Wide Single Rims - Best Place to Buy?

usafk9 · Jan 19, 2012

The Puerto Rican and I bought each other some new Michelin wide singles for Christmas (do we know how to live, or WHAT????).

They're sitting at a tire place near home, as the duals we have still have a little life left in them. For that reason, we still have some travel and shopping time left.

Anyone know the cheapest place to buy some Alcoa wide single rims?

Thanks in advance for the replies.

zorry · Jan 19, 2012

Swing by the flying J in Indy. A few years back they offered to put my truck in a bay, pull my 8 tires/ wheels and install 4 tires/ wheels that I had picked off one of thier used trucks. $500 out the door. Thier used trucks are easier to sell with the 8 tire set-up. They'll be glad to see you. Enjoy the Singles.

zorry · Jan 19, 2012

Actually you go to Thier truck sales place just west of the t/s.

westmicher · Jan 19, 2012

I'd try Regina @ Spitz Auto Parts 800.255.2052. They did a fine job getting me Alcoa Aluminum Duals for my 2006 3500 complete with centers and lug caps. She'll treat you right.

bikerpaul · Jan 20, 2012

Zorry: I before e doesn't always apply. "Thier" is really "their".

zorry · Jan 21, 2012

Thanks. I should have caught that. It doesn't even look right.

usafk9 · Jan 21, 2012

Called them yesterday. Pretty sure i'll end up buying there.

Thank you, Zorry. Meal's on us if we're ever in the same 'hood.

Posted with my Droid EO Forum App

zorry · Jan 21, 2012

Cool. Thanks. I married a Puertorican too. She's actually cooking pernil now.

usafk9 · Jan 21, 2012

I'm so sorry.

Just kidding. She's the best thing that ever stalked me. .......and an amazing cook. We'll compare notes on the island grub.

Again, thank you.

ATeam · Jan 21, 2012

You might want to try calling several truck tire dealers near home and in the areas you find yourselves. One recently told me he once had dozens of used wide-single rims on hand (gone now). They came from a fleet that tried super singles (wide-singles) for a while and switched back to dual wheels after finding the super singles unsatisfactory.

As mentioned above, truck dealers are also pulling super singles off used trucks taken in trade to replace them with duals to make the trucks easier to sell.

That's not to say super singles are a bad idea. It's just that enough people think they are a bad idea to make used rims available with a bit of looking. When you talk to the tire dealers, if they say they have no used wide-single rims, on hand, ask if they might know someone who does. They may know.

Truck salvage yards might be worth a try too.

zorry · Jan 21, 2012

The nice thing about Flying J is they need your old rims and tires to put on the truck they take the wide based rims off of. So you don't have to give away your used stuff.

bigshow345 · Jan 21, 2012

Wide tires and rims are more of a styling feature. I tried them on my truck and I have not noticed any increase in fuel economy. It makes my truck look like a mad maxx truck

zorry · Jan 21, 2012

How accurately are you tracking fuel economy? If you changed in last month or two you may have gained what you lost to winter fuel and slick roads. You'll notice the increase in the spring.

usafk9 · Feb 2, 2012

Thanks for the tip, Phil.

Big show, what model of wide singles did you use?

I had mine mounted yesterday, and wished I would have switched much sooner. Ours was a repo truck that we bought in October of 2009, and the dealer installed brand new Chinese crap on the drives. The singles ride much nicer, and there is clearly a fuel economy gain. While we only have about 700 miles on them now, we are seeing about a full mile per gallon increase. I'll be happy to report back in a month with a 30-day average, if anyone is interested. That alone has seriously made us reconsider replacing the truck anytime soon.

For the WHERE, we were in Bolt Sleepers yesterday to get the supports to our dinette table replaced. Don Bentz pointed us towards Brent at McMahon tire in Ft. Wayne. For any of you who knew Ron that worked for Don Bentz before his passing, Brent is Ron's son. Brent clearly got his genuine niceness from his Dad. We had two aluminum rims on each side, and the Chinese casings that still had 9/32 on them. We left with our wide singles (that we purchased near home) mounted, balanced and installed on two used polished aluminum rims, for the price of a handshake. That place has definitely earned all of our future tire business.

Also, for the uninformed, Don Bentz has a wealth of local contacts for anything involving trucks. His (Bolt Sleepers) ad is here on EO. Good outfit to do business with, IMHO.