Manche757 Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 As a matter of confession, I never bought a set of rims without buying a whole vehicle. I have an 87 MJ that a prior owner must have bought and spent 2 days updating. I bought it becauseof lack of rust. Has chrome oversized wheels that make bad noises when turning the wheels past a happy point. I want to save the look but not lift the truck. Love the look of wide tires. JeepDriver might (or not) say that I am ignoramus extremous gloriamo us. Looking for low maintance even if it cost me front end. Are chrome rims offerred in different thicknesses of chrome? What is max size I can get away with without lifting? Don't assume I know squat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 backspacing is key. aftermarket steel rims push the tire out and they start contacting the fenders when you turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manche757 Posted October 6, 2018 Author Share Posted October 6, 2018 5 minutes ago, Pete M said: backspacing is key. aftermarket steel rims push the tire out and they start contacting the fenders when you turn. I assume I need to buy new narrower rims and tires? I want to buy my way out of this even if it cost me. Can you make the space go away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 Re-read what Pete wrote. The key is "backspacing." Most of the factory Jeep rims for the XJ and MJ are 15x7. The backspacing is 5-1/4". Read this: http://www.wheelpros.com/page/offset-explained/9 As far as I know, there are NO aftermarket 15x7 or 15x8 rims that have more than 4-3/4" backspacing, and most have less than that. So that means even a 15x7 aftermarket rim is going to sit at least a half inch farther outboard than a factory wheel, and if the aftermarket rim is 15x8 the entire extra inch of width is going to be toward the outside, in addition to the extra half inch or more caused by the difference in backspacing. What size are the wheels you have, and what size tires are on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manche757 Posted October 6, 2018 Author Share Posted October 6, 2018 Eagle, the truck is at the mechanic shop. I will check that tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 23 hours ago, Manche757 said: As a matter of confession, I never bought a set of rims without buying a whole vehicle. I have an 87 MJ that a prior owner must have bought and spent 2 days updating. I bought it becauseof lack of rust. Has chrome oversized wheels that make bad noises when turning the wheels past a happy point. I want to save the look but not lift the truck. Love the look of wide tires. JeepDriver might (or not) say that I am ignoramus extremous gloriamo us. Looking for low maintance even if it cost me front end. Are chrome rims offerred in different thicknesses of chrome? What is max size I can get away with without lifting? Don't assume I know squat I have no idea how I got brought into this? That said- Here's what happens- Cheap mindless souls buy $69 Soft 8s with 3.5" backspacing because they are the cheapest wheel. And then throw on the cheapest set of 31s. Drives like $#!&, looks like $#!&. And then they say, that's all there is. This gets repeated ad nauseam until it becomes a false truth that is accepted by more mindless souls. So, here we are, a world of mindlessness. When the reality is, the world is your onion. All kinds of wheels, all kinds of sizes, all kinds of backspacing..............all for you, right here- https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/wheels?N=4294920835%2B4294947558&SortBy=Default&SortOrder=Ascending Plenty with 5" backspacing, assuming you are looking for something like a 285/60/16 with 10" of tread width, the inside center section/tread section will land at about the same place as it would with a stock wheel/tire as it relates to frame/LCA/steering components. People are lazy, people are cheap, people are not creative nor imaginative....for the most part. Chrome? Buy a high end wheel and don't worry about it. Ceramic pads, semi-metallic pads eat chrome.........so does laziness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manche757 Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 The MJ is locked inside of mechanic's garage, so I can't get to it until he reopens. Thanks for all the information but what I am asking is simpler ( I think?). The current tires and rims are too big and scrape when turning the wheels past some point. I do not want to lift the truck. I do want to preserve the chrome rim look. That said, I need to buy rims and tires to fit them. Never bought a set of rims ever, except on a vehicle purchased. Level stupid questions: 1.There are different grades/thicknesses of chrome that will stave off rust through? 2. I like the look of wide tires (no meaning diameter). What is the max width tire and rim needed for those tires that will work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 48 minutes ago, Manche757 said: 1.There are different grades/thicknesses of chrome that will stave off rust through? Chrome looks shiny. It will not stave off rust for long unless you are willing to clean and wax the wheels fairly frequently. Brake dust+moisture ==> acid. Brake dust is death on wheels. 2. I like the look of wide tires (no meaning diameter). What is the max width tire and rim needed for those tires that will work? That depends on the wheel backspacing. What is known: on factory 15x7 rims with 5-1/4" backspacing, 31x10.50 tires will clear the body work but rub slightly on the lower control arms at full steering lock. (This can be fixed by using lower control arms from a WJ Grand Cherokee.) So if a 7" rim has 5-1/4" backspacing, that puts the centerline of the tire and rim 1-3/4" behind (inboard of) the wheel mounting surface. And a 31x10.50 tire is typically not 31" in diameter, but closer to 30.5". So to satisfy your criteria, you want a tire that's no wider than 10.5" and no larger than 30.5", and a rim that's going to position the centerline 1.75" inboard of the wheel mounting surface. Pick any combination of tire size and aspect ratio that will meet these parameters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manche757 Posted October 7, 2018 Author Share Posted October 7, 2018 Eagle, that is quite an answer. Did you actually know those details without having to look them up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 6 hours ago, Manche757 said: Eagle, that is quite an answer. Did you actually know those details without having to look them up? I have to admit that, yes, I did. I don't know exactly what that says about me ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyav8r Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 It says you are an Olde Pharte with a wide base of accumulated knowledge and experience backed up by excellent recall, my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 1 hour ago, Keyav8r said: It says you are an Olde Pharte with a wide base of accumulated knowledge and experience backed up by excellent recall, my friend. Then why can't I remember what I had for breakfast this morning. Wait ... did I have breakfast this morning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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