what is the largest tire i could put on the stock 16" steel rim

 

265/75/16 without rubbing
285/75/16 will fit in wheelwell but will probably rub alot.

 

Open the FAQ's, look in the Wheels & Tires area...

 

Your question is somewhat vague given the possible number of variables.

Stock or lifted (how much lift?)
With spacers or without
Or do you just want to know the largest tire manufactured in 16"

 

If your asking what will fit on the wheel and on the vehicle with out a lift and any trouble a 265/75/16 is going to be the max. If your asking what size tire will fit on the rim not considerint the jeep itself a 31/75/16 will "fit" altho its not optimum. I had the 315's on my factory 16 inch steel wheels and while they did fit there was alot of crowning in the center of the tire. And honestly it was starting to develope an odd wear pattern on the tires so I took them off and installed 285/75/16's. These arent crowned nearly as bad(altho they still are slightly). In reallity to get the best wear on the tires a 265/75/16 is going to be as wide as you really should go with a 7" wide wheel. A 285 really should have a 8" wide wheel and the 315" should have a 9" or bigger. Will the bigger tires fit on a narrow wheel? Yes. Is it right? No