planman

No. People don't run D and E load rated tires so that they can air down more.

D and E rated tires were designed for the application of full size trucks that tow heavy.

They weren't designed for 4k-6k lbs jeeps.

That doesn't mean a jeep with ubber stiff tires is a shitty jeep. It just means that they are running tires that are heavier and stiffer than is needed, and it means they will ride and perform more poorly on and off road.

D's can work well on a jeep, but Es with a high service description load number don't work as well off road because they don't air down as well.

Likewise, for an 7k lbs jeep that is armored up, loaded for expeditions, and maybe running a Hemi engine, a load range C 35x12.50R17 Goodyear MTR Kevlar would not be enough, and that jeep should run a load range D tire with an appropriate service description load rating.

Burnee13

The jeep came with 18" rims and as far as I know you can't downsize the rim size without redoing the braking system... correct?
otherwise i would have been happy in 17's.

TheDirtman

You can go down to a 16" wheel if you want, even some 15" wheels will clear the breaks but you need to do your research if you want to go that way. All the JK's have the same brakes so there is no issue there. Stock sport JK's come with 16" wheels.

kh202

. Nope. Base JK sports come with 16", same brakes. You can go as low as [some] 15" wheels. 16" and above shouldn't give you issues provided you get less than 4.5" back spacing

Bobby G

I understand what they were designed for and how they work vs one another when it comes to towing (60psi vs running the same tire at 80psi while towing)..that said, aren't Load Rated e (10ply) tires more puncture resistant and "tougher" which would allow you to "more comfortably" air down more without concern of sidewall damage? They also let you air down more (or less) whatever way you look at it?

TheDirtman

So you have confirmed there are more choices in 17" then in 18". I never said there were "many more", those are your words, I said limited choices. I checked tirerack.com and discounttire.com neither has a C rated 18" tire about half were E and the other half were D. There were 9-17" tires available (1/3 are C rated) and 6-18" on tire rack (33% more choices). On discount tire they had 5 of each (1 C rated in the 17"). You can go on and on to different sits and find the same results. There are fewer choices in a 18" tire.

Comparing prices between the sites results in around a 20%-30% cost difference on average between a 17" and 18" tire. You will also find that 16" and 17" wheels cost less then 18" wheels.

I never said all jeeps with 18" wheels drive "shitty" again your words. I said an E rated tire will be rougher on road then a C or D rated tire.
And for those jeeps running E rated tires, yes their ride is suffering both on road and off compared to a C or D rated tire.

I have 18" wheels on my JKU, so your statement that I hate 18" wheels is wrong. I hate spending money on tires that don't gain me anything. I buy tires and wheels from people like you that basiclly give them away because they had to have a fancy wheel/big tire combo. I typically pay $300-400 for like new sets of JK wheels and tires for my dd. Hey, your loss, my gain. To each his own.

TheDirtman

If that were true, nobody would dare run a bias tire. If you look that is what the most extreme off road buggies and rock bouncers are using. Most of them use a 6 or 8 ply tire that is flexible enough to mold around rocks and the trail to give you maximum traction.

kh202

Ok guys this has nothing to do with OP at this point. To answer the question, 8.5-9" wide wheel would be more ideal than 10" on a jeep...
/thread

TheDirtman

I would agree with that, and personally I like the look with a 8.5"-9" wheel better. My buddy runs a 10" wide wheel on a TJ and they just look funny.

Invest2m4

Wait a second, aren't you running an 8" wide wheel? As I recall, they're wrapped in 235/45-17 rubber