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8" or 10" Wheel? 10.5" or 12.5" Tire?

23K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  GuzziMoto 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I will be purchasing new wheels and tires soon. I have a good idea of what I want, but I'd like the opinion of someone more experienced than myself before I pull the trigger.

The jeep is mostly a daily driver, but I enjoy riding very light trails maybe once a month. I will be getting a 1.5" lift and plan on getting 33" tires. I'd like to get a 15" wheel, most of which seem to be either 8" or 10" wide with 3.75" backspacing. I know both a 10.5" and 12.5" wide tire should fit on an 8" or 10" wide rim, but I am not sure what the best combination is. As of right now, I am leaning towards an 8" rim with 12.5" tires.

My main concern is the amount of backspacing. I don't want the wheels to stick out too far past the fender, so I think an 8" wheel would be better than a 10" wheel. I am favoring the 12.5" tire because I prefer the looks of a wider tire. Does this logic make sense? What would you choose?

I understand not all 15" wheels fit a 2016 JKU. I am looking at the Pro Comp 52 steel wheels, reviews say they fit with no rubbing.
 
#7 ·
I saw this thread earlier, but wasn't sure if the wheels were 8" or 10". After some further research, I found another thread that states a 8" wheel with 3.75" backspacing and a 12.5" wide tire should expose around 2.5" of tire outside of the fender. That is a lot more than I think I want, I will start considering a 16x8 wheel, I have heard that 4.5" backspacing gives a good stance.

And I know a lot of people like 15 inch wheels but understand if you ever want to upgrade brakes to larger rotors you will not be able to.
Thank you, I never considered upgrading my brakes. I spoke to someone today that said 15" wheels don't allow the brakes to properly cool. I can see how the reduced clearance would limit ventilation, has anyone heard of this happening? Not sure if it is a worst-case scenario or something more common.

My jkur 2.5" teraflex coil lift
That is beautiful! I really like the Method wheels, I wish they had some 15" or 16" with the JK bolt pattern. In general, there seem to be way more options for 17" wheels.
 
#3 ·
Pretty much if you go 12.5 you will stick out some. If they don't then you may have a rubbing problem. And I know a lot of people like 15 inch wheels but understand if you ever want to upgrade brakes to larger rotors you will not be able to.
 
#4 ·
I always suggest the narrowest suggested wheel for saving your wheel from damage and I think a 12.5" tire suggest a minimum of a 8.5" wheel(you can get away with a 7.5" wheel I think without uneven wear?),if I was going to go with a 33" tire....I wouldn't get it in 12.5" wide for my taste(I think it looks too much like a balloon?),I think if I were to get a 12.5" wide tire...the minimum height that I think looks ok is 35" but I like the 37" look(more uniform/stock looking?).the widest for MY taste on a 33" tall tire I would go would be 11-11.5"
 
#8 ·
Quick sanity check...

From my understanding, if two wheels have the same width and the same offset, they will also have the same backspacing. Is this correct?

On Extreme Terrain, there is one set of 16x8 wheels with 3.75" backspacing and 0mm offset. There is another set of 16x8 wheels with 4.50" backspacing and 0mm offset. I spoke with someone from XT through their online chat and he confirmed that both wheels are correct. I guess I don't fully understand backspacing and offset?

Mammoth Wrangler 8 Spoke Black Aluminum Wheel J100638 (07-17 Wrangler JK) - Free Shipping

Mammoth Wrangler Black Five Spoke 16x8 Wheel J100622 (07-17 Wrangler JK) - Free Shipping
 
#22 ·
Quick sanity check...



From my understanding, if two wheels have the same width and the same offset, they will also have the same backspacing. Is this correct?



On Extreme Terrain, there is one set of 16x8 wheels with 3.75" backspacing and 0mm offset. There is another set of 16x8 wheels with 4.50" backspacing and 0mm offset. I spoke with someone from XT through their online chat and he confirmed that both wheels are correct. I guess I don't fully understand backspacing and offset?



Mammoth Wrangler 8 Spoke Black Aluminum Wheel J100638 (07-17 Wrangler JK) - Free Shipping



Mammoth Wrangler Black Five Spoke 16x8 Wheel J100622 (07-17 Wrangler JK) - Free Shipping


Gotta be a misprint, with 0 offset, both wheels will have 4.5" backspacing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#10 ·
Offset- Where the "hub" or center part of the wheel is attached to the "barrel" or the outer part of the wheel. On a 10"rim if the offset is 0 then the hub or center part of the wheel is attached to the center of the Barrel.

Back spacing is where the mounting surface of the wheel is in relationship to the back edge of the barrel.

Imagine a 10" wheel where the center of the wheel was mounted to the center of the barrel. It would be attached at the 5" point. You have 0 offset since the center of the wheel is neither forward or reverse of that centerline of the barrel.

Here is where it gets interesting. Imagine the center of the wheel is flexible and will move in and out like a speaker. If you move the center towards the outside of the barrel then you are increasing the backspace giving you a higher number. If you move the center towards the rear of the barrel then you are decreasing your backspace. Notice the offset doesn't change because the mounting of the center doesn't change.
 
#11 ·
Here is where it gets interesting. Imagine the center of the wheel is flexible and will move in and out like a speaker. If you move the center towards the outside of the barrel then you are increasing the backspace giving you a higher number. If you move the center towards the rear of the barrel then you are decreasing your backspace. Notice the offset doesn't change because the mounting of the center doesn't change.
Thank you! I had never considered this concept, but it makes sense. Intuitive explanation.
 
#12 ·
Pretty much the same as you DD with some forestry access trails and winter road-winter off road stuff.

I went with 17x8.5" wheels with this size I have the option later to go to a 35" tire. If they ever come out with a 35x10.5 AT tire(particularly BFG KO2 or 3 tire) I'll be all over it.

As it stands I have the BFG KO2 34X10.5(basically a 33" which is what I wanted)...great daily driver in that it is light and narrow,helping preserve any fuel economy(such that it is LOL!!!)...and great on snow roads and off road.
I find this set up the best balance between off road fun vehicle and DD. The more you orient and set up a Jeep for strictly off road,the less on road comfort,and economy, you will have and visa-versa...so finding the balance is key IMO.
 

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#13 ·
I went with 17x8.5" wheels with this size I have the option later to go to a 35" tire. If they ever come out with a 35x10.5 AT tire(particularly BFG KO2 or 3 tire) I'll be all over it.

As it stands I have the BFG KO2 34X10.5(basically a 33" which is what I wanted)
Thank you for the input. Is your jeep lifted at all? I like the height of it, looks like sufficient clearance but not so much that the tires look small. Also, what is your backspacing/offset?

I think I am going with a 16x9 wheel with 4.53" backspacing and -12mm offset. From the few pictures I have seen, I think this may stick out a little more than your setup if I go with 12.5" wide tires. I will go with the BFG KO2 as well.
 
#17 ·
On the Mickey Thompson website, they classify 295 as 12" wide, 305 as 12.5" wide, and 315 as 12.5" wide as well. Is this just an approximation or rounding thing? From my understanding, the first three digits in the tire size corresponds to the width of the tire in mm.
 
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