Hey guys! Welcome back to another Taco Tuesday! If you missed last week’s TT, we looked at Roof Rack Setups for the 2nd Gen Tacoma.
This week, we take a look at several manufacturers that offer wheels in a gunmetal finish. Gunmetal wheels are not a super popular wheel color choice nowadays, especially when compared to black or bronze. However, gunmetal wheels look absolutely awesome on a Tacoma when done right, and the six owners below did just that.
Pro Tip – Be wary of where you purchase wheels from!
There are only a handful of wheel manufacturers that you can trust, as some make cheap wheels that can negatively impact your rig’s performance and safety. Do your research first to make sure you know what you’re buying. For great options, check out our other post on wheel companies and designs for the Tacoma.
Table Of Contents
Why Upgrade Wheels?
Do you need aftermarket wheels? No, and if you are solely looking for a wider stance for your Tacoma, then there are options such as wheel spacers.
However, aftermarket wheels can both increase your truck’s performance and drastically improve its aesthetic. This really helps out when you are trying to make your Tacoma stand out.
Some standout aftermarket wheel features include options for beadlocks, protection rings, large offsets, colors, designs – the list goes on.
These are all things that aren’t possible with the factory wheels. Many aftermarket wheels also offer weight savings over factory wheels. Toyota only has a few OEM wheel options for the Tacoma with the majority of them being the TRD Off-Road or TRD Pro style. While these OEM-style wheels do look great, especially the TRD Pro wheels, they’re a little boring and unoriginal since they have been out for quite a long time.
Improved Stance
What exactly is stance? In short, it’s your vehicle’s track width. A larger negative wheel offset leads to a wider overall stance. OEM wheels come with a very conservative positive offset from Toyota. This means that the wheel is more tucked inside of the Tacoma’s wheel well. While this is great for keeping mud and debris from spraying all over your truck, a slightly wider stance gives more stability and traction both on and off-road.
A positive offset does help to prevent your wheels hitting the fenders or body mount while turning. For this reason, most people only go with a modest negative offset or a zero offset. The larger the negative offset you go, the more headaches you’ll encounter to make sure your wheels don’t hit anything while turning (see scrub radius).
A modest negative offset will also bring your wheels and tires closer in line with your fenders. Many Tacoma orders prefer a flush look versus the wheels being tucked inside the wheel well. Think of negative offset as achieving that wheel spacer look without needing to run actual spacers.
Safely Run Larger Tires
Many aftermarket off-road-ready wheels are slightly wider than the OEM wheels. This really helps if you plan on running larger tires on your Tacoma. OEM wheels are around 7″ wide, whereas many aftermarket wheels are 8-9″ wide. This allows aftermarket wheels to run bigger, wider tires (including the popular 285 width) much safer with far less chance of a tire de-beading because it is too wide for the wheel that it is wrapped around, especially when aired down.
Check out what six owners had to say about their wheel setup down below!
Enjoy guys!
1. Oakley Hansen: Black Rhino
Wheel Details
- Brand: Black Rhino
- Model: Armory Gun Black
- Size: 16×8 | -10mm Offset
- Price: $285 each
What Do You Like Most About Your Wheel Choice?
I wanted something different from the usual wheels that everyone else has. I also wanted something that was easy to clean, and that had military styling. The armory wheels by Black Rhino checked all of those boxes. They also pair really well with a 35” tire.
2. Justin Bryant: Stealth Custom Series
Wheel Details
- Brand: Stealth Custom Series
- Model: Ray 10
- Size: 17×9 | -38mm Offset
- Price: $295 each
What Do You Like Most About Your Wheel Choice?
Everyone has black or bronze wheels these days! I wanted gunmetal grey because I knew it would look so good with the cement color. The Ray 10s have a classic off-road look but are also very modern at the same time. Stealth Custom Series (SCS) also is one of the only brands I’m aware of that offers the aggressive -38mm offset, so I don’t need wheel spacers.
3. Nick Jacquez: Summit Offroad
Wheel Details
- Brand: Summit Offroad
- Model: Dakar
- Size: 17×9 | -25mm Offset
- Price: $225 each
What Do You Like Most About Your Wheel Choice?
I chose these wheels by Summit Offroad because I was coming from a set of 20″ wheels wrapped in 37″ tires. I had a total show truck at the time and I knew I was ready for something new. The Dakars instantly caught my eye with how good they looked, especially in that gunmetal grey color. Plus, I love that they have a little more offset than most 17” options on the market. I love that tire poke!
4. Justin Saechao: Stealth Custom Series
Wheel Details
- Brand: Stealth Custom Series
- Model: Ray 10
- Size: 16×8 | -12mm Offset
- Price: $285 each
What Do You Like Most About Your Wheel Choice?
The reason why I chose these wheels was that they match my truck very nicely and are also very stylish. I also like the beadlock-style rim. I’ve been able to air down to around 10-12 psi and haven’t had any issues with my tires de-beading.
5. David Creighton: Relations Race Wheels
Wheel Details
- Brand: Relations Race Wheels
- Model: RR7-H
- Size: 17×8.5 | -25mm Offset
- Price: $295 each
What Do You Like Most About Your Wheel Choice?
I know looks are subjective, but these wheels are the best-looking wheel you can buy. The -25mm offset really piqued my interest when I was looking at new aftermarket wheels for my truck. The extra wide stance of the -25mm offset gives my truck the aggressive look/stance that I was going for. The option to get protection rings with RRW’s hybrid technology is an added bonus.
The matte gunmetal color is underrated! You don’t see it very often, and I wanted my truck to have a unique look.
6. Stetson Westmoreland: Black Rhino
Wheel Details
- Brand: Black Rhino
- Model: Armory Gun Black
- Size: 17×9.5 | -18mm Offset
- Price: $310 each
What Do You Like Most About Your Wheel Choice?
After extensive research, I decided to go with the Armory Gun Black wheels. They give the truck a tough, beefy look, and the gunmetal color looks fantastic with lunar rock. The solid and bolted face gives it an industrial, military vehicle feel. They are perfect for off-roading and are all around a pretty sweet wheel. My favorite part of the setup is the -18mm offset that gives my truck a wider stance. I love the aggressive look that it provides the Tacoma.
I’m a Tacoma Lifestyle team member, so that is where I got the wheels. I highly recommend checking them out.
7. Brenan Greene: Relations Race Wheels
Wheel Details
- Brand: RRW
- Model: RR8
- Size: 17×9| -12mm Offset
- Price: $525 each
What Do You Like Most About Your Wheel Choice?
Relations Race Wheels or RRW for short makes some pretty impressive designs. These are the RR8s and they are a forged hybrid beadlock which means you can run them as a street wheel or an offroad “beadlock” wheel. They can be customized with steel protection rings or billet rings.
Final Thoughts
It’s tough to do a solid wheel upgrade justice with just pictures. I hope that these owners were able to give you a better idea as to why they love gunmetal wheels for their Tacomas. Now, all you have to do is to slap a solid set of aftermarket wheels, new tires, and a lift kit on your truck and you are in business!
If you want to be featured for Taco Tuesday, submit your build through TrailTacoma.com/Feature. Next week’s Taco Tuesday will be featuring 2nd Gen Rock Slider Options that Tacoma owners are running and what they like about them. We’re looking for sweet rides to showcase! If this is you and you love your setup, send in your details because we want to see it.
Thanks for reading guys. I’ll see you next week!
