I'm new to this whole Jeep customization thing, but noticing there seems to be a strong preference amongst off-roaders to use 17" wheels. I'm wondering why. My Sahara came with 18" wheels, probably because of improved ON road performance (?) which is kind of the intent of the Sahara model in general, I think. So, anyway, why 17" wheels?

 

Lighter, cheaper, less blingy, more D rated tire options in 17", more side wall and better when aired down.

 

Wheel size is really a preference, but there are advantages to going smaller. 17's have more options for ties sizes than 18. Also, with each size you go down the cheeper the tires, and wheels, get. As you go down in size you get a better tire sidewall to wheel ratio for more sidewall flex off road. There are downsides to going smaller, a lot of after market upgrades, especially brake upgrade packages are designed for a 17" or lager wheel, so going to 16" rules out some of those options. A lot of guys run 15" but you have to be careful because a lot of the after market 15" wheels won't fit on the JK.

From what I have seen 17" wheels are probably the most common choice for aftermarket wheels.

 

I think that 18's come with the 'upscale' Sahara for the bling factor, nothing to do with performance.

Kinda like all the people running around bragging about the looks of their new 20's or 22's. Congratulations, you just paid three times what I did just so you can show off... Good job!!

 

I agree with this, especially when you consider that when the JK came out it was the Sahara model only that had painted fenders. The X/Sport is marketed for basic buyers (though it has a certain appeal to hardcore off-road modders who would replace all of the goodies out of a Rubicon), the Sahara is more for the "luxury" buyer (painted fenders, power options, 18" wheels, etc), and the Rubicon is more for the hardcore rock crawler (better axles, lower geared transfer case, lockers, etc). Those are broad generalizations and the explanations cited above regarding different wheel sizes are all correct. But, within the broader Jeep community, too little sidewall displays a lack of understanding of what a Jeep is really designed for. The closer your wheel is to the rocks (because of little sidewall), the rougher the ride, the less effectiveness the tires have to wrap around rocks and such, and the more vulnerable the wheels are to damage. Of course, that last one is a certain mark of pride for those of us who use our Jeeps, LOL.

 

An 18" wheel will have a stiffer sidewall giving you an on road ride that firmer when cornering with reduced body roll. Its not a huge difference on a jeep. It also gives the manufactur another option to jack up the price.

 

+1
I bought the Sahara with the 18 inch polished wheels. When I looked for replacement tires (Bridgestones were terrible in the Northern Illinois winter), I found a lack of choices for tires in 18". So I bought a set of 17" takeoffs from the dealership. Put 285/70/17 Nitto Terra Grapplers on and never looked back! The ride does feel better with 17's also.

 

This is all really helpful, thanks everyone.

 

This is interesting:

Option 1: Purchase 5 - 325/65/R18 Duratracs to fit my current 18" wheels = $1,695. They are a calculated height of 34.6".*
Option 2: Purchase 5 - 315/70/R17 Duratracs to fit new 17" wheels = $1,430 ($265 less). They are a calculated height of 34.4".*

So, I'd lose .2", which is negligible for me, and I'd save $265. Granted, I'd have to buy 5 new 17" wheels so the actual cost would higher, but I'd also be selling 5 nearly new 18" aftermarket wheels with my current Duratracs with 80% tread life.

PLUS, the next time I need tires, I'd save money again since I'd be at the 17" wheel size instead of the 18" wheel size.



*I know there is some discussion about the "true" diameter of these tires, and I've found they are probably less than the diameters reported, but since I'm using the same website to get the diameter of both tires, I figured it apples to apples for the sake of my cost argument.

 

Or you can do as I did. Buy 5 off brand( but still really well made) 35x12.50-18's for $995.00.