Steel vs. Alloy wheels and tire size.

So I have made up my mind and going to order the Firestone Destination M/T (225/75/R16) for about $160 each. I am going to need wheels for these tires and what I have read is that there are Pros and Cons to each steel and alloy.

Steel bend vs Alloy that cracks.
Alloy are more expensive vs. steel.
Both are good for off-roading.

Thoughts? :shrug:

I have also read that the best size tires that will not rub on an '04 is the 225/75/R16. Thoughts? I was thinking about moving up to the 245's if at all possible. I cannot lift it yet so it has to remain it's current height.

http://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/tirecatalog/Firestone/DestinationMT

Sorry.. looks like these are my options:
LT225/75R16 E
LT245/75R16 E
LT265/75R16 E too big for stock?

KJNJJeff said:

So I have made up my mind and going to order the Firestone Destination M/T (225/75/R16) for about $160 each. I am going to need wheels for these tires and what I have read is that there are Pros and Cons to each steel and alloy.

Steel bend vs Alloy that cracks.
Alloy are more expensive vs. steel.
Both are good for off-roading.

Thoughts? :shrug:

I have also read that the best size tires that will not rub on an '04 is the 225/75/R16. Thoughts? I was thinking about moving up to the 245's if at all possible. I cannot lift it yet so it has to remain it's current height.

http://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/tirecatalog/Firestone/DestinationMT

Sorry.. looks like these are my options:
LT225/75R16 E
LT245/75R16 E
LT265/75R16 E too big for stock?

Click to expand...

Lots of people go with 245-70-16s if they come in that size
to run the 245-75s you'll need at least 2.5 to 3 inches of lift
the 265-75s will need more lift than that
have to stay under 30 inches, about 29 inches
also if looking at wheel 7 inch wide works best with back spacing as clsoe to stock as possible if unlifted
I would go with the stock wheels and whatever tires you can find to fit
Have to remember that it has sagged some as well so what may work on some may not always work on yours.

my .02
keep the oe wheels
shop around for a better price on tires
go 225/75
save up for a lift

consider this
if you can save $30 per tire ,which you can
then that is $120 in your pocket
if you save $50+ per wheel then that is $250+ in your pocket
That is $370 towards the lift
OME springs + shocks runs about $600
another $230 and you have a lift
brown bag it for a few months and you have a lift

Not a bad idea.. Get the tires and put them on the stock rims. Save up for some good rims and a lift. Probably by then I will have to buy new tires anyway. Thanks for the help guys!!!

Going to stick with the LT225/75R16 E for now.

just keep some cragar soft 8s and be done and happy

The Destination MT's sure look cool. But do you do any winter driving in wet snow and "ice"? The reason I ask is the Destinations don't have any sipes. Those little cuts - thin slits - across a rubber surface to improve traction in wet or icy conditions. I was going to get the Destinations but I do alot of driving in the winter on long trips to the mountains and was concerned about the Lack of Sipes.
I don't want to rain on your parade but I would consider that before dropping that amount of money down for those tires. Having said that they do "look" pretty sweet and seem to have pretty good reviews (without any sipes):shrug::
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/AT-MT-Tires/Firestone-Destination-MT.htm

Awesome! Thanks for the help guys! I think that I am going to go with the steelies.. Cheap and easy. I will do some winter driving with the new tires. Test them out in the snow and ice! That will be fun.

Going to go with the Cragar Soft 8's and I am sure that I will be happy with those. They will go where I need them to go and the price is definitely right.

As for the lift. I would love to do that. The only problem I have with that is that I park under the front porch at my apartment and if I lift the jeep then I will not fit under there and will be getting some tickets. Once I get a place or a proper driveway then the lift will come.

I wil post some pix once I get the tires and wheels all sorted!!!

Thanks again for the help!

you can get a non-siped tire siped at most tire shops for $4-10 per tire, this will increase it's life, and give you better winter traction.
You can also buy used tires for as little as $25 per tire, maybe even less...
this would put you well on your way toward saving towards something nicer
There are a lot of aluminum wheels that can be had for about the same price as steel now, depending on how picky you are with the looks. Price of steel went up, drove steel wheel prices up. Price of steel has since gone done, but the wheel prices generally have not. If you want to run a 15" wheel, you have to go with steel, the aluminums won't clear the brakes.
Aluminum is lighter than steel, thus theoreticly could give you better mileage over steel