Big wheels small tires or small wheels big tires?

[Billiebob]

On the Load Range topic.

Ive run MT2s LR E, and switched every fall/spring to/from WinterGrips, LR C. I would not say the LR Es were uncomfortable but the difference in harshness was dramatic for the first week after the change over. I've done this for the past 20 years. Always the same, the Cs were a pleasant surprise, the Es a harsh reality. Most noticeable on paved roads and cracks, potholes, expansion joints.

But I'd never pick a tire for the Load Rating on my Wrangler. I'd pick the tread/price I was most comfortable with.

Unfortunately, with a few exceptions for specific applications,
15" tires are exclusively LR C.
16" pretty much ALL LR D/E.
17" a pretty expensive mix of C/D/E.

 

[MidOH]

Big tire, small wheel.

On my trucks 17" wheels fit. But aftermarket wheels can be chunkier, and 17's won't clear stick on weights. So I use 18" wheels normally. 35x12.5r18 is the popular size around me. 37x13.5r18 optional.

18's have better options for E rated tires right now.

Usually anything bigger than 20" is ''brodozer''. That'll ride too rough.

 

[Dilldog]

I have always wanted the smallest wheel possible, hell I have even ground down brake calipers on Dana 60 1 ton front ends to clear 15" wheels. Also something to be aware of, a thicker sidewall also carries a load better.

 

[Boostpowered]

Do whatever you want, youll learn from failure over time

 

[Brewbud]

Small wheels with big tires. I changed my LJR over to 15" wheels with 35s. My truck has 17" wheels with 37s. Being able to air down is a huge plus where I wheel. I also prefer 8" wide wheels over 10" wide wheels.

 

[Lindenwood]

A couple quick things!

1) Less sidewall height doesnt inherently give better handling; Formula 1 racing tires have almost 7 inches of sidewall, and happily handle several gs of lateral acceleration. Tire pressure is used to maintain tire profile. As mentioned above, larger wheels are simply about fitting bigger brakes, and the thinner tires simply allow engineers to keep the rotating mass down.

2) The contact patch doesn't actually get bigger with wider tires. It is entirely a function of weight on that axle, and tire pressure. If you add a wider tire, the contact patch will simply be wider and shorter, whereas a narrow tire will provide a longer and skinnier contact patch.

So, bottom line, I will always go with the smaller wheel that will fit over the brakes, in order to get the most sidewall possible. I went from factory 19s down to 16s on my rav4, and also added 2" to the tire height! Rides great :D .