Hey guys, picked up an 08 unlimited sahara 3 or 4 weeks ago. Just wondering what size tires I can run with no lift at all. Trying to keep it fairly low so my girlfriend can get in and out easily. I saw the fenders as a limiting factor to a tire size increase, so ive swapped over to bushwacker flat fenders. What kind of mods am i looking at needing for 33's and 35's? Ive searched alot on this and got a few different answers. Ive got a 6 speed with no tow pack so im assuming ive got 3.21's. If i regear itll be a ways off.

Id like to run 15" steelies and have heard there are caliper clearance issues. It seems to be on a case by case basis. I want to run cragars but have heard they have more problems then others. Any truth to that?

 

If you run 16" or 17" steelies, then you don't have to even think about it, right? I don't understand the fascination with 15" wheels.....

I run 33/11.50-17s (285/70-17s) Coopers on factory Moabs with 1.5" Spidertrax spacers. I don't have a lift and I have no clearance issues.

You can go with 16" or 17" steel wheels with 4.5" of backspacing and run 33/11.50 tires.

 

The reason i want the 15's is twofold.

A) Tires are cheaper by 40$ or so a tire
B) I have a sick love of big sidewalls and little wheels

Ill do 16's with no problems or regrets if i have to. Can I run 33-12.5 with 4.00 BS? Or does it have to be an 11.5?

 

anyone know if i can run 12.5 on stock height with 4.00 BS?

 

Maybe I'm thinking bass-akwards, but I believe a 12.5" tire, on a 15", 4.0 BS wheel would rub in more places than one.

You need less backspacing, something like a 3.75" or even better, 3.50" (hard to find) with a 15" wheel.

 

I would assume that it wouldnt matter what height rim im running so long as the BS is correct for the tire size. I dont want to jam my tire way out beyond my flat flares so maybe ill need to stay at 11.5 wide.

I just assumed that if a 4.50 BS wheel would fit a 11.5 wide tire, then a 12.5 wide is actually only an extra 0.5 inches wide on each side. So if the tire is only 0.5 inches wider on the inside, then takin an extra 0.5 inches off the BS of the rim should counter the extra width.

So by my logic, if a 11.5 fits perfect on a 4.50 BS wheel, then a 12.5 should fit perfect on a 4.00 BS wheel provided the offset is the same on both rims.

 

Sure. But on a JK BS is very important primarily because JK's come with 17 and 18" wheels as OEM. Using a 15" wheel, the brake calipers will quite possibly rub the inside of your wheels. There are many threads on how to overcome this issue. Nothing wrong with running 15's, I did it for quite some time with no issues, just don't expect them to "bolt right up".

My point is, with a 15" wheel on a JK, you're going to need somewhere between 3.50" and 3.75" of backspacing to clear your brake calipers. Any more, you're going to rub, bad. Any less, you're going to look like a roller skate. An 8-9" wide wheel won't throw your tires out too far beyond your flares.

If you want to run 15" tires, your going to want to stick to a 15x8" wheel, 3.75" BS.

PM Planman. He's got more info than you will ever need on this subject.

 

I am running 33-10.5 16 (Stock Steelies)with no rubbing. But I like the tall skinny look on the tires and they cut right through the snow.

 

i run 33"s on 15" rims 12.50 wide, without a lift and have no problems with rubbing, also running 3.75 bs.

 

Get a lift and get the girlfriend a pair of these

Too bad east coast girls dress frumpy in the sleet.