Someone Put Huge Wheels On A Kei Truck And It’s Charmingly Chaotic

Kei trucks are pretty much the last kind of truck you’d want to kit out with a big wheel and tire package. They don’t have a lot of power or torque, and their diminutive dimensions don’t leave a lot of room under the arches for chunky rubber. Still, that didn’t stop the gang behind YouTube channel CBoysTV from slapping some giant tractor tires on a humble little Subaru Sambar.

If the tires look familiar, they were originally intended for use on a Sherp all-terrain-vehicle. Weighing well over 100 pounds each, the total weight of the wheels and tires approaches the weight of the original truck itself.

If you’re thinking that this sounds like a recipe for breaking something, you’re pretty much on the mark. Still, there’s something compelling about seeing how this actually plays out in real life.

The Sherp tires had previously been fitted to a Ford F-250, so they already had long pipe-style adapters fitted up. A further adapter to go from the eight-lug mounting style to the four-lug Subaru kei hubs was all that was required to get them mounted up.

As you might imagine, the new 63-inch Sherp tires are much taller than the stock 14-inch steelies originally fitted to the Subaru.  An instant upgrade to ground clearance is a pleasant reward, though they do present some challenges when it comes to getting in and out of the vehicle. No surprise, given the tires sit halfway up the doors.

The stance is overly wide; this makes it possible for the tires to steer without hitting the body of the vehicle, but also puts additional stress on the Subaru’s hubs. It also makes it difficult to keep the vehicle in a single lane, though it’s not a build that is really optimized for on-road use anyway. The gearing is also a challenge, as the Subaru’s stock gearbox wasn’t expecting to drive wheels with such a massive outer circumference.

Next up were trials versus a genuine Sherp vehicle on a snowy off-road course. The great height of the modified truck makes it very easy for the Subaru to drive straight over small trees. However, it doesn’t take long before one of the tie rods gives up and the front right tire is pointing totally askew. Thankfully, running repairs get things straightened out enough for the Subaru continue.

The real magic, though, was the water test. The massive tires actually provided enough buoyancy to float the Subaru, while the paddles offered forward propulsion. If you want to build an amphibious kei, this is a very quick and dirty way to do it. Unfortunately, a lack of power and open differentials meant that the poor Subaru wasn’t quite able to extract itself from the watery predicament it landed in, and a tow out was necessary.

It’s unlikely you’re going to just randomly find some massive Sherp tires lying around. If you do, though, they seem to make a comically wonderful addition to a kei truck, even if the added capability they provide isn’t that useful in the real world.

Really, the best thing about this mod, though, is the aesthetic. Something about those massive chunky tires on a tiny little truck is just undeniably awesome. As always, bless the YouTubers for trying the weird things we don’t have time to do ourselves.

Image credits: CboysTV via YouTube screenshot

Top graphic images: Depositphotos.com; CboysTV/YouTube