LokJaw’s wheels were not designed as decoration. The outer fin section is directional, so as the wheel rotates it helps pull air through the openings and out at the rim. That matters in three places: it helps evacuate heat from the engine bay, supports the pressure difference that moves air through the cooling package, and can help airflow stay attached farther down the body instead of breaking away into draggy turbulence. The center of the wheel keeps the old-school truck feel, while the perimeter does the technical work. It is a one-off billet design built to look right on LokJaw and do a real job once the truck is moving.
The video opens at Banks Engineering in Azusa, California, where the project team gathers to review the latest parts for the truck build. The visit centers on seeing Gale and the Banks team in person, checking progress on the truck, and unveiling a newly delivered set of custom wheels. The wheels had arrived the previous day, but the crate had intentionally remained unopened so the first full reveal could happen with the team present.
When the crate is brought out, the discussion immediately turns to the engineering intent behind the wheel design. Jonathan Peace of Spark Industries explains that his process begins with traditional freehand sketching, but he relies on CAD to verify that the proportions and geometry can become a real manufactured part. That combination of hand rendering and digital validation is presented as essential, because a wheel can look compelling on paper while still being impractical or impossible to machine correctly.
Once unpacked, the wheels are identified as separate front and rear sets with different widths and offsets. The front wheels measure 22 by 8.5 inches, while the rears are 22 by 10.5 inches. The rear wheels also carry more concavity and use a deeper center cap to cover the rear axle. At the time of the reveal, the lug holes have not yet been machined. The plan is to flip the wheels over and machine the lug holes from the back side so front-to-back alignment remains exact and no positional error is introduced.
That detail reflects the overall tone of the build: even highly styled components are being treated as precision parts. The wheel package is not simply decorative. Offset, backspacing, center-cap depth, and machining sequence are all being considered as part of fitment and function.
Peace describes the visual language of the wheel as intentionally split between vintage and modern influences. The center section and main spokes were designed to evoke an old cast wheel, which suits the truck's patinated exterior. At the same time, the outer fin structures and perimeter treatment were meant to echo the more technical, engineered character revealed when the hood and bed are opened.
The result is a wheel that starts with a retro core and transitions outward into a more futuristic expression. That contrast is presented as a deliberate match for the truck itself: weathered and nostalgic on the surface, but highly engineered underneath. The team's reaction makes clear that the wheel is meant to be a signature element of the build rather than a conventional aftermarket choice.
The conversation then shifts from styling to airflow. The wheel openings and fin geometry were designed to work with the brake rotor's pumping action. As the rotor spins, air is expelled near the outer diameter of the rotor, and the wheel's blade shapes are intended to create suction through the openings. On the driver's side, the back side of each blade catches the air in a way that helps pull it outward.
A further detail, not immediately visible from the front, is that the back of each opening is also slanted to improve through-flow. That directional shaping is intended to help the wheel move air more effectively. Peace notes that with more development time he would have liked to incorporate an internal corkscrew-like feature to further encourage outward airflow from inside the wheel. Even without that addition, the wheel is clearly being treated as an aerodynamic and thermal-management component, not just a styling surface.
Gale expands the discussion beyond brake cooling and explains how the wheel opening area interacts with the truck's external airflow. Without a nose piece installed, air moving along the side of the truck tends to separate from the body contour, creating a wake and a negative-pressure region near the wheel opening. The faster the vehicle moves, the farther outward that wake can extend. Feeding air into that negative-pressure area can help the flow reattach earlier and become laminar sooner along the body side.
In practical terms, that means the wheel and surrounding shape may reduce the length of the turbulent region trailing along the truck. Less turbulent flow means less drag. Gale also points out two secondary benefits: helping extract heat from the engine bay and improving the cooling package overall. If the pressure behind the wheel opening is made more negative, air entering through the nose has a stronger pressure differential to work against, which can improve heat rejection through the front-end cooling system. The team agrees that this makes the wheel treatment a net positive from several engineering perspectives.
After examining the raw machined surfaces, the group agrees that painting the wheels would undermine the effect. The unfinished metal appearance is considered too strong to cover, especially given how well it complements the truck's aged exterior and the technical machining marks. The black lug hardware is also singled out as the right contrast against the wheel finish.
One proposed refinement is to add black inlay to the logos so the branding ties visually to the black lugs rather than appearing as isolated dark accents. The center branding includes Jonathan Peace's name, which is acknowledged as a notable personal signature on the design. The overall impression is that the wheel should remain visually honest to its material and machining rather than being hidden under paint.
The next major component revealed is a custom steering wheel from Spark Industries. It arrives with a protective cover and an included pry tool for removing the horn cap. The steering wheel is described as part of the company's Driver Series, specifically the Spindle design. It is a multi-piece wheel in which the grip section bolts onto the center spokes, making the assembly modular.
That modular construction allows different grip shapes and styles to be paired with the same center structure, changing the appearance and feel of the wheel without redesigning the entire assembly. The leather wrap is hand stitched, and Peace notes that he personally stitched this example. A top marker is incorporated at the 12 o'clock position to give it a more competition-oriented feel. The wheel is machined from a solid block, reinforcing the same billet-machined, detail-driven approach seen in the wheel design.
The steering wheel also leads into a discussion of mounting architecture. The Driver Series uses an external adapter, which follows a more familiar billet steering wheel standard. Spark Industries also offers other versions, including the Muscle Series and Heritage Series, that use a deeper concave form with the adapter integrated internally into the hub. Those alternatives represent a different visual and structural approach, but they are not suitable for this truck's application.
For this build, the chosen steering wheel must work with the TCI steering setup and paddle-shift arrangement, which requires the six-bolt pattern used on the Driver Series wheel. That compatibility requirement dictates the selection despite the availability of other hub styles. As with the wheels, the part choice is being driven by both aesthetics and mechanical integration rather than appearance alone.
By the end of the segment, attention turns to the practical challenge of mounting tires on the newly machined wheels without damaging them. Because of the sharp detailing and exposed finish, tire installation will require a highly skilled technician who understands how to handle delicate custom wheels properly. The concern is not theoretical; everyone recognizes that the first tire mounting will be a critical moment for preserving the finish and edges.
The recap closes with the sense that these components push the truck further into one-off territory. The blown diesel concept, the custom wheel aerodynamics, and the bespoke steering wheel all reinforce that this is not a routine build. Each part is being developed with a mix of visual intent, manufacturing discipline, and functional engineering, and the next step is to see the wheels fitted with rubber and rotating on the completed truck.