PICKING A DUALLY WHEEL - CAST VS. FORGED

Picking a wheel for your dually can be a tough task and with so many different brands and styles to choose from, it can be down right overwhelming. Do you go with cast or forged? What about finish? Is the offset right for the look you’re trying to achieve? Are they rated properly for your day to day use? How far are they going to stick out? There are lots of things to consider when picking the wheel that’s right for you. Picking up the phone and calling us here at Duallywheels.com is always your best bet, but we want to help by putting out a weekly blog focusing on the important aspects to choosing a wheel and helping you navigate everything there is to know about picking the wheel that is right for you.

WHEEL STRUCTURE – Cast Vs. Forged

This is probably one of the first things you want to make a decision on since forged wheels are going to require opening up the wallet a little more.

Cast wheels would be your standard every day, off-the-shelf styles that are produced and distributed in bulk. Without going into too much detail, cast wheels are made by pouring aluminum into a mold, allowing it to cool, treated, then run through a CNC to clean up the edges. Simple and easy.

Forged wheels are cut from a large single block of aluminum or metal. The material is heated and pressurized to take shape and then designed typically through CNC operations to create the end style you get with your order. A more complex and refined process. 

The biggest differences? Lighter. Stronger. Sexier. That’s pretty much it. Because of the difference in how they are built, forged wheels are typically going to be lighter weight, carry heavier load ratings, and look more refined with their styling and edges. Lighter weight is great when talking dually wheels, since every pound shed can only help with increased performance and torque. Stronger wheels is self-explanatory. Cast wheels do carry the minimum GVWR weight ratings that your dually requires, however forged wheels will typically increase this rating above and beyond what the vehicle manufacturer rating is, meaning you never have to worry about that extra payload on your wheels. If your axle doesn’t completely fall apart, then neither will your wheels. And the look? Forged wheels have an obvious definition and design to them, with extremely refined milling areas and cuts that you simply cannot get with a cast wheel style.

In years past, the term “Forged” meant custom built…and it still does to a certain extent. However, with the rise in popularity of forged wheels, manufacturers have begun to “pre-build” these and have them available on the shelf to avoid the typical 8 to 12 week lead time. The upside? You can now get a forged wheel without the wait. The price point on these also tends to be a little lower due to them being cut in bulk with the same specs vs. individually customized. The downside? You don’t get the full customization in the wheel you order when you go with a wheel off the shelf. With the pre-built process, they come how they come. But there are still companies that offer the fully customized forged option.

Let’s take a look at a few of the top forged wheel companies out there:

American Force

The OG as we like to call them, American Force is one of the original forged wheel manufacturers that started it all. Very traditional in the sense that everything they offer is custom built, with sizing up to 30”, customizable offset options ranging from stock to lifted, with logo and dimple choices, and available in any color you want (for an extra cos). They offer direct bolt-on with traditional looking designs and more intricate styles that require the use of adapters. Every wheel is forged, including the inners. One of the first companies to offer the “Super Dually” as their answer to a single front wheel design paired up with the more traditional rear dually look. Tons of styles to choose from.

EDGE – VARIETY AND CUSTOMIZATION

Fuel Off-Road

They used to offer custom built forged styles that would allow you to choose offset, customize finishes, select with or without logo and dimples, etc. They have since done away with the fully customizable forged dually wheel and begun to pre-build all forged wheels and have them available on the shelf for immediate shipping. They offer a few different styles, available in black & milled or polished, with mid offset for 12.50 wide tires, and the occasional lifted offset for 13.50 wide tires. Their pre-built options now come with dual logo on the lip and no dimples. Everything is direct bolt-on, no adapters. All Fuel wheels use a generic cast inner which keeps the cost down vs. traditional forged inners so if you’re looking for a way to run forged wheels at a more affordable price, this might be it.

EDGE – PRICE AND SIMPLICITY

They burst onto the market a few years back as one of the only dually-specific wheel brands out there. DDC makes dually wheels, and dually wheels only. They do offer both cast and forged, in polished and black & milled, however they have begun to lean their production more towards the forged styles. Mid offset for 12.50 wide tires is their standard stance, with new stock/lowered fitments on the way. Lug nuts and lug covers are included with each purchase, with the option to upgrade to spiked covers. All 6 wheels are forged, including the inner wheel. Only a few styles to choose from, but with their rise in popularity, we are sure there are more to come. Direct bolt-on. Also known for their high weight ratings with the forged coming in at 4,000 per wheel

EDGE – DIRECT FIT AND TOWING

KG1 Forged

The name says it all. KG1 makes forged wheels, and forged wheels only. They are one of the more popular brands in the aggressive stance/lifted truck market because of the wider offset options and larger sizing that goes up to 30”. They are also now pre-building and stocking some polished and black & milled wheels off the shelf, however unlike Fuel and DDC, they still allow every one of their styles to be custom ordered as well in different finishes. They use forged inners that match the style of the front/outer. Not every KG1 is direct bolt-on….their mid offset 12.50 wide tire fitments are direct bolt-on, but their wider lifted offset for 13.50 wide tires is achieved by adding an adapter to push the wheel out.

EDGE – LIFTED OPTIONS AND STYLE

These are just a few of the top forged wheel manufacturers on the market today. As the dually has seen a significant resurgence, so too have many of the manufacturers in this arena…..JTX Forged, Freedom Forged, Axe Wheels and HD Wheels are all significant players in the forged segment as well. Hostile, Cali Off-Road, TIS and others are now working on forged programs to offer their customers a broader depth of cast vs. forged options. The dually is back! So give us a call today at 888-505-0987 and let us help you build the dually that works and looks the best for YOU!