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Modifying my new Force Gurkha with aftermarket alloy wheels

16th November 2021, 15:08 by Rahul Nagaraj

The new aftermarket tyres fill up the wheel wells and give the SUV an amazing stance.

BHPian Manuuj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

It should be one of the first few with an aftermarket wheel and an upsized tyre setup.

I can't say about the Internet, but this whim of owning the Gurkha has already broken my bank! But it will be all worth it in my view. It's a special vehicle after all.

I test fitted the wheel and tyre to a Gurkha (not mine) today to make sure everything goes well when it's time for my Gurkha delivery, and it sure looks stunning.

The Center Hub Diameter of the 2021 Gurkha is just over 108 mm. The CB of the OE Steel Wheel is 110 mm which I personally measured today.

The 110 mm Center Bore Alloy which I have sourced thus fits perfectly allowing for Center Hub expansion due to heat generated while driving.

I have a sincere suggestion for all future Gurkha owners. Go in for the Original Equipment Alloy and only change the tyre if you want added Ground Clearance

I will elucidate upon this below.

Thanks to the Sales Head for Force Motors, North India I managed to test fit my Alloy wheel and 245/75/16 Radar RT+ tyres on a Gurkha today.

When I had bought my alloys I had made sure to get a 160x5 PCD and 16-inch stock size so that there should be no unforeseen issues with fitment and safety.

What I realised later was that there are a lot many more things to consider when selecting an Alloy wheel for a particular vehicle.

An often neglected and extremely important one is Center Hub Diameter and Center Bore of the Alloy matching.

Another thing was that my alloy was a Zero Offset compared to the 12 offsets OE Alloy.

A third difference was that my alloy was 8 inches wide compared to an OE 6.5 inch alloy.

All these minute differences led to a lot of doubt creeping into my head and I was allowed a "test fit" before my vehicle even arrives so I can be at peace and have my Alloy Wheels painted and made ready in time for my vehicle delivery.

I also wanted to see how the beefy Rugged Terrain 245/75/16 tyres will fit versus the stock All Terrain 245/70/16 tyres.

He was most accommodating and arranged for me to take the tyre and alloy to their workshop so we may test fit them and erase all doubts/ bring out any fitment or safety issues beforehand.

Now let's be clear. He could have just said: "No...Please get rid of your fancy alloy wheel and stick to the ones we are giving you"

But instead, he went out of his way to accommodate me and was also present in person at the workshop to make sure everything went smoothly. I am truly floored!

Now, that's what I call service (with a smile)!

I am certain no such request would have been entertained by the makers of any of the vehicles I have previously or currently own.

Did someone say Force Motors Service is something to worry about? I think not!!

So to set the record straight the Center Hub Diameter of the 2021 Gurkha is just over 108 mm and the Center Bore of the OE steel wheel is 110 mm.

This perfectly suited my 160x5 PCD, 16-inch Alloy with a CB of 110 mm. This was a huge relief.

The zero offsets of my Alloys made the tyre stick out just a wee bit and almost the same amount as the Stock Alloy Wheel and tyre setup of the Gurkha does.

The 245/75/16 tyres filled up the wheel well perfectly and their mean aggressive sidewall really gave the Gurkha an amazing stance and look.

There was absolutely no fouling with any suspension components which was great news.