I need new tires!.. I have a lift in my foyer that's crying for instillation and I am torn on what to do next.
I'm waiting to install the lift until I pick out my tires and decide on something to do with my wheels. (lift = teraflex level kit... I can only fit 33's)
I am either going to buy new 15's or 16's (black) and buy new tires or buy new tires and powder coat stock wheels. Both I think look awesome but I cant decide which makes more sense..

HELP ME!!! state your position and show me your setup!
High five to you in advance...
Camping season is around the corner and I need this done asap

 

Chop your flares and run 35's, you'll have plenty of room with the leveling kit.

15's with 3.75BS would be good, real cheap tires.
16's if you want more BS to keep the tires tucked in a bit.

If you stay with the stock rims, look into spacers also.

 

if you are going to wheel it....in my opinion...get a lift....I had my Teraflex leveling kit on for about 6months then installed a 3.5" lift.

 

No wheelin' I'm mostly a DD with a camping obsession and I like to hit the mud/trails when I can. Thanks tho!

 

what's 3.75BS??
I will look at spacers also thanks!

 

Backspace. It is how far in or out of the wheel well the tire sits. Stock wheels have a 6.25" BS. When you move to taller/wider tires, you need to move them out further, which means less backspace. A 4.50" BS is common for running 35x12.50 tires. And since the brakes are so large on JK's, there are clearance issues when you drop down to 15" rims. For them, you will want to get the rims pushed out as far as you can. A 4.0 BS may work, but grinding the calipers is fairly common. So a 3.75 BS is what you want.

A few examples:
6.25 - 3.75 = 2.5. So with a 3.75BS, your rims will be sticking out 2.5" further on both sides of your jeep. And a bit further for the tires sticking out past the rims of course.
6.25 - 1.50 = 4.75. So your stock rims with a 1.5" spacer will give an effective backspace of 4.75".

 

OK for what you are going to be doing .....this is what I would do.....Throw the leveling kit on and get some wheel spacers and you will be fine...... just run 33's you wont have to worry about re-gearing etc It will look awesome....

That's exactly what I was running for a few months.

 

still looking for insight on 15 or 16's with 33"s or stock with 33"s
It seems that its almost as cheap to buy 15 or 16s and 33"s then it is to buy tires and pay to powder coat existing 17"s