Runewolf1973

Would going down in rim diameter from say an 18" rim down to a 16" rim take away some of that perceived stiffness or rough ride associated with an E-rated 35" tire?

TheTerminator

It definitely would, because you have more sidewall, which acts as a shock absorber. This is why I always tell people that bigger wheels are dumb. Go for as small a wheel as you can, especially if you off road.

jsukey

What he said! My 17" wheels look like they got in a fight with Freddy Krueger from all of the rock rash on the beads! I don't even want to imagine what they would look like with anything bigger. All I can do is laugh when I see Jeeps running 20's, or even worse...22's. The majority of people around run a 17" wheel. The prices of the tires go up exponentially after that for the same diameter tire. Also something to think about!

lowendrider

What they said...more sidewall will equal a better ride.

Rock Krawler Suspension

Absolutely it will make an impact. Is there a reason you are running an E-rated tire? E rating is very stiff and typically used on 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. You can also adjust tire pressure to help, what pressure are you currently running?


Adam C.

jchappies

although you will get better sidewall flex your next problem with going down to a smaller rim will be brakes, i think you can fit a 16in rim with stock JK calipers\rotors but you won't ever be able to go bigger. IMO braking is more important because the sidewall can be fixed by going to a D rated tire or running with less air pressure.

tjkamp

Most aftermarket steering and brake parts require a 17in (or larger) wheel. Get a softer side wall D or C, get your air pressure set right, (not what it says in the manual or on the door since you are no longer running factory tires), and you should be good.

Ajkaz

I agree with most here in that properly setting tire pressure to match your load will have a significant improvement in ride quality.

However when moving to a smaller size wheel while keeping the same OD size tire, you will see more body roll accompanied by sloppier steering feedback on a vehicle that already handles relatively poorly.

FWIW I run D rated 37's on OEM 17's @ 26psi and its comfortable with a good contact patch.

tjkamp

From what I have seen folks posting, and it will vary by tire size, load rating, Jeep weight, and wheel width, but it seems most end up settling in somewhere between 25 and 30ish psi. I run 26 in my 315/70r17s on 8.5in wide wheels. 4,750lbs. 2-door JK.

kmrtnsn

I'm running E's on 17" rims and you'd never know it. Air pressure is everything.