Offroad Wheels: 16s vs 17s

[LookARE]

Hi I wanted some opinions from people running aftermarket wheels I am shopping for method bead grips but cant decide between a 16 or 17 inch rim fyi I plan on doing 33s (285/70/17, 285/75/16, most likely). I like having the extra side wall and price of 16s but am worried about the wheels fitting the brakes especially If I were to do a break upgrade in the future. If you have experience running aftermarket wheels for off-roading please let me know your thoughts. Also if anyone has experience or opinions on bead Grips I’m also on the fence about those because of the price is it worth it. Thanks!

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[Dereku]

10 years ago I would have said 16s. But now I say 17s. They are more common and more likely to be in stock locally if something goes wrong. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Wytchdctr]

10 years ago I would have said 16s. But now I say 17s. They are more common and more likely to be in stock locally if something goes wrong. Just my 2 cents.

No kidding eh. I had a vehicle with 17s more than 10 years ago and it was a PITA to find them. Now I have a stupid number of tires that would fit my 17s stock size and plus sizes.

 

[Megawatt]

Get a flat in BFE and 17‘s will be more common and most likely less expensive. Few vehicles come in 16’s Stock.

I had 16’s on my 2013 wrangler I liked the bigger sidewall but choices were less for me.

 

[deleriumtremor]

Hi I wanted some opinions from people running aftermarket wheels I am shopping for method bead grips but cant decide between a 16 or 17 inch rim fyi I plan on doing 33s (285/70/17, 285/75/16, most likely). I like having the extra side wall and price of 16s but am worried about the wheels fitting the brakes especially If I were to do a break upgrade in the future. If you have experience running aftermarket wheels for off-roading please let me know your thoughts. Also if anyone has experience or opinions on bead Grips I’m also on the fence about those because of the price is it worth it. Thanks!

I agree with others that say 17".

On the Method wheels, I have always liked the look of their wheels.

The Bead Grip feature, I wouldn't pay any extra for because it was "Bead Grip". The Bead Grip design isn't going to provide a similar benefit to actual Bead Lock wheels.

One final thing is check the offset of the wheel you favor. Pretty much anything you find in an AM wheel is going to have less offset than the factory wheel. What that means is the wheel/tire will sit farther out from the bodywork.

 

[Frenchy]

Between the two 17 inch wheels will.do just fine. Be aware that I do not recommended many of the aftermarket wheels due to the fact they dont have the load capacity of the factory wheels and most are made in China. I should also add that they will most likely be heavier. Not a great idea if you want fair MPG during these wonderful times

 

[9zero1790]

if things were normal and you could get tires easily id say 16s. that extra rubber will be a lil more cushion off road and will give just a bit more bite around or wrap on rocks or other obstacles when aired down. skip the fancy wheels. unless your going hard core skip the cost of bead locks too. stay at half the sticker "normal highway" psi and chances are you will not have an issue with a tire letting go of the rim. dont forget to air back up for the street lol. the extra money saved bypassing the bead locks and fancy wheels will go a long way toward other more useful goodies like recovery gear, winch, off road lights, fuel and cooler full of food and drinks. no wheels with fake bead locks.... please lol. while fancy aftermarket wheels will look nice, they will not stay that way if you off road much. the 16 inch steels are cheap and plentiful. just about every salvage yard in the states will have a 16 inch 6 on wheel laying around. they were on f150s, rangers broncos , expeditions and others. many off road tires are still on the market in 16 inch sizes. as far as brakes go im assuming the same brakes come on every ranger no matter the rim or trim so if the up grades fit the 5g ranger they should be ok with the 16s. to be fair i have the stock 17s and i like them lol. wasnt worth the cost for me to switch them to other wheels or size.

 

[Aonarch]

16s for more sidewall and get a matching spare.

285/75/16 are still easy enough to find.

I went 17s, because 255/85/16 isn't really a thing.

 

[armoredpig]

I have 16's and I would do the same again. The only thing I don't like is the lack of tire choices. These are P265 75r16 with a C load rating. Nice and lightweight.

 

[D Fresh]

If I wasn't using my factory wheels I'd have gone 16".

Where do you people live that 16" tires are not available?

I just put 15" wheels and tires on my Jeep. They were plenty easy to find.

 

[Megawatt]

Remember very few after market wheels are hub centered like OEM wheels. After market is usually lug centered but very few people don’t have a problem and rarely snap wheel lugs however.. If you have a choice between two wheels you like and one is hub centered then go with the hub centered wheel, waaaaay better.

 

[JohnnyO]

16's will fit the brakes, they're the standard size on the base XL, but now there is a better selection of tires in 17".

 

[armoredpig]

If I wasn't using my factory wheels I'd have gone 16".

Where do you people live that 16" tires are not available?

I just put 15" wheels and tires on my Jeep. They were plenty easy to find.

They're definitely available, but the choices outside of E rating are limited in 16s.

 

[D Fresh]

They're definitely available, but the choices outside of E rating are limited in 16s.

I get that struggle. But the 255/80 17s I use are E-rated as well, as well as everytire in that size. I don't have a problem with 'em at all. I probably would've preffered C-rated, but the Es aren't THAT heavy.

I just find it odd that people act as if needing to find an emergency replacement is all that common of a thing for them. I do have the advantage of a large metro area nearby so maybe that clouds my viewpoint.

 

[Aonarch]

Remember very few after market wheels are hub centered like OEM wheels. After market is usually lug centered but very few people don’t have a problem and rarely snap wheel lugs however.. If you have a choice between two wheels you like and one is hub centered then go with the hub centered wheel, waaaaay better.

Hub rings are 100% safe. Lug centric is a no no.

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