There’s no shortage of off-road wheel options for our Toyota trucks. And, with this hobby becoming increasingly popular, we’re starting to see a lot of similar wheels around. Queue the faux-beadlock rings (real ones if you’re a baller) and the excessive use of purely aesthetic bolts.
Don’t get me wrong—I love the look and even have a set that fits this profile. However, I’ve had the itch to switch things up and go a different route. It just so happens that Lock Off-Road offers a tuner-inspired wheel in their Onyx model. Imagine the classic Enkei and BBS designs that you see on import tuners but designed for the rigors of off-road, and this is the wheel you would get.
Table Of Contents
Who Is Lock Off-Road?
Lock Off-Road is based in California and offers wheels for mid-size to heavy-duty trucks and SUVs. They use state-of-the-art technology and materials to produce wheels that will handle anything you throw at them off-road. Their durable finishes are critical to keeping the wheels looking new after trail abuse (not to be confused with trail rash, which we wholeheartedly welcome).
Regarding construction, these wheels are cast from high-grade aluminum alloys. This gives them a solid strength-to-weight ratio while keeping the overall cost accessible to the mid-range market. They’re neither the lightest nor heaviest wheels, but they’re plenty strong enough for the avid adventurer. As for their value sentiment, the wheels are priced well and are a big step up from the generic wheels you’ll find at your local tire store.
Lock has wheel designs for everyone, from their race-inspired Baja to their off-road-focused Combat and everything in between. With load ratings of up to 3,700 lbs. per wheel, they’re also ready for any size rig.
While a true beadlock wheel isn’t currently available, a forged option is coming soon, so stay tuned!
The Onyx
As mentioned above, I wanted a departure from the typical off-road wheel design, and the Onyx perfectly met that criterion. My prime teenage years were in the early 2000s, so import tuners were all the craze. That meant seeing countless lowered Hondas, Toyotas, etc., with Enkei wheels or the like with low-profile tires.
While low-profile tires aren’t conducive to off-roading, that doesn’t mean my 4Runner couldn’t have that classic tuner look. The vented lip surrounding the wheel spokes lends to a hybrid appearance that pays homage to both the off-road and tuner worlds. These wheels are offered in a matte black, matte grey, matte bronze, or polished finish to match whatever color scheme you want with your build.
Lock-Offroad wheels are offered in 5 and 6-bolt patterns. These wheels have a load rating of 2,500 lbs. and are offered in the following sizes…
Sizes Offered
- 17×9 | 5×127 | +1mm Offset w/ 5.040″ Backspace
- 17×9 | 5×127 | +1mm Offset w/ 5.040″ Backspace
- 17×9 | 6×139.7 | +1mm Offset w/ 4.530″ Backspace
- 17×9 | 6×139.7 | -12mm Offset w/ 4.530″ Backspace
You’ll want the 6×139.7 bolt pattern for modern Toyota trucks, but double-check your vehicle’s wheel specs.
Review
I’m glad they went with a 9″ wide wheel across its entire lineup (in the 17″ diameter). This simplifies choosing your wheels, as there isn’t extra guessing how both wheel width and offset will fit in your wheel well. As a general rule of thumb, wider wheels and a larger (negative) offset increase the swing arc of your front wheels while turning, thus making them fit properly while turning, trickier.
I’m not a fan of wheels with crazy designs (sorry, Fuel wheel folks), and the Onyx’s design is right on the cusp of what I’m comfortable with. This isn’t to throw shade on Lock in any way; I wanted something different, and that’s what I got.
I’m happy to report that the finish of my matte grey wheels appears to have been applied evenly, with no irregularities in the paint. I like that the lip was painted black to contrast the grey, rather than the entire wheel being one color.
Paired with a fresh set of the new 35″ Falken RT01 tires, this is an aggressive-looking setup that I look forward to taking off-road. Best of all, the -12mm offset doesn’t rub at all at full lock! While that’s largely due to my aggressive body-mount-chop (BMC) and fender trimming, that’s something I couldn’t escape with my previous wheels with a -38mm offset.
Final Thoughts
I have only one gripe with these wheels: their relatively shallow design. My previous wheels had a pretty deep dish appearance. While I can’t expect to replicate that with a -12mm offset wheel, I wish the center portion was sunken in more or that the wheel was offered in a more aggressive offset, such as -25mm.
Aside from that, though, the Onyx wheels have a unique design that will definitely catch the attention of anyone you pass by. I’m a fan of the clean lines paired with the small details, such as the vented lip. Together, they create a wheel that looks unlike almost any other off-road wheel on the market.
What are your thoughts on these wheels? Does the tuner style work on an off-road rig, or do they look out of place? To each their own, but I think they’ll grow on you, even if not initially.
