Don't understand wheel width in relation to tire...
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: salem, oregon
The narrower wheel will make the tire stick out like .1" taller. Not much of a difference. You should be running a lower PSI on the narrower rim anyways to maintain a proper foot print, they might come out to being the same height at proper PSI settings.
And yes- a 11.5 to 12.5 width tire would work just fine on either a 8 or 9" rim. My coworker runs a stretched 30x9.50 on a 15x10. I ran a 32x11.50 on a 15x10 before.
Its all a preference really. I wouldn't want to exceed the limitations too much, since the safety and stability would be affected. EG: if a tire is advertised to fit a rim range of 8.5 to 10.5, then I would not want to run that tire on a +/- 1" rim. What that means is that I would not run that tire on anything lower than 7.5" wide rims or wider than a 11.5 rim.
Take interco's SS M16 in a 33x13.00-17 size.
33x13.00R17LT M16-23R 79 10 2 21/32 10.4 33.0 13.10 678 17X8.5-11 65 3195
You can see that the rim size "approved" for a tire this size is a 8.5" to 11" wide rim. I would not run this on anything lower than a 7.5" wide rim or greater than a 12" wide rim. It's just my preference.
And yes- a 11.5 to 12.5 width tire would work just fine on either a 8 or 9" rim. My coworker runs a stretched 30x9.50 on a 15x10. I ran a 32x11.50 on a 15x10 before.
Its all a preference really. I wouldn't want to exceed the limitations too much, since the safety and stability would be affected. EG: if a tire is advertised to fit a rim range of 8.5 to 10.5, then I would not want to run that tire on a +/- 1" rim. What that means is that I would not run that tire on anything lower than 7.5" wide rims or wider than a 11.5 rim.
Take interco's SS M16 in a 33x13.00-17 size.
33x13.00R17LT M16-23R 79 10 2 21/32 10.4 33.0 13.10 678 17X8.5-11 65 3195
You can see that the rim size "approved" for a tire this size is a 8.5" to 11" wide rim. I would not run this on anything lower than a 7.5" wide rim or greater than a 12" wide rim. It's just my preference.
JK Junkie
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,737
Likes: 1
From: Rochester, NY
Running a 13.50 wide tire on a 10 to 11 inch wide rim is just fine. a 14.50 to 15.50 would be fine as well, but it would be akin to running a 12.5 on a 7.5 rim. It will bulge out.
Nitto makes some of the widest tires. Their 15.50 wide tires are designed to fit on a 11 to 13" wide rim, but you could get away with running a 10" rim at a lower PSI.
Also, tire height would affect it too. You would have problems running let's say a 31x15.50 on a 17x10 rim as compared to a 35x15.50 on a 17x10 rim, since there is not much room to have the sidewalls flex inwards.
Tire fitment is a science. And by the way, I wouldn't run anything higher than a 13.50 on a JK unless you have massively backspaced rims, due to clearance problems with the fenders etc... Every vehicle has a "Sweet Spot".
Some random googling brought this up: I do NOT own these pictures at all. It shows how increased height will allow for a wider tire on the same size rim. Look at how the 31s are stretched out greatly, 33s are slightly bulging (sweet spot), while the 44s are bulging.
31x10.50 on a 15x10 rim
https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/ima...loads/3053.jpg
33x14.00 on a 15x10 rim
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...6/DSC03303.jpg
44x18.50 on a 15x10
http://image.4wheeloffroad.com/f/mis...27500293/5.jpg
Here's my old XJ with the street 33x12.50 on a 15x10 (for all terrain)
Nitto makes some of the widest tires. Their 15.50 wide tires are designed to fit on a 11 to 13" wide rim, but you could get away with running a 10" rim at a lower PSI.
Also, tire height would affect it too. You would have problems running let's say a 31x15.50 on a 17x10 rim as compared to a 35x15.50 on a 17x10 rim, since there is not much room to have the sidewalls flex inwards.
Tire fitment is a science. And by the way, I wouldn't run anything higher than a 13.50 on a JK unless you have massively backspaced rims, due to clearance problems with the fenders etc... Every vehicle has a "Sweet Spot".
Some random googling brought this up: I do NOT own these pictures at all. It shows how increased height will allow for a wider tire on the same size rim. Look at how the 31s are stretched out greatly, 33s are slightly bulging (sweet spot), while the 44s are bulging.
31x10.50 on a 15x10 rim
https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/ima...loads/3053.jpg
33x14.00 on a 15x10 rim
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...6/DSC03303.jpg
44x18.50 on a 15x10
http://image.4wheeloffroad.com/f/mis...27500293/5.jpg
Here's my old XJ with the street 33x12.50 on a 15x10 (for all terrain)
Last edited by IcyFridge; May 3, 2010 at 07:44 AM.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: salem, oregon
Running a 13.50 wide tire on a 10 to 11 inch wide rim is just fine. a 14.50 to 15.50 would be fine as well, but it would be akin to running a 12.5 on a 7.5 rim. It will bulge out.
Nitto makes some of the widest tires. Their 15.50 wide tires are designed to fit on a 11 to 13" wide rim, but you could get away with running a 10" rim at a lower PSI.
Also, tire height would affect it too. You would have problems running let's say a 31x15.50 on a 17x10 rim as compared to a 35x15.50 on a 17x10 rim, since there is not much room to have the sidewalls flex inwards.
Tire fitment is a science. And by the way, I wouldn't run anything higher than a 13.50 on a JK unless you have massively backspaced rims, due to clearance problems with the fenders etc... Every vehicle has a "Sweet Spot".
Some random googling brought this up: I do NOT own these pictures at all. It shows how increased height will allow for a wider tire on the same size rim. Look at how the 31s are stretched out greatly, 33s are slightly bulging (sweet spot), while the 44s are bulging.
31x10.50 on a 15x10 rim
https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/ima...loads/3053.jpg
33x14.00 on a 15x10 rim
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...6/DSC03303.jpg
44x18.50 on a 15x10
http://image.4wheeloffroad.com/f/mis...27500293/5.jpg
Here's my old XJ with the street 33x12.50 on a 15x10 (for all terrain)
Nitto makes some of the widest tires. Their 15.50 wide tires are designed to fit on a 11 to 13" wide rim, but you could get away with running a 10" rim at a lower PSI.
Also, tire height would affect it too. You would have problems running let's say a 31x15.50 on a 17x10 rim as compared to a 35x15.50 on a 17x10 rim, since there is not much room to have the sidewalls flex inwards.
Tire fitment is a science. And by the way, I wouldn't run anything higher than a 13.50 on a JK unless you have massively backspaced rims, due to clearance problems with the fenders etc... Every vehicle has a "Sweet Spot".
Some random googling brought this up: I do NOT own these pictures at all. It shows how increased height will allow for a wider tire on the same size rim. Look at how the 31s are stretched out greatly, 33s are slightly bulging (sweet spot), while the 44s are bulging.
31x10.50 on a 15x10 rim
https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/ima...loads/3053.jpg
33x14.00 on a 15x10 rim
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...6/DSC03303.jpg
44x18.50 on a 15x10
http://image.4wheeloffroad.com/f/mis...27500293/5.jpg
Here's my old XJ with the street 33x12.50 on a 15x10 (for all terrain)
