Should I look for TJ wheels or JK wheels?

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Chigger

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Hello, I just picked up an '04 TJ Sport. It was an one-owner (women), well-maintained vehicle. I (along with the kids) love it so far!

I hate the stock 15" steel wheel that they come with. I have been doing some research. Do you guys suggest looking for TJ 5x4.5 wheels or just get wheel adaptors and look for JK 5x5 wheels? Seems like there is more of a selection for JK wheels. I am looking for something OEM-looking, and maybe plastic-dip them in gun metal color.

Any suggestions/input would be greatly appreciated!
 
I suggest to stick with stock wheels. TJ wheels are out there. I have heard pros and cons on running wheel adapters. They come loose, they let you have more wheel selections, they will affect your performance, blah, blah, blah..... at the end of the day it comes down to two main points...what money you want to spend and what do YOU like...Jeeps are like Legos for adults, so build what makes you smile not the internet!! Just my 2 cents...
 
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Jeep9748 said:
I suggest to stick with stock wheels. TJ wheels are out there. I have heard pros and cons on running wheel adapters. They come loose, they let you have more wheel selections, they will affect your performance, blah, blah, blah..... at the end of the day it comes down to two main points...what money you want to spend and what do YOU like...Jeeps are like Legos for adults, so build what makes you smile not the internet!! Just my 2 cents...
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Yeah, I am not a fan of spacers/adapters coming from my youth import-car days.

I am keeping an eye on Craigslist and other forums for a set of used Rubicon moab 16" wheels. Maybe another option would be getting a nice set through Quadratec and some 31"s since I am on stock height/suspension, but that would be $$ (~1,500)
 
I have the Grizzly wheels and 31's. Stock 97 Sahara. Love it. Looks perfect for what I want. I have thought about black but just fine with stock. You might also check Letgo and Offerup. I have seen a lot of jeep items on there. Another option is local junk yards. Obviously go there and look at what they have and ensure they are safe.
 
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I'd say sticking with the TJ lug pattern would be the best. I run JK wheels with 2" spacer/adapter. No issues with the adapters as long as you buy quality adapter. Just more of a pain to deal with x2 lug nuts. Also you have to get the backspacing correct. A good adapter will run+/-$200. I would just recommend putting that $200 in the wheel you want with TJ lug pattern.
 
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Another opinion I run wheel spacers and JK wheel bolt pattern with no problems do a little research and make sure everything is torqued properly I don't think you will have any problems. JK wheels are cheap on craigslist and the proper adapters work well.

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I'd stick with 15" wheels, there is a much better selection of tires available. If you are staying 31" tires or smaller then I'd pick one of the stock TJ aluminum wheels, they are really the only ones with the correct offset. If you are getting larger tires then just pick some aftermarket 15" wheels, there are plenty of options that work well. I'd avoid the TJ Rubicon 16" wheel unless you really love them, they are heavy and 16" tires are expensive.
 
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Bamacon said:
Another opinion I run wheel spacers and JK wheel bolt pattern with no problems do a little research and make sure everything is torqued properly I don't think you will have any problems. JK wheels are cheap on craigslist and the proper adapters work well.

Agreed I have had zero issues with the spacers, just make extra certain to double check everything when tightening. I personally like more factory JK wheels more than TJ wheels.

Lot of tire choices for the 17" wheel these days. I prefer the look of a 17", but the extra sidewall of a 15" has benefits also.
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Chigger said:
Yeah, I am not a fan of spacers/adapters coming from my youth import-car days.

I am keeping an eye on Craigslist and other forums for a set of used Rubicon moab 16" wheels. Maybe another option would be getting a nice set through Quadratec and some 31"s since I am on stock height/suspension, but that would be $$ (~1,500)
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Might be interested in selling you my set of 5 - 16” Rubicon Moab wheels on tj pattern. I have them on right now but am probably going to change soon.....might include some 50% tread 35” km2s if your interested as well. All 5
 
I had JK wheels with 1 1/4" adapters on my TJ. They worked great, but in PA, my jeep won't pass the annual inspection with spacers. I bought 17" rims with the TJ spacing.

If your interested, I'm selling 5 Ravine 15" wheels, with nearly new 31" Falken Wildpeak tires, and/or 5 JK 17" Rubicon rims with adapters. :) I bought wheels and tires immediately after buying my TJ without doing any research.
 
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Thank you for the info! :)

The seller thinks they are originally from a Rubicon. I don't think the Liberty offers the moab wheels as an option.

I love the looks of bigger wheels but don't want to mess with spacers. I am looking at 16"s moabs and maybe plasti-dip them in gunmetal gray.
 
I'm running adapters and JK wheels. That is what I decided to do to get the look I wanted...as the wheels I have are VERY hard to come by in TJ bolt patterns (AEV Pintlers). When you do find them, they are very expensive. However, JK pintlers are relatively easy to come by, much less expensive, and I'm pretty frugal. The couple hundred bucks on adapters made sense to me. I have had zero problems with the adapters. The key is to get billet adapters not cast. Spend the money for good ones, but Spydertrax isn't the only game in town. The other key is to follow the mfg recommendations for torquing them. Adpaters and spacers require more maintenance than running the "proper" wheel. If you are cognizant of that and are diligent about the maintenance, you'll be much less likely to have problems.
 
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Chigger said:
Thank you for the info! :)

The seller thinks they are originally from a Rubicon. I don't think the Liberty offers the moab wheels as an option.

I love the looks of bigger wheels but don't want to mess with spacers. I am looking at 16"s moabs and maybe plasti-dip them in gunmetal gray.
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Does anyone know if other Jeep models used the 16" moab wheels?
 
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