Shop Talk - Wheel - Tire - Suspension

Updated July 2026 · Written by the NTW wheel & tire specialists

Welcome to Shop Talk — the tech library we've built from decades of answering one question a thousand different ways: "will this fit my truck, and is it the right choice?" Everything here comes from the same specialists who spec wheel & tire packages for customers every day. Start with the section you're shopping for — wheels, tires, or suspension & lift kits — or jump straight to a popular guide below.

Upgrading a 4x4 isn't one decision, it's a chain of them: the lift height changes the tire size you can clear, the tire size changes the wheel width and backspacing you need, and the wheel choice decides whether it all bolts on without rubbing. These guides walk through that chain in plain language — how to measure what you have, how to read the numbers on what you're buying, and where the common mistakes hide. When you're ready to put it together, our vehicle configurator filters everything to your exact year, make, and model, and every wheel & tire package ships mounted and balanced for free.

Browse Shop Talk by category

Most popular guides

These are the questions we answer most often on the phone, and the deep-dive guides we point people to:

  • All-terrain vs. mud-terrain tires — the honest trade-offs between A/T and M/T tread: road noise, wet grip, tread life, and where each one actually wins off-road.
  • Bias-ply vs. radial tires off-road — why bias-ply still exists, where it beats radial on the trail, and which belongs on a truck that sees pavement.
  • Bolt pattern guide — the make-by-make chart plus how to measure a 5-lug pattern correctly (it's not hole-to-hole).
  • Tire size calculator — convert metric to inches, compare two sizes side by side, and see the speedometer difference before you buy.
  • Nitto sidewalls explained — why the same Nitto tire shows two different sidewall designs.

Ride on ATV or UTV tires too? Start with the ATV tire terrain guide, then see maintenance tips to maximize ATV tire life. For everything that doesn't fit neatly in a category — including our product glossary — check Everything Else.

Wheels, tires, and suspension: decide in the right order

The most expensive mistakes we see come from buying in the wrong order. If you're planning a build, work through it like this:

  1. Pick the tire size you want to end up with. Tire size drives everything else — clearance, gearing, speedometer error, and look. Use the tire size calculator to compare your target size against stock.
  2. Figure out the clearance to get there. Some sizes fit stock; bigger ones need a leveling kit or a lift. Lift system basics covers what each approach changes beyond just height.
  3. Choose wheels that put the tire in the right place. Bolt pattern gets the wheel on the hub; width, offset, and backspacing decide whether the tire clears your suspension and fenders. Start with the bolt pattern guide.
  4. Buy it as a package. A matched wheel & tire package arrives mounted, balanced, and ready to bolt on — no shop visit, no mounting fees.

Shop Talk FAQ

Three things have to line up: the bolt pattern (so the wheel bolts to the hub), the wheel's width and backspacing (so it sits in the right place), and the tire's overall diameter (so it clears at full turn and full compression). The fastest route is our vehicle configurator, which filters to your year, make, and model. To understand the numbers yourself, start with the bolt pattern guide.

Not always. Most trucks can clear one size over stock with no changes, and a leveling kit often buys another size beyond that. Past that point you're into lift-kit territory — and the lift height, wheel backspacing, and tire size have to be chosen together. Lift system basics explains what each lift type changes and Lift kit facts & fictions covers the myths.

If the truck is a daily driver that sees occasional trails, an all-terrain is almost always the better living arrangement — quieter, longer-wearing, better in rain. If it regularly sees deep mud or rock, a mud-terrain earns its trade-offs. Our A/T vs. M/T guide breaks down the differences honestly.

A package is spec'd as a matched set for your vehicle, and it ships mounted and balanced for free — work that typically costs real money at a local shop. You bolt the wheels on and drive. See the top 5 reasons to buy as a package.

That's 35″ overall diameter, 12.5″ section width, radial construction, on a 17″ wheel. Metric sizes (like 315/70R17) encode the same information differently. The basics of tire measurement explains both formats, and the tire size calculator converts between them instantly.

!