Recommended rims for off-roading

[kwmir]

I am planning to swap my 2003 Jeep Liberty's stock steel rims with new rims and tires which shall be slightly taller and wider. I was wondering which rims are better for off-roading; steel or alloys? I am interested in alloys since they are lighter in weight and will help in fuel efficiency. Is there any law or condition that alloys are not allowed for off-roading? Most of my driving will be on the road with occasional off-roading - nothing extreme though.

I was planning on installing 245/75/R16 tires on my KJ. Will they fit without any kind of rubbing issues? My CJ had 35/12.5/R15's but I had body and suspension lifts in place. I do not plan to install any kind of lift in my KJ though.

 

[jfortier777]

No dice.

Those tires are way big for an unlifted Liberty. Your Liberty will be cryin if you try to shove those babies on there.

Check out our tire/wheel thread. You will find everything you could ever want to know about the acceptable sizes and options you have.

Also in the future try to place your post in the most relevant thread possible.

IE: tire/wheel questions in the tire/wheel thread, not the electronics thread [-X icon996.gif


Can we get a mod to skoot this puppy over to tires?

 

[-=JoN=-]

might be a slight oversight..gon' move...

 

[kwmir]

So would 245/70/R16 be the max. I can go to?

 

[jeepkj02]

So would 245/70/R16 be the max. I can go to?

Yup

 

[-=JoN=-]

So would 245/70/R16 be the max. I can go to?

Yep

 

[MoladoGuy]

So would 245/70/R16 be the max. I can go to?

Yes. You want to also consider your tread pattern. You may have issues with All Terrain tires that have a more meatier tread pattern (BFG Goodrich AT's, etc..). You will also have issues if you go with a Mud Terrain tire as their treads are tremendously aggressive.

Many people go with the Bridgestone Dueller Revo AT's. Very nice tread pattern and great on dry/wet road and in snow/mud.

Good luck, and let us know what you get!

 

[b2]

if you plan on wheelin' pretty hard, i would advise you to stay away from any kind of expensive rim. the reason for that is that you will get rock rash on your rims and destroy your shiny new purchase. for my trail rig, i go with the rockcrawler waggon wheels. they are only 45$ a piece so i dont care if they get torn up. as for steel vs. alloy? it depends on what company you use. alcoa makes one of the strongest aluminum rims on the market, and it is a lot lighter than steel.

 

[jfortier777]

if you plan on wheelin' pretty hard, i would advise you to stay away from any kind of expensive rim. the reason for that is that you will get rock rash on your rims and destroy your shiny new purchase. for my trail rig, i go with the rockcrawler waggon wheels. they are only 45$ a piece so i dont care if they get torn up. as for steel vs. alloy? it depends on what company you use. alcoa makes one of the strongest aluminum rims on the market, and it is a lot lighter than steel.

I agree that the shiny rims are just a tradgey waiting to happen. However Ill reitterate that the main difference with the alum vs steel wheels is the weight, not necessarily the structural integrity.

 

[kwmir]

Steel vs Alloy

That's the opinion I had about the steel vs alloy rims; that weight is the main difference between the two and not necessarily the strength. I don't plan on doing any serious off-roading, just minor stuff so I think alloys should do fine.