BST Carbon Fiber Wheels for the Ford F-150:

The Advantage

Although lighter weight is the primary benefit of a carbon fiber wheel, there are also advantages to be gained in the noise, vibration, and harshness arena. Metal wheels, including steel and aluminum, transmit a great deal of high-frequency NVH* from the road through the suspension and into the car’s structure. Carbon-fiber wheels damp that energy better, cutting it out of the equation where it begins. As a result, carmakers will be able to engineer quieter cabins without having to add pounds and pounds of sound insulation.

*(NVH is Noise, Vibration, and Harshness, and is basically a measure of how much unpleasant aural and tactile feedback the car delivers as you drive.)

Lighter wheels improve acceleration and deceleration, as the engine and brakes no longer need to work against as much rotating mass. They also reduce gyroscopic effects, making initial turning behavior more sensitive and controlled, and the amount of unsprung weight at each corner—the byproducts of which are improved ride comfort and more desirable handling characteristics thanks to a lessening of the suspension’s overall workload.

Every aspect of the carbon wheel that aids performance also benefits efficiency for the same reason—physics: You’re able to do the same or more with less energy. The only difference is the goal. Rather than chasing terminal velocity and optimum lap times, lightweighting maximize its range. With less mass in the wheel to be spun up to speed and then dragged back down, there’s less energy going to waste every time the car speeds up or slows down, which can mean miles (or tens of miles) more to a charge or a tank of gas.

The "But"

So carbon-fiber wheels can unlock greater performance potential, improve efficiency, and enhance comfort and quietness. They seem like the perfect solution, so why all the fear, uncertainty, and doubt? Two reasons: price and myths.

Price: A set of Tuff TEK aftermarket wheels will run you about $15,000. Although that’s competitive with the very top end of the custom forged alloy wheel aftermarket, there’s no $1,000-a-set option as yet in the carbon-fiber space. But that will change over time as volume—and eventually competition—increases.

Myths: Carbon is fragile! Carbon shatters! You can’t repair it! Carbon wheels will melt when they’re hot! They’ll crack when they’re cold! They leak air!

The litany of fake news fatal flaws of the carbon-fiber wheel is not quite endless, but it’s certainly extensive. And none of it is true—at least if the wheel is made correctly. The seed of the myths was planted by a handful of aftermarket wheels, most of them two- or three-piece “hybrids” (carbon barrels with alloy hubs and spokes), none of them tested to OEM standards for road use.

As for repair, carbon-fiber wheels—whether one-piece or hybrid—can be polished and resurfaced provided any scratching (hello, curb!) is limited to the surface epoxy layer and doesn’t disturb the carbon fiber below. That’s not too different from fixing an alloy wheel; no matter the material, you take a big enough chunk out of one or bend one too far, and there’s no repairing it back to its original strength and stiffness.

Although concerns about carbon fiber’s ability to handle extreme temperatures are legitimate, they’re misplaced. Carbon fiber’s ability to tolerate a wide range of temperatures without becoming brittle or deformable depends not on the carbon itself but on the epoxy that surrounds it—and wheelmakers have put a lot of science into their secret sauce. The result is a wheel that’s as strong and as safe to use in the Arctic as it is at a midsummer Arizona track day—otherwise that wheel never would have ended up on a truck like the F-150 or a Porsche GT3.

Tire Pressure Monitors (TPMS): The F-150 has Tire Pressure Monitors on each wheel, a qualified installer will need to move the TPMS unit from their OEM wheels to the Tuff TEK wheels. Check with your vehicle owner's manual for information regarding programming TPMS sensors. Here is a video on how to reset the TPMS.

For a list of programmed and ready to install aftermarket TPMS sensors visit: TPMSDirect.com

Wheel Lug Torque: Proper installation requires that the wheel lug torque be set to the recommended specification for your vehicle. These torque specifications can be found in your vehicle's owner's manual, shop repair manual or obtained from your vehicle dealer.