After my little experiment with the Jeep TJ Rubicon Wheel with Goodyear MT/R’s I have been mulling around what to get for wheels and tires. Due to some recent financial strains and having to pay for my registration fees for the Overland Expo I have been looking over my financial planning for the Cherokee. I decided to prioritize the list of needs/wants to see where I could get more bang for less buck and wheels and tires were at the top of the list to analyze.
I decided on a steel wheel not only for trail serviceability but for cost. I ordered 5 of the 17×8 Mopar 52124455AB JK Wrangler Snow Wheels from 4Wheel Parts. They’re not only strong, they’re under $100 each. I’m not a big fan of black wheels on trucks so I dropped them off at Primo Powder Coating for a nice coat of plain white.
As for tires, I went as cheap as it comes, good ol’ craigslist. I found a full set of 5, 2013 Rubicon takeoffs with 3600 miles on them for $425. The BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM in 255/75/17 were a little taller than I wanted at 32.1″ tall but for the price they’ll do the job nicely.
I bolted the new combo on with the help of a set of G/2 Wheel adapters (4.5×5 to 5×5). Now the only issue is my lift sits at roughly 2″ which is half of what it will be finished and my fender flares and factory bumper ends were not liking it. I trimmed as much away as needed and it only rubs over bigger bumps now.
I like the Defender 110 / safari look and I think the Jeep pulls it off well. I will post pics up later this week to see what the public thinks.
The Performance Side 