fusion Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I am going to get new wheels and tires after I get my lift but I just cannot decide whether to go with a 16" wheel or a 17" wheel. What are everyone's thoughts on this? Will a 17" wheel be as good for wheeling as a 16" wheel if the tire is the same size in relation to outside dimensions? How does the 1/2" decrease in the tire's sidewall height affect off and on road performance? Additional tech info: If it helps, I am going with the Mickey Thompson MTZ (265/75r16 or 265/70r17) tire regardless of wheel choice. If I get the 17" wheel, I will get KMC Revolver 17x9 (with 4.53" backspacing). If I get the 16" wheel, it will be the Pro-Comp 7031 in 16x8 (with 4.5" backspacing). I will be running the AC spring lift on KYB GR-2 struts and Rancho rs9000xl shocks. Warn Hubs as well. Not sure yet about strut or wheel spacers. I'll do them if I need to. Any thoughts on wheel/tire fitment in regards to possibly needing spacers, trimming/rubbing, etc. are appreciated as well. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The only input I have on the subject is price. I understand there is a decent price increase between tires for 16" & 17" wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skulptr Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 thats too much BS if im reading right. i have a 4" bs on mine. but about the size of the rims, do you offroad at all? if you have bigger rims, you will have less sidewall to flex while offroad, and more metal to chip away at. i hate buying brand new rims to take off road, and i dont want to ding them all up after putting a couple hundred bucks into them. a smaller rim gives your tire more flex at less psi (air down for offroad). thats why alot of serious offroad rigs have something between 14-16" with beadlocks, to get as much rubber down as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exit34rocker1017 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) I'd go with the 16's. And thumbs up to the Mickey Thompson MTZ's. I have the ATZ's and I love them. Edited January 28, 2011 by exit34rocker1017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 thats too much BS if im reading right. i have a 4" bs on mine. but about the size of the rims, do you offroad at all? if you have bigger rims, you will have less sidewall to flex while offroad, and more metal to chip away at. i hate buying brand new rims to take off road, and i dont want to ding them all up after putting a couple hundred bucks into them. a smaller rim gives your tire more flex at less psi (air down for offroad). thats why alot of serious offroad rigs have something between 14-16" with beadlocks, to get as much rubber down as possible. Can you help shed some light on the "too much BS" issue? If I remember correctly, I need at least 3.75 and most people need some form of wheel spacer as well.... why would 4.5" be a bad thing? Yeah, I offroad once or twice a month, usually for a few days at a time, so off-road performance is right under "reliability" when it comes to my r50. I was just curious how much people though 1/2" difference would make in the real world, both on, and off, road. Thanks for all the input so far guys! Update to my choices: I am now also considering the Pro-Comp Mud Terrain tire and the Mickey Thompson Sidebiter wheels.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dududuckling Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Can you help shed some light on the "too much BS" issue? If I remember correctly, I need at least 3.75 and most people need some form of wheel spacer as well.... why would 4.5" be a bad thing? Regarding the backspacing, the lesser the number, the more the wheel will stick out and so does the tire. So 3.75" backspacing will stick out more than a 4.5" wheel, and a 4.5" backspacing will stick out more than the stock wheel. AC says that minimum of 3.75" is required; ideally they want you to get 3.75" backspacing or lower, so your tire will clear the struts for sure. With the R50, the thing to keep in mind when upsizing tires will be tire-to-strut clearance. With the stock wheel, if I'm not mistaken, approximately 0.5" of the tire is right under the strut. Its not a big deal if you keep the tire size stock, which is 30". But as you go up to 32's or 33's, the tires will rub the struts. I personally think that you might still need wheel spacer if you get the 4.5" backspace wheel. But I don't think you'll need any with 3.5" backspace wheels or lower (correct me if I'm wrong). You can always go with stock rims and use spacers up front, then stuff 33's like 01silvapathy. There are lotsa options, just remember that you want about 4" or less backspacing, so the tires will stick out more and clear the strut and you're good to go... but not way out that you can't turn or the rear tires hit the fender flares when flexed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 Regarding the backspacing, the lesser the number, the more the wheel will stick out and so does the tire. So 3.75" backspacing will stick out more than a 4.5" wheel, and a 4.5" backspacing will stick out more than the stock wheel. AC says that minimum of 3.75" is required; ideally they want you to get 3.75" backspacing or lower, so your tire will clear the struts for sure. With the R50, the thing to keep in mind when upsizing tires will be tire-to-strut clearance. With the stock wheel, if I'm not mistaken, approximately 0.5" of the tire is right under the strut. Its not a big deal if you keep the tire size stock, which is 30". But as you go up to 32's or 33's, the tires will rub the struts. I personally think that you might still need wheel spacer if you get the 4.5" backspace wheel. But I don't think you'll need any with 3.5" backspace wheels or lower (correct me if I'm wrong). You can always go with stock rims and use spacers up front, then stuff 33's like 01silvapathy. There are lotsa options, just remember that you want about 4" or less backspacing, so the tires will stick out more and clear the strut and you're good to go... but not way out that you can't turn or the rear tires hit the fender flares when flexed. Duh. Brain fart on my part, thanks for bringing me back to earth. Do you happen to know the backspacing of the stock tri-spoke wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowser Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I'm with Pezzy on the wheel size issue as well. Price our 16" and 17" for the same wheels, and price out the same tires for a 16" and 17" rim. Then Multiply everything you just found out by 5 and check out your total difference. 16" would be your better option for not only performance for offroad, but for your pocket book hands down. Use the money you just saved for other upgrades like a Fluery's Skidplate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channel595 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 go with 15in, tires are cheaper and easier to find plus steelies are easy to spray paint lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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