5th Gen 4Runner Wheels Explained

Relations Race Wheels (RRW) RR7 Matte Bronze

TRD and Aftermarket 5th Gen 4Runner Wheels: Bolt Pattern, Wheel Size, Offset, Backspace, and More

We are going to break down a few things in this one. We are going to look at the specs of the TRD wheels, SR5 wheels, and Limited wheels. We are also going to break down a basic overview of bore size, offset, backspace, wheel weight, tires, and most of the basics when shopping for wheels.

We will also look at different options for aftermarket 5th Gen 4runner wheels.

Updated Posts: 

• Top 64 Wheel Designs in 2022
• Top Wheel Companies in 2021
• Top Wheel Companies in 2019
• Feature Friday: 20 Wheel & Tire Set-ups in 2022
• TRD SEMA Wheels: Full Review
• Factory Wheel Options for the 5th Gen 4Runner Compared
• RRW New Line of Forged Hybrid Beadlock Wheels

2010-2013 SR5 4Runner Wheel Specs

• Bolt Pattern: 6×139.7mm(5.5″) or 6×5.5
• Wheel Size: 17×7″
• Wheel offset: +12
• Wheel backspace: 4.5″

2014-2019 SR5 4Runner Wheel Specs

• Bolt Pattern: 6×5.5
• Wheel Size: 17×7.5″
• Wheel offset: +15
• Wheel backspace: 4.5″

2014-2019 Limited 4Runner Wheel Specs

• Bolt Pattern: 6×5.5
• Wheel Size: 20×7″
• Wheel offset: +15
• Wheel backspace: 4.5″

TRD Pro SEMA Wheel Specs:

• Black: Check Price
• Metal Gray: Check Price
• Wheel Size: 17×7″
• Wheel Offset: +4
• Wheel Backspace: 4.5″

TRD Beadlock Wheels

• The 16″ Beadlocks: Check Price
• Wheel Size: 16×7.5″
• Wheel Offset: +10
• Wheel Backspace: 4.5″

Shopping for Wheels

• Bolt Pattern (5th Gen = 6×139.7mm(5.5″) or 6×5.5)
• Wheel Bore (5th Gen = 106mm – the size of the center hole on your wheel)
• Offset (-offset pushes the wheel out. +offset pushes wheel into the wheel well)
• Backspace (Similar to offset – the space between the center tire and inside wheel)
• Rating (Weight rating wheels were designed for)
• Weight (lb)
• Lug Type (tapered “conical” and radiused)
• LipSize (in)

Hub Bore: 106.6mm

Relations Race Wheels RR5 Smooth Black Lip | -6mm offset | 4.5mm backspace | 25lbs

The hub bore is the large center hole machined into the wheel and mounts onto the hub of the wheel. Just because our bore is 106mm does not mean that aftermarket wheels with other sizes won’t fit. Aftermarket wheels with a bore of 108mm, for example, will fit a 106mm bore. Even wheels with a larger bore (110mm) will fit your hubs’ 106mm bore. Then comes hub-centric and lug-centric.

• Hub-centric spacers: Do you need hub-centric spacers to make up the difference? Yes and no. Some say yes and some say no and it usually depends on the size of the bore on your intended wheel.
• Lug centric: There are also lug-centric wheels, which are common on aftermarket wheels but more and more aftermarket brands are going hub-centric. Lug-centric wheels are centered by the lug. If you have wheels that are lug-centric, you often do not need hub-centric spacers. It is important to note that you should always install lug-centric wheels off the ground (on jack stands) where the wheel can center on its own.

The best thing to do is bring this up to your tire/wheel shop and hopefully, they will give you a good understanding. Also, it is not usually recommended to have hub-centric and lug-centric wheels as this will create unnecessary static loads on your wheel studs, however, some will argue the point.

Offset and Backspace

Photo credit: Les Schwab

A negative offset pulls the wheel spokes deeper inside the rim creating more dish on the outside of the rim hence the term “deep dish wheels”. A negative offset will push your wheel and tire outside of the wheel well since the distance from hub mounting plate to the inside edge of the wheel has less “backspace”. Positive offset pushes the wheel spokes out towards the edge of the wheel creating little to no “dish”. A positive offset will pull your wheel and tire inside the wheel well.

Backspace is the space between the inside edge of the wheel to the mounting surface. Less backspace pushes the wheel and tire out of the wheel well. More backspace pulls your wheel and tire into the well. There are many types of builds but in the off-road and overland community, we usually look for a backspace of 4.5″ – 5″.

Negative Offset Example: 

I bought a 17″ wheel with a negative offset (-6), but you can go as far as you want -10, -12, -25, and even offsets as large as -30. With negative offset, this pushes the wheel out of the wheel well more, similar to wheel spacers. A negative offset combined with less backspace provides a better look (in my opinion – a common goal is to push the wheel out). The more negative offset and the smaller the backspace, the further your wheels will stick out of your wheel well.

Have you ever seen the lifted “bro” trucks with wheels that stick out a foot past the body line? That is a lot of negative offset (-50 offset and even more) and likely a small backspace.

TRD Wheels

TRD SEMA and Beadlock wheels are designed for perfect braking, maximum stability on corners, and excellent heat dissipation, all the while being lightweight which allows for better performance. When you choose TRD Pro wheels, you are getting a master design and a commitment to quality that goes far beyond appearance.

TRD looks at all the design criteria for each vehicle that they design wheels for, and then they use state-of-the-art CAD design in order to design and manufacture the optimal wheel for that car/truck. When designing TRD wheels, they take into account the weight, offset, backspace, and even brakes to make sure that the wheel fits, performs reliably, and has the perfect finish. You really can’t go wrong with TRD wheels. These wheels fit, function, and perform quite well on the 4Runner.

Weight Factors

Method Race Wheels Model: 312 | Size: 17×9 | Offset: -44 mm | 34lbs

Weight is always a big factor when looking into wheels. The TRD 17″ SEMA only weighs 25lbs, that’s pretty light. Even lighter is the 16″ Beadlock TRD wheels weighing in at 23.5lbs.

There are other aftermarket wheels that come in at 35+ pounds and some as high as 40 pounds. You want to stay away from anything over 30 pounds in my opinion – unless you’re running beadlocks. Weight is always a factor you should consider when it comes to wheels.

Beadlock wheels tend to run on the heavy side although there are lighter options. The RRW hybrid forged hybrid beadlocks, for example, weigh in at only 25lbs.

Tires and Wheels

Summit Dakar Matte Black | Size: 17×9.0 | -25mm offset | 23.5lbs with Yokohama M/Ts

You want to consider which tire you are going to run alongside your chosen wheel. With the TRD 17″ SEMA wheel and the 16″ Beadlock style TRD wheels, you have different options for tires. Let’s take the TRD 17″ SEMA wheel for example and see what tire options we have. The larger in width and overall diameter the wheel gets, the more adjustments and lift you will need to make.

The common tire size for many aftermarket 17″ wheels is a large 32″ tire (285/70/17 – 32.71″ on average). See the list below on whether or not this wheel will rub.

TRD 17″ SEMA Wheel/Tire Options

• 265/70/17 (Stock) (7-9″ Space Needed) – Won’t Rub
• 255/75/17 (6.5-8.5″ Space Needed) – Won’t Rub
• 270/70/17 (7-8.5″ Space Needed) – Won’t Rub
• 285/70/17 (7.5-9″ Space Needed) – Questionable (Body Mount Chop May be Needed)
• 305/65/17 (8.5-11″ Space Needed) – Will Rub – Adjustments/Mods Needed
• 255/80/17 (6.5-8.5″ Space Needed) – Will Rub – Adjustments/Mods Needed
• 305/70/17 (8-9.5″ Space Needed) – Will Rub – Adjustments/Mods Needed
• 285/75/17 (7.5-9.5″ Space Needed) – Will Rub – Adjustments/Mods Needed
• The complete overview of tire size and rubbing

Aftermarket Wheel Options

Relations Race Wheels

Rays Wheels

Black Rhino

Fuel Wheels

KMC Wheels

SCS Wheels

Method Wheels

Take a look at the graphic of our favorite options for 5th Gen 4Runner wheels.

This is only my choice for what I would choose, and not the “best” options out there. Do your research and find what wheel fits your style best.

We had a set of ATX wheels on my Trail Edition. We replaced the ATX wheels due to an oxidation issue, so keep that in mind if you are looking into ATX wheels.

My Top pick for Aftermarket 4Runner Wheels

• Stealth Custom Series
• Method Racing
• Relations Race Wheels
• Fuel
• FN
• Rays
• KMC
• Icon Alloys

Deciding on the right set of wheels is important

The wheels you have on your 4Runner can make or break the appearance.

This is the hub (no pun intended) of your vehicle’s character. If you go to “BRO”, you might have some serious regrets. When we say BRO, we mean chrome and a 7″ deep dish wheel. At the same time, if you get the most basic wheels out there, that everyone has, what will be different about your 4Runner?

Bolt Pattern (6×139.7mm(5.5″) or 6×5.5)

It’s important to note our bolt pattern; 6×139.7mm (5.5″) or 6×5.5. You can’t just throw whatever wheel you think looks good on your 4Runner and call it a day. Different wheels are designed to fit different vehicles per multiple specs.

When looking for a 5th Generation 4Runner wheel, you aren’t just looking at the actual wheel. You are looking at a handful of criteria. You need to start off by finding a wheel with our bolt pattern (that’s where I start).

Again, when shopping for wheels start here

• Bolt Pattern (5th Gen = 6×139.7mm(5.5″) or 6×5.5)
• Wheel Bore (5th Gen = 106mm – the size of the center hole on your wheel)
• Offset (-offset pushes the wheel out. +offset pulls the wheel into the wheel well)
• Backspace (The space between the center tire and inside wheel)
• Rating (Weight rating wheels were designed for)
• Weight (lb)
• Lug Type (tapered “conical” and radiused)
• LipSize (in)

Where to start?

1. Bolt Pattern?
2. Hub Centric or Lug Centric?
3. What offset options does the wheel have?
4. What backspace options does the wheel have?
5. How much does it weigh?

I would start with bolt pattern, then move to wheel bore (are they hub-centric or lug-centric?), and then move to offset, and then backspace. For the 5th Gen 4Runner, there are a few aftermarket manufacturers of lug-centric wheels (Stealth Custom Series, FN Wheels, RRW, KMC, Fuel, TRD wheels, and other manufacturers). With that being said, it doesn’t much matter if you buy a set of wheels that are lug-centric because that is how the lugs nuts center the wheel, although many will argue the point. I would aim for a hub-centric wheel if you can.

There are many different ways to make wheels. There are pros and cons to each type of wheel.  Whether you are looking at steel wheels or aluminum wheels, you want to note the difference and do your research.

Steel Wheels

Steel wheels are the wheels that come on most cars, however, the stock wheels on the 5th gen are aluminum. Steel is inexpensive to produce and they are very sturdy, which makes them the obvious choice for stock accessories on most cars. They aren’t really optimized for performance, but they perform well enough that most car owners wouldn’t really care.

Many people run steelies (steel wheels) and have no problems at all. They actually prefer steelies to allow wheels because it gives them more weight on sleet, snow, and ice. This may very well be true, but I would personally have a lighter wheel, after all, weight is the enemy.

Aluminum Wheels

Relations Race Wheels (RRW) RR8 Forged Hybrid Beadlocks | -12mm offset | 4.5mm backspace | 25lbs

Aluminum alloy wheels are lightweight, they dissipate heat better than steel, and they perform better during high-load cornering maneuvers. When you’re looking at performance, aluminum alloy wheels are often a better choice than steel wheels.

There are three types of alloy wheels: forged, cast, and billet.

Forged and cast wheels are both aluminum. The actual method for producing/ manufacturing these wheels is a little different.

Forged aluminum alloy wheels are stronger and in most cases offer a lower weight than cast alloy wheels, but not always. At the end of the day, there is not a huge difference between the two but some will argue the point.

Both forged and cast manufactured wheels are very similar and get the same job done.