What Wheel Offset and Tire Size is Right For Your Ford Super Duty Truck?

A wheel's offset indicates the distance the edge of that wheel extends from your truck’s hub. We prefer using offset as a measurement rather than backspace as offset relates directly to the wheel’s width, providing better understanding of how the wheel will fit on your truck considering both its width and distance from the hub. This makes offset a more accurate way to describe wheel positioning.

Simply put, a higher positive offset means the wheel will sit more flush or tucked in toward the truck. Conversely, a more negative offset causes the wheel to sit wider out. For example, stock wheels on Ford trucks typically have an offset around +45.

Wheel specifications greatly influence your vehicle’s appearance, but they’re also essential for proper tire fitment and determining how much trimming is needed to clear certain tire sizes. When running larger tires with minimal lift, having the right wheel specs becomes even more crucial to ensure everything fits correctly.

The photos above show the two different offset specs offered in the Foundation Wheels 395 HD. The blue truck on the left is running the 18x9 395 HD wheel in +19 offset, and the grey truck on the right is running the 18x9 395 HD wheel in +0 offset. Both are using a 13.5" wide tire, which means the tire sticks out more than the wheel face. 

Tire width is the other factor in stance, so if both look to wide for your taste, opt for a 37/12.5 or even 37/11.5 tire to maintain a more flush fitment. 

Offset and tire width work together to achieve the look you're after. For reference, stock wheels are about +45 offset which makes them extremely tucked into the truck. In order to fit 35s, 37s you need to run a wheel that's approximately 0 offset to +20 offset, with 0 and +19 being the two sweet spot specs. For 38s we recommend the 0 offset spec. 

You can then use tire size to fine tune looks. Stick to more narrow tires to sit flush, and 13.5s to have a wider stance. 

Ford trucks have the most room of any HD wheel well, meaning you can fit some pretty wild setups with minimal work! If you want a zero trimming setup, we recommend a level height truck with a 37/12.5 tire on our 18x9 Foundation wheel in +19 offset specs. That's a nice, flush with the fender fitment, and a great all around setup.

Lots of us prefer a little more aggressive look, and that's where the wider setups come into play. The first would be a 37/13.5 tire on out +19 offset wheel like what's shown on the blue truck in this article. That takes only a tiny trim of the black plastic cap shown below. 

Want more width? That's where you choose the 0 offset spec with a 37/13.5 tire or 38/13.5 tire like shown above. Here's the trimming needed to clear that 0 offset 38" tire:

In the photos above, notice how nothing visible from the outside of the truck is trimmed. It's all just fender liner, pinch weld, and plastic cap so with a Dremmel, angle grinder and a razor blade you'll be clearing 38s fully. Want to clear 40s? Go with the 0 offset spec of the Foundation 395 HD wheel, the trimming shown above, and a 1/4" front bumper spacer. You will also need to trim the rear fender sheet metal to clear 40s at full compression and articulation if the truck will be driven hard off road.

Want this info in video form? Check out the video below:

These photos show a nice side by side comparison between two trucks. The Azure Blue truck is on a 18x9 +19 offset Foundation 395 HD wheel with 37/13.5/18 Falken RT tires and the Grey truck is on 18x9 0 offset Foundation 395 HD wheels with 38/13.5/18 tires. This is the difference between little to no trimming, and more involved trimming. 

Ultimately this decision comes down to the look you want to achieve and how you feel about trimming. Keep in mind we'd not talking about taking a sawzall to the fender here, but we also get that not everyone wants to trim their nice, new truck. 

If you want a flush fitment with the fender and no trimming, go with a +19 offset wheel and 12.5" wide tire. If you want to be a little wider go with the +19 spec and a 13.5 wide tire or a 0 offset spec and a 12.5" wide tire. If you want the most aggressive look and you're okay trimming to make it happen then go with 0 offset and a 13.5" wide tire. 

Still lost? Don't feel bad! Shoot us an email and we'd be happy to help.