I need some help in understanding wheels/tires. I tried searching but couldn't find any comparisons.

First of all I'm debating between the level 8 trackers or mickey thompson black classic III. They are both so similar. The real question is 15in vs 17in with 35s. I'm gonna be having a AEV 2.5 in lift and it's a 95% pavement driven JKU.

What are the pros and cons with 15 vs 17? I know everything is going to be cheaper if I go to the 15in route. What are the pros of going 17in? I just need a few reasons because my wallet is saying 15in all the way. Unfortunately I haven't been able to see the 15 vs 17 on 35s in person yet.

any feedback will be greatly appreciated.


Thanks

 

15's can have clearance issues with the stock brakes, and clearance issues with many of the upgraded steering components, and clearance issues with any of the big brake kits on the market. The tires are cheaper, but many mfg's are moving away from 15's, so depending on the specific tire(s) you are looking at, the selection may be better for 17's, and going forward, the 15" tire selection will continue getting worse.

That said, many people are running 15's without issue, and are very happy with their choice. For me, if I could go back and redo my choice, I would have gone 17 instead of the 16's I have been running.

 

thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it. I'm leaning towards the 17s

 

Everything nthinuf said. And in addition, anything more than 9" of sidewall can get squirrelly during evasive maneuvers at highway speeds. Not an issue for rock crawlers. But if it is 95% pavement, and that includes highway speeds, I would go 17".

 

I have the 17 inch level 8 trackers and they are good wheels. I beat them up in the rocks so im glade I didn't spend extra coin on the MT.

 

15" wheels on 35" tires would give you more grip when aired down. You'll have more tire to grab onto things such as rocks...etc. In general they're better for off road for that reason.

In addition I agree with what the others said too.

Sent from my Go Go Gadget handheld device.

 

I have 15s what hasn't been posted that I know of yet but when I'm aired back up at 30 psi and I hop a curb I can see the sidewall flex a little, probably gives me that in turns too making it harder to control I'll try and grab a video some point this week of my tire aired up going over a curb

 

I had no problems with handling or cornering with my 35's on 15's. I usually ran around 28 psi on the street

 

I have 35" mtrk's on 15x8 MB Razors and I have no complaints so far. I was previously running 33x12.50x17's dick cepek FC-II's on 17x9's and the handling loss of the 15's is minimal at best.

 

thanks for the advice. I might just pony up and get the 17s since it will be a long term thing. much appreciated