By Ross Ballot
Wheels are about more than just appearance; they impact performance and, crucially, durability. When choosing wheels, you must balance factors like finish, weight, and offset while keeping the price reasonable. American Racing has expertly balanced quality and affordability for decades. Our experience with their AR172 Baja wheels confirms this.
Despite many new wheel options for Toyota (and Lexus) 4x4s, American Racing hasn’t specifically tailored its wheels for these vehicles. However, the AR172 Baja fits the Lexus GX460 perfectly in both style and function. We needed specific dimensions and offsets to fit our 34×10.5R17 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires, so the 17×8” AR172 Bajas with a 0mm offset work just right, sitting flush with the fender and providing the necessary width for proper tire sidewall deflection and compression when aired down for off-roading.
The AR172 Baja’s classic, timeless look is reminiscent of 1990s aftermarket choices for 4x4s. American Racing has produced this wheel for decades, and its design remains appealing to our eyes. On our Lexus GX460, it balances luxury with rugged utility, aligning it more with the 4Runner and Land Cruiser Prado with which it shares its bones and lineage.
Made of cast aluminum, the AR172 Baja has a load rating of 2,800 pounds, suitable for most recreational off-road 4x4s. This is on the sturdier side, but always confirm this with your vehicle’s weight. At 25.31 pounds per wheel, the Baja is also lighter than some similarly priced options, which can exceed 30 pounds. This means less rotating mass at each corner which in turn translates to less of an effect on acceleration, fuel efficiency, and wear and tear on drivetrain components. Even small weight increases matter, highlighting the importance of keeping weight low for long-term benefits across all vehicle types.
We tested the AR172 Baja wheels on an off-road trip soon after installation. With the tires aired down to 17 PSI, the wheels held the bead well, avoiding repeated issues. However, the outer lip of the bead is exposed, evident by rock rash after a day on the trails, and the valve stem and protruding center cap are vulnerable to damage. For serious rock crawling, other options might be better, but a few more days of testing these wheels on the trails confirmed that they work just fine for our use case.
Overall, our experience with the American Racing AR172 Baja has been very positive. While the valve stem’s vulnerability is a drawback, these wheels offer a good balance of weight, size, appearance, and price. They are ideal for medium-difficulty off-roading and those looking to upgrade their SUV’s look without overspending. We love the way the AR172 Bajas mate old school look with new school performance, so consider us big fans of these in nearly ever regard.
(Thank you to RealTruck for providing the wheels featured in this post)
Jeff Glucker 
Kamil Kaluski