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Poke

Car culture term

What is Poke?

Wheel fitment where the wheel or tire sticks out past the fender lip instead of sitting inside it.

Poke is the amount a wheel sticks out past the fender. If you drop a straight edge down the side of the car and the wheel face touches it before the bodywork does, the car pokes. Enthusiasts sometimes call an extreme version hellapoke, a play on hellaflush.

Poke comes from low or negative offset wheels, wheel spacers, or a wide wheel on a car with narrow arches. It is a defining look on wide-body builds, on trucks running spacers, and in parts of the stance scene where sticking out past the metal is the whole point.

There are real costs. A poking tire throws water, gravel, and road grime along the side of the car and at whatever is behind it. Low offset pushes the wheel further from the hub, which increases the leverage on wheel bearings and can shorten their life. Many places also have fender-coverage laws that make poke a ticketable offense, which is why some builders add fender flares to bring the bodywork back out over the tread.

Related terms

HellaflushStanceWheel offsetWheel SpacersFender flares

Frequently asked questions

What does poke mean in car fitment?
Poke means the wheel or tire extends outward past the fender lip. The wheel face is further out than the bodywork above it.
What causes wheel poke?
Low or negative wheel offset, wheel spacers, or a wheel wider than the fender arch was designed to cover. Lowering a car can reduce apparent poke, since the arch curves out as it drops over the tire.
Is wheel poke bad for your car?
Excessive poke increases the distance between the tire centerline and the hub, which puts extra load on wheel bearings and steering components. It also sprays road debris down the side of the car.
Is poke illegal?
In many US states and in most of Europe, the tread must be covered by the fender or a flare. Poke that leaves tread exposed can fail inspection or draw a ticket, which is why fender flares are a common fix.

Poke on the blog

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