15 inch wheels on a jk 2013

mimi3006

New member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #1

Hey jeepers I'm new to this group but I've been following wayalife for a while now..and just love it...anyhoot...I've been wanting to buy new wheels for my jeep...I've always loved the look of the 15 inch wheels on Jk's..I've been in and out of forums trying to read about it...but I've heard that the brakes can overheat and a larger amount of mud can get stuck...and i love mudding...I know I can go with 16..but just might as well stick with my 17'....so does anybody know if there's a real problem sizing down?

 

jorgelrod

Hooked

• Mar 1, 2016

• #2

15" won't clear the brakes, 16 is as small As you can go...

 

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass

• Mar 1, 2016

• #3

jorgelrod said:

15" won't clear the brakes, 16 is as small As you can go...

Click to expand...

Certain 15" wheels clear.

 

srbell0585

New member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #4

I have steel 15 inch wheels on my 13...they fit fine. Just keep in mind if you ever wanna upgrade to hd tie rods there may be clearance problems.

 

notnalc68

That dude from Mississippi

• Mar 1, 2016

• #5

OverlanderJK said:

Certain 15" wheels clear.

Click to expand...

Overlander is correct. You may want to stick with 17", if you ever entertain thoughts of running upgraded brakes, like Dynatrac makes. I went with 16", and can't upgrade brakes without new wheels, if I ever decided to.

 

chester

Member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #6

I run 15" almost 2 years now no problems. I'm no hardcore wheeler.

 

Growlz

Member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #7

Here's a shot of my old Jeep. 15 inch wheels are no trouble. Just need to be careful about the weights. Discount Tire used stick-ons in the inside of the wheel and on one wheel they double layered the weights and that rubbed.
I really like the look of the 15 inch wheels and the 33 inch tires.

 

RockyJk

Active Member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #8

I ran 35's on 15" wheels for about 2 years on my old 2 door, I got really bad brake fade when going down steep grades for long periods of time. It happened maybe twice in 2 years

It happened this past weekend on my 4 door with 17" wheels so maybe I just need to get Progrip's lol

 

piginajeep

The Original Smartass

• Mar 1, 2016

• #9

RockyJk said:

I ran 35's on 15" wheels for about 2 years on my old 2 door, I got really bad brake fade when going down steep grades for long periods of time. It happened maybe twice in 2 years

It happened this past weekend on my 4 door with 17" wheels so maybe I just need to get Progrip's lol

Click to expand...

Brake fade? They were damn near on fire

 

RockyJk

Active Member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #10

piginajeep said:

Brake fade? They were damn near on fire

Click to expand...

Lol it was just a little smoke

 

mimi3006

New member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #11

Ahhh geez..I don't know what to do anymore...if it's to much of a risk a might just stick with my 17'.. Sigh [emoji30]

 

cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door

• Mar 1, 2016

• #12

A lot of 15" wheels will not fit as well. They need to have the right BS ( or run spacers) to clear the caliper

 

mimi3006

New member

• Mar 1, 2016

• #13

Oh that I'm aware of...I know wich ones to buy..they will fit with enough bs..but is it enough for the brakes to not over heat

 

G

geberhard

Douchebag

• Mar 2, 2016

• #14

I run 35's with 15's with the right backspacing on my old Jk, no fitment issues. Obviously no lift = some fender rubbing on the trail without a lift

 

mimi3006

New member

• Mar 2, 2016

• #15

Looks great...I want mine to be just the same..I.got some procomp black Rock wheels in 15'..3.75 bs ..3.5 lift..waiting on that ''go girl don't worry about it lol..go get u some tire ''.

 

Saharaunlmtd

Caught the Bug

• Mar 2, 2016

• #16

There are 3 issues that I can speak to from running 15s on my 07 & 15 JKs.



1. Difficult to fit an aftermarket tie rod

2. Not many 37s to choose from

3. No chance for a big brake upgrade



Other than that, the price difference of a 35" for a 15 vs 17 is about $100/tire cheaper so it can definitely be worth your while if none of those 3 issues are a concern.

Here is mine when it had 35s on 15s

 

mimi3006

New member

• Mar 2, 2016

• #17

No brakes heating? Or mud getting stuck?

 

Saharaunlmtd

Caught the Bug

• Mar 2, 2016

• #18

mimi3006 said:

No brakes heating? Or mud getting stuck?

Click to expand...

No issues with mud or overheating but I do tend to downshift the auto stick if I'm on a long steep descent.

 

mimi3006

New member

• Mar 2, 2016

• #19

Ooooo....I'm smiling a little now..your making my day

 

Jern26

New member

• Mar 2, 2016

• #20

I used to run pro comp series 52 15"x8" steelies, I think 3.25" backspacing.

I DID have to grind about 1/16" from my caliper edges so they didn't rub (front and rear.)

They were fine after that, but I soon jumped to 16s, I just didn't feel good about having a hairs clearance from rim to caliper, all it'd take is one little stick or a small rock to make a real mess. But, tires are quite a bit cheaper!
On a side note, I also think the amount of backspacing needed to run 15's has to be hell on the bearings, but I can't prove it.