2018 JLU Fitting Tires and Rims W/O a Lift

Brandiland

New member
Ok, I'm incredibly new to the Jeep world. Here's what I know. I don't like the look of the stock tires and rims on the 2018 Unlimited Sport. I want it to sit just outside the fender. Squatty yet confident, if you will. In its current state it looks like it skipped leg day.
I don't want to discuss aesthetics, because I can sort that part out later. I do want to discuss functionality and mobility though. So, in order to accomplish the look I like, I know I'll need a wider tire. Simple enough.. right? [emoji23][emoji854]
I do zero off-roading on purpose (you can interpret that how you wish). I do about 60% hwy driving and 40% in town. I've been told over and over again to not lift it, because I'll start getting into mobility issues. However, I get on here and I see all the cool kids doing it with no problems. This confuses me greatly. Although, I'm not sure I'll need to lift since I'm not off-roading it.
My questions are, what can I get away with without a lift, width-wise? Do I need back spacing, if so, how much? Is there a reason no one is going with an 18" rim? I feel like there's a reason. What are some pros and cons to running bigger, beefier tires? And lastly, can I get a tire that looks that much different if I don't lift? I don't want to fork out all the money to swap out my perfectly good tires and rims if the look isn't much different.
20200116_105704~2.jpeg

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JTCO

Meme King
My questions are, what can I get away with without a lift, width-wise?

I bet you could do 33s or possibly even 35s without a lift.

Do I need back spacing, if so, how much?

A wider tire will likely rub on you control arm, frame, or sway bar when you turn so you can either get wheels with 4.5 to 4.75 backspacing OR keep your factory wheels and just get 1.5 inch wheel spacers (go with a quality brand).

Is there a reason no one is going with an 18" rim?

Most people like seeing more tire rather than more wheel. And for offroad use (not applicable according to your post) more tire sidewall is ideal.

. What are some pros and cons to running bigger, beefier tires? And lastly, can I get a tire that looks that much different if I don't lift?

If you want looks, go for a mud terrain tire or an aggressive tread all terrain tire. Mud tires will be noisier than your oem tires.

Here's a picture of my JT Sport, no lift, and 35s (315/70R17 to be exact) . I did remove those funky things between the bumper and fenders. I cropped the picture so it looks more like a JL.

DSC06147.jpg


I also assume you'll have to do something with the spare tire, like a spacer or something.
 

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wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I think JTCO has you covered on this one. The only thing I would add is that running 35's on a Sport would be pushing it. I doubt you could do it without quite a bit of rubbing.
 

Brandiland

New member
I bet you could do 33s or possibly even 35s without a lift.



A wider tire will likely rub on you control arm, frame, or sway bar when you turn so you can either get wheels with 4.5 to 4.75 backspacing OR keep your factory wheels and just get 1.5 inch wheel spacers (go with a quality brand).



Most people like seeing more tire rather than more wheel. And for offroad use (not applicable according to your post) more tire sidewall is ideal.



If you want looks, go for a mud terrain tire or an aggressive tread all terrain tire. Mud tires will be noisier than your oem tires.

Here's a picture of my JT Sport, no lift, and 35s (315/70R17 to be exact) . I did remove those funky things between the bumper and fenders. I cropped the picture so it looks more like a JL.

View attachment 15088


I also assume you'll have to do something with the spare tire, like a spacer or something.
THANK YOU for all of the info. This is a big help. I appreciate the extra mile to crop the pic for me too. [emoji846] I really like the look of yours. People have told me a 35 would give me trouble. Do you think a 33" would look much different than your 35s?

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Brandiland

New member
I think JTCO has you covered on this one. The only thing I would add is that running 35's on a Sport would be pushing it. I doubt you could do it without quite a bit of rubbing.
Yeah, I've been told that by a number of people. I truly appreciate the feedback. It's very helpful. Of all the things I plan to do, I think the tires and rims are my biggest stress.

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JrBiem

New member
Here’s a shot of my mother’s Sport S. It’s on 315/70r17 BFG KO2s. Street driving is fine and they don’t rub at all at full lock, however it has never been off-road and I guarantee it’d rub pretty badly if it were off-road. Actual tire sizes can very a decent amount. I have 315/70r17 Nitto Trail grapplers on my Sport and required spacers because they did rub at full lock. They measured approximately 1/2” wider than the K02s.

C2F049C5-D5D2-482E-B270-ACCF71447591.jpg
 

Polaris Pro

Member
What offset is everyone running. I’m looking at fuel zephyr wheels in 17x9. I don’t know if I should get the -12 offset or the +1.


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