XD Series Wheels – Thoughtful Design by KMC Wheel Company

XD Series wheels are the perfect wheel for the lifted truck owner because the engineers over at KMC have designed them specifically with the lifted truck owner in mind. Most XD Series wheels have the same reliable strength and high-quality finish, though there is a difference in the load rating for some. 8 lug wheels have a 3,200 pound load range and 5 or 6 lug wheels have a 2,200 pound load range. But what makes XD Series wheels the best fit for lifted trucks is the thoughtful backspacing.

From the factory, your rig was fitted with wheels carefully designed by engineers to allow for adequate clearance between the wheel/tire and items like tie-rod ends, brake calipers, fender wells, the frame, and other exposed components. If you try to fit a different wheel-and-tire combination, contact may occur between these items and the wheel and/or tire during standard steering maneuvers or suspension articulation. To avoid this, make sure you have XD wheels with the proper offset and backspacing for the tires you'd like to run on your truck.

Backspacing is the distance from the inside bolting surface of the rim to the outer edge of the inboard side of the rim. Offset is the distance from the exact center of the rim to the outer edges of the rim. Positive offset means that the center of the wheel is moved towards the vehicle. Negative offset means that the center of the wheel is moved away from the vehicle. The graphic image below illustrates this.

XD series wheels have all the proper backspacing needed when lifting your truck. Each XD wheel is available with two different backspacing options: more backspacing for stock trucks and less backspacing for lifted trucks. Lifted trucks generally need less backspacing because the arms push the wheels out.

With that said, the XD Series has backspacing available from 3.77 to over 6 inches, with both positive offset and negative offset on the wheels. Remember, if your truck is lifted refer back to the factory for the recommended tire and wheel size. They have most likely already determined the proper wheel size, backspacing, offset, and the proper tire size for the kit you have on your truck.