What lightweight wheels?

04RedLJ

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 23, 2020
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Location
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Have any of you here dropped the steel wheels for lighter weight alloys? What are the alloy wheels you are running? Brand? Name? Thanks
 
I had alloy wheels before (canyons), but I ditched them for Black Rock 908b. They’ve been on for a number of years and the finish has held up well.
 
Let me start off by stating that I personally think a lighter alloy wheel is better for a daily driver than the heavier alternatives, even if they are alloy, lighter is better. That said, I don’t know what your plans are for your Jeep’s usage, but buying a wheel that doubles for daily or offroad use is probably a good way to go. That’s the one ‘error’ I made.

I run a Mamba wheel that’s relatively light and hub centric. But I almost bought a Method wheel. Which in my opinion is a fantastic brand. Quality and weight of some Method wheels is on point. I highly recommend them.

Mamba M13 / 15x8 / -25 offset / 3.52 backspacing @26 lbs

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I think allot jeeps including the LJ had aluminum wheels to start with. The stock Ravine wheels are forged and among the lightest 15x8 wheels Jeep ever made. If you are running 31" or smaller tires the 5.5" backspacing on the stock LJ wheel is perfect. If you are running bigger tires you can get wheel spacers and still run ravines. @TheBoogieman has good advice, get what you like, no need to ask the internet what your favorite color is.
 
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Yah, no one’s debating weight. My thinking at the time of adding a bigger tire was keeping the ride feel of my Jeep as close to stock as I could. Didn’t like the look of steelies and I didn’t want to add bigger breaks (I did Black Magic pads) so I tried to aim for less unsprung weight.

And of course, dude’s Jeep, his choice.

E0A03027-2EC8-4825-9BC6-0DD67F47F87F.jpeg
 
Best deal in the wheel business IMO for the money...
For the TJ...

and I sell about 50 brands...View attachment 260110

Series 69
Pro comp
Available with the perfect
BS of 3.75
In a 15x8
5x4.5 bolt pattern

They're tough...the finish holds up well in the rust belt shitty weather and salt...

Good luck
X2 for the Pro Comp wheels. When I got new tires I went ahead & got a set of these to replace the set of Dick Cepek steel wheels that came on the TJ. I wanted to reduce unsprung weight & rolling mass & these seem to do the job. It drives much better & the price was right.

B8CACA57-12CB-46A0-8337-8566E4D51825.jpeg
 
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Weight matters on the wheels and tires. Overall picking the smallest size tire and lightest weight that'll get the job done is the best for performance but it's not like looks don't matter and there are other factors like strength. Most people change diameter when putting on new wheels and tires so the weight part gets a bit lost in the equation. Still, overall I think it's good advice not to let weight be a primary factor in your choice of wheels or tire.
 
Best deal in the wheel business IMO for the money...
For the TJ...

and I sell about 50 brands...View attachment 260110

Series 69
Pro comp
Available with the perfect
BS of 3.75
In a 15x8
5x4.5 bolt pattern

They're tough...the finish holds up well in the rust belt shitty weather and salt...

Good luck

I decided to run these as a lower cost item after @pc1p opened my eyes to the bright aluminum version. I just can't seem to find myself buying black rims. Call me old school.

IMG_3378.JPG
 
I don't worry about the wheel weight on my Wrangler and I've never noticed any performance differences between any of the various steel and aluminum wheels I've run over the past 25 years of wheeling a Wrangler.

For those who claim they notice a difference in performance between a lighter and heavier wheel on a Wrangler, my opinion is that's a great example of the placebo effect. And for offroading, I'd be more interested in the wheel's strength than its weight. Not to mention my current forged aluminum Walker Evans beadlock wheels are definitely heavier than the cheap ProComp steel wheels I experimented with 20 years ago that constantly bent and dented while rock crawling.

On some other cars? Absolutely, I can see where the unsprung wheel weight could make a performance difference in some situations. I just don't believe a wheel's weight is worth worrying about on a Wrangler being used as it was designed for.