NotMyMonkeys

New to Jeeps - Love my new 15 unlimited, but the stock 16 rims and tires leave a lot to be desired.

I do a lot of highway driving on my daily commutes, so I'm going to go AT for a better quieter ride and still get a non pizza cutter stock look and some improved off road performance.

I plan just to do some light trails, camping, and some beach driving on the outerbanks in the summers. Nothing real muddy or rocky / hard core.

I was going to go for a 15" wheel with 33 / 12.5 / 15, but the xd enduros i've really liked for a few years are hard to come by in 15" with the 5x127 bolt pattern.

The 16" versions are available and a good price.

So I was thinking these Rims - XD-Series 122 Enduro Wheel with Matte Black Finish (16x9"/5x5") http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=A32YFCGQVCYRX

The Cooper Discoverer A/T3 Radial Tire - 285/75R16 by my noob calculations should fit that wheel as just just under 33" total diameter and between 11 and 12 inches wide?

Does that figure correct? Are my calculations off or missing anything about fitment on the 15 wrangler unlimited?

I know being right at 33" those should fit, but I thought I'd start out with a teraflex 2" budget boost spacers with those wheels. I will likely get a full lift maybe next year after my savings are replenished.

Thoughts? Good Plan? Any Gotchas? Anything I'm missing or not thinking of?

Thanks!

nthinuf

You're fine.

The bolt pattern is correct. The rim width is good for the tire width. If I read it right, those rims have a 4.5" backspace, which is the typical recommendation for 35x12.50's. Plenty of room to turn your 33's. And the 2" BB should give plenty of room between the tires and flares.

The only potential gotcha's are that 15/16" rims 'may' have clearance issues with some of the aftermarket steering components that use bigger rod ends, as well as clearance issues with the aftermarket brake upgrade kits. And then there is the dwindling selection of tires as the height increases (compared to what is available for 17").

NotMyMonkeys

Hmm. That is a good point since I dont know long term what real lift I may go to, if i'm restricted on 16 inch wheels i may have thrown money away or painted myself in a corner.

These enduros i want do come in a 17" size with the same bolt pattern and backspace, http://www.amazon.com/Enduro-Matte-B...s=xd+enduro+17

but I'd then need to change the tire size to stay at or right below 33" diameter, correct? The xtra inch from the rim.... They are actually wider though, so i'd be coming up in wheel width and down and tire width, not sure that still works ok... They are 17"x9" vs the 16x8s

So with 17" rims I'd want to go for a.... 275 70 r17, seems like the closest i can find in the cooper A/T3s i want, which puts me just under an inch lower and wider then i had started at, 32" x just under 11" wide.

If its a better long term / more options approach, it seems like a smarter move. Cost wise its only fractionally more cash.

redridge

I would go with the 17" wheel, better long term solution as far as modibility is concerned... you'll never know when youll bang up those tire rods and upgrade to a beefier setup, 17" with the 4.5 bs will give you the room... and I would consider putting on Rubi suspension take off's with that tire size... they are the bargain of the century IMHO.

NotMyMonkeys

Rubicon take offs, I'm assuming thats just oem rubi coils, springs, etc that someone ripped off their new rubi for aftermarket stuff?

Looking at the 17" enduros, there are two models, one shows 0 offset and one shows -6mm offset.

I dont clearly understand what the difference is between offset and backspace?

nthinuf

They are different ways of saying how far into, or out of, the wheel wells the rims/tires sit.

Offset uses the specific rim width in the formula, but basically, positive numbers are tucked into the wheel wells, negative offsets push further out.

Backspace tends to be easier to understand for most people. Stock rims have roughly 6.25" backspace, as that number goes down, the rim/tire move further out. So a 4.50" backspace is about 1.75" further out than a stock rim. (this does not account for rim width differences or whatever, it is just more user friendly. Use an online converter, plug the offset numbers in to get the backspace equivalent)

If I plugged the numbers in right:
17x9 with 0 offset = 5.00 backspace
17x9 with -6 offset = 4.76 backspace

Are you keeping the stock flares? Any chance of chopping them or going to flats? Personally, with a 2" BB and plans for a lift in the future, I would look on the taller side of the 33" tire range, not the shorter. 295/305/34". Or just move to 35's and do some trimming.