33x12.50-15 tires on an 8" wide wheel (tire claims 8.5" min width)

Hey XJ folks,

OK I'm ready to pull the trigger on a tire purchase, but before I did I thought I would get some final input from my fellows at !

Wheel: 15x8 with 3.75 backspace (recommended by lift kit mfr)

Proposed Tire: 33x12.50-15" (suggested wheel MINIMUM width 8.5")

I looked at running the 33x10.50-15" tire but those skinny tires come in like 2 flavors.

My primary use is driving to work on the mountain, and it does get icey/snowy in winter.

If YOU run an 8" wide wheel and have 33x12.50-15" tires, I would be interested to hear how they ride, handle tight corners at 35-45mph and any offroad issues.

Thank You! :sunshine:

90% of those who have ran 33x12.5's run em on a 8" wheel, o never had a issure with mine up to 75(never dared to go faster) street pressure was around 27 or 28 psi

don't worry about the manufacture's 8.5" minimum width, everybody and there brother has run 12.5s on a 8" wide rim with no issues

I ran 13.5s on a 8" rim. Never lost a bead.

Thank All Of You!

This was what I thought but I needed to hear it for certain before pushing the Buy It button!

I would think that having the narrower wheel would be good when air-ed down too, helping to keep your beads sealed.

OK, buying tires! :cheers:

I ran 33x12.50's on a 7" wheel for years. They had a tendency to cup.

I think I remember this question from 1998. Why is no one suggesting searching? :confused1

Lincoln said:

I ran 33x12.50's on a 7" wheel for years. They had a tendency to cup.

I think I remember this question from 1998. Why is no one suggesting searching? :confused1

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Search for what? He asked a question & got his answers, done deal. If you ran 12.50 on 7 inch rims maybe you should have searched.

nick86 said:

Search for what? He asked a question & got his answers, done deal. If you ran 12.50 on 7 inch rims maybe you should have searched.

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I take it smart as comments are beyond the newbies. :jester:

I,m running the same combo as you want to run ,but with 4"BS on the rim.Got 60K plus on last set of BFG AT,s.No handling problems,4 1/2" lift.
I try to run 32psi, air down to 20 off road.
YMMV....eace:

I see you got a couple answers to the question that you asked, but let me just say that if your primary use is driving in ice/snow, all other things being equal a narrower tire will work better than a wider one.

N8N_99xj said:

I see you got a couple answers to the question that you asked, but let me just say that if your primary use is driving in ice/snow, all other things being equal a narrower tire will work better than a wider one.

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He's in Cal. don't think he's gonna see much snow.

nick86 said:

He's in Cal. don't think he's gonna see much snow.

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I was primarily responding to this comment:

"My primary use is driving to work on the mountain, and it does get icey/snowy in winter."

now whether that would be considered real snow by western PA standards I don't know, but I just figured I'd throw that out there.

N8N_99xj said:

I see you got a couple answers to the question that you asked, but let me just say that if your primary use is driving in ice/snow, all other things being equal a narrower tire will work better than a wider one.

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All of your comments on this are accurate. The majority of California does not get any really bad snow or ice, generally that's correct. I work at the largest Geothermal energy complex in the world, The Geysers, and it sits atop a mountain range in Northern Calif. My morning drive includes numerous grades of up to 17% with 10 or 15mph switchbacks and corners.

Each year when it rains, the runoff coming down the mountain and frost freezes on these roads and it is wicked scary. One section is also shaded by trees so it remains frozen round the clock, and is called the "toboggan run" because half the time out of control vehicles are seen flying down it bouncing off the rails. The roads at work have killed a number of good people including one last year.

Snow storms are sudden and violent up there, we had 8 inches of snow in an hour in April last year! WTF right? Then the runoff freezes every night again, wash, rinse repeat. These are where my concerns come from.

As many posts I have seen say, I echo the desire for a larger choice in 33x10.50-15's - I wish it was not so limited!

Also, I did search, but was looking for some new feedback from those of you I know who run the sizes now. So again, all your replies are appreciated.

If anyone ever wants to check out the power plants up there let me know, it's quite interesting to take natural steam from the earth and spin turbines with it for power - no waste. We make 41% of America's Geothermal power up there.

I RUN 10.5'S ON 8 INCH rims w/4 inch backspacing. Works perfect, no rubbing what so ever, I also live in the snow belt, so skinny is better.

I live between SoCal and sierra chapters and I'm going to run 33x10.50's again, I just cant decide between AT or MT I spend the majority of my time on the street but i wheel in the rocks with the ocational sand dunes trips and snow trips I hate mud but I like how grippy my current pro comp MT 31x10.50's perform, I really hate the tread life of my mt's too, I'll maybe get 20k out of them, I'm going to need some tires that won't let me down on the con next year.

MaxxXJ said:

I live between SoCal and sierra chapters and I'm going to run 33x10.50's again, I just cant decide between AT or MT I spend the majority of my time on the street but i wheel in the rocks with the ocational sand dunes trips and snow trips I hate mud but I like how grippy my current pro comp MT 31x10.50's perform, I really hate the tread life of my mt's too, I'll maybe get 20k out of them, I'm going to need some tires that won't let me down on the con next year.

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I would run MT's in a second if I could get around this ominous statement by BF Goodrich: "While Off-Road Maximum Traction tires are branded with the M+S symbol and able to churn through deep snow, their typical oversize applications and the absence of snow-biting sipes in their large smooth lugs can challenge their on-road wintertime traction on packed snow and icy surfaces"

Ugh deal killer for me. Unless I pick up another set of wheels, just don't have the room for them around here really.

I intend to eventually run BFG ATs on my 89 F150. A number of guys here run them and love them.

What tire are you considering?

May I recommend the GY Duratracs. They are more aggressive than the BFG AT but not quite a full MT type tire. Plus thay are also siped.

I currently run them on my 97 daily driver and most likey will be the next set I buy for my 92.

Im running 15" wide boggers on old stock chevy 8 lug rims pretty sure they are something like 6.75 wide no problem.

The BFG AT's were the 2nd worst tire I've ran on packed snow and ice and the BFG MT's weren't far behind. I never liked either. They have changed some over the years though. The compound in both were like iron, they wore well but didn't work great on anything, marginal on a lot of stuff. I could power slide it on concrete without much trouble.

I really liked the old Goodyear AT and the chevron pattern MT. I don't think either of those are around anymore. Oh and the MT's were 33x12.50 on the stock 7" wheel. They did hit the arms so I just turned back a little when they touched.

My dad has been running the Goodyear Silent Armors on his JK and I've been running them on my pickup. I'm surprised how well they handle most stuff and they work really well on the slick stuff. They do pack in mud but the clean out isn't horribly bad. They have handled great on dirt, gravel, snow, ice, ok in sand. Right after my dad got them we drove down into a canyon on snow and ice covered rocks. Both of us were pretty nervous (stock JK no lockers) and we would stop occasionally and backup just to check traction for the drive back out. Both of us were quite impressed, I bought my pickup tires shortly after. His ran his for almost 70k and I'll probably get close to 60k on mine.

I've also ran several sets of the Yokohama AT II/s. They have treated me well on daily rigs. My wife's rig has a set now and these like to grab the grooves they grind into the concrete freeways. I don't remember any other set doing that but these are a low profile 17" and the others were all taller 16's. Could be the sidewall height causing the difference.

If you can swing it I would switch to a 16" wheel. It gives you a much broader choice in taller skinny tires.

The absolute worst tire I've ever ran on ice are the Maxis Creepy Crawlers. I swear to got those things secrete a mixture butter and olive oil. In most of the snow we have around here they aren't much better. It's hard to get any forward push, they don't dig too quick like a swamper but they don't seem to be able to get a bite. I've gone down as far as 2 psi and still not much bite.