Wheel/Tire selection confusion, but I'm easily confused...

[TaylorB]

I just rebuilt the carb on my 1988 Honda Accord, you guys NEVER want to have to do that.

I'm getting ready to start on the Jeep, and I've run into a MAJOR confusion. It seems that 16.5" rims are all I see on J20 pickups. Mine has a Dana 60 rear end, Dana 44 front, and has a set of aftermarket 16.5" steel rims. Some of the rust on the rims is significant, but I have 5 of them, and I would really like to save the cash and use them. Will a sandblaster do the trick, or will they be so irregular as to not hold a bead/seat as well?

I'm hearing that 16.5" wheels do not have the sidewall support that 16" do, but am unable to tell how. Regardless, it seems that I find BFG's in 16.5" X 35" X 12.5", the size I want to move up to. 16" Wheel BFG's are more expensive and in metric sizes. Patooey.

Ok, so help me figure this out. I want to move to large tires, and lift the truck 4+" with a Rusty's kit. Should I be shopping for new wheels? If so, are there particular 16.5" wheels I should look for? Ideas on offset? Why do BFG's, the Sidewall Kings, come in 16.5" more cheaply and easily than 16" if that is a major concern? I could get two used tires for $75 for the pair, I know of a deal just waiting to be had on 'em.

In the VERY short term, I need replacement tires, CHEAP. I have sidewall cracking and dry rot all in mine, but it's a rescue truck so I'm relieved of fault. Can't afford the lift, frontend, wheels and tires right now, but the truck needs to be legal and driveable. Anyone know of some deals on used tires, or cheap new ones that will just get from A to B? I'm in between Austin and Houston, Texas, off Hwy 290. I'll wait until I spend $800 before I spend $300 on tires for the truck, it's not a daily driver.

[Stuka]

16.5's dont have a safty beed, whichis what makes them unsafe for offroading. Very easy to pop a beed with them.

Your gona fit 35's with no lift?

If you want cheaper dont goo BFG, you pay for the name. Plus they are french owned.

If you look at Cooper, Maxxis, ProComp they are american owned and made. And they are all much cheaper then BFG's.

[FSJ Thing]

I've run coopers before too, I liked them! I have 16.5 U.S. Wheel white spokes, and I haven't had a problem with them popping off the bead at all, but that's not to say it won't happen to anybody. Another brand to look at may be Handcook, I used their mud tires before and loved them! If thier is a Les Schuab around your area, check out thier selelction to, they are usually the cheapest! Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck!

[ColeTrickle]

TaylorB...I have the same problem with rust on the J20's wheels. There 16" though.

There's a local sandblasting shop in Ft.Worth that will blast the wheels for around ~$75.
Then I'd have them powdercoated for another ~$160.00...($40 a piece).
So I'm up to around $60 a wheel minus rebalancing and misc.
Dunno if I'm gonna do it because the wheels are around that price new. Plain 'ole wagon wheels. But then again...Not much of a selection in the 16" size.

But think of it this way...the wheels/tires make the truck ;) .

[lgrjeep]

Go to the 16" wheels, for a couple of reasons. First 16.5 tires are almost obsolete they haven't been OE on anything for about a decade, and I would expect that the availability of them will become somewhat more limited within the next couple of years. Second, the bead seat angle on 16.5's is different than on 15 or (one piece) 16 inch rims, it makes them eaiser to break loose from the bead, and harder to reseat if wide wheel widths are used. Just my .02

[viscacha]

Upgrade to 16” is the only way to go. :cool:

[Glenn_tx]

Taylor, I've got a set of 33x12.50x16.5 ProComp Mud Terrains that I'll let go pretty pretty cheap, $60 a tire. I've also got 3 extra 8 lug wagon wheels, 16.5x8.25 I'll throw in, he11, I even have a sandblaster you can borrow.