Pro/Con's of 17" wheels?

HappyHooligan

HappyHooligan

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I've been thinking of getting the TRD Pro wheels for my 2000 sport. But seeing some saying not to get 17's on my current 16's? I realize I'll have to get new tires too but what's the downfalls? Anyone else rocking these and have input?
 
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17" are the limit they say for off roading. It has to do with having enough sidewall so you can air down and not wreck the tire.
 
For street or wheeling?

Aspect ratio is what your looking at.

A lower aspect ratio is better for street. It allows less roll in the tire and hooks up on corners much better.

A higher aspect ratio is more desirable off-road. It allows more of a contact patch when aired down.

Finding the balance is pretty easy with all the wheel sizes out there. The general rule of thumb for wheeling is rim size should be half of the tires height. So 16's on 33's, 17's on 35's.

I run 295/70/17's on 33's. I can mall crawl with the best of them [MENTION=146407]Plastics guy[/MENTION] A lot of people run 285/75/16's. Here's a comparison of the two sizes.

https://tiresize.com/calculator/
 
The clearance problem isn't with the diameter, it's the width of the caliper. The inside webbing of many of the stock rims is thicker so it will hit the caliper.

Is the 1" diameter difference enough to make a noticeable difference in sidewall flexibility? Maybe, but it's probably more dependent on what tire you run. I'm considering running 17" because I want to run 255s. You can find relatively cheap 255/70/17 KO2 take-offs from the mall crawlers that buy Jeep Rubicons, then spend another $10k replacing all the stuff that comes on it.
 
Been rocking the 17's now for close to 3 years. Yes smaller has some advantages but I wouldn't change from personal experience/preference unless you are doing some HARD core crawling. Than I would say SAS, Beadlock and get that $$$$ tree growing (and send it to PO Box 1234 ...).

My father wishes he had not stuck with the 15" wheels on his rock crawler sometimes. He can get some crazy float but it's a lot of rubber when your out in the PNW exposed to sticks and logs...

15inch tire puncture.jpg
 

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Running 275 70 17 BFG ATs on these Trail wheels. Handles beautifully on and off road. If you are going to wheel hard enough that the 1” difference matters then you prolly need beadlocks
139f8b15f3dd1dae29ec3cf88b23b5c9.jpg
anyhow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I would say that 16" and 17" are pretty close. A 16" tire is generally going to be a good bit cheaper than the same tire in a 17" configuration. Some wheels (rims) are only offered in certain specs in one or the other size. In this instance, it sounds like you have the wheel in mind that you wish to run. Then it is a matter of finding tires that work for you.

But some might want a 17" wheel, but also want the tire to poke out a bit more than, let's say, a standard TRD wheel. You can add spacers to bring the wheel further away from the vehicle, but many don't want to run spacers. Those people wishing not to run spacers to get the wheel position they want, might just look for a different wheel that has the desired specs baked into the wheel itself without having to add geometry band aids, in the form of spacers, into the mix. For example FN makes a Pro model wheel that looks like a TRD Pro wheel, but has slightly different backspacing specs if memory serves me.

Most 16" aftermarket wheels will accommodate a Tundra Break Upgrade just like a 17" wheel will.

For me, price and tire selection played a big part of me ending up with 16" wheels. Stroll on over to Discount Tire Direct and pick a few tires to compare 16" vs. 17" pricing. Take a Cooper ST Maxx tire 16"= $229.84 vs. Cooper ST Maxx 17" = $259.97. So for a set of 4 tires, you are looking at a $136.52 difference. A bit more if you are running 5 tires. I understand that this may not be that big a deal to some, so, it is what it is. Bit this varies quite a bit. For example, BFG's new KM3 tire only shows about $36.12 difference between the two sizes. (This is a brand new tire, and I think BFG is happy to gouge a few of their must have it first buyers.).

To me, they are pretty close, but if I knew I was going to not really go much bigger than a 33" tire, I'd be happy to stay with a 16" wheel.
 
one other issue to consider is that stock trd pro wheels are only 7.5 inches wide and there is growing resistance by companies like Discount tire and others to mount a 12.5 wide tire on any wheel that isn't 8"s wide. so if you plan to run a 33" or 35" tire in the future and want to have it mounted by a larger company you may find yourself out of luck. Ask me how I know.:doh:

but as others have said the main reason to run a 17 over a 16 is to clear tundra brake upgrade. And to make sure you don't have too much sidewall when out crawling. Though I had no problems on my 85 runner running 15" wheels with a 39.5 tall tire, it all becomes about air pressure at that point. lol.
 
I dissagree with the price difference. Years ago yes but now with 17's being very common they are the same & I've even seen 17's cheaper than some 16's. Prices go up when you get to 18's now.
 
I'm running 32s on 17s, tires came with the rims, and while this is not the 33" tire everybody wants, I have less sidewall exposure than 16s with 285s and I only give up 1/2" of usable lift and I have yet to scrape a skid plate since my latest lift upgrade

That being said, I'm looking at either 255/75r17s or 295/70r17s (true 33s) for my next tire and yes, these will be closer to $250 a tire than I'd prefer...

Hopeless Diamond said:
You can find relatively cheap 255/70/17 KO2 take-offs from the mall crawlers that buy Jeep Rubicons, then spend another $10k replacing all the stuff that comes on it.
Click to expand...

Please share links!
 
Last edited:
Scramble said:
I dissagree with the price difference. Years ago yes but now with 17's being very common they are the same & I've even seen 17's cheaper than some 16's. Prices go up when you get to 18's now.
Click to expand...

Depends on the tire, I think, but ultimately yes

For example, your Hankook Dynapro M/Ts cost

285/75 R16 $199-$216 online (E rated, 10 ply) 59 lbs
285/70 R17 $200-$235 online (D rated, 8 ply) 62 lbs
Both fit on 7.5" rims :D

I am leaning towards this tire in 17" FWIW :juggle:

Alternatively I have been looking at pizza cutters too, 255/75 R17s (which are 32s)
FIRESTONE DESTINATION M/T 255/75R-17 (C rated, 6 ply) are $170 and I've seen them as low as $145 each
Not my first choice tire based on reviews, but the tread pattern looks good and similar to the Dynapro M/Ts

Hankook makes a 255/75 R17 MT for about $180 a tire in an E rating
 
Last edited:
octanejunkie said:
Please share links!
Click to expand...

Just watch Craigslist or your other favorite garage sale sites. The Rubicons come with KM2s, I think I said KO2. They are a great tire and many times people are just trying to recoup some of the costs for the Bro-dozer set ups they put on their new shiny Jeeps,so they put them on sale cheap to get rid of them.
 
octanejunkie said:
Depends on the tire, I think, but ultimately yes

For example, your Hankook Dynapro M/Ts cost

285/75 R16 $199-$216 online (E rated, 10 ply) 59 lbs
285/70 R17 $200-$235 online (D rated, 8 ply) 62 lbs
Both fit on 7.5" rims :D

I am leaning towards this tire in 17" FWIW :juggle:

Alternatively I have been looking at pizza cutters too, 255/75 R17s
FIRESTONE DESTINATION M/T 255/75R-17 are $170 and I've seen them as low as $145 each
Not my first choice tire based on reviews, but the tread pattern looks good and similar to the Dynapro M/Ts

Hankook makes a 255/75 R17 MT for about $180 a tire
Click to expand...

Plus all 17's fit over the Tundra breaks, not all 16's do. Great choice!
 
Something to consider:
A setup on 17" rims will weigh a bit less than the equivalent size tire on a 16" rim.
Rubber is heavy, and while the 17" rim will more oftentimes weight a bit more than a 16" rim, the same 17" tire setup will weight less than that on the 16's.
 
MSRP. said:
Something to consider:
A setup on 17" rims will weigh a bit less than the equivalent size tire on a 16" rim.
Rubber is heavy, and while the 17" rim will more oftentimes weight a bit more than a 16" rim, the same 17" tire setup will weight less than that on the 16's.
Click to expand...
Not always true, that's why I specifically made a point to list the weights on the to Hankook mud tires I referenced. The 16 inch tire is 3 pounds lighter than the 17 in Tire of the same height even though the 16in is a 10 ply and the 17in is 8 ply

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