Has anyone removed 17" wheels to go back to 15s?

mousehunter

TJ Enthusiast
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Texas
Just got my LJ. Previous owner put on a 4" lift (no body lift) and 17" rims (with 35"). Well not the tires and wheels I wanted, but the tires and wheels I have... Does anyone think it is worth the cost to move back to 15" rims with C rated 33" tires, or should I just put on my big boy pants and stay with the styles of this decade. I do trails, sand and mud, no crawling - so the loss in articulation is not going to kill me I guess (I am assuming I will get binding issues somewhere with the 35's).

Most likely not going to change anything now, and just wear out the existing tires, but I guess if I do the change now, the existing set might have a little more resale value. Right now the tires and wheels are on the same list as the existing shocks - they work, but...
 
I'd switch in a second and leverage the value of the tires on what you have. The only reason to run 17" wheels is brakes the way I see things. The 33" tire combination will weigh allot less and improve your gear ratio, well worth the money if you don't need 35" tires. Obviously opinions are going to vary on the subject but on any off road vehicle I'd always try to run the smallest rim that clears the brakes.
 
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Probably not the best, but was leaning towards BFG KO2 33 x 10.5 R15. I think they are C rated. I am not 100% opposed to the same in KM3's. I don't recall (mental block) what came on my F250, but I could get it stuck on wet grass. I went with KM3's on my feed truck (Gen 1 Tacoma with a flat bed-far superior to the F250 when it gets wet-you start thinking different when you have to fix your own ruts-I had gotten to the point of not wanting to drive the F250 through the gate after a rain it was doing so much road damage) and have enjoyed them there. Now have KO2's on my F250 and my wife's jeep and have enjoyed them so far.

The LJ currently has 35x12.5 Generals with an E load rating. I think both the F250 and JL have 17" rims, so I could also keep them and use them on either of those vehicles in theory.

FWIW, I do use the F250 when it is wet sometimes now - but that was after the tire change and 14 yards of gravel on one entrance alone.
 
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I hated the look of my 17" wheels with AT tires and dropped to 15" wheels and MTs. The tires for 15" wheels were around $75 cheaper each.
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Just keep in mind that many tire mfg's are no longer making a lot of the 15" tires. So as long as you can find tires you like, and your brakes will still fit, then go for it.

I like 17's for 35's and larger. Anything smaller, 15's just look correct and will give you more side wall for wheeling.
 
I’d do it.

33x10.5’s on 15’s with 4” is the bees knees.

You will enjoy the peppy power and looks good.

I’m partial to the setup though.

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I am thinking it looks like a Bulldawg
407.jpg

This pick is their standard one, but I was more interested in the reinforced Highlander style.

I am thinking about ditching my OEM and ordering one of their Highlander tops. I get the feeling it is significantly stronger than stock, with a dynamic load rating of 600lbs. One of my main goals for the jeep involves a heavy duty roof rack (for static loads, not dynamic) - but man the dollar wheel is spinning. I have about $3k of minor stuff on order already (winch, bumper, and towbar being the bulk of that). Will probably do rock sliders (if but for no other reason than to hide damage). Probably should do shocks. If I do rims and wheels, that is the better part of another $2k. Still am on the fence about the rear bumper (and tire rack). Adding $5-6k+ on the roof just hurts.
 
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I went from 17s to 15s, and at this point i will be fine as long as BFG does not discontinue their 33x10.5 and 31x10.5 AT sizes.
For me choosing between two was like shooting myself in the foot, question is which one will get shot. 17s have way more options in tire sizes, but specifically for TJ selection of the rims is a shit show. Want specific classy design that fits TJ theme, narrow tire, and rim that does not weight 40lb? - fuck off.
With 15s majority of rubber comes in 12.5 wide, but plenty of light weight rims with design that fits TJ theme.

My biggest gripe so far, with 15s, is on road stability. I grew up with fast cars, to me in case of emergency maneuvering comes 1st and braking is only if needed. A TJ on 17s and 31" tires is still a fairly stable and responsive to steering, i had a few hairy situations i was able to avoid. Now that i am on 15s and 33 tires, by far best option is to slam on brakes and try to keep it straight. So far twice i had to avoid animals at night, and both times i ended up uncontrollably flying off the road.
 
I grew up rural and was taught generally it is better to brake and hit the animal than to swerve and go offroad. The most damage I ever had during a wreck involved swerving and ripping the front axle off the vehicle. My cousin swerved for a dog and almost killed her passenger (I forget it it was 40 or 50 stitches in her passengers face.

That said, it is all luck of the draw. I purchased my wife a used Mustang and she hit a dog on the way home the same day - $7k worth of body damage. Bumper, hood, front quarter panel and door got trashed. In all fairness, it was a big dog. My Uncle had purchased a 911 for his wife for Christmas one year, she hit a hog and totaled it while he was visiting us for Christmas.
 
Have decided to go with 17" JK Moab wheels because of availability of tire in a specific size. Don't want fat tires and the 255/75/17 tires is widely available in a number of tread designs and 'C' load rating. That's a 10" wide tire in true 32" diameter. Thought about 33/10.5/15 tires but they look like donuts and are still wider than I want. A narrow tire gives me all the traction I need and the thinner tread is easier for the 4.0 to push and better on mpg.

The day after I got my license swerved on a wet road to miss a German Shepherd. Killed the dog and ended up hitting the ditch sideways totaling the car. Won't do aggressive moves to avoid hitting an animal. Safer to hit them with limited damage rather than possibily losing control and end up with greater damage and injury. Fortunately haven't hit an animal since.
 
Well, stuck my truck today, it's KO2's let me down. 15" rims ordered, when they come in, the Jeep will get KM3's.