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So I'm goi g to pick up 4 rubicon rims...will they fit

Ok so here's the scoop!

My buddy brought me the rims/tires right now! He needed 200$ by midnight to deposit in his bank to pay a bill!

I gave him an extra 20$ ;)...moneys tight everywhere.


So he's bad at math. The tires are 255/75/17 BFG Mud terrains on Rubicon 08 rims. Rims are mint. And there is 5!!! Tires have 10k miles on them, never been in the dirt. He upgraded his wheels in 09 and now he doesn't need em!

I'm stoked. 2-95% front tires, 2 75%? rears. 220$!

Sweet deal? Guess Im goin 32s with a 4.5 inch RE lift!!! Soon....

6d625486.jpg


092b0d9d.jpg


here is the BEFORE!: (gotta lift now!)
b30a3ba8.jpg
 
Man this is so crazy. I was looking all over for days and this str8 up gets delivered!

I'm tripping, these tires are like 175$ each. He must have paid like 700 just for the tires?

Man now I *kinda feel bad.


*If only I knew him better.;)
 
96XJ_4.0 said:
Why do new rubicon wranglers all have 17s? And rarely have 34+tires?

I don't get why rim size matters?

I'd think less circular flex on the tire at low pressures (like a dragster at launch). More stability...right?
Click to expand...

If you ask me, new Wranglers are sold with 17s because the masses like the way they look. A 17" rim on 31" tires is 100% not as good as a 15 inch rim on 31s.

Oh, and have you ever actually seen a dragster? Tiny rim, big honking tire. More sidewall flex is BETTER, not worse. Stability isn't the issue in off-road applications; you want the tire to CONFORM to the terrain, so a smaller rim works better.

But I'm glad you are happy with your rims. :)
 
Skwerly said:
If you ask me, new Wranglers are sold with 17s because the masses like the way they look. A 17" rim on 31" tires is 100% not as good as a 15 inch rim on 31s.

Oh, and have you ever actually seen a dragster? Tiny rim, big honking tire. More sidewall flex is BETTER, not worse. Stability isn't the issue in off-road applications; you want the tire to CONFORM to the terrain, so a smaller rim works better.

But I'm glad you are happy with your rims. :)
Click to expand...

Makes complete sense. More tire on the ground.

About the dragster comment, dragsters don't necessarily want sidewall flex. They want more tire to contact the ground. The flattening of the tire (in comparison to a jeep letting air out) makes the larger contact area. It was the side walls twisting after the rim has started spinning that concerns me. It's the result of 1000+ ft lbs of tq. that spin the rim faster inside then the outside of the tire upon launch (on a dragster); but this flex is what pops off beads when your out doing some serious wheeling at low pressures. To small of rim and the bead will spin off; too large and stability/rigidity becomes an issue.


Am I esplllaiiin it right???
 
Took me a minute...;)
Now I know were talking dragsters to jeeps here(apples to oranges)
like this flexing of the tire:
0810chp_02_z+mickey_thompson_drag_tires_tips+hard_vs_soft.jpg


vs.

The flattening of the tire in profiles:

TIP%20Dragster%20714%20pass%20launch%20wheels%20way%20up%20b.jpg


you can kind of see it there^ * along with the flexing.



Now on a 4x4 you want the flattening but not the flexing.


Back to sq.1:

now, just me thinking, but wouldn't 17s offer more rigidity in sidewall flex, while tire flattening to gain more surface area to conform to the trail would be dependant upon Tire width (to an extent)?


Did anyone else get that?

:)
 
Just realized, though, that this gives you less protection of rubber between the rocks and your rims.
;)


Doubt I'll ever end up Wheelin that extreme anyways. Hahhaaaaa

....
yea, Im crazy...whatever. LoL.
 
LOL yea, no worries, I just spout off at the mouth sometimes. They will work fine, but yea like you said, not maybe for the extreme stuff. For backwood trails (the kind I love), they will do everything you want and more!

Congrats on the score! :)
 
With wheel spacers you will rub on your lower control arm. I have a JK 44 in the rear. Front jk axle in the garage. I am using wheel spacers right now with the same tires.
 
I have a RE 3.5 lift with their super flex lower arm. The backspacing is huge on those rim, around 5.5 inches. Wheel adapters only space the rim out around 1.5 inches. Most people run 4 to 3.5 inches of backspaceing.
 
I think most of the wheel spacers made for these XJs is at 1.25" thick, which should be enough for you I would think. When I had 15x8 Ravines on my Jeep and they had 5.5" of backspacing, I didn't rub when turning but I came close. 5.5-1.25 should put you at 4.25" of backspacing which should do you fine.
 
A couple of years ago I was looking at running the 17" Rubicon wheels but ran into the same issue with backspacing and only finding 1.25" spacers available... I found a company that makes custom wheel-spacers at any width and bolt pattern you want, but I can't remember the name, do a google search which is what I did. The problem was that they were expensive. If I remember correctly it was going to cost somewhere in the $300 range for all four. You already have the wheels AND tires, and for a steal at $220, so it may be worth it to you to buy some thicker adapters.
 
I can get some adaptors at 1.5 inch for 200$. I'm still considering a trade/sell for te 16s..So??hmmmm..
codyyy said:
I think most of the wheel spacers made for these XJs is at 1.25" thick, which should be enough for you I would think. When I had 15x8 Ravines on my Jeep and they had 5.5" of backspacing, I didn't rub when turning but I came close. 5.5-1.25 should put you at 4.25" of backspacing which should do you fine.
Click to expand...
That's what I like to hear!

I'm gonna lift it up and see this next week.
 
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