[aaron7]

I see many people (and some on here) with 17, 18... even 20" rims with offroad tires!

Is there any benefit to having larger rims with the same size tires? Say 15" with 31's or 18" with 31s?

[ratmonkey]

more sidewall=more flex in the tire. the shorter the sidewall the stiffer the ride of the tire and the less it can deform when aired down.

[aaron7]

But wouldn't you want flex so it doesn't pop off the bead? Maybe I just don't get the concept.

[AgitatedPancake]

the flex is good because it lets the tread form to the terrain, so smaller rims are better. You will have a better ride with a 31 on a 15" rim than you would with a 31 on a 20" rim on the street also, rides softer

[WJ04]

In my opinion smaller rims are better for offroading, And larger rims are better for street queens that want the offroad look. not to say that there aren't people wheeling with 18's or even 20's ...but smaller rims allow for more sidewall hight and thats better for offroad.

[MSoutham94]

17's are the perfect balance. Road esthetics and offroad performance

[93gc40]

This is the case where smaller is better. Smaller wheels with larger tires wire work better offroad and ride smoother. Larger wheels may look more cool and with the lower profile may handle better onroad, but rougher ride. Do you want functional wheel/tire, or are you more interested on looks?

[CanadianZed-J]

Originally Posted by WJ04

In my opinion smaller rims are better for offroading...

That's not just your opinion, that's a fact. 15" rims are good up until about 37" tires, max. After that there's simply not enough bead to hold that much rubber. That's why you see 38s+ on 18"+ rims.

Running 20" rims on 31" tires would be really horrible off-road. What will you do? Air down to 28 lbs? 31s on 15s you can safely run 12-14 pounds in the rocks. I run 9-12 in my 33x12.5x15s.


On the other side of the spectrum, low-pro tires aren't just for looks. Having less sidewall gives better handling. Basically the ride will be less jiggly as the tread doesn't have far to move with the short sidewall holding it. An exaggerated demonstration would be to run low air pressure on the street with your current tires. You'll see exactly what I mean about jiggly.




CZJ.

[jerryjeeper]

I like the 20" American Racing 6 lug wheels with 39.5 x 1350 IROC's. Good on street, better off road. I would pass on the simulated beadlock trim the next time. Larger tires still give the necessary side wall flex with the 20"ers.

[AgitatedPancake]

Originally Posted by CanadianZed-J

That's not just your opinion, that's a fact. 15" rims are good up until about 37" tires, max. After that there's simply not enough bead to hold that much rubber. That's why you see 38s+ on 18"+ rims.

I've never heard of that, and apparently neither has Interco, maybe you should tell them. They have up to a 42" irok on a 15" rim, a 47" LTB on a 15" rim, and a 44" TSL on a 15" rim.

http://intercotire.com/tires.php?id=6&g=1

The only reason I see larger rims is when people go with larger axles (D60, etc) the brakes won't fit in a 15" rim.

[Texas ZJ1]

Sir,

for the next couple of years, 15s are great.

Hunter

[tsconver]

if you ask a tire manufacturer or a hardcore offroader they will tell you the general rule of thumb is that the rim should be half the diameter of the tire. 30" tire 15" rim, 32" tire can go to a 16" rim, etc.

[CanadianZed-J]

Originally Posted by AgitatedPancake

I've never heard of that, and apparently neither has Interco, maybe you should tell them. They have up to a 42" irok on a 15" rim, a 47" LTB on a 15" rim, and a 44" TSL on a 15" rim.

http://intercotire.com/tires.php?id=6&g=1

The only reason I see larger rims is when people go with larger axles (D60, etc) the brakes won't fit in a 15" rim.

I'll send them an email.

I should have included "recommended". From what I've collected there is some kind of ratio to consider when choosing rims for large tires. I've also seen 42s on 2wd trucks so in that case who cares about the rim size if the tires will forever be inflated at street pressure.



CZJ.

[Haleyrz]

i agree with the smaller the better. I would also like to throw in the fact that low profile tires cost more. It would be cheaper to go with 31's with 15's vs. 31's with 18's. Its crazy that less rubber costs more, but its the sad truth.

[Haleyrz]

oh and not to mention bigger rims cost more as well. If you want to show off, go with the bigger. If you want practical application and a modest, but still rather awesome look, stick with the smaller ones.