Howdy Jeepers,

I just ordered myself some BFGoodrich MT's in 255/75/17 and need to purchase an appropriate wheel. The tire specs say the wheel should be 6.5-8.5 inches wide. I've heard running larger is better cause a) you get +.4 inches tire width, and b) more of the tred will be in contact with the road so they wear more even. But I've also heard that smaller is better so the tires protect the wheels more.

Any advice I could get would be great. Thinking about 17x7 or 17x8. And which is better for airing down for offroading?

Thanks much!

 

More narrow is better, keeps your wheels from getting banged up as much. Personally I don't like to go below the tire manufacturers recommended minimum width, but there are plenty who will go even less.

Rim width will change tire width but also height. Wider wheels equates to broader section width but less tire height. What it won't change is the size of the contact patch.

For example if I have a 3500lb equal weight distributed over 4 corners vehicle, tires inflated to 35lbs, my contact patch among the 4 wheels is 100 inches or 25 inches per wheel. The only way to increase the contact patch is to decrease air pressure. At 20lbs of air pressure you would have 175 inches of contact patch 44 inches per tire.

 

also smaller wheels will help keep a bead at lower psi when you air down.. IE its easier to loose a bead on an 8.5-9" at 12psi than it is on a 7.5-8"

 

Cool, thanks guys for answering my questions. Sounds like I'll be going with the 7 over the 8.