a buddy of mine is trying to talk me out of the 15x11 wheels, the pattern of it is 5x5.5 and i would have to run an adapter that is 5.45 pattern so it adds up to a total of 12.5" wide and he said that would make me lose about 3mpg ??
is that true ... i m already getting bad gas millage from this xj truck the way it is ... plus is that stupid wide in the jeep world, like would i look like a dumb *** running that wide, (for example i m a Mustang enthusiast and we make fun of ricers all the time), would that make me a ricer in the jeep world ??

i just need some inputs .. also i never beat on the truck or go 4wheeling and someone on here mentioned to me that having 15/10.5 tires on a 15/11 rim is not a smart choice .... what are the down side of this ... please let me know .. here are pics of the wheels .. sorry about the phone camera pics quality

 

dont use adapters,they break way to easy and are way over priced,find a lug pattern thall fit,and dont run rims wider than the tires you are using,8" is all you need for a 10.5" or 11.5" wide tire

 

how about the mpg ??? would it go down as much as 3mpg for having those wide wheels ??

 

i dont think it will go down 3mpg but itll go down a little bit since it is more rubber it has to move

 

Usually, increasing the tire diameter has a greater (negative) effect on mpg than increasing the width.

 

im use 15x8 wheel on 32.11.50 stock xj motor gettin 18 mpg

 

If you go with a super wide wheel and a normal width tire as in like a 31/10.50 your almost stretching the tire as well. So say if you needed to air down your tires in sand and such there is a much greater risk of your tires falling off the beads. Like suggested above an 8 inch wide wheel is good to run with the size tires your gonna be going with. I personally would go no wider that 8 inches. If you go bigger in tire width I would still go no wider than 10 inches.

 

I have adapters and I beat the **** out of mine I have jumped it and slid into curbs in the snow and they have held up great for me, I replaced two lugs one time but that's easy hit out the old and hit in the new

 

MPG answer:
more contact patch with the road= more friction= less MPG... However there is more to consider than just tire width and diameter. Tread pattern and tire material is also important. Harder rubber, narrower tires, and "street tread" will give you better MPG, while wider tires, softer rubber, and aggressive tread will decrease it.

As to how much, its going to very from jeep tp jeep, tire to tire. Tire diameter having the most effect on MPG due to the difference in leverage if you dont figure out proper gearing. Also, I would suspect that if your jeep is already bad for gas mileage it wont drop as many MPG as if its running with high mileage, Ive noticed higher fluctuations in mileage just with how I drive than tires or whatnot. I get 16~19 with stock size, less agressive 235 all terrains. I have been considering going narrower on my dd for mileage, but dont think one MPG is worth the potential loss of ability, as my yard's driving conditions change dramatically throughout the year, not to mention the road to work.

Your question about width "will it work" got a little mixed up for me, and I didnt understand it completely, but as far as I understand: on the street you can put just about any width tire on just about any rim within reason. You arent airing down, but you do have to watch out for curbs if you put a narrow tire on a wide rim. Seen many sidewalls pinched and rims dented from curbs.

When I started researching tires most places, like Treadwright, recommend rim widths really close to the tread width or perhaps an inch less, as this is close to the nominal width of the beads while the tire is off a rim.

As for the offroad community I participate in, the general consensus is the idea is about 3~5" narrower rim than the tread for more "sidewall buldge" for better air-down performance. Again, this is going to be different for different trails, etc, but to each his own.

As to "what it looks like", thats completely up to you IMO. I get crapnjust for driving a cherokee since everyone I worrk with drives fords and toyotas. I could downgrade to please them, or just be happy with what I have and secretly know I can spin donuts around their truck's abilities...

Personally, not that it matters, but I like the look of my off road jeep... I have 34" swampers, about 11" wide on stock rims and no lift (yes, it works if you work at it)... I think it looks tough and ready to rumble on the trail, and eat sidehills the other guys cant dream of, but I WILL get crap for it, already am. I dont care, though, as its my jeep and I love it.

In some ways Id like to see a pavement pounder with like 12" wide 30s... But Im wierd.

If you are putting 12~12.5" wide tires on 11.5" rims it should be fine and give the tires a clean look for the street, I think.

 

x2. unless your running 13" wide tires, loose those big bastards, and get some 15x8's or narrower. and yes your gunna loose some mpg's with a wider tire.