15x8 vs 17x9 wheels? Tire availability, price and load ratings?

[Rickyd]

I have the 17x9 Mammoth Boulders and love them. There is plenty of sidewall with a 33" tire and 17" wheel. Anyone who tells you different hasn't seen or used 17's with 33's off road. I can get these down to 16 PSI without any issues. When these tires need replacing, I will be going to a 35 and adding a 1" body lift.

The only thing I'd do differently, is go with the gun metal gray color. The only reason is for a little break from the black. I may still yet order a set and have them made into beadlocks.

17" wheels give you the option of either standard or metric tire sizes.

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What tire is that? I thought about grey but i don't think it would fit my white/black jeep

I hated my 17" wheels with 33s. Maybe it was because the wheels were ugly. I bought it that way and changed them soon after.
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Yikes,that is what i was afraid of. Are you fking with me on the rim and tire size? That looks aweful compared to mjonesjr's mammoths.

@LngJeep those look great!

 

[Mike_H]

To the floatation sizes i listed. 12.5 and 10.5 wide.and 33 tall

I don't have a ton of direct comparison experience. I did run a set of 35x12.5-15's for a short time. I didn't like them, at all. I could feel the extra sidewall squirming around in corners. The 35x12.5-17's I have now are way more better-er in almost every way vs those 15's in the picture.

I haven't run a flotation size 33...Only the 285/70R17's. I also haven't run narrow tires vs wide ones on the same vehicle. I do know I haven't been able to tell a difference between the narrower 285 metric vs the 12.5 flotation from a traction perspective. If anything, my BFGs in a 285/70R17 hooked better than my 35x12.5-17 General Grabbers. But that is all butt dyno...I really don't like my Generals. As soon as I have an opportunity, I'm going with a Baja Boss AT.

 

[Rickyd]

I have 33x13.5 swampers on 15x10's for off roading so I'm not trying to have a do everything setup. Just refine my do most of everything combo?

 

[Mike_H]

If you’re not spending all your time on soft surfaces, I’d for sure go with a narrower wheel/tire combo. 8 or 9” wheel and 10 to 12.5 in wide. I’m actually a big fan on the tall, skinny tire and almost went that way before the generals. I was really afraid of a 10” wide tire on a 9” wide rim though. I ended up erring on the side of wider, so I wouldn’t worry about losing a bead as much.

 

[Rickyd]

I don't have a ton of direct comparison experience. I did run a set of 35x12.5-15's for a short time. I didn't like them, at all. I could feel the extra sidewall squirming around in corners. The 35x12.5-17's I have now are way more better-er in almost every way vs those 15's in the picture.

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I haven't run a flotation size 33...Only the 285/70R17's. I also haven't run narrow tires vs wide ones on the same vehicle. I do know I haven't been able to tell a difference between the narrower 285 metric vs the 12.5 flotation from a traction perspective. If anything, my BFGs in a 285/70R17 hooked better than my 35x12.5-17 General Grabbers. But that is all butt dyno...I really don't like my Generals. As soon as I have an opportunity, I'm going with a Baja Boss AT.

I guess what I'm really entertaining here is a more street friendly tire since I'm burning mudders off on the highway most of the time.It's good for my soul to drive my jeep 15 miles to and from my work van and shop with no doors or windows for 8 months of the year. Slowing down and enjoying the ride really resets my mindset.

I definitely notice 33x12.5x15 tires being squirmier on an 8" wide rim vs my current 10" wheels.the downside of course being the aweful scrub radius and poor steering/tracking characteristics that come with 15x10's.i can see how sidewall height could do the same thing for you.this leads to me considering a narrower tire on a 15×8 wheel or a 17" rim and the multiple tire choices available now?
I also considered custom 15x10 wheels with an inch or more backspacing but I'm tired of steel wheels that don't run true and the extra cost for them

 

[JMT]

285/70/16 (Patriot Blue)

35x12.5r15

35x12.5r17

 

[TheBoogieman]

Yikes,that is what i was afraid of. Are you fking with me on the rim and tire size? That looks aweful compared to mjonesjr's mammoths.

@LngJeep those look great!

I told you they were ugly. 17" wheels with 33" AT tires.

 

[TheBoogieman]

There’s no poke outside the fenders

Embrace the poke.

 

[mjonesjr84]

What tire is that? I thought about grey but i don't think it would fit my white/black jeep



Yikes,that is what i was afraid of. Are you fking with me on the rim and tire size? That looks aweful compared to mjonesjr's mammoths.

@LngJeep those look great!

They are Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT's. I love these tires; no noise and are wearing amazing.

 

[Rickyd]

They are Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT's. I love these tires; no noise and are wearing amazing.

Sorry.specifically, what size?

 

[mjonesjr84]

Sorry.specifically, what size?

They are 33x12.50x17 with the Boulder 17x9.