Ok...here is what I want to do...

[In5ane]

Just bought an 08 X and want to put 33's on it as well as a 2.5" BB. However, my jeep came with the stock 16" steelies.... I wanted to do this as inexpensively and safely as possible. How much trouble would it be for me to use the stock steelies I have with the 33's and 2.5" lift? If i were to order new rims, I thought about going with 15's to save on wheel and tire cost. I'm sorta new to all of this and am not sure of the best route. If i did order new wheels...what combination of rim width and spacers would I need to run the 33's on a 2.5" lift?

Thanks for the help..

[Paul E]

You shouldn't really even need a 2.5" lift to fit 33's on the JK's, but I could be off a bit.

15" wheels should not be a problem ordinarily, but you will need to make sure you clear the calipers and brake rotors with whatever wheel choice you make.

The JK's have a LOT more space underneath them in the wheel wells than the TJ's do, so I think even a small lift will be just fine for 33's. It is your backspacing you'll need to worry about on the wheels you choose. Stock TJ wheels were 5.5". Aftermarket wheels that all the 33's were about 3.75-4" of backspacing, so that may give you some comparison to go by. I don't know enough about the JK's specifics to answer the questions completely, but at least give you an idea of what to look at.

[In5ane]

Actually, I planned to do the tires before the lift. From what i've heard, you are right. 33's will fit just fine without a lift. The lift I plan to do will be mostly for added clearance and more space for the wheels during articulation.

[Andy's03]

You may still be fine without the lift. Just get the tires then unhook the front and take it off road. If it rubs then do the lift.

[Marine]

From what I have read a 2.5" BB on a JK will allow the use of 35's. From what I understand all JK's have D44 rears and HP D30 up front and are much more durable than TJ axles.

I would buy the 2.5" BB lift and some 35's! Trust me, you will want 35's after you get out in the rocks and start banging the diff covers on rocks.

Also, PaulE is right in that you have a 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern where TJs are 5 on 4.5. Also, the brake rotors are larger on JK's and I wouldn't suggest a 15" rim.

If it were me here is what I would get:

2.5" Rubicon Express BB
35" Tires (BFG KM2's or SS TrXus)
17x8 Steel Wheels
Skid plates (as much as you can afford)

The next "phase" of mods would be lockers

[In5ane]

Hey thanks for the info, those are definitely things to consider.... I'm still confused on the last number of the 17x8 number...what exactly is the 8?

[Mike]

Don't forget about the tire pressure monitors when ordering wheels.

[roadkilgrill]

.... I'm still confused on the last number of the 17x8 number...what exactly is the 8?

Rim width

[In5ane]

Is an 8 width generally what you want?

[Paul E]

8" wheels work fine for 12.5" tires (I have 33x12.5's on mine). Any wider and you'll have bead issues when deflating. And keep in mind what Mike said about the TPM setup.

[roadkilgrill]

IIRC, Mine is the 8", but I could be wrong, lol. When you air down with a narrower rim (8 vs 10), you get more flex and a bit more room for error, and at the way I drive it, I kinda need that!!! It boils down to more flex room for your sidewall. I'm running 12.50" wide tires, so that extra width can flex around and give me more of a footprint which equals more traction when I need it (IE trying to climb some stubborn rock)

[jkrubi]

just to clear some things up here....

JK's have a 5x5 bolt pattern for wheels, not 5x5.5.

if you go with aftermarket wheels, look for something with less than 4.5" backspace and you will be fine with tires up to 13.5" wide and have no rubbing.

you could fit 33's without a lift, and would be fine on your stock wheels, but you will most certainly need/want wheel spacers to keep them from rubbing at full lock turn (to decrease the backspace on them. using stock wheels wouldn't be much trouble.

you can fit 35's with a 2-2.5" budget boost, but then you run into a loss of power, which can only be remedied by getting lower gears, which means that what you wanted to be a simple lift and tires turns more expensive quickly. your gearing is either 3.21 or 3.73, so going up to 35" tires would give you a pretty noticeable loss of power - more so with an automatic transmission than with a manual. if you have an auto, forget about ever using overdrive on the highway again with 35's.

[Metz]

My wife has an 07 JK with 33x12.5R16 and I think they are a little small. We went with the 16x8 wheels with 4inches of back spacing and have no rubbing at all at full lock. Not sure when stuffed, haven't had the chance to off-road it yet.

If you do the 2" BB I would STRONGLY recommend the 35" tires as I think you will not like the look of the 33's with the lift. My wifes 33's don't come close to completely filling the wheel well.

Good luck with it though!

[Don]

My wife has an 07 JK with 33x12.5R16 and I think they are a little small. We went with the 16x8 wheels with 4inches of back spacing and have no rubbing at all at full lock. Not sure when stuffed, haven't had the chance to off-road it yet.

If you do the 2" BB I would STRONGLY recommend the 35" tires as I think you will not like the look of the 33's with the lift. My wifes 33's don't come close to completely filling the wheel well.

Good luck with it though!

Metz, please snap a picture of your Wife's JK. These suckers are new to me so I would like to see what you are talking about. :)

[In5ane]

Well, that's something to think about...Thanks Metz...

The reason I thought about the 33's for now is because I don't necessarily have to lift it with 33's.

[In5ane]

I agree...you got a pic of that 07 JK Metz???

[Metz]

This is the best pic i have right now. I'll try and dig up the camera and snap a better one in a bit. It is sitting on a bit of a funky hill, but you get the general idea of what 33's on stock look like. Don't get me wrong- it looks real nice as is and no rubbing issues, but with a 2 in lift, I'd go with 35 min. 4 in should be able to fit 36 or 37's with the right backspacing.

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r44/MetZenDS_PHOJ/Jeep087.jpg

[rfrogman]

I run the Rubicon Express 2" BB with 33" on the stock steel rims with no problem.

http://my.project-jk.com/data/500/medium/JeepJKstickers_001.jpg

[In5ane]

So you have no problems at a full turn or flex with rubbing...?

[rfrogman]

Correct