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Stock wheels don’t stay on Jeep JK Wrangler very long. You might want a better looking wheel, or an aluminum vs. steel wheel, or the other way around, or most likely, you need some bigger (and wider) tires to get you to those sweet fishing spots down in the valley.
But when looking at wheels for a JK, what’s a good quick baseline to go by?
The Jeep JK Wranglers came about in 2007 and are produced, so far, up to 2016. For the most part, they are all very similar, with minor upgrades over it’s life as a vehicle platform. There are of course differences between the a 2-door and an Unlimited 4-door, and there are dozens of different options and low produced Special Editions. But luckily, many common parts fit them across their broad span of years.
If you bought your Jeep new yourself, then you know if it has the original stock wheels. By looking at the tire (especially a stock tire) you can figure out the rim size by the markings on the tire’s sidewall. For instance, it might say:
LT215/85/R16
So by taking a quick look at the sidewall on one of your tires on your Jeep, you can tell exactly what size it is.
But you also learn the rim size. In this example, it’s a 16-inch wheel.
Now on a Jeep JK Wrangler, from 2007 to 2015, the common stock wheel sizes are 17 and 18-inches. There might be a few special wheels from specific Special Edition Jeeps that are different, but you can confirm that by simply reading the sidewall of the tire.
One aspect of wheels that comes up is the “Backspacing”, which is a wheel measurement. We have a whole article on Backspacing, but essentially, it’s the measurement from the hub (the center of the wheel that bolts to your axle) to the outside lip of the wheel.
Most JK Wrangler stock wheels have an offset around 6.25 inches. This allows the wheels to clear the brake calipers, but it’s not the best for installing a larger (wider) tire on for off-roading.
If you need to know more about stock wheels on any Jeep, there is a chart to help. Be sure to check out more information on Jeep tires if you’re curious.
