DUALLY BENEFITS
Dually wheels are often used by drivers who need extreme towing or hauling capability, especially for extended periods of time.
Dually benefits include:
- Better control
- Higher payloads
- Safety redundancy (to fight against blowout)
- Better traction
Dually wheels allow for even distribution of a vehicle's load, increasing traction in most driving conditions. The majority of dually vehicles are equipped with diesel engines for low-end torque to provide smooth transitions and shifting.
DUALLY TIRE MAINTENANCE
Tire maintenance is extremely important for safety, regardless of tire type. Maintenance becomes doubly important with dual wheel vehicles.
Here are a few maintenance tips:
- Regularly check your tire pressure (both inner and outer tires)
- Inspect for damage and debris between tires
- Keep up with your vehicle alignment schedule
- Don't overload your truck
- Monitor your tire's tread for uneven treadwear
The spacing of the rear wheels and the distance between the sidewalls of the rear tires is especially critical. When dual tires are under a load, they deflect outward. If they deflect too much, either due to underinflation and/or overloading, the tires can touch the sidewalls and lead to serious tire damage.
Do not overload your truck beyond the tire's load capacity. We also recommend regularly checking your air pressure, at least once a month, to maintain proper dual wheel spacing and help prevent tire damage.
DUAL WHEEL TIRE SIZING AND TREAD DEPTH
Dually tires should be the same size and tread depth to ensure weight is evenly distributed across all four tires. If the tires are different heights, the taller tire will carry the majority of the load, leading to premature wear or complete tire failure.
Dually Tire Rotation
Knowing how to rotate tires on a dually fitted vehicle takes a little know-how. You can see the dually tire rotation pattern here.
Rotating your tires regularly helps prevent uneven wear, ensuring your tires are the same tread depth. Air pressure should be set to the vehicle specifications for each tire, including the spare, and adjusted to account for additional towing/load requirements.
Don't take a chance on your tires, wheels, or the precious cargo you may be towing. Let us help you rotate and maintain your tires.
Installing Dual Wheels
As you might expect, dual wheels are installed a little differently than regular wheels.
The front and inside rear wheels have extremely positive offsets. The outside rear wheels have an extremely negative offset. The rear wheels are then mounted face-to-face allowing the spacing required for the dual wheel application.
Some dual wheels will have a locator pin to help with installation. This pin ensures that the wheels are lined up correctly to give access to both inner and outer valve stems to add or remove air as needed.
The inner dual wheel will be installed first. The additional hole in the wheel should be lined up with the locator pin for proper alignment.
The outer wheel will be flipped opposite of the inner wheel. The locator pin should allow the valve stem location on the wheels to be 180 degrees from each other, allowing easy access. In some applications, a flexible metal valve stem extension will be required to allow easier access to the valve stems.
The completed installation of the dual wheels should have the locator pin lined up with both the inner and outer wheels and the valve stems should be accessible
Before installing the lug nuts to fasten the wheels, be sure to check for this alignment and accessibility.
Dually Aftermarket Wheels
Many drivers like the aggressive look of aftermarket wheels for their trucks. There are typically fewer aftermarket dually wheel options, but many brands, including Fuel Wheels, offer excellent options.
There are some things to keep in mind.
In most cases, you will only require four (4) new wheels, not six. Since the rear inner dual wheel is usually hidden behind the outer dual wheel, you don’t need to spend extra money on 6 wheels. You typically only need 4.
It is imperative that the outer dual wheel is compatible with the inner.
Dually tires should be a compatible width. If they are too wide, the dual wheel spacing can be impacted, leading to serious tire damage. If they’re too wide for the wheels, they are likely to develop irregular wear.
A full dually tire rotation requires all six tires and wheels to be dismounted, remounted, and rebalanced. This increases time and cost for routine maintenance and should be a factor in your decision to use dually wheels.
Investing in dually wheels also means investing in two more tires than most vehicles. Keeping all six tires maintained and in good working order is important for the safety and performance of your vehicle.
If you need maintenance or wish to purchase a set of dually tires and wheels, please give us a call or make an appointment; we’ll get you taken care of! Buy and book online to save time in-store!