Wheel options - 1983 LC fj60 ?

[Mike83FJ60]

My first post. I have a, new to me, 1983 Land Cruiser with the stock wheels and bumpers. It has and 2.5 OME lift / suspension and 31" tires on 15" stock rims. I have been reading that changing the heavy steel wheels for lighter forged aluminum will really make a difference in the driving experience. So, my questions are:

1. Is this true from other's experience ?
2. What wheels & tire combos do others use / recommend ?

Any help as I get into this is greatly appreciated ! I'll post photos as I go. Excited to see how this goes.

 

[3_puppies]

weight difference in a 15" rim between steel and alloy isn't but a few pounds per wheel, there will be no difference in driving experience in a 40 year old rig with leaf spring suspension
I run stock rims with 31's

 

[sschruff]

I've been working on this part of the puzzle for years. . .literally years. There are options but know you're going to pay a premium for getting what you want. I've narrowed mine down to HRE (Ring Brothers K5 Blazer wheels), Skol (SK-15, 1st choice at the moment) and Forgeline (TR11, TR31). Rotiform makes a wheel that's +/- close to OEM steelies (STL) and they make the STL in both a forged and cast option. Braid (Fullrace T Dakar) is a solid option as well. ICON4x4 offers a forged steelies-look and you can order appropriate front/rear caps with the purchase - and believe it or not, ICON's option is the lowest cost aside from the cast Rotiform STL's.

 

[OSS]

I tried very lightweight aluminum rims a very long time ago and I noticed ZERO difference in handling, braking, acceleration- No difference at all on a FJ60 compared to the heavy stock steel wheels.

I think all the performance gains of lightweight wheels are only relevant to lightweight sports cars and likely the MEME of lightweight wheel performance has been promulgated by aluminum wheel manufacturers and their resellers.

 

[Mike83FJ60]

I've been working on this part of the puzzle for years. . .literally years. There are options but know you're going to pay a premium for getting what you want. I've narrowed mine down to HRE (Ring Brothers K5 Blazer wheels), Skol (SK-15, 1st choice at the moment) and Forgeline (TR11, TR31). Rotiform makes a wheel that's +/- close to OEM steelies (STL) and they make the STL in both a forged and cast option. Braid (Fullrace T Dakar) is a solid option as well. ICON4x4 offers a forged steelies-look and you can order appropriate front/rear caps with the purchase - and believe it or not, ICON's option is the lowest cost aside from the cast Rotiform STL's.

thank you! I'll look at all these options... shocking that the ICON option is the lowest cost.

 

[cruiserpilot]

There is an extensive thread here on ‘wheels that work on a 60’. Look it up.

 

[toy_tek]

I think you're going to notice a bigger difference between C rated and E rated tires than steel vs. alum rims.

 

[MoaByte]

You might oughta consider keeping the stock until you upgrade your brakes (Tundra Mod). Then your options will increase because you will be swapping to 16-17" inch wheels. but personally, I think the stock wheels with 33x10.5's KO2's tucked under has a special look and works really well. Not many of the new wheels look right or fit well.

 

[Mike83FJ60]

You might oughta consider keeping the stock until you upgrade your brakes (Tundra Mod). Then your options will increase because you will be swapping to 16-17" inch wheels. but personally, I think the stock wheels with 33x10.5's KO2's tucked under has a special look and works really well. Not many of the new wheels look right or fit well.

after looking at waay to many modern wheels, I agree. Nothing I see looks better than stock wheels with KO2s. I'll just swap my chrome wheels for black/gray steel wheels. thanks for the help.

 

[Mike83FJ60]

after looking at waay to many modern wheels, I agree. Nothing I see looks better than stock wheels with KO2s. I'll just swap my chrome wheels for black/gray steel wheels. thanks for the help.

something like this with the center ring/cap.

 

[Mike83FJ60]

new wheels and tires today.

 

[buoytech]

I went with the TRD Tacoma 17" rims. I agree that there isn't much difference in braking or ride feel but it was an easy way to gain some with when coupled with 275/70R-17 BGD TKO2s.

 

[88Retired62]

Mike…the stock wheel and tire combination looks perfect… you certainly made the right decision in terms of aesthetics. So what size BFG-TA’s on stock 15x5.5 rims did you finally decide on and who mounted them for you? I’ve always considered using this option but remain curious when guys decide on this wheel/tire combination as to how you pull-off the mounting responsibility.
(1.) Time consuming in your search for an installer?
(2.) Does anyone recommend blasting off the original wheel paint and reapplying a powder coat of a more lasting duration?
(3.) And, does anyone have an opinion with matching body color (red on red) stock rims…just a thought? Any color combo pics?

 

[toy_tek]

Installer- yes I’ve had both Costco and Discount refuse to mount tires that spec a 6” rim onto a 5.5” rim.

Solution: either DIY or a llantera down the street. This may be locale dependent however.

 

[Mike83FJ60]

Mike…the stock wheel and tire combination looks perfect… you certainly made the right decision in terms of aesthetics. So what size BFG-TA’s on stock 15x5.5 rims did you finally decide on and who mounted them for you? I’ve always considered using this option but remain curious when guys decide on this wheel/tire combination as to how you pull-off the mounting responsibility.
(1.) Time consuming in your search for an installer?
(2.) Does anyone recommend blasting off the original wheel paint and reapplying a powder coat of a more lasting duration?
(3.) And, does anyone have an opinion with matching body color (red on red) stock rims…just a thought? Any color combo pics?

Thanks. I am very happy with the old school look. I went with 31" x 10.5 on 15" toyota steelie wheels. I was thinking about having them painted, but the wheels are new from Toyota, so I'll wait on that.

My local shop had no issue mounting the tires. I used Overbuilt Customs – Jeep Restoration and Customization - https://overbuiltcustoms.com/. They have done a lot of work on the truck.