Everything You Need to Know About Jeep Wrangler Wheels

Your Jeep’s stock wheel is a single piece design, but there are multi-piece wheels available including bead locks. If we were to break the wheel apart, it would be comprised of an inner and out lip, central barrel, and the mounting plate/face.

Wheel offset is basically the distance of the mounted wheel in relation to the inner components of the Jeep (shocks, sway bar links, inner fenders etc.). In a nutshell, offset has to deal with how far “off” the center line the wheel actually sits. Depending if you want the wheel to sit close or far in relation to the wheel fender, you’ll need to use the offset measurements. A positive offset will push the mounting face out towards the street. This results in less of a deep dish and tucks the majority of the wheel INSIDE the fender. A negative offset will do the opposite, by creating more of a deep dish and exposing more of the wheel OUTSIDE of the fender. Offset is measured in millimeters, which is a quick reference point to make sure you’re looking at offset and not backspacing.

Backspacing is a little bit easier to explain, it’s the measurement of the mounting face to the back edge of the wheel (inner lip). This measurement has a direct influence on whether or not the back of the wheel will make contact with the inner components of the Jeep (shocks, sway bar links, inner fenders, etc.). You can play with the offset to move the wheel further out through the use of spacers or adapters, but backspacing is a set figure when it comes to the measurement of the actual wheel. Back spacing is measured in inches, which is a quick reference point to make sure you’re looking at backspacing and not offset.

Now that we have an understanding of the difference between offset and backspacing, how do both numbers work together? Out of the box the wheel is set to a particular offset and backspacing. As explained earlier, the offset is the distance (positive or negative) the mounting face is from the center of the wheel. This will tell us how far in/out the wheel will sit under the fenders. 

The backspacing is the space from the mounting face and inner lip, and this will let us know if the back of the wheel will come into contact with any of the inner components of the Jeep like the suspension, sway bar links, etc. If we face a problem where the backspacing is too great and comes in contact with inner components we can increase the offset by using spacers. These give the wheel more of a positive direction, pushing the mounting face out further, which in turn creates more space between the inner lip of the wheel and the inner components of the Jeep. In this case, the backspacing hasn’t changed, but we’ve increased the offset, which will give us the clearance space we need. 

Counter to this scenario, if the wheel sticks out past the fender too much, we can shave off some of the mounting face, reducing the wheel offset. Again, the backspacing doesn’t change. The only change is where the wheel is positioned under the fender. It’s important to note shaving of the mounting face is a difficult task and could result in a slightly uneven surface, which in turn can be felt while driving. You should always seek to start with the proper offset and avoid the need to reduce the offset.

Steel wheels, also called steelies, are typically regarded as cheap and strong. A very popular use of steel wheels is to hold winter tires due to their low price and low maintenance. Steel is a strong, durable metal that is not likely to crack but can bend. If a steel wheel does bend while off-road it can be hammered back to the point where it does hold air. Steel Jeep wheels don’t come in many different styles, if you want to make them look fancy you could install hubcaps.

Pros:

• Less expensive
• If bent on trails it can usually be hammered back so it holds air
• Less choices
• Lower center of gravity
• Low maintenance
• Can be easily repainted
• Very difficult to crack

Cons:

• Rusts
• Easier to bend
• Usually heavier
• Worse fuel economy
• Doesn’t dissipate heat as well
• Worse handling
• Heavier wheels cause increased stopping distance

Aluminum wheels were first used in 1924 by Ettore Bugatti on the Type 35. Nowadays most automotive manufacturers use an aluminum alloy for their wheels. There are several different types of wheel construction with the two most common for Wranglers being cast and forged. Forged wheels are lighter, denser, and stronger than cast wheels so if you plan to get aluminum wheels you should aim for a forged set. Aluminum wheels tend to hold up better off-road due to aluminum is lighter which allows you to have more material while still being lighter than steel. Aluminum wheels will usually give you better fuel economy and handling thanks to they are typically lighter than steelies.

Pros:

• Usually lighter
• Better on road performance
• Better fuel economy
• Better heat dissipation
• More choices
• Better handling
• Less likely to oxidize

Cons:

• More likely to crack than steel
• Cast aluminum wheels are weaker and weigh more than forged
• Difficult to repair if at all possible
• Can be hurt by certain types of cleaners
• Require more maintenance

Aluminum and steel wheels offer varying levels of differences when discussing durability. Aluminum wheels are often powder coated and typically hold up well to most weather conditions. They are often lighter than steel wheels and offer a better level of performance on the road. Aluminum wheels are however softer and easier to damage on the trail when compared to steel wheels. So, despite the stronger powder coated finish, when compared to a painted finish, the chances of damage is still greater.

Jeep steel wheels are stronger and harder to damage on the trail, but the painted surface is easier to scratch and expose the metal to the environment, which leads to rust and eventual structural failure. Steel wheels are also heavier and more difficult to balance properly, making them more of an issue on the road and everyday use.

33”, 35”, 37”, what does it mean? These are the most common upgraded tire sizes for Jeep owners. They are also difficult to decipher since tire manufacturers use a combination of metric and standard measurements. In order to understand tire dimensions let’s start with the basics. For example, let’s look at a Goodyear Duratrac sized at 315/70/17.

• The first number, 315, is the width of the tire in millimeters. So this Duratrac is 315 millimeters or about 12.4 inches wide.
• The second number, 70, is the height of the sidewall, which is 70% of the width. In this case 70% of 315 which is 220 millimeters or 8.6 inches of sidewall height.
• The last number, 17, is the rim diameter already in inches, to further confuse the situation.

Now for a little math, multiplying the sidewall height in inches by two and adding the rim diameter will give you the estimated size of the wheel in inches, which in this case is 8.6” x 2 17” = 34.2”. The final size of what is then referred to as simply a 35” wheel.