2023 Ford Everest build: KMC Impact wheels and Maxxis RAZR tyres

One of the good things about starting off with a base model vehicle is that you can improve the look of it tenfold simply by replacing the OE wheels and tyres. And so it was with our Ford Everest build.

Even though the Everest Ambiente comes with factory alloy wheels, they are pretty daggy and the original highway tyres were never going to cut it out on the tracks. Enter two of our favourite suppliers: Maxxis Tyres and Wheel Pros.

We chose to go with an all-terrain in the Maxxis RAZR range, with a set of RAZR AT811s in the LT275/70R17 size. Just a plus-one upsize from the factory 255/70 17s that came from Ford, and tyres that would easily fit within the fenders without resorting to flares or modifications of the inner guards.

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They are only around 25mm wider than the OE tyres and a bit taller to give more ground clearance, but, most importantly, being of LT construction and with Maxxis’ great rubber compound that we’ve grown to love, we know they’ll be durable.

Diving into the Wheel Pros website is a bit like being a kid in a candy store, as there are literally thousands of wheel options to choose from. We always look for wheels that are not overly detailed, with simple designs that will be easy to maintain while still looking great on the car. As our Everest is aluminium in colour, we wanted anthracite or matte black wheels and not a style we have used before.

The positive offset of the OE wheels makes it hard to keep them in the guards and limits options, but we ended up selecting a set of KMC ‘Impact’ wheels in 17X8 6X5.5 with a 35mm backspace and satin black in colour. We reckon anthracite or light grey would have looked better with the silver car, but the black ones look pretty good. The KMC wheels are cast alloy and weigh in at around 12kg a pop, so they go a small way to offset the extra weight of the LT tyres.

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Fitting was done at The Wheel Deal in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, and when we walked in and saw so many mud-terrain, 35- and 37-inch tyres, and bead-locked wheels in the workshop, we knew we were in the right place. These guys are 4x4 and off-road specialists and knew just what we were after.

The guys took care of fitting and balancing the new wheel and tyres, and it was nice to see a torque wrench come out when it came time to finalise the fitment. A thoroughly professional wheel and tyre shop for all of your 4x4 needs.

RRP

Wheels: $279 each (Wheel Pros AU)
Tyres: $390 each (The Wheel Deal)