Jeep Wrangler JKs are the third generation of off-road Jeep Wranglers and were in production from 2006 to 2018. Jeep Wrangler JKs were among the best-selling off-road vehicles in its class during its production time. What made the JK successful was its customizable options, powerful 4-wheel drive, and upgraded amenities. Earlier Wrangler models lacked many power features, even the windows.
That said, Jeep Wrangler JKs were produced over many years and came with many variations during their production. Some of the most common examples include the Sport, Rubicon, and Sahara models. When it’s time to upgrade your wheels and tires, it’s important to know what fits best. The good news? We’re here to help you find the best Jeep Wrangler JK wheels and tires.
What to Consider When Upgrading Your Jeep Wrangler JK Offroad Wheels & Tires
Planning is key when you’re upgrading your Jeep Wrangler, especially when you’re replacing the wheels and tires. Essentially, they function as the foundation for future upgrades and even if you only plan on swapping the wheels/tires it’s important to know how they’ll impact other components. For this reason, we’ll take you through some factors to consider when upgrading your wheels.
Suspension and Ride Height
One of the biggest factors to consider is the suspension and ride height of your Jeep Wrangler, especially if you want larger rims and tires. Depending on the suspension that your Jeep has, you may be limited to smaller wheels and tires if you don’t lift the Jeep first. You don’t want small wheels that lack backspacing on a lifted Jeep because you increase the risk of tipping.
Ride height in general is also important to consider. When you add larger wheels the Jeep will sit higher off the ground. You’ll need the proper backspacing to offset this problem or your Jeep will have a higher risk of tipping.
Backspacing
One thing many people overlook when upgrading wheels and tires is backspacing, which is the distance between the hub mount and the lip of your vehicle’s wheel. The more backspace you have the farther away the wheels will be from the Jeep and vice versa for less backspacing.
The amount of backspacing your vehicle has is important for a few reasons. First and foremost, closer to zero inches makes it easier to fit larger wheels and tires on a stock suspension. Unfortunately, there’s a tradeoff here. While you can fit larger wheels and tires, failing to upgrade the suspension to accommodate this spacing may result in premature wear and bad driving conditions.
Lug Nut Pattern/Bolt Pattern
The lug nut pattern, otherwise known as a bolt pattern, refers to the number of lug nuts a wheel has and how they’re aligned. You can find the bolt pattern of a vehicle by measuring the diameter that the lug nuts form; most lug nuts are placed in a circle, so that’s what you need to measure.
Most Jeep Wrangler JKs that have factory wheels and suspension have a bolt pattern of 5×5. This means there are five lug nuts placed in a circle with a 5-inch diameter. When swapping your wheels and tire, only choose options that are compatible with this bolt pattern or you’ll need additional components.
The Type of Wheel and Tire
Wheels and tires come in many shapes and sizes and materials. Most modern wheels are either made with steel or alloy. Alloy wheels are made from lightweight materials like aluminum, which have less durability but more flexibility for off-roading. On the other hand, steel wheels have the best durability but they’re heavy and may impact off-road performance.
Aside from the type of wheel, it’s also important to consider the type of tire you want. Both wheel materials are compatible with every type of tire, it comes down to preference.
The three common types of tires include highway tires (H/T), all-terrain tires (A/T), and mud tires (M/T). Highway tires are best for driving on pavement, all-terrain tires are suitable for light off-roading and pavement, and mud tires are best for serious off-roading (mud, water, rock climbing).
What Rims Fit the Jeep Wrangler JK?
The Jeep Wrangler JK came with a few different wheel sizes from the factory. For most models, the wheels were either 16, 17, or 18 inches. Sport models featured 16-inch wheels, Rubicon models came with 17-inch wheels, and Sahara models came with 18-inch wheels. As for the width of these wheels, the Sport came with a 7-inch width and larger wheels on vehicles like the Sahara had a 7.5-inch width.
Most Jeep Wrangler JKs also came with a fair amount of backspacing, between 5 and 7 inches. As for bolt patterns, all models came with 5×5 bolt patterns from the factory.
Without modifications, you shouldn’t exceed 20-inch rims. Going bigger than 20 inches may lead to fender and control arm damage. Consider a lift and reducing backspacing if you plan on adding larger wheels to your Jeep Wrangler JK.
What is the Biggest Tire You Can Put on a Jeep Wrangler JK?
Stock Jeep Wranglers without modifications or additional packages can fit larger wheels and tires than most vehicles. The stock Jeep Wrangler Sport can even fit tires that are 33 inches in diameter. This also applies to Rubicon and Sahara models. Still, there are some variations based on rim size.
The common 33-inch tire sizes for each rim size include:
- 285/75/16
- 285/70/17
- 275/70/18
You may need larger or smaller tires depending on your suspension setup. It’s also possible for some drivers to fit 35-inch tires on the Jeep Wrangler JK but this is only suitable for driving on pavement. Attempting off-road driving with 35-inch tires on the stock suspension may damage your fenders and suspension.
What are the Biggest Tires You Can Fit on a Jeep Wrangler JK with an Aftermarket Suspension?
The sky’s the limit when it comes to tire size that fits on an aftermarket suspension, especially for Jeep Wrangler JKs. For example, you can run 35-inch tires off-road if you lift your Jeep by 3.5 to 6 inches. We advise against adding anything larger than 37 inches to avoid the increased risk of tipping when you’re off-roading.
Ready to spring for new wheels and tires? 4 Wheel Parts is the trusted source for all things off-roading. Our experts can help you find exactly what you need to accomplish your build plans.
2