Downsizing from 10" to 8" wheels and looking for recommendations

Rick2004LJ

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 11, 2018
Messages
159
Location
Texas
Thinking of downsizing my wheels from 10" to 8" wide. Currently running BFG AT K02 - 33X12.5 R15's on 10" wheels. Have 4 1'2" of lift and flat fenders. Trail Rig (no DD) and mainly play in the rocks - very little sand and hate the mud. I am not worried about flashy looks - just want a good, economical, preferably lightweight, wheel that performs well. I am clueless when it comes to offset and backspacing, and have no idea what current wheels have for either one. Looking for recommendations that fit this bill. Any help greatly appreciated. Fire away. Pics of current setup for reference.
IMG_7786.jpg

IMG_7788.jpg
 
How about some OEM ravines ? They are 15X8 and should fit since they came on some of the TJ's. I've seen sets listed often for $200 or less.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Midtenn
I wouldn't do any factory wheel, they have a backspace of 5 (or 5.5?).. either way your 33x12.5's would rub on your control arms pretty bad. I'd aim for a 15x8" wheel with 3.75 or 4 inches of backspacing. I would do an aluminum wheel, procomp, mamba, Mickey Thompson's, the aesthetics are up to you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry Bransford
Is there much of a weight diff between them?
That depends on the wheels. Some aluminum wheels weigh nearly as much as steel wheels. I have 10" wide steel wheels and might drop to some 8" aluminum Mammoth Boulder wheels like I had on my Sahara. My wheels are 37 lbs and the Mammoth wheels are 20 lbs.
TIRE CARRIER (2) (2017_11_20 00_38_12 UTC).jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SPECWAR
Aluminum is a
Don't really care - What are the pros/cons? Is there much of a weight diff between them?
Aluminum is a better choice, steel bends and dents too easily. Weight comparisons are pretty useless, both steel and aluminum wheel weights vary by wheel design. Forget the term 'offset' which is not helpful where Jeep and truck wheels are concerned. What you want is 3.75" to 4" of backspacing. Backspacing is the absolute distance between the inner-most edge of the wheel and its mounting flange, It's what dictates how much clearance the tire has between it and the suspension and frame.

This is how backspacing is measured, the yellow tape measure is measuring the distance between the wheel's mounting flange and its inner-most edge.

Wheelbackspacing.jpg
 
Don't really care - What are the pros/cons? Is there much of a weight diff between them?
If you do want to consider steels wheels, you might take a look at Tactik wheels. They're sold by Quadratec or on Amazon. Just last week I had them mounted. Went from Pacer 10" to the Tactik 8". At $59.99 I believe they're a good value. I was concerned about them so I checked all 4 with a dial indicator to check for runout. Couldn't believe how good they were. They are well finished and include the center caps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: John Cooper
What wheel width is recommended for a 10 x 33, been thinking of slimming up.
 
If you do want to consider steels wheels, you might take a look at Tactik wheels. They're sold by Quadratec or on Amazon. Just last week I had them mounted. Went from Pacer 10" to the Tactik 8". At $59.99 I believe they're a good value. I was concerned about them so I checked all 4 with a dial indicator to check for runout. Couldn't believe how good they were. They are well finished and include the center caps.
I agree. Mine balanced out great with my 33s. I got mine on sale for $39.99 each for my XJ. I went with the satin black.
XJ 8 29 best.jpg
 
View attachment 253830

15x8...
3.75 Back Spacing.
Perfect.

The finish holds up extraordinarily well. Tough as well.

Good luck
I just bought a set of these & some Falken Wildpeak A/T3s size 33/12.50R15. ‘Same size as the BFG A/T KOs that they replaced. I changed tires & wheels as a last resort because I had a shake in the steering wheel starting at around 40 mph & this tire & wheel combination did the trick for me. It’s as perfect in the road as a TJ can be. I really wanted to drop down to size 33/10.50R15 mainly because I like the look, but also to reduce unsprung weight & rolling mass (That’s the reason for the the cast aluminum wheels.) Sadly, the only tires I could find in that size were the KO2s that I wanted to get away from. 🙄 Oh well ...

841252E0-8611-4C20-90FA-112EE9A72586.jpeg
 
I just bought a set of these & some Falken Wildpeak A/T3s size 33/12.50R15. ‘Same size as the BFG A/T KOs that they replaced. I changed tires & wheels as a last resort because I had a shake in the steering wheel starting at around 40 mph & this tire & wheel combination did the trick for me. It’s as perfect in the road as a TJ can be. I really wanted to drop down to size 33/10.50R15 mainly because I like the look, but also to reduce unsprung weight & rolling mass (That’s the reason for the the cast aluminum wheels.) Sadly, the only tires I could find in that size were the KO2s that I wanted to get away from. 🙄 Oh well ...

View attachment 253880
My satin black wheels looked decent. Is that wheel considered Flat black? Just looks dirty to me.