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Quadratec Hardrock Wheels: impressions, pics!

251K views 782 replies 168 participants last post by  Old Dogger 
#1 ·
I'm starting a new thread about these wheels to provide more information than I've seen before, preventing it from being buried in another thread.

The wheels currently comes in gunmetal gray and black, both similar to the Rubicon and Hard Rock JK packages, respectively:
Quadratec 92615 2415 - Quadratec Hardrock™ Alloy Wheel in Grey for 07-16 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK in 17x8.5 Size with 5.2" Backspacing - Quadratec

Past threads:
http://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/quadratec-hardrock-wheels-1693017.html
http://www.wranglerforum.com/f274/qt-17-hardrock-with-285-ko2-1796521.html

If you like your stock Rubicon or Hard Rock wheels (or covet them) and want to keep that look as you add a lift and swap to bigger tires, this is the product for you. It was a long wait for these, and below are some photos taken immediately after unboxing them.

These 17" x 8.5" 5.2" backspace wheels are weighing in at 26.8-27.0 lbs (my scale has 0.2 lb resolution), so I'd go with 26.9 as the weight vs. the stock 17" x 7.5" 6.25" backspace wheels at about 24 lbs. Considering I'm currently running spacers that weigh 3.5 lbs, that's a surprise weight savings. Being one of the first to order them, I was merely hoping these wheels would be under 30 lbs.

Cosmetically, the wheels keep the character of the stock Rubicon/Hard Rock wheels, but with a deeper dishing to accomplish the dimensional changes. I'm really impressed with the design. The color of the gunmetal wheels I ordered is actually a slight bit deeper or even bluer than stock, and I also appreciate that. For my JKUR, it's a bit more "Anvil-y". Don't take my word alone, but I think these would look great with nearby colors like billet and GCM, and if I had a JK in Rhino, I'd be racing to the Quadratec site: "Shut up and take my money!"

The paint quality is great -- there's even paint in the lug holes, which we know at least one manufacturer has problems with. As seen in the photos, the painted plastic center cap can appear darker in some lighting, but it's not too noticeable and I don't have a problem with it. I do have an extra couple of drips of clearcoat on one wheel, but again, it's not a problem.

The wheel lip is solid and doesn't appear to be underbuilt. I haven't checked hub-centricity yet, but it appears to be a feature as promised by Quadratec.

Overall, I don't have a single negative thing to say about these wheels at this point, and I'm really picky about these sorts of things. I'll add more when I have them mounted and installed, but that will be a few weeks as summer plans march on.
 

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#2 ·
More photos, including comparisons to stock...
 

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#4 ·
Thanks for the tip. I just ordered 5. 35's here I come...
 
#8 ·
Same question my wife asked! I'll check that out and report back if someone doesn't beat me to it. My guess is "yes": they really looked the same from the rear and I don't see a reason the hub center hole would be a different size or depth.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the great photos and review! We really appreciate it! We are quite proud of our wheel offerings. Looking forward to installed photos!

-Rick

EDIT: Oops, on my personal account, my bad :D
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the reviews and photos Overthinker. I was considering these but the photos on the site weren't doing them the justice they deserve. Now I'm hooked, just need to find the Jeep silhouettes in red vinyl to duplicate the stock wheels and I'll be set. I think I saw someone on here had a set made.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Great find!

Kudos to Quadratec for offering factory-looking wheels that can accommodate larger tires without spacers.

Not everyone wants to go with over-styled, baroque-looking aftermarket wheels to accommodate larger tires.

I have a set of factory-looking Quadratec Moab 5-spoke wheels on my Rubicon: they fit the 35" tires and match the look of my Jeep perfectly!

 
#13 ·
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#15 ·
So let's say that I wanted to go larger on my tires without lifting my Jeep (I know, I know, but she's a mall crawler), or changing the gearing (3.21 now). With the offset on these (and considering the stock height and gearing), how large a tire could I go? 33"? 35"?
 
#16 ·
33's are still the max...


But Kudo's to Q-Tec for another great looking wheel. My wife picked out the wheels on our JKU, but I get a 2dr in a couple of years and I'm absolutely going with one of the "stock" looking wheels with 35's.
 
#19 ·
would these fit a 285/70/17 tire (KO2s) perfectly without spacers? Since the original's are 6.25 and these are 5.2, I am still wondering if that's enough to prevent rubbing
yes, no problems at all with 285's.
 
#20 ·
Vehicle Wheel Car Logo Tire




Alloy wheel Tire Rim Wheel Automotive tire




Tire Alloy wheel Automotive tire Wheel Rim


Found the correct decals of the Willy's jeep through Etsy.

www.sbldesigns.com

I'm lovin' my new 35 12.50 17 tires. No problems. I can drive around town on the stock hard rock suspension.

2 1/2" kit this weekend, and Mopar high clearance flares soon.

JeepLife

Steve
 
#22 ·
I'm lovin' my new 35 12.50 17 tires. No problems. I can drive around town on the stock hard rock suspension.
Looks great, but I see a little rock rail trimming in your future. I trimmed mine last night, tires mounted tomorrow, lift next week. It's finally coming together.
 

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#28 ·
My lift is done and the gunmetal Quadratec Hardrock wheels are on now, wearing 285/75/17 Toyo AT2s. Body and wheels of my Jeep all look different in various lighting, but here's a shot to give an idea. I really love these wheels because they're both familiar for the Jeep yet very different from the other aftermarket wheel options.
 

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#30 ·
I really like how these wheels look in deeper dish design!

I too was very impressed with the lightweight, quality and craftsmanship of Quadratec wheels when I ordered my Moabs, and for $109/each back then (2 years ago), they were a total steal.

Quadratec is up to something by offering wheels that (1) retain the factory look, (2) allow us to accommodate bigger tires, and (3) at a weight, quality and price that rival low-mile take off wheels; it is making AEV wheels look over-priced, and most other aftermarket wheels look overdone.
 
#32 ·
Quadratec is up to something by offering wheels that (1) retain the factory look, (2) allow us to accommodate bigger tires, and (3) at a weight, quality and price that rival low-mile take off wheels; it is making AEV wheels look over-priced, and most other aftermarket wheels look overdone.
That is absolutely well said. And the only extra thing I would add is they (4) maximize backspacing.

I didn't want to go with 4", 4.5", or even 5" backspacing. For my Overland style of build, I wanted my tires as close to flush with stock fenders, and these, like AEV, at 5.2" are as good as it gets.
 
#33 ·
#79 ·
Rick,

I called there the other day to order a set of these and was told I could not run a 305/70R17 on these without a spacer. I see people running 35 12.50s with no problem on here. Was I misinformed? Wish I could remember the guys name. Maybe Perry?
Thanks
Mike F
 
#36 ·
I have to say that I love my factory Hard Rock wheels. I can't find any aftermarket styles that come even close to even be considered an upgrade to. These Quadratec wheels are just about perfect. They're virtually identical to the factory wheel style, hub centric with ideal backspacing. When I go to a 33" tire these are at the top of my list.
 
#38 ·
They look great Overthinker, thanks for sharing and posting pics.
I've been thinking about getting different wheels for mine, I'm not a huge fan of black on black, which is how my Rubicon is now. The previous owner had XD Rockstar black wheels installed, they're nice, but I'm wanting something more stock looking.
Did yours come with center caps or do you have to purchase them separately?
 
#40 ·
Did yours come with center caps or do you have to purchase them separately?
I worried about that for a moment while the order was in the works. But they come with the matching "blank" center caps, which look fine to me. Since I'll probably sell my stock wheels, I won't swap the Jeep ones in.

If I want some decoration to them down the line, I think I'll use decals. I'm not a big fan of flashy centers like the yellow AEV ones, but I'll bet that look would be easy to duplicate with a blank canvas like these.
 
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