It's somewhat a matter of opinion, but here are some things people could consider "wrong" with it:

1. tread sticks out past the flares, so mud, rocks, etc. are constantly thrown up on the bodywork, windows, etc.

2. rubbing of the tire on the flare/sheet metal with suspension articulation/flex

3. more stress on the wheel bearings due to increased offset

4. altered scrub radius due to increased offset

5. it looks stupid


Of course, there are other points that people might consider advantages as well...

 

Yes, measured/verified. Were 8 inch wide.
and...tbone hit the nail on the head with his 5 reasons for ditching the overly wide rims. All 5 points came up in discussion recently when i was trying to decide to keep them or return them.

 

There is one more good reason to have the width of the rim correct, not just "sticking out" backspacing/offset issues as mentioned above. With a narrow tire (10 inches or less) on an 8" rim, the tire isn't as secure on the rim when airing down as it would be with a 7" rim.

 

I don't think it decreases wheel bearing life that much, I think it looks better, it increases stability, and if slight rubbing is an issue that ain't nothing a grinder can't fix, or a bigger lift.

 

I also agree that you shouldn't put a narrow tire on a wide wheel for the reasons mentioned above. I have 10.5" tires on my 8" wheels and I wouldn't want any narrower, on my truck I have 12.5" wide tires on the factory 16x7 wheels.

 

I’ve seen the physics of that discussed. Whether or not the offset creates a greater fulcrum on the wheel bearings. Who knows, they never come to conclusion.

 

imo it looks better with a lift. Stock with that wide of a stance looks ridiculous to me. Your 2 methods will fix rubbing issues, but if you don't want to lift, the best option is just to get correct backspacing haha

 

That's just 'cause there's no tire on it...


Click for full res

Meh... negligible. Most of the aftermarket wheels have the backspacing set so that the WMS is right in the center of the rim width. So yeah, there's 4" or 4.25" that protrude OUTBOARD of the WMS, but there's also 4" or 3.75" the protrude INBOARD of it as well. The weight of the vehicle is carried in the center of the wheel, therefore the additional stress on the wheel bearing is very slight. The ball joints, however, might notice additional stress... but still not as substantial as one might think.

Now if you're going with a wheel with a custom backspacing, say a 8" wide wheel with 2.5" BS, then yeah... it's murder on the bearings and scrub radius.

 

I wasn't trying to provide any "weight" to any of the 5 items I listed. My point was to present the arguments that some might use when someone asks, "what is wrong with having the wheels stick out." Those items don't necessarily follow my thoughts on the subject, but any of the 5 can be argued, depending on the viewpoint, and is thus why I said, "it's somewhat a matter of opinion".

I agree. It's probably in the best interest of most owners that have stock or near stock XJs such as the OP to fit their wheels to their body, rather than fitting their body to their wheels, i.e. cutting/folding sheet metal or lifting, either one of which might not be something the OP would even consider doing.

 

True.

 

Thank you all, the aftermarket wheels are gone, returned without incident at a 4WheelParts store and refunded my Paypal same day. I'm looking at some similar wheels, however, this time I'm going to go with 15x7 instead of 8, and a 4.5 inch back space. I need to budget for that buy a little more. Until then, I pulled my 4 steel wheels, stripped them, primed them, and painted them satin black. Don't look too bad for now.
Thank you all again for all your advice and pics !!

 

Don't know what you've looked at in the way of wheels yet but here are two types that will work for you. Black Rock Type 8 Series 997 and Type D Series 942 both are offered in 15x7 w/4.25" backspacing.

 

 

The wheels im considering next are Pro- Comp series 98 Rock Crawlers, 15x7, 4.5 inch backspace.
https://www.4wd.com/p/pro-comp-series-98-rock-crawler-gloss-black-monster-mod-wheel-98-5766/_/R-FPWF-98-5766

 

That looks like a good choice.

I found it fairly difficult to find wheels I wanted with 4.5" backspacing. I just bought a set of the 15x7 Black Rock 997's w/4.25 BS that Earl mentioned. Morris had a sale on them, and they're one of the few Soft-8 type wheels I've seen that include the center caps. I'm sticking with LT235/75 R15.

https://www.blackrockwheels.com/whee...ies-997-type-8