I have 18" Hurricanes on my Disco, and a spare set from my previous, aka parts Disco. I like the styling of the Hurricanes much better than the 5-spoke 16" wheels however I need another set of rollers for a project. What's the consensus on the 16s? Obviously tires are cheaper, but I really don't need new tires at the moment. Is there any other advantage (or disadvantage) to them that would make it a good idea to grab these now? As I said, I already have a spare set of 18s, but they won't work for my purposes at the moment.

These are the wheels I'm considering.

 

A 16" wheel can accommodate a larger sidewall percentage for a given width of tire, so 16" are preferred for more off road use if that makes a difference to you.

 

Excellent point. While offroading is only a dream at the moment, I had forgotten about the extended sidewall ratio when compared to an 18. That's definitely an advantage when squishy matters. Sold! Thanks for the advice.

 

16's are better offroad and IMHO also look better because they show off your offroad tires. 18's belong on a Range Rover or a luxury show off. for sure... but not am offroad machine. Just my opinion but to each thier own.

 

i have 18s on my 03. And I off-road

 

Well, I bought the 16s, mostly so I have something to run while I dismount the 18s and refinish the wheels. For some reason I was picturing the 16s looking more balloon-y but the ratio appears to be pretty close, and to my eye the 18s look way more off-road capable. Either way, $250 for 5 255/65-16 General Grabber AT2s was too good of a deal to pass up.

 

Sure you can wheel on 18s but if it's a comparison between the two, 16s are the better option every time. That extra sidewall is crucial for traction and comfort when aired down. 10-12 psi on a 75 sidewall is like riding on clouds and will conform to just about anything you are trying to climb or descend.

 

Got it. So 33s on a 16" wheel will be far more pliable than 33s on an 18" wheel. Basic math.

 

I've wheeled D2's for years with 16 or 18inch wheels. I've never noticed a difference in performance. Rim protection depends on the actual tire size on the rim. Most of the tires I've run have always had a rim protector and honestly I've never chewed up a rim off road. 16's are fine, but there is really nothing wrong with 18's either. It's the 19/20inch wonders that have no business off road due to very limited tire options/sizes. 18's have a variety of sizes available now. 16's will normally be cheaper vs 18's though.

 

What air pressure are you running in those tires, especially the 18's? Look like they are about to explode. Normally, on a radial tire,...you want the tread to be just about flat across the entire surface. This is what makes the radial tire superior to the old bias ply tires, all of the lateral roll is controlled by the sidewall...keeping as much tread pattern in contact with the road as possible. If it is over inflated, you stiffen up the sidewall to much and defeat the whole purpose of the sidewall flexing.