15" or 16" wheel best for wheeling?

[Hilla-GO-Rilla]

For what we do locally and may attempt in Harlan or Windrock - what is the best rim size and why?

[HotRodYJ]

In my opinion the only deciding factor for wheel size is what will clear the brakes, tie-rods, etc. 15" wheels wont fit very well with 3/4 ton and 1 ton brakes, so you almost always need to step up in wheel size for clearance, depending on what backspace you want to run. There are definetly more tire sizes available for 15".

[r1ng3l78]

the larger the wheel the better because A) brake clearance, etc B) the larger the wheel, the less sidewall to flex/shift at low pressure meaning at low pressures you have better response to throttle/braking and can stay on line easier C) the less sidewall you have, the less sidewall you have to get cut D) larger wheel means less rotating mass in the tire to cause balancing issues.

[Gubni]

Without a doubt go 16". That way when you step up to Dana 60 axles you can use the same tires. Also I agree with Jarret about sidewall flex being bad.

[TiredIronGRB]

17" is becoming very popular, that's what I have on the Crusier.

[pplblazerdude]

17" is becoming very popular, that's what I have on the Crusier. Ive heard these will become the next 15's if you know what I mean.

[Gubni]

Basically anything other than 15's. On the same hand, for tires 33" and smaller 15s are best.

[toyotajake]

Yeah the bigger the wheel the better because of all the above reasons but 15's are the easiest to find and are cheapest. I'm a big fan of cheap used sets of tires at tire dealerships :grin:

[Barnes4wd]

We like to use 17's for a few reasons. One for side wall stability with low tire pressure as posted above. This is a benefit for lateral forces that the sidewall sees during off camber situations as well as steering. Also a 17 inch wheel has about 6 inches more circumference for the bead to seat per side (also a benefit for low tire pressure). And like stated above it is hard to get 15's on 1 ton brakes.

[HotRodYJ]

If bigger is better lets do some 24's 8)

[Hokie_YJ]

If bigger is better lets do some 24's 8)

Bling it and bring it! :twisted:

[SurferSami]

17" will generally have less unsprung weight also. Tire usually weighs more than rim, so less tire = less weight. This is good for on road handling, and also for overall strength supporting the weight of the truck.

[Hadfield4WD]

17's if your tires are over 36's. Under that 15's. 1 ton brakes will need a larger wheel or grinding of hte caliper on a 15".

[JC]

Seems each rig owner has his own preferences. I understand the stability issues posted above but I had always heard it the other way, that you want the 15" rim with the larger sidewall to allow for that sidewall flex when at low pressures and to prevent rim damage from bottoming out the sidewall. All I know is my experience and that is that I went with 15"s (beadlocked) in order to have more sidewall flex, I did have to grind a minimal amount on the 1 ton calipers for them to clear, after two years I am extremely happy with my choice. With the 42"s I have lots of cush and flex on the sidewalls and the setup has performed extremely well on every venue in our area.

[blazer]

tink about this what is the only thing that
will get the center section of your axle up higher.
biger wheels and tires

[TiredIronGRB]

tink about this what is the only thing that
will get the center section of your axle up higher.
biger wheels and tires
Not true..portal Axles will :wink:

[Pitch]

I like to go no less than a 10" sidewall but all theories are preferential of those sittng on top of those tires. If you want to clear 1 ton clampers, 16" wheel is where you want to be.