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If you were buying new tires and possibly new rims would you stay at 15"?

8K views 64 replies 29 participants last post by  riklyn 
#1 ·
Right so I've been looking into new tires @ 33" for my jeep.

But I've been thinking should i stick to a 15" rim? are there benefits at all moving to something else?

i don't mean looks I'm talking selections etc.

I've found my selection limited on some retailers "online" regarding a 15" rim etc.

I've also heard some stock jeep rim's don't fit larger /wider tires well either.



What do you guys think about this?
 
#2 ·
I wouldn't consider anything except 15's
 
#4 ·
I bought a Jeep with 17" wheels and my Rubicon came with stock 16". I immediately sold both and went back to 15". More sidewall, cheaper tire prices, and better C rated tires. There are TONS of tire choices for 15" wheels.

p.s. People who get good deals on JK 17" wheels/tires soon find out it's cheaper to find another set than buy tires for them.
 

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#7 ·
I bought a Jeep with 17" wheels and my Rubicon came with stock 16". I immediately sold both and went back to 15". More sidewall, cheaper tire prices, and better C rated tires. There are TONS of tire choices for 15" wheels.

p.s. People who get good deals on JK 17" wheels/tires soon find out it's cheaper to find another set than buy tires for them.
^^^ This
 
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#8 ·
I’ve got two Jeeps, one with 15” 33” tires and one with 17” 32” tires. The 15” wheels to me look so much better. I’d stick with 15” but that’s just my personal preference.
 
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#9 ·
Happy with my 15". I am probably due for new tires next year and plan to stay with 15's.

Federal Couragia 33"x12.5x15 tires have done extremely well by me.
They balanced perfectly, ride nice and have been holding up well over the year and a half I have owned this TJ.
Some complaints I have seen on Federals were smaller tires.
These have been great and would buy them again next time.
 
#11 ·
I just bought and went with 17" for my TJ. The question you have to ask yourself is do you like that "balloon" look or do you prefer a more balanced 60/40 look. I'm a pavement pounder ONLY so the choice was easy for me.
Look at a ton of pictures of Jeeps on-line.
Decide what appearence you prefer and then find out the set-up they're running.
Don't ask a closed ended question like "should I stay with 15inch wheels" unless that's the answer you want.
These are what I went with, Vision Manx, 17x8.5. (bottom pic)
I liked this Jeeps wheel to tire ratio and that's what I want my set-up to resemble.
What looks good to you, not, what do you think looks good.
 

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#14 ·
I just bought and went with 17" for my TJ. The question you have to ask yourself is do you like that "balloon" look or do you prefer a more balanced 60/40 look. I'm a pavement pounder ONLY so the choice was easy for me.
You're going to want all the sidewall you can get when airing down for those Walmart speed bumps. If I had a 4 door JK, I'd go with some 24s, a light bar and an angry bird grille.
 

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#12 ·
If you are sure that you will never upgrade to 16" or larger brakes then 15" wheels and tires remain a solid choice.

If you have a need for a larger wheel diameter, skip 16" tires unless you already have a set of 16" wheels because there are almost no C load rated tire options in that diameter.

There are many who say that 17's are the new 15's because Wranglers have come equipped with 17" wheels since the 2007 model year, but there are still plenty of 15" tire options.
 
#22 ·
#23 ·
I wouldn't, I'd go 17"

While we can straw man this to death, there are c rated 17's and some e rated that most couldn't tell from c rated.

In the end I'll take less sidewall every day and twice on Sunday because the inroad performance is better, for the same reason the offroad is worse.
 
#28 ·
Go with 16 or 17 inch rims. I had a 2000 sport with a 4 inch lift and when I added 33 inch tires I had the same question. I kept the 15 inch rims thinking that when aired down I would have a bigger footprint. Unfortunately the increased sidewalls made the jeep squirrelly. BTW I bought new, wider rims but always regretted not getting 16 inch rims.
 
#31 · (Edited)
Stick with the 15" size. It just works better for our chosen vehicle. I have 17s on my JK and wish I could find some JK rims at 15" one day that both cleared my JK brakes and that I liked the look of. I only ever run 33" tires, so that rim size works best for what I do.

Others will disagree, of course, but I air down and actually use my TJ and JK for their intended purpose rather than meeting my friends at the trailhead down at "Twin Pines Shopping Mall and ORV Park"…
 
#45 ·
That tire to front fender clearance on that red four door mall rig looks like any bump would be enough for tire to plastic fender contact
Maybe his favorite mall has no speed bumps
The ground is uneven in that pic and it makes it look worse than it really is, but you're right, when I disconnect, it does rub when it flexes. I have matching front flares, just haven't gotten a chance to put them on yet. I think I'll wait and do it when I put the angry shark vader cobra grill on.
 
#48 ·
Btw back on topic for the OP.....
I run 33 10.50's on stock tj wheels w 1.25" hub centric spacers.... they fit great....
 
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