Is it worth getting 17" wheels for 33"s?

I love the look of the 17s as well but being a college student I don't have the money to spend on 17s and 33s

 

Keep in mind wide 33s (285s) will rub your UCA if on stock wheels. Wheel spacers will be needed in this scenario.

Or you can go skinny 33s (255s) on stock wheels and no spacers will be needed

 

One shop I talk to doesn't like spacers. Says they're dangerous. They won't even install any on my truck.

 

i mean there’s other ways you could go about it too. there is always the frame chop and weld if you really are about it. i’m not sure about this you’ll have to do more research on it but having a far enough negative offset might give you the clearance.

 

Yes this!

 

Then don’t. Study. Get career, get married, have kids, get house, get raise save for retirement , get 33s. In that order.

 

While technically wheel spacers add another failure point, they aren't much different than having wheels with a lower offset.

I've used wheel spacers on multiple different types of vehicles and never had issues.

 

When I did wheels and tires on my late taco I was faced with the same question. I opted to go with 16” as they offer better ride quality and can be aired down a bit more. It’s been mentioned before but you have the option of 255 85 16 for a little narrower foot print. A lot of guys run duratrac in this size. Also, when I was looking a like for like tire was about $15 more a tire for the 17.

 

already saving for retirement so that cuts into the budget as well

 

I’m agonizing over some of the same decisions right now.

The way I see it, with 16s if you don’t like the 33s, you can still go back down to 265/75/16 and have sufficient sidewall as opposed to a 265/70/17 which in my opinion is too low profile. 285/70/17 does offer a nicer selection of lightweight tires at about the same price as the heavier 285/75/16. However the 17” wheels are generally $20-30 more each and about 3-4lbs heavier.

I’m kinda to the point where if I can find a wheel/tire combo I like in 16 I’ll go with it. If not I’ll spend the extra coin on the 17s as they seem to be more popular and should sell easier if I want to go back to a smaller tire/wheel combo.

 

Not sure how aggressive of a tire you are after but some of the p rated all terrains in 275/80-17 are crazy light, like the Cooper ATW4s @ 45 lbs or the Revo 3 @ 42 lbs. Can't come near those weights in 285/75-16 due to the E load. Still I'm considering the XLTs in that size someday, really like the looks and read a lot of reviews about them riding nice.

 

I’m looking a little more aggressive. The reason I considered the 285/70/17 was for the 49lb SL Ridge Grappler, the 50lb C KO2 or 50 lb SL Falken AT3W. But the wheels I want are 27lbs in a 17. So total weight is 76-77 lbs.

The AT3 XLT in 285/75/16 is 54 lbs and the wheel is 25lbs for a total of 79lbs. But any other tire in that size start to add the pounds pretty quick.

So for me it comes down to wanting to commit to the XLT over the 17” options. Price is within about $100 total for any of them. I really want to stick with 16s, but 17s have so many more options and the 16s seem to be dwindling.

The struggle is real!!

 

This!!
Priorities!!

 

I feel ya. Going through the same issues myself. What 17 inch wheel are you looking at that weighs 27 lbs? My friend is asking.

 

KMC Impact is 27 lbs in 17”


KMC Turbine is even lighter at 25.8 for 17s.

 

Invest in a international organization that distributes a product in high demand. Globally.

 

I don't think there is a wrong setup. Depends what you like or want

 

Got some Amazon stock already. Working on getting more of that. Also have some 3M and Procter and Gamble

 

That's real nice....for the current economic situation. Won't be worth anything when all hell breaks loose. Invest in solid materials, something you can hold, cut and double the profit margins. Good luck with your truck.

 

Something else I consider is if I go with a larger tire most likely a D or E therefore significantly heavier should I consider a large brake package? Something that would require a 17" wheel. As well as one other mentioned does a 17" wheel provide more clearance around the UCA? Then there is the whole tire selection choices that does seem to be trending to reducing 16" options just as happened with 15" a decade or two ago.