- All things being equal, am I better off using a larger diameter rim with a 35" tire?

- All things being equal, am I better off using a "wider" rim with a 35" tire?

(for this purpose, assume that the backspacing isn't an issue)

So, I can purchase 35x12.50x15 tires, and use them on a 5x5 - 15" x 8" rim.

- or -

I can purchase 35x12.50x17 tires, and use them on a 5x5 - 17" x 10" rim.

From my limited knowledge of tire / wheel lore, I'm "assuming" that with the 15" rim, I'd run the risk of bead breaks due to the narrower rim, and with the greater side profile of the 15" tire, there might be other hazards manifest.

Yes, the 15" tires are going to be cheaper (although, there's "less" actual tire using the 17" ) - probably a production thing. But, overall, am I better off using a larger rim and tire????

 

i haven,t seen a 10'' wide 17"wheel....is there a brand i can look at.
That would be my preference.

 

Some will disagree with me, as with all mods theres a lot of opinions.
I'll give you mine.
I prefure a larger diameter wheel like the 17". It will give you better "stability". especially on road.
As for the width, I think 10" is to wide. I am running 35x12.50x17's on 17x9" Micky Thomson Classic Locks, and I'm now wishing I had gone with an 8" width, as I'm doing a lot of damage to the lock rings, and I also like the look of a narrower wheel.
Thats my 2 cents. Hope that helps.

 

Hi new Noob ....lock ring whats that?...is that different from bead locks.

 

lock ring whats that?...is that different from bead locks

Thats the ring on the outer diameter of the wheels with all the bolts in it. You can see it in the picture.
Bye the way, the Micky Thompsons are not real bead locks. They're just for looks...

 

Hey Owl,
another note:
A lot may depend on how you are using your Jeep. I see karls10jk is running 15x10's and runs on the sand. That would probably work better than my setup. Mines a daily driver and offroad I mostly do rock crawling. Guess you need to think about what would work best for you

Welcome to the forum...

 

I think you need to figure what strikes the best balance depending on the intended uses of your jeep. A dedicated crawler would be best served by a small diameter narrower wheel to protect the valve stem and wheel and hold the bead aired down, a bogger/sand buggy probably by a smaller diameter wider wheel/wider tire for better floatation, and a mall crawler by a larger diameter wheel for less sidewall flex and better on road stability.

I opted to split the difference, 17 x 9 steelies on 35" tires. My jeep is a daily driver and is wheeled maybe 6-8 times a year. So I preferred a bit better on road manners, but went with cheap large wheel that I can just touch up when it gets damaged or even replace for less than $100.

You just need to evaluate what your intended use will be and go from there to decide what best suits you...

 

There are two schools of thought to this. Yes, a smaller rim protects the valve stems on a crawler, but an aired down 15" tire can get bouncy. The firmer sidewall with a larger wheel will give more stability on road or off.

Point in case is with the BFG Krawler tires, 35" is the largest you can go with a 15" wheel. For 37" Krawlers you need a 17" wheel, and so on.

I don't like bouncy myself.

 

Thanks everyone. Lots of info.

I try not to use my Jeep as a daily driver, but the wife needs to go to the store a couple times a week....(and she says the Rubicon is a "guy magnet").

I'm not a rock crawler. The folks I go on trips with are mostly overland / cross country folks (the next trip is an alternate run near the Mojave Road). If rocks are on the trail, then so much the better.

Hadn't considered 17" x 9". Sounds like a happy medium (if I were to stay with the 17" rims).

The comments about the smaller width rims are a little counter-intuitive off the bat. I'd have thought that the greater the width would make it more difficult to break the bead. It appears that the opposite is true.

Anybody else please comment. This is an interesting subject (for me anyway).

 

Hey Torch, I love the look of your rig in this pic. Can you post some side views. I'm thinking about jumping to 35s and would like to see how yours looks from the side. I agree with the narrower wheels as well just like you said and also if you wheel in a lot of mud and snow, there is less room for that stuff to get packed into.