What is Wheel Tuck? | Revv.ly Glossary

What is Tuck?

Drop a car low enough, really properly low, and the wheels start to disappear under the fenders. The tire no longer sits beside the fender arch--it tucks beneath it, partially hidden by the bodywork. This is tuck, and while it began as a styling choice in stance culture, there's something functionally appealing about it too.
Tuck represents the opposite of poke. Instead of the wheel extending beyond the fender line, the top of the tire slides beneath the fender edge at ride height. The lower the car sits, the more pronounced the tuck. At extreme drops, significant portions of the tire and wheel are visually concealed by the body.

Why Tuck?

The appeal is partly aesthetic--a fully tucked setup creates clean fender lines without visible wheel protrusion. But there are functional arguments too:
Reduced Exposed Width -- Less wheel exposure means less debris spray onto the body, less susceptibility to side impacts on the wheel, and (in theory) slightly better aerodynamics.
Historic Racing Aesthetics -- Group C racing cars, Can-Am prototypes, and various historic race cars featured aggressive tuck. There's a motorsport heritage to the look.
Fender-to-Wheel Tension -- Done right, tuck creates visual tension between wheel and body that suggests controlled aggression.

Achieving Tuck

Tuck requires significant lowering:
Aggressive Drop -- You need considerable suspension compression to push the wheel up into the fender arch. Air suspension makes this easier with adjustable ride height; static setups commit to a specific tucked level.
Fender Modifications -- At extreme tuck, the tire contacts inner fender structures. Rolling, pulling, or cutting fenders creates necessary clearance.
Wheel Sizing -- Wider wheels may prevent tucking because they physically won't fit under the fender. Some builds run narrower wheels specifically to achieve deeper tuck.
Offset Selection -- Higher positive offset pulls the wheel inboard, helping it sit beneath the fender rather than beside it.

Static vs. Aired

The challenge with static tuck: you're committed to that height everywhere. Speed bumps become adventures. Driveways become calculations. The tuck that looks brilliant parked may be impractical for actual driving.
Air suspension solves this by allowing adjustable heights--tuck for shows, raised for driving. But purists argue there's something more committed about static tuck, about accepting the consequences of your aesthetic choice.

The Performance Connection

Here's where tuck interests me from a driving perspective: in racing, particularly prototypes and modern GT cars, aerodynamic designs tuck wheels partially under bodywork. The goal there is managing airflow around the wheels, reducing drag and turbulence.
While stance-focused tuck isn't aerodynamically optimized (the suspension is far too low for proper function), there's a visual connection to serious performance machinery. A well-tucked car evokes purpose-built racing equipment, even if the purpose here is looking fantastic rather than lap times.
The Revvly community appreciates tuck done with intention--where stance and style meet precision fitment.
Related: Poke, Hellaflush, Static, Air Ride
Aggressive Tuck Builds: Lexus LS400, Honda Accord, Nissan 350Z