Help with 16" & 17" Wheel Selection (1 Viewer)

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mattn

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I am looking to place an order for new wheels and tires for the FJ62. Stock suspension now, but will have OME Heavy suspension in the near future. At that time, these wheels and tires will be installed.

I am having difficulty navigating the facts from experiences on the infamous wheels that work thread and others threads on here. The issue being that there is a large mix of wheels that are said to work, but then many issues are discovered, and very few reliable facts are revealed. I have done a ton of reading on here to a frustrating extent, and I still am left without many solid choices. I am not looking to get stuck with wheels that will not fit properly.

I am currently looking for a 16" or 17" wheel in black. I prefer a 17" wheel to allow the option of upgrading to Tundra brakes up front in the future. I would also prefer an alloy wheel to save on weight, however I am ok with steel as long as I do not have to run wheel spacers. I really do not want to use wheel spacers of any thickness.

One of the wheels in my sights is the ever popular Level 8 Tracker in 16 X 8.5 with -25mm offset, which translates to a 3.75" backspacing. (They unfortunately do not offer 17" in anything other than a -6mm offset) The 16" would be ideal, however I am seeing conflicting statements of whether 1/4" spacers are required on the front. They are one of the only alloy options though, so I would settle for the 16" wheel as long as spacers are not required. They are pretty cheap too, so thats nice. Only con is no Tundra brake upgrade.

Level 8 Tracker 16 X 8.5 -25mm offset (3.75" backspacing)



Another option is placing a custom order for Stockton Explorer wheels in 17" X 8". The pro here is that I can customize the backspacing, which would definitely eliminate the need for wheel spacers if properly spaced. My concern here is that I am not sure what the proper backspacing for this size would be. I have read that stock wheels are 3.625", 3.5", & 3.375". Who is telling the truth?! lol And how should I relate this to the 8" wheel?

Cons of the Explorer are cost, and weight of steel rims, however I am willing to accept both for a proper fitment in 17" and without spacers.

Stockton Explorers in 17"
(Unfortunately in the pic above the front axle is a custom setup, so no reference there.)



Any help in this matter greatly appreciated. I am trying to place this order and stop reading about this already so that I can move on to other plan details. TIA
 
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I wouldn't go by that 17" Stockton explorer link of that silver FJ62 as to whether or not those wheels will fit. That truck doesn't look like it has stock axles.

3.625 is probably the maximum that will miss the TRE on a 15" wheel. But it depends on the wheel. 16 and 17 inch wheels can have more BS because the lip of the wheel misses the TRE. I've read that a 16 alloy wheel with a 4"BS won't hit. The stamped D hole wheels seem to interfere with the caliper more than other wheels. The smaller the BS, the less likelyhood it'll hit.
You'll be fine with 3.625 on a 16” wheel.

But since wheels and shipping are expensive, personally I would study that wheels that work thread and buy something recommended there that someone mounted and runs. Then there's no risk. Lots of wheels to choose from there.

Another option is the Toyota 16x7 steel wheels. They look awesome. Eactly same design as stock and will not rub on a 60.

image.jpeg


image.jpeg
 
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Output Shaft said:
I wouldn't go by that 17" Stockton explorer link of that silver FJ62 as to whether or not those wheels will fit. That truck doesn't look like it has stock axles.

3.625 is probably the maximum that will miss the TRE on a 15" wheel. But it depends on the wheel. 16 and 17 inch wheels can have more BS because the lip of the wheel misses the TRE. I've read that a 16 alloy wheel with a 4"BS won't hit. The stamped D hole wheels seem to interfere with the TRE more than other wheels. The smaller the BS, the less likelyhood it'll hit.
You'll be fine with 3.625 on a 16” wheel.

But since wheels and shipping are expensive, personally I would study that wheels that work thread and buy something recommended there that someone mounted and runs. Then there's no risk. Lots of wheels to choose from there.

Another option is the Toyota 16x7 steel wheels. They look awesome. Eactly same design as stock and will not rub on a 60.
Click to expand...

Thanks OS. The idea with the 17" Stockton Explorers is that they are made for Chevys which are also 6 on 5.5 lug pattern, and the sizes and backspacing are custom. So if I knew for instance that any 17" X 8" wheel with a 3.5" backspacing will fit on my stock axle setup, I could confidently order and meet all of my requirements except for alloy. They also seem to have "cut" D windows versus stamped D windows with rolled edges (a la Vision D wheel), which should play as a positive for clearance as well.

My other question was in regard to the 16" Tracker wheel, which is 3.75" backspacing. Many seem to be running this wheel, but it is not extremely clear as to whether or not spacers are required up front, and if so, does this open up the can of worms of finding extended lug studs?
 
I run these wheels with no issues.
Screenshot_2015-09-26-18-02-46-1.png
 
Since 3.6 BS works in a 16, it will work in a 17. Even safer if you choose the 3.5BS.
 
ProComp 098 17x9 4" BS available at 4WheelAuto Parts. No clearance issues at all.
I run 285/75R17 Toyo MT's on both my 60 series and BJ74.
Only comment is they are poor quality finish and powder coat blistered almost immediately and
AFAIC are kind of crappy. These were stored in garage and only used 6 months of the year for 5 yrs.
But they fit the wheel wells perfectly to outer edge clearance with the tire used.

Stealth Custom Series F5 F5

They offer a 17x9 with 3.5" BS. No clearance issues, but with the same tire I am finding
the extra 1/2" outward to be significant. I have put these on my 60 series and the ProComps
on my BJ74. No issues for fitting.

The interesting other thing is, the ProComp are at the bottom of the cost ladder, around $100
The SCS F5's are double at the top end of cost at $195.

As far as fitting, both are excellent and both will allow the bigger brakes. Both are also available in
16" as well, in different BS and designs.
 
Output Shaft said:
I wouldn't go by that 17" Stockton explorer link of that silver FJ62 as to whether or not those wheels will fit. That truck doesn't look like it has stock axles.

3.625 is probably the maximum that will miss the TRE on a 15" wheel. But it depends on the wheel. 16 and 17 inch wheels can have more BS because the lip of the wheel misses the TRE. I've read that a 16 alloy wheel with a 4"BS won't hit. The stamped D hole wheels seem to interfere with the caliper more than other wheels. The smaller the BS, the less likelyhood it'll hit.
You'll be fine with 3.625 on a 16” wheel.

But since wheels and shipping are expensive, personally I would study that wheels that work thread and buy something recommended there that someone mounted and runs. Then there's no risk. Lots of wheels to choose from there.

Another option is the Toyota 16x7 steel wheels. They look awesome. Eactly same design as stock and will not rub on a 60.

View attachment 1386058

View attachment 1386062
Click to expand...


Just wondering if these would come in a 17"x7 ?
 
cruiserpilot said:
ProComp 098 17x9 4" BS available at 4WheelAuto Parts. No clearance issues at all.
I run 285/75R17 Toyo MT's on both my 60 series and BJ74.
Only comment is they are poor quality finish and powder coat blistered almost immediately and
AFAIC are kind of crappy. These were stored in garage and only used 6 months of the year for 5 yrs.
But they fit the wheel wells perfectly to outer edge clearance with the tire used.

Stealth Custom Series F5 F5

They offer a 17x9 with 3.5" BS. No clearance issues, but with the same tire I am finding
the extra 1/2" outward to be significant. I have put these on my 60 series and the ProComps
on my BJ74. No issues for fitting.

The interesting other thing is, the ProComp are at the bottom of the cost ladder, around $100
The SCS F5's are double at the top end of cost at $195.

As far as fitting, both are excellent and both will allow the bigger brakes. Both are also available in
16" as well, in different BS and designs.
Click to expand...


I have essentialy a similar setup using same wheel with 12.5*17*35 toyo tire. Notes..must run stock front brake caliper as wheel center is too close to some of the other calipers (for example too close to the 4runner caliper) its the desicgn of the wheel center (not the offset). The noted wheel will not clear thicker calipers than stock! I also modified my bump stops to mitigate the wheels at the rear axle from coming up too far in the wheel well (they will otherwise) Even though I have heavy/heavy OME suspension lift with also 2 inch body lift. So purely on the wheels..they work with stock front brake calipers.
 
in my comments above teh clearnnce above between teh caliper and wheel with respect to the 4runner caliper...its not much and you'll only notice it when you run the lug nuts all teh way down...that last little bit. But nevertheless it is a problem and the wheel will hit the caliper of a 4runner (popular mod). I know becuase it happened to me. Swapped back to stock front caliper and clearnce is non-issue on front. No issues noted on rear other than tire rubbing on inner fender well, which my be solved by running a tire of less width. For now I have the tires I have....and they are 12.5*35*17

** noted tire rubbing at rear happens off road, not on pavement driving.
 
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With the ProComps in regard to rear wheelwell. I sliced the outer tread last fall on a couple of places on a trip.
Same suspension, but fully loaded they got cranked right up tight. I'll be dollying that rear lip now, cause with the
SCS wheels it's going to be an issue under load.
I only run stock drivetrain, so no idea on other calipers. I do know that with fully functioning stock brakes,
this truck stops fast and under control.
 
I am going to pull the trigger on the Stockton Explorers in 17 X 8 w/3.5" backspacing. I cannot locate the Pro Comps in 4" backspacing anymore. Least amount of backspacing available is 4.25" for the 6 on 5.5 lug pattern. It seems like they discontinued a few sizes. Summit no longer shows them available either.

The wife likes the Explorers. I like them. They are a bit expensive, but the whole idea is to only spend the money once. Ive got a buddy that does powder coating so I should be able to save a few bucks there.

Will most likely pair with the new Nitto Ridge Grappler in 285/70R17 to stay around 33" tall. They are getting pretty good reviews all around and have a C & E load rating available. With all of the cracking issues with KO2s as of late I think I will try this alternative.
 
Any follow up pics?
I'm looking at swapping out my 15" to 16"s on my 60.
 
mattn said:
My 17" stocktons are for sale. I sold the truck. :/
Click to expand...
Thank you, but I think At this juncture Ill stay with 16"
 
White Stripe said:
Stockton also has the square wedge window wheels in 17s. Personally I think they are my favorite looking steel rim.
Click to expand...

I agree. Do you happen to have a picture of this wheel mounted on an FJ40? I'm considering moving to these as well.
 
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