Tires, wheels, and maybe even brakes?

[mineral co]

So, I had the GW out for it's first adventure today. It was tons o' fun! I need to do this more often.

The most immediate problem now is the old, lousy street tires. I really, really like the American Eagle and Procomp 8 hole allow wheels and expect to allow myself to buy them.

But then it crossed my mind that I would no longer be limited to 15" tires. I can get any size!

But (normal) flotation tires only come in 15" wheel sizes.

But you can't get a decent E rated truck tire in a 15" size any more.


This is how my day goes, all the time. Everything is a frikkin' compromise.

I had originally settled on either BFG A/T TA KO 31x10.5r15 (generally excellent reviews, and a good looking tire) or the Michelin 31x10.5r15 (I really like Michelins, but I have never used this type of tire before). Both companies also offer a 265/75r16 that is about the same size as the 31 (slightly taller), and is an E rated tire.

Now, I freely admit that my off-roading experience is rather limited. And that means that there are probably considerations that I know nothing of. I want to use this truck for on-road and off-road purposes, though I would be willing to lean more towards the off-road needs as I don't commute every day. Are there reasons beyond the obvious why I would want an imperial flotation tire (15") over a comparably sized (with higher load rating) 16" metric tire?

The other consideration is that there are (I think) larger rotors and calipers available when moving up to a 16" wheel, though that probably shouldn't be a primary consideration at this point. (Even more so with, dare I say it? A 17" wheel?)

Thanks for all offered insight on this. I have not been able to reconcile this in my head, and would sure appreciate some assistance.

Chris

[Stuka]

A 265/75R16 is actually taller than a 31x10.50. Most 31x10.50's have an advertised height of 30.5", while a 265 is typically 31.6".

For an FSJ, I have found a D rated tire as being a good combo. I have E's on my JK and they are certainly harsher than C's. But C's tend to feel soft to me on heavier vehicles.

15" tires ARE cheaper than 16's or 17's. But a lot of new tires have more size selections for 16" and 17" wheels. If I get new wheels for my J10, they will be 16's or 17's. Most likely 16's as then I can move tires from the JK to the J10 if needed.

There are larger brakes for our axles. But not sure its worth the cost. It would be cheaper to go with larger axles, which then have larger brakes by default.

[mineral co]

So, then, I take it that you don't think any off-road ability is sacrificed by going to metric 16" or 17" tires. I would agree that a D or E rated tire is going to ride a little harder than the C, but I feel that is a worthwhile compromise in order to get a much stronger carcass.

My F-550 has G rated tires on it with a lower aspect ratio (225/70r19.5, Michelin XZEs) than any of the tires I'm considering for the Jeep, and I'm not unhappy with the off-road ride these tires provide. For the last dozen years, all my Superduty trucks have had at least E rated tires (all LTX M/S or XZE Michelins) and they have an excellent ride and stability, regardless of what you do with them. Also, importantly, I've never gotten a flat with one of these tires. I've taken small chunks out of the tread and even cut a sidewall a few times, but nothing has ever made it through the carcass and caused a loss of air pressure. Of course, that's not to say that it couldn't happen, but I don't have a single off-road flat story at this point and I want to do whatever I can to keep it that way.

[Stuka]

Well, less sidewall can be bad offroad. The tire will conform to the ground less, and there is a larger chance of scraping the wheel on rocks. I am not running 31's on either Jeep. Although I did run 265's on my JK, and the wheels have a fair amount of rock rash. But that wasn't from forest roads. It was from very rock trails.


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[mineral co]

Those are legitimate points, and I have thought about them a bit. If I go with 16" wheels, they will be the 8" wide units, not the 10" wide. The 17" Procomp wheels are 9" wide, but the American Eagle 17" wheels are 8" wide, so I would definitely go with the AE wheels if I decide to go to 17".

But your point about less sidewall not conforming to the terrain as well is well taken, and a good reason to not go beyond a 16" wheel if I decide to move away from the 15". It is an equally valid point when considering a D or E rated tire over a C rated tire since those higher rated sidewalls are not going to give as much.