Rubicon Wheels...how SMALL can i go?

Theraven · 08-19-2012, 05:49 AM

Hey folks,
I just picked up an 06 LJ Rubicon. Living in Maine i swear by dedicated winter tires with studs in the snow/ice. In addition to the LJ i have an 97 SE TJ. In the past i had nice 215/75/15 Mounted on the stick steelies. As the Rubi will be the primary winter commuter now.....i would like to drop those wheels on it for the winter....Will they fit?

I don't want big tires for Flotation, studs work fine, Narrow studded tires dig down to where i can get traction.

A second question....i have a set of Cragar 15" rims that are collecting dust behind the shed....what is the smallest size i can drop on those without looking like a ricer? I.e i want a narrow profile...but not the mudder look.

Jeepsr4me · 08-19-2012, 06:11 AM

Smallest you can go would be to the point the axle was dragging the road. But with those tiny tires you have and the 4.1 gears in the Rubi, the rpms will be high if you try to get above 65mph. Speedo will be way off.

**kashoggio** · 08-19-2012, 06:16 AM

Keep the stock size but get a good winter tire and you will be fine

Theraven · 08-19-2012, 06:35 AM

Current tires are way too wide to avoid hydroplaning on our slush. I tried running decent 31s and it was a night and day difference between the narrow 215s and the 31s on traction. Here on the coast we get a lot of changable types of snow and ice and need the ability to cut though to the base.

Will the SE steel rims fit on the Rubicon?

Jeepsr4me · 08-19-2012, 06:38 AM

they should.

yamaha225 · 08-19-2012, 07:17 AM

I would stay with the stock diameter but go as narrow as you can. I can't imagine you will have a problem. I drove my honda accord with the stock size studded snows all last winter but will be driving the '97 TJ I just got this winter with the goodyear wranglers that are on it. The only thing I will miss is the ice traction. My grandfather drives his camry all winter with all seasons. I'm a firm believer that if you take your time you won't have a problem. Obviously you can still have problems with driveways and getting up hills.

**55willystruck** · 08-19-2012, 07:20 AM

Your old 15's and winter tires SHOULD fit. Mount one up and see-watch for interference around the brakes. Should work just fine for you. Keep the narrow track, it most certainly does make a difference for the better in this type of crap you're worried about.

Not sure on the comment about "not looking like a ricer". Looks are widely open to debate but if I'm understanding correctly here, looks shouldn't matter in the first place as you're after winter traction which SHOULD be top priority-is it not? If looks do matter at that point, then only you can decide how small is too small. If you've found a combo that works, that you KNOW works in the conditions you describe, then I'd forget all else and run it-your safety in that junk is top priority in my book above all else.

Test fit what you have, they SHOULD fit fine, just check to be certain. Run what works, forget the rest. It's only winter months, go back to summer set once snow thaws.

Best of Luck,

Mike

**Unlimited04** · 08-19-2012, 07:27 AM

215's on an LJ Rubicon is gonna look really funny. the gear / tire-size combo is really going to blow, even if you have a 42RLE with its tall gearing...and the speedo will be way off.

Stick with the stock size 245/75/16......plenty of dedicated snow tires in that size range.

cheapjeep06 · 08-19-2012, 07:43 AM

What about 215/85r16?
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...85&diameter=16

EDIT: this width won't fit 8" wide wheels, recommended is 5.5-7". Maybe go with 225's?

**jeffjeep1** · 08-19-2012, 07:48 AM

My LJ Rubi came with 16's (as all did). I put 15" Canyons on it, since I had that set of wheels/tires hanging around from another project. I suspect the 15" steels have at least the same inside diameter (probably larger) as the aluminum cast wheels. The 15" Canyons fit over the brakes just fine. Your stock steelies should too.

Theraven · 08-19-2012, 08:04 AM

When I say "racer" i mean the result of putting 225/75/15 on the 8" wide cragar wheels. The wideness made the sidewalls short and look slicklike. It also gave me a hell of a death wobble which did not stop until I put Sahara aluminums on the TJ with 30.5 tires.

Stock diameter or otherwise I want to avoid mounting and dismounting tires seasonally so need a dedicated steel wheel set that i can trash in these conditions.

**Jerry Bransford** · 08-19-2012, 08:56 AM

You can run a 15" wheel on your Rubicon, I run that size wheel on my Rubicon, and any tire size appropriate for a Wrangler will work fine on a Rubicon. Narrow tires absolutely make sense during the winter where you live.

BigRodney · 08-19-2012, 09:19 AM

I encourage you to take a look at studless winter traction tires. Tests show that studded tires have only a minor benefit over studless traction tires on solid ice and have worse traction/performance on all other surfaces including snow, slush, water, and dry pavement. And yes I live at the base of the Cascade mountains and have driven in winter conditions here for 40 years. Studs are what’s causing the ruts that you are hydroplaning on and stud damage costs us all millions in road repair every year. I have been running studless traction tires on all my rigs except my jeep for over 10 years and they perform much better than studded tires. If I could get a set in 35s I’d run them on the jeep too. I can’t remember what brand we bought last for my wife’s front wheel car but they were a top rated brand by consumer reports and we bought them at America’s Tire, the best set yet she says.

Theraven · 08-19-2012, 11:08 AM

no studdless for me, i've run studs for 8 years and they have always worked well. There are times when i've even had to ride on solid ice and doubt a studless would have worked. Glad they work for you, but for a 5-6 year investment....i go with what i know works.

BigRodney · 08-19-2012, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theraven

no studdless for me, i've run studs for 8 years and they have always worked well. There are times when i've even had to ride on solid ice and doubt a studless would have worked. Glad they work for you, but for a 5-6 year investment....i go with what i know works.

Or maybe do some research and learn something. I don’t mean to be a jerk here but you really should do the research. People that run studded tires damage the roads, cause dangerous ruts that fill with water when it rains endangering us all, and cost us all millions of dollars a year, they should be charges hundreds of dollars a year to run them and damage the roads. Horse and buggy worked for decades until the gas engine came along, would you still be riding in a carriage? Just because you’ve run studs for 8 years doesn’t mean they are the best solution. The tire stores love selling studded tires and will tell you they are the best for many reasons, one because they are uninformed tire busters, another because studded tires are good for about 2 or 3 years while studless traction tires will last 5 or 6 years going the same miles.