so i was talking to a tire vendor on he web and he was trying to talk me out of using my stock 17 inch wheels and buying 16s..is he just trying to make a sale? or is there a real reason to drop wheel size? also, why do some tires run metric sizes (255/70/70) and some are traditional (33 inch?)

thanks
steve

 

Steve:

From a "Tire Guy's" perspective (I'm a Tire Center supervisor for Costco Wholesale), there are a couple of reasons for going to a 16" wheel vs. a 17" wheel:

1. Smaller diameter = less weight (less material)
2. Certain wheels styles are ONLY available in a smaller diameter
3. No fitment issues with a 16" wheel vs. a 17" wheel (I know a few JK'ers are even running 15" wheels with no issues)
4. 16" wheels are usually less expensive than 17" wheels (even successive jump in rim diameters equals a jump in price)



As for you tire question, some tire manufacturers just choose to size in what's called the "LT metric" (Light Truck Metric) system for some tires, where you will see sizes like:

1. LT315/75R16
2. LT285/70R17
3. LT305/65R17

whereas some other tires are sized in what's called a "Flotation Series," where the sizes look like:

1. 35X12.50R17
2. 33X12.50R17
3. 32X11.50R15

and so on and so forth. I hope that helps out some.


Russ D.

 

I think that there's one other advantage to a 16" over a 17". Sidewall flex. For the same tire size, a 16" model has more sidewall, and thus will allow an aired down tire to conform better to the ground under it.

I don't know if going from a 17 to 16 would make a big difference in this respect, but logic tells me that a 16" should offer better performance in this respect.