Wheel Thoughts

The 805

The 805

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15
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Blue Ridge Mountains of NC
Hey All,

Need some feedback on swapping out wheels and tire sizes. Currently running 33" BFG KO2s on 17x9 Moto Metal 951 series chrome rims. They were put on by the PO and I love the look and stance of these with my 2" OME lift. Unfortunately the rims are shot and now MM no longer makes this series in the 5x4.5. In fact, it looks like they are eliminating that series all together. So I've spent months looking for something I like but keep coming up short. I've sort of settled now on just going with an old school look like the Pro Comp 69 series or MT Classic III series. Still not exactly what I want but I'm tired of looking and need new tires now too, so want to bite the bullet and shell out the cash for both wheels and tires at the same time. Also finally adding a spare for peace of mind after 5 years of driving back and forth across country (NC to AZ/CA), including some moderate off-road use, without having one.

Was going to stick with the 17x9 4.53" backspace setup so I could just reuse the best remaining KO2 for the spare on the 5th rim. But again, limited selection of anything appealing to me. Have read a ton of threads on here and looked at a zillion photos on countless websites. Am considering maybe just going to a 15x8 rim with 12.5" tire setup since there's a lot more options. I know that setup is great for off-road and would be good on the suspension destroying mountain road I live on. Any knowledge you guys can share on if there would be issues with on road DD driving and/or interstate speeds? Also would appreciate any opinions on wheel brands / sizes / styles if you care to share them...

Pretty much every smart decision I've made on quality parts for my build over the past couple of years have come from what I've seen on this particular forum. I've learned a ton from everyone here and appreciate the respectful community vibe, so also just want to give a shout out to Chris and everyone else on here!

Thanks
 
I'm not a fan of the 17's for a 33.

But I am a big fan of the ProComp 69 in a 15x10 with 33x12.5. Excellent road manners. Comfortable. These are Falken Wild Peaks. Super quiet on the highway. Decent in the snow. Not my favorite in the rain.
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I like the look of factory wheels pushed out a little with spacers but that is just me. I also like the classic look of the wheels you mentioned but that much backspace is a bit too much for my taste. You won't have any highway drawbacks running 15's. My tj is set up pretty firm with the shocks and swayloc and my wheel/tire setup (33x10.50's ko2s at 25psi) does not hold me back at all carving down mountain highways at speed.
 
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MikekiM said:
I'm not a fan of the 17's for a 33.

But I am a big fan of the ProComp 69 in a 15x10 with 33x12.5. Excellent road manners. Comfortable. These are Falken Wild Peaks. Super quiet on the highway. Decent in the snow. Not my favorite in the rain.
view


view
Click to expand...

Yeah I like the look on your rig. I ran the Wildpeaks on our 2000 Cherokee until my daughter killed it (and the deer she hit it with). Great tires, they are my second choice to the BFGs. I like those flares and hood latches too!
 
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I can't say what look you like but I like the tire selection, weight and performance off road that you get running 15" wheels. I've always thought the only reason to get larger wheels was bigger brakes but allot of people run JK/JL wheels with adapters and have very good things to say about them, especially highway manners. They can also be very affordable as take offs and I think the size might be close to a 33" tire on some Jeeps but I don't know all the details on those. Ugly wheels in general are going to look like shit no matter what size they are.
 
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The 805 said:
I like those flares and hood latches too!
Click to expand...

Without a wider flare the tire and wheel combo looks a bit goofy to me. I ran the same setup on my JK and there too wider flare made things look more balanced. There are other flare options but I’ve always liked the Bushwacker flatties. I have more money than sense.

The latches are an Amazon copy of the Drake latches. I made a set for my JK on the cheap. Just some bits from McMaster Carr.
 
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New wrinkle...the KO2s in 33x12.5x15 are apparently out of stock everywhere until August and I need new tires yesterday. So... I will either have to go with the 33x10.5x15 that are in stock or go with the 33x12.5x15 Wildpeaks. Leaning toward the Pro Comp 69 15x10 wheels at the moment...
 
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The 805 said:
New wrinkle...the KO2s in 33x12.5x15 are apparently out of stock everywhere until August and I need new tires yesterday. So... I will either have to go with the 33x10.5x15 that are in stock or go with the 33x12.5x15 Wildpeaks. Leaning toward the Pro Comp 69 15x10 wheels at the moment...
Click to expand...

8 inch wide wheels are recommended if you go off-road any
 
The 805 said:
New wrinkle...the KO2s in 33x12.5x15 are apparently out of stock everywhere until August and I need new tires yesterday. So... I will either have to go with the 33x10.5x15 that are in stock or go with the 33x12.5x15 Wildpeaks. Leaning toward the Pro Comp 69 15x10 wheels at the moment...
Click to expand...

Can't complain about that setup. Exactly what I have. I don't wheel it.. dirt roads, some rocky fire roads and the outer beach. One word of caution, if you're considering the polished aluminum be prepared to occasionally give them some TLC. The upkeep is a bit laborious. Not horrible unless you let them get away from you. Plan to hit them with polish from time to time. I just did a spring cleaning and it was a bit of work.

Comparing the two (go here)....
  • Speed Index: Both tires have an R, S, Q, T speed index
  • Load Range: K02= C, D, E VS. Wildpeak= SL, C, D, E, F
  • Sizes: K02 has the most tire sizes at 87, fitting wheel sizes from 15-inches to 22-inches
  • K02 Design: Multi-varied shoulder blocks, angled saw blade side biters, six-ply sidewall
  • Wildpeak Design: slightly angled side biter for extra traction & larger shoulder blocks for low road noise
  • Winter Weather: Both tires have a three-peak SnowFlake rating
  • Price: K02= Starts at $1,200 a set for tires | Wildpeak starts at $1K for a set of tires
  • Warranties: K02 = 50K or 6 year | Wildpeak= 55K limited tread life
 
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The 805 said:
New wrinkle...the KO2s in 33x12.5x15 are apparently out of stock everywhere until August and I need new tires yesterday. So... I will either have to go with the 33x10.5x15 that are in stock or go with the 33x12.5x15 Wildpeaks. Leaning toward the Pro Comp 69 15x10 wheels at the moment...
Click to expand...

I run Wildpeak A/T3s on two vehicles and they'll be going on a third soon. I know a lot of folks like the KO2, but I'm not a fan. I experienced significant chunking when wheeling with them on rocks. That said, they are a good all weather tire, but you won't be disappointed with the Wildpeaks.
 
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The 805 said:
Hey All,

Need some feedback on swapping out wheels and tire sizes. Currently running 33" BFG KO2s on 17x9 Moto Metal 951 series chrome rims. They were put on by the PO and I love the look and stance of these with my 2" OME lift. Unfortunately the rims are shot and now MM no longer makes this series in the 5x4.5. In fact, it looks like they are eliminating that series all together. So I've spent months looking for something I like but keep coming up short. I've sort of settled now on just going with an old school look like the Pro Comp 69 series or MT Classic III series. Still not exactly what I want but I'm tired of looking and need new tires now too, so want to bite the bullet and shell out the cash for both wheels and tires at the same time. Also finally adding a spare for peace of mind after 5 years of driving back and forth across country (NC to AZ/CA), including some moderate off-road use, without having one.

Was going to stick with the 17x9 4.53" backspace setup so I could just reuse the best remaining KO2 for the spare on the 5th rim. But again, limited selection of anything appealing to me. Have read a ton of threads on here and looked at a zillion photos on countless websites. Am considering maybe just going to a 15x8 rim with 12.5" tire setup since there's a lot more options. I know that setup is great for off-road and would be good on the suspension destroying mountain road I live on. Any knowledge you guys can share on if there would be issues with on road DD driving and/or interstate speeds? Also would appreciate any opinions on wheel brands / sizes / styles if you care to share them...

Pretty much every smart decision I've made on quality parts for my build over the past couple of years have come from what I've seen on this particular forum. I've learned a ton from everyone here and appreciate the respectful community vibe, so also just want to give a shout out to Chris and everyone else on here!

Thanks
Click to expand...

I'm just the opposite from most here, I have the 33's on 17's too and love em!
I never get my Jeep off the pavement either, so there's that too.
I think I achieved the perfect balance of big tires, but not too aggressive for my daily driver.
The "Ghetto" rim look is horrible and should be out-lawed.
IMG_1661.JPG
 
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MikekiM said:
Can't complain about that setup. Exactly what I have. I don't wheel it.. dirt roads, some rocky fire roads and the outer beach. One word of caution, if you're considering the polished aluminum be prepared to occasionally give them some TLC. The upkeep is a bit laborious. Not horrible unless you let them get away from you. Plan to hit them with polish from time to time. I just did a spring cleaning and it was a bit of work.

Comparing the two (go here)....
  • Speed Index: Both tires have an R, S, Q, T speed index
  • Load Range: K02= C, D, E VS. Wildpeak= SL, C, D, E, F
  • Sizes: K02 has the most tire sizes at 87, fitting wheel sizes from 15-inches to 22-inches
  • K02 Design: Multi-varied shoulder blocks, angled saw blade side biters, six-ply sidewall
  • Wildpeak Design: slightly angled side biter for extra traction & larger shoulder blocks for low road noise
  • Winter Weather: Both tires have a three-peak SnowFlake rating
  • Price: K02= Starts at $1,200 a set for tires | Wildpeak starts at $1K for a set of tires
  • Warranties: K02 = 50K or 6 year | Wildpeak= 55K limited tread life
Click to expand...

Thanks a bunch for the comparison info! Like you, I don't do any crazy wheeling since this is my DD, but the road we live on is a mile long steering and suspension killer (think badly rutted logging road) so my rig gets abused daily by it. When I'm out West I'll run some decent trails like Schnebly Hill in AZ and various runs in CO or UT, but nothing too hardcore. I'd probably be more skeptical of the Wildpeaks if I hadn't used them before on the now dead XJ, but I was actually pretty impressed with them. The KO2s have been fantastic on the TJ and I was spoiled by getting a deal on them 3 years ago from a local Jeep conversion outfit as they were stock take-offs from some Rubis. Set of four brand new for $600 :eek:!! That deal of course is no longer available.

I don't worry much about road noise since I run open with the upper doors removed and summer top most of the time anyway but you had mentioned not liking the Falkens in the rain which may be a concern since I found the KO2s to be way better than a set of Coopers I had prior to them. But again, they seemed ok on the XJ and in the snow as well.

Good to know on the wheel polishing, I'll try to stay on top of them (he says with his best intentions that will never be realized 🤣). I had read somewhere that some folks hit them up with a coat of clear from time to time to cut down on the amount of polishing needed, but that just sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Hope to be ordering everything this week...

Thanks again!
 
Clear coating.. I would skip it. But if you had to go that route you're better off with a quality paint than clear powder coating simply because the paint is easier to repair if you tag a wheel. Powder coating can't be spot repaired as far as I know.

I've had polished aluminum on many vehicles. There is only one 'coating' I have had success with.. Zoops Seal. Used it with good results on a set of three piece HRE wheels. It lasted about eight months, but was a lot of work on the front end. I just did a really quick google search and I'm not sure if Zoops is still available. Anything else I have tried is too temporary to be worth the effort.

I just did the spring clean of the wheels. Keeping in mind that I am in the NE and see salt, sand and months where even washing them is hit or miss, the spring cleaning wasn't too bad. First wash with aerosol KaBoom cleaner. It's safe for aluminum and loosens up most of the embedded brake dust that accumulates over the winter. Then I use a 4" arbor mounted polishing wheel on an air die grinder, with white and then green polishing rouge. I have a barrel shaped polishing pad for the die grinder that works great in the holes on the 69's. Wipe them down with a damp cloth and good to go. Total time for one wheel is about fifteen to twenty minutes, but they look like new afterwards. Power Balls, Simichrome, Luster Lace, Noxon, Never Dull and such aren't up to the task. Once they are polished I'm good for the summer. Simply wash regularly and call it a day.
 
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MikekiM said:
Clear coating.. I would skip it. But if you had to go that route you're better off with a quality paint than clear powder coating simply because the paint is easier to repair if you tag a wheel. Powder coating can't be spot repaired as far as I know.

I've had polished aluminum on many vehicles. There is only one 'coating' I have had success with.. Zoops Seal. Used it with good results on a set of three piece HRE wheels. It lasted about eight months, but was a lot of work on the front end. I just did a really quick google search and I'm not sure if Zoops is still available. Anything else I have tried is too temporary to be worth the effort.

I just did the spring clean of the wheels. Keeping in mind that I am in the NE and see salt, sand and months where even washing them is hit or miss, the spring cleaning wasn't too bad. First wash with aerosol KaBoom cleaner. It's safe for aluminum and loosens up most of the embedded brake dust that accumulates over the winter. Then I use a 4" arbor mounted polishing wheel on an air die grinder, with white and then green polishing rouge. I have a barrel shaped polishing pad for the die grinder that works great in the holes on the 69's. Wipe them down with a damp cloth and good to go. Total time for one wheel is about fifteen to twenty minutes, but they look like new afterwards. Power Balls, Simichrome, Luster Lace, Noxon, Never Dull and such aren't up to the task. Once they are polished I'm good for the summer. Simply wash regularly and call it a day.
Click to expand...

Excellent, that all sounds doable. I'm familiar with the winters of which you speak since I grew up in Upstate NY. Here in the mountains of NC we periodically get a decent amount of snow and ice and when it comes they salt using a brine solution that literally leaves the roads looking like Bonneville Salt Flats. But nothing nearly as bad as your winters...I don't miss them at all! Now I just have to figure out how to sell one of my children to pay for the new setup! 😂🤣
 
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