and get you home again.”

“The Four Horsemen:” Let’s say you’ve got your eye on a set of smart-looking aftermarket wheels. What’s next? You need to make sure the wheels will fit your vehicle. This is a bit complicated, but if you follow the guidelines below you should end up with wheels that do the job.

Four characteristics determine wheel fit. They are: 1) size (wheel diameter and rim width); 2) bolt circle; 3) load rating; and 4) offset. Let’s look at each in turn.

1) Size: Select a wheel size appropriate for the desired tire and load-carrying capacity. A given tire size can fit a range of rim widths; in other words, a P265/75R15 tire can be used on a 7- to 9.5-inch wide rim. The rim width will affect the appearance of the tire by changing the sidewall profile.

2) Bolt Circle: A wheel has a number of evenly spaced stud or bolt holes. The bolt circle is the diameter of an imaginary circle that runs through the bolt hole centers. You measure from the center of one bolt hole, across the center of the hub face, to a point that intersects the imaginary circle drawn through the bolt hole centers. This measurement is usually stated in inches or millimeters.

3) Load Rating: The maximum load rating of the tire, wheel, and axle must be compatible. A bigger wheel does not always mean a bigger load rating. For example, several Alcoa 16x7J wheels carry maximum load ratings of 2,600 pounds, yet other Alcoa wheels the same size are load rated to 3,040 pounds. The load rating on your new customized equipment should be at least as high as the original equipment wheel and tire.

4) Offset: Of the four fitment characteristics, this is by far the most complex. Offset is the distance from the wheel mounting surface (mounting pad) to the centerline of the rim. Zero offset means the rim centerline is in line with the mounting surface. Negative offset means the centerline is outboard of the mounting surface; positive offset means the centerline is inboard of the mounting surface. Changing offset too much from stock may accelerate tire wear, impede steering response, and hamper stability.

“It’s a good idea to match the original equipment wheel backspace when going to wider tires. This helps prevent fitment problems,” Simpson says. “Getting the right offset for your particular application is 90 percent of successful custom wheel fitment. Offset is crucial to avoid clearance problems with fenders, struts, anti-sway bars, brake calipers, and other suspension parts. Maintain the wheel offset as close to stock as possible, especially on the front wheels.”

Six Steps to Success: Simpson recommends a six-step procedure that any professional installer can do for you. Following this guide will ensure that the new wheels fit the tires, and the new wheel-tire combination fits the truck.

1) Place the truck on a lift rack and raise it off the floor. Remove one front wheel.

2) Clean the mounting surface on the hub with a wire brush and remove any retainer (spring) clips.

3) Hold the aftermarket wheel (no tire) on the hub and check for a flush mount. The mounting surface of the wheel must fit flush to the hub mounting surface. The back side of the wheel must not rest against any obstructions such as the brake caliper, suspension components, balance weights, or rivets.

4) Install three lug nuts and hand tighten. Rotate the wheel and fully turn the steering wheel in both directions to ensure complete clearance.

5) Repeat the above steps on the rear of the vehicle. (The one exception is that you won’t need to turn the steering wheel.)

6) As a final check, mount the tires to the new wheels and install all four on the truck. Lower the truck to the floor. This will put the vehicle in a “true” ride position because the weight of the truck will settle on the tires, causing them to spread closer to underbody components. Do another check.