I know I should someohow know some of this, but I just need a little help:

1st) I'm looking for steel standard black wheels that will swap out without any modifications. Kind of like the old AR 797s on my last TJ. Does anyone have a suugestion...models, pics, etc...

2nd) When I'm looking around, I see 17x9 or 17x8 with backspacing specs. If I want to just switch out with my standard 17s that are 255/75R17, which exact specs should I look for.

3rd) Yes, I'm going to wear these downs and put some 33s. But does anyone have a good place to get some black steels? Does any of our vendors have a special that I may have missed?

Post your black steels if you like.....

 

I know that Quadratec has some 16x8 Crager Soft 8's that are very affordable and if memory serves me right, comes with 5" of back spacing. Factory is 6.25" of back spacing but I think you'll find the slightly wider stance to be nice and if you ever upgrade your tires, you shouldn't have any problems.

 

Summit racing has the cheapest $ on steelies I've seen anywhere. Maybe Quadratec will price match?

 

Heres the ones i got at http://www .4wheelparts.com/partLists.aspx?plID=5451&w=1515-15

 

Does negative offset increase or decrease the effective backspace? Do the wheels stick out further with negative offset. I get backpsacing, but I am still fuzzy on offset.

 

Look... I can see I might be limited with 5 x 5, but there out there. What is BACKSPACING means by definition. The reason I ask is that there's 17s with 5 x 5 with 4.5 vs 5 with a 10$ difference. As of 17s with 8" or 9", what does that mean also. Thanks for some of the leads. Anyone one else with some more suggestions that have worked, post them. Also, has anyone heard of Eagle for a wheel maker?

 

Who's better Crager's or American Racing !!!! Who knock off who or are copy cats ?????????????

 

To answer your questions. First a rim that is 17x9 is 17" diameter and 9" wide. Backspacing is the distance from the wheel mounting face, to the back edge of the rim. Offset is the distance that the wheel mounting face is from center. Here are the specs from the link posted above.
This rim measures out to 17" diameter, 9" wide, backspacing puts the surface of the rim that meets the hub 4.75" from the back edge of the rim, and a -6mm offset means that the surface of the rim that mounts to the hub is 6mm (.25") closer to the outer surface of the rim, than the back, from center. I hope that answers your questions.

 

So the 6mm can be calculated by substracting the backspacing from half of the width? Why even bother with offset then, if all the information is there for you?

 

I am running 35's mounted on the 17x8 Rock Crawler Series 97's with 4.5" back spacing. When you go to 33's you should not have clearance issues.