If you came here looking for reviews on Rockstars and Lexanis you’ve come to the wrong place, but we can tell you where to find some awesome Monster Energy stickers;)
Unfortunately the automotive industry has decided that an 18″ wheel is the smallest wheel that should be found on a truck. There are some exceptions with Jeep and Toyota still offering their respective JKs and 4Runners/Tacomas with 17″ wheels, but others such as Land Rover have gone the opposite direction with 19″ and larger wheel sizes.
So at the end of the day if you’re buying a new truck your options are to buy a Jeep source smaller OEM wheels (not always possible) or go to the aftermarket. I was able to get factory 17″ TRD wheels for the 200 Series Land Cruiser (which came standard with 18” wheels), but if you’re buying a new LR4 you don’t have this option.
Now you’re probably thinking “Hey I have rockstars and love monster energy! Hey you guys run aftermarket wheels and your truck’s came with factory 17’s!” This takes us into our second point, not all wheels are made equal.
Both Ben and I selected the 17″ Five Star’s from FN Wheels because we loved the look, we loved the size, and they only weigh in at 19 lbs. Compared to an OEM JK Rubicon Wheel that weights in at 24 lbs, that’s a 20% weight savings. They also have 3.52″ of backspacing which provide greater clearance when you start mounting bigger tires.
Over the past year that we’ve had these wheels, we’ve been impressed with them. They always balance with minimal weight, they’ve held their finish, and we haven’t managed to break one of them. That alone is saying a lot, especially with the way we drive. The only issue we’ve encountered is that the valve stem placement leaves the valve stem more exposed than we’d like (Ben damaged one pretty badly out in Moab and had to get it replaced),
So if you’re not happy with your factory wheels, don’t let yourself be scared away by aftermarket. There are plenty of quality products out there, and you shouldn’t let your vehicle manufacturer dictate what you can and can’t have on your rig.
I’ve been looking at some rohana wheels for my car, but I’ve been a little scared to get it done. I’m glad that you said not to let the manufacturer dictate what wheels to use. I think these new rohana wheels are going to look way good, so I’ll have to just get them done! Thanks for the inspiration.