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Pros & Cons of 16" vs 15" wheels

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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 11:13 AM
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Default Pros & Cons of 16" vs 15" wheels

Need objective opinions of 16" wheels compared to 15's in the 32/33x10/12 range. Thanks
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 11:15 AM
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I believe 15 inch tires are cheaper than 16 inch.
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 11:15 AM
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as far as i've seen tires are cheaper for 15's. I would think you would be able to get better crawling traction with 15's due to the larger side wall. i dont know if that is correct or not though.
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 11:16 AM
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If u go 16 inch wheels, u prob end up paying more for tires of same size if it was 15 inches
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 11:16 AM
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Also the weight of 16 inch tires are also slightly heavier, I think
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 11:20 AM
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more selection with 16's.... they are a little more expensive but the choice in 15 inch tires gets smaller and smaller every year
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 11:37 AM
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There seems to be more back spacing in general from 15's to 16's, for example the Pro Comp 16x8 has 4.5" whereas the 15x8 has 3.75". Would this have something to do with the 16's being aimed towards big suv's and 15's more towards traditional off roader's?
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 04:16 PM
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With 16's you can get more sizes from Tread Wright.com.

That's why I got 16's.
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 07:21 PM
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16s will allow slightly larger brakes
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Old Jun 14, 2013 | 08:46 PM
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my personal preference is a 15'' rim with a meaty 33'' tire any wheel bigger just looks goofy to me
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Old Jun 15, 2013 | 11:17 AM
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Originally Posted by adambaum
16s will allow slightly larger brakes
I put rear disc's on my '98 XJ & put a Ford Ranger 14 in. wheel on there to see if it fit. It did.

But I guess you meant on the front.
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Old Jun 15, 2013 | 03:47 PM
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Originally Posted by cleenrob
my personal preference is a 15'' rim with a meaty 33'' tire any wheel bigger just looks goofy to me
Yeah but if you're rolling on 37's then a 17" wheel gives you the same profile. I think up to 35's, the 15" wheel works best and the tires are much cheaper. Once you start doing axle swaps and running bigger than a 37", you need to make the switch to 17's
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Old Jun 15, 2013 | 08:15 PM
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just run 15s, tires are cheaper and you get more sidewall to flex and be more better
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Old Jun 15, 2013 | 08:31 PM
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Tires are cheaper for 15's, and there's a better selection of good mud tires for 15's
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Old Jun 15, 2013 | 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by kirknd4spd
Tires are cheaper for 15's, and there's a better selection of good mud tires for 15's
I agree with him. There is also a good selection of A/T and a few snow tires for 15". Plus there is plenty of cheap Jeep wheels from different generations and models.
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