(17x9 or 16x8) wheel/tire combo for lifted KJ

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

JJam2112

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
94
Reaction score
8
Location
Port Angeles, WA
Hello folks, I just did a 3" suspension lift for my KJ. I want to get bigger tires and better wheels and want to have more of an aggressive off road look. I was hoping to fit 265/70/17 on there, but i can not find wheels that are 17x8. I can find 16x8 and i can also find 17x9. Would 9" wide wheels be too wide for me given my lift? Would I need spacers or will it still rub even after a pinch weld pressed in? Or am i better of going 16x8. I do want to do some offroading, so would 17s not be possible for that? Would 265/75/16 on 16x8 wheels be my best bet? Or I could also do 15x8 wheels but what size tire would that work with? Any recommendations are welcomed.
 
Last edited:

tommudd

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 14, 2005
Messages
22,456
Reaction score
3,642
Location
Southeastern Ohio
Hello folks, I just did a 3" suspension lift for my KJ. I want to get bigger tires and better wheels and want to have more of an aggressive off road look. I was hoping to fit 265/70/17 on there, but i can not find wheels that are 17x8. I can find 16x8 and i can also find 17x9. Would 9" wide wheels be too wide for me given my lift? Would I need spacers or will it still rub even after a pinch weld pressed in? Or am i better of going 16x8. I do want to do some offroading, so would 17s not be possible for that? Would 265/75/16 on 16x8 wheels be my best bet? Or I could also do 15x8 wheels but what size tire would that work with? Any recommendations are welcomed.

First things first , what kind of lift ? If full spring then ok we can help you, if spacer lift, no
Next 9 inch is way too wide unless you want to look like a Bro Truck
If you have a real 3 inch lift get 16X8 with 5 , as in five inches of backspacing
265-70-16 tires, and of course you should regear but can limp along
You not only look at width but also backspacing, if say you got 3 inches of back spacing then you would have to install a lot of bumpstop and limit any flex you have

265-75-16s would most defiantly need to regear, no discussion
 

JJam2112

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
94
Reaction score
8
Location
Port Angeles, WA
First things first , what kind of lift ? If full spring then ok we can help you, if spacer lift, no
Next 9 inch is way too wide unless you want to look like a Bro Truck
If you have a real 3 inch lift get 16X8 with 5 , as in five inches of backspacing
265-70-16 tires, and of course you should regear but can limp along
You not only look at width but also backspacing, if say you got 3 inches of back spacing then you would have to install a lot of bumpstop and limit any flex you have

265-75-16s would most defiantly need to regear, no discussion

Thanks for the reply Tom!
Front is JBA coilovers and UCA. Since JBA went out before i had to get the rest I have OME 948 HD shocks and RRO 2.5-3" full springs.

Im currently leaning toward the 16x8 wheels. I found some that I saw had offspacing -5.

What are your thoughts on that lift setup and what do you think the best size tire on 16x8 wheels that would be to go offroad? 245/75/16 or 265/70/16?
 
Last edited:

tommudd

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 14, 2005
Messages
22,456
Reaction score
3,642
Location
Southeastern Ohio
Thanks for the reply Tom!
Front is JBA coilovers and UCA. Since JBA went out before i had to get the rest I have OME 948 HD shocks and RRO 2.5-3" full springs.

Im currently leaning toward the 16x8 wheels. I found some that I saw had offspacing -5.

What are your thoughts on that lift setup and what do you think the best size tire on 16x8 wheels that would be to go offroad? 245/75/16 or 265/70/16?

Great setup then, that is all I run on both of my KJs ( JBA coilovers )
Personally I like 265-70-16s on an 8 inch wheel, most of them have a tread width of 8 inches or there abouts, so fills out the wheels, 245-75-16s are more narrow and bulge out some. I run the Falken Wildpeaks on the 03 in 265-70-16 size, over 8 inches of tread width, ( way different than section width that many go by)
You can get by without regearing, although my 03 is ) but works good overall
 

JJam2112

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
94
Reaction score
8
Location
Port Angeles, WA
Great setup then, that is all I run on both of my KJs ( JBA coilovers )
Personally I like 265-70-16s on an 8 inch wheel, most of them have a tread width of 8 inches or there abouts, so fills out the wheels, 245-75-16s are more narrow and bulge out some. I run the Falken Wildpeaks on the 03 in 265-70-16 size, over 8 inches of tread width, ( way different than section width that many go by)
You can get by without regearing, although my 03 is ) but works good overall

did you have to do any trimming to get the 265-70-16 to run with out any rubbing? Im assuming the pinch welds need to be folded.

what ratio would I be needing to regear if i did that size.
Also would I need spacers or the offset of -5 good enough?
 

tommudd

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 14, 2005
Messages
22,456
Reaction score
3,642
Location
Southeastern Ohio
did you have to do any trimming to get the 265-70-16 to run with out any rubbing? Im assuming the pinch welds need to be folded.

what ratio would I be needing to regear if i did that size.
Also would I need spacers or the offset of -5 good enough?
Only option is 4.10 gearing
like I said you can get by with that size tire without regearing, but I live in the hills, tow a lot, and like the extra kick in the pants it gives you
5 inches of backspacing is stock so no on spacers
 

Aceofspades

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2017
Messages
803
Reaction score
107
Location
Buffalo
I have 265 75 16
The pinch weld is cut flush and I rub in reverse while turning.

The front bumper I trimmed up but didn’t give it a Baja cut.
 

timg

New Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Messages
21
Reaction score
9
Location
MO
just thought I'd point out that tommudd is talking about backspace of 5 inches, and jjam2112 is talking about offset. two different things!
-5 offset is negative offset by 5 millimeters from the center of the wheel to the mounting surface. 5 inch backspace is a measurement from the back lip of the wheel to the mounting surface.
On 8 inch wide wheels, -5 offset is about 4 and a quarter inches of backspacing.
Try here and let someone else do the math: https://www.fitmentindustries.com/tire-wheel-backspacing-offset-calculators
 

tommudd

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 14, 2005
Messages
22,456
Reaction score
3,642
Location
Southeastern Ohio
just thought I'd point out that tommudd is talking about backspace of 5 inches, and jjam2112 is talking about offset. two different things!
-5 offset is negative offset by 5 millimeters from the center of the wheel to the mounting surface. 5 inch backspace is a measurement from the back lip of the wheel to the mounting surface.
On 8 inch wide wheels, -5 offset is about 4 and a quarter inches of backspacing.
Try here and let someone else do the math: https://www.fitmentindustries.com/tire-wheel-backspacing-offset-calculators
You are correct DING DING DING
Have been using backspacing as a way of measurement since the 1970s , this other crap is BS
 

JJam2112

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
94
Reaction score
8
Location
Port Angeles, WA
just thought I'd point out that tommudd is talking about backspace of 5 inches, and jjam2112 is talking about offset. two different things!
-5 offset is negative offset by 5 millimeters from the center of the wheel to the mounting surface. 5 inch backspace is a measurement from the back lip of the wheel to the mounting surface.
On 8 inch wide wheels, -5 offset is about 4 and a quarter inches of backspacing.
Try here and let someone else do the math: https://www.fitmentindustries.com/tire-wheel-backspacing-offset-calculators

Thanks for pointing that out. So would 1” spacers then give me that backspacing if my wheels are -5 offset?
 

JJam2112

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2019
Messages
94
Reaction score
8
Location
Port Angeles, WA
Buy the correct backspaced wheels DO NOT use spacers

I very much appreciate your advice and expertise Tom. The other day I ordered some wheels with +10 offset which would have been 4.89 backspacing. Today discount tire called me and said they only had 3 of the wheels and it would be over a 60 day wait for the 4th. So they refunded me for the wheels and I was able to get some Moabs which are at 5 in of backspacing. I also ordered 265/70r16 tires for them per your advice. I got duratec ones. Looking forward to getting them installed when they arrive. Now I need to hammer the pinch weld. Any thing else I need to do to prepare for them? Aiming at doing a regear eventually to 4.10 but trying to figure out how much it will cost me. I was able to locate a used rear axe assembly but trying to locate a front.
 

Latest posts

Members online

Top