Tire?

I think this has been touched on before, but I couldn't find the thread. So sorry for the repeat.

Can I put 33/12.5 15 on a 15x8 rim? I've got 31/10.5 15 now.

 

That's the thread. Thanks Sparky.

Thanks Dan. No problem on the road with the wheel floating side to side in the tire?

 

Thanks Dan.

 

I run 33s on 8" rims in front and 10" rims out back.

 

Technically speaking the “best” wheel width for any tire is the same as the tread width. a 33X12.50 has a 10 inch tread width so the 10 in the best wheel width. You "can" experience handling, wear, and traction deficiencies with a narrower wheel. Contrary to popular belief the 8” won’t keep the bead any better than a 10. I’ve run as low as 2 psi on my 33’s on 10” wheels and have “never” broken a bead in 20 years of radical wheeling.

When you put a tire on a narrower wheel it tends to dome the tread in the middle. This makes you have to run less air to get full tread contact on the road. This also causes the center to wear faster if you don’t lower the pressure any. If you do the handling will suffer because the tire is too low on air just to get full tread contact. With a wider wheel the tread contacts the ground evenly and even with lower pressures it wears properly and handles decent. Oh, the wheel doesn’t move back and forth in the tire with a narrower wheel the tire tends to roll under easier. Just an FYI. I have a SBC in my CJ and with 33’s on it on a 10 inch wheel I only run 8-9 psi on the road and drop down to 5 psi in the rocks and 3 psi in the sand and loose dirt. The tires on the Jeep have over 25,000 miles on them and are 5 years old. Still look new. Pic is in my gallery at www.orderlychaos.net/gallery/jeeps . Those tires are currently on my brothers 70 CJ, but will be going on my 67 once it is running. There are some tires that handle a narrower wheel better than others, but generally speaking the tread width rule is the best, even your car or pickup. A wider wheel presents new challenges, like beads that crack wide open so we wont even go there now.

Ps- just so you know I'm not pissing up a rope here. I managed a commercial tire shop for 10 years worked in other tire shops for at least 5 more years on top of that. I've seen lots of tires get worn out for various reasons, including a set of 33's on 8" wheels on an old Scout 80, the same tire was wearing fine on my Jeep on 10" wheels.