Best Jeep Gladiator Wheels and Tires

Why Install Aftermarket Wheels and Tires?

Aftermarket wheels and tires offer considerable benefits, especially on off-road-capable applications like the Jeep Gladiator! Let’s cover the main justifications for switching your ride’s wheel and tire setup.

Aesthetics

The first and arguably most commonly-cited reason customers upgrade wheels and tires is aesthetics. These accessories are the cherry on top of most builds; however, choosing the wrong size, finish, or style can significantly detract from your Gladiator. That said, aesthetics are purely subjective. So long as your new wheels and tires satisfy you, you’ve made the right aesthetic choice!

Superior Traction and Off-Road Performance

Next, Jeep owners commonly upgrade wheels and tires to enhance traction and off-road performance! If you plan to spend any time on trails, investing in high-quality tires will make all the difference. Obstacles that previously challenged your Gladiator’s factory tires will prove no match for the superior traction of high-end all-terrain, mud-terrain, or hybrid-terrain options.

Improved Ride Quality and On-Road Performance

Lastly, let’s cover on-road ride quality and performance. Just as aggressive tread patterns can enhance off-road performance, specialty-tuned sipes, and engineered tread compounds can significantly improve on-road ride quality! Additionally, larger sizing, especially when paired with smaller wheels, increases sidewall height. While taller sidewalls may reduce handling characteristics around fast corners, they also improve ride quality by effortlessly soaking up bumps, potholes, and highway expansion joints.

Aftermarket Wheel Types

Aftermarket wheels come in several configurations, ranging from style to construction to finish! In this section, we’re covering some of the common variances you’ll encounter when shopping wheels for your Gladiator.

Styles

First, wheels come in numerous styles, ranging from Vintage and Retro to ornate Mesh. Styles determine such factors as face design, lip design, face concavity, and more! Some of the most popular styles include: 

• Bullet Hole: Flat or slightly concave face with several holes.

• Concave: Curved face that dips inwards toward the bolt circle. 

• Deep Lip: Recessed, often convex face resulting in a wide lip. 

• Directional: Swooping spokes, adding movement to the face. Directional wheels may feature different part numbers for the driver and passenger sides, ensuring mirrored spoke designs. 

• HD: Rugged designs inspired by heavy-duty pickups. 

• Mesh: Ornate design featuring thin, weaving spokes. 

• OE Replica: Inspired by OE designs, OE-Replica wheels typically come in alternative sizes, bolt patterns, and finishes. 

• Spoked: Wheels featuring a spoked face. 

• Vintage / Retro: Classic styling inspired by wheels of decades past.

Constructions

Next, we have wheel constructions. Though manufacturing processes vary, practically all wheels are manufactured from two alloys (steel and aluminum). A wheel’s construction directly affects its strength, weight, and finish. Some of the most popular constructions include: 

• 1-Piece: Monoblock construction; typically aluminum. 

• 2-Piece: Construction consisting of a separate barrel and face that are pressed or bolted together.

• Beadlock: Bolt-on outer lip that grips tire bead, allowing airing to lower pressures without blowing a bead. 

• Cast: Aluminum construction; molten aluminum is poured into a mold. While lightweight and sturdy, cast wheels feature more impurities and a loose grain structure. 

• Flow Forged: Aluminum construction; a cast aluminum face is stretched and rolled to form the wheel’s barrel. This process results in a tighter grain structure and improved strength. 

• Forged: Aluminum construction; aircraft-grade aluminum is precision-milled to size and shape, resulting in superior strength and lower weight.  

• Steel: Steel construction; superior strength, though heavy and corrosion-prone. 

Check out our guide on The Best Truck Wheels and Rims for additional information on wheel styles and constructions!

Finishes

Wheels also come in various finishes, referencing the coating, plating, or treatment that determines overall aesthetics and corrosion resistance! Popular wheel finishes include: 

• Chrome-Plated: A lustrous, corrosion-resistant finish achieved through electroplating a thin layer of chromium over the base alloy. 

• Powder Coated: A durable, corrosion-resistant polymer coating applied as statically-charged particles before curing in a high-heat oven.  

• Paint: Conventional automotive-grade paint. Offers moderate impact, abrasion, and corrosion resistance, though not as much as powder coating. 

• Polished: A lustrous finish is achieved through sanding and polishing the base alloy to a mirror finish. 

• Machined: A bright yet satin finish achieved by milling away spoke faces, lips, and other accents, revealing bare metal. 

• Tinted: A machined wheel that’s treated with a tinted clear coat, resulting in a transparent black finish.  

Learn About Truck Wheel Finishes through this post on RealSource!

Sizes

Lastly, let’s cover sizing. Wheels come in several diameters, ranging from the mid-teens to mid-twenties! For an off-road-inspired platform like the Gladiator, we’d recommend sticking to the 17 to 20-inch range, ensuring suitable clearance for modern disk brakes while allowing thick sidewalls for superior off-road performance. 

A wheel’s diameter isn’t the only consideration involving size, however. You’ll also need to consider a wheel’s offset, backspacing, and bolt pattern, as these measurements directly impact fitment. For additional information on these measurements, check out our comprehensive article on Wheel Offset vs. Wheel Backspacing!

Tire Types

With wheels covered, let’s analyze tire variances, including style and size.

Tire Styles

Tires come in several styles, determined by the tread pattern, sidewall design, compound, treadwear, and overall handling characteristics. The most popular styles you’ll encounter when shopping for your Jeep Gladiator include: 

• All-Terrain: Moderately aggressive tires featuring exceptional on and off-road performance. All-terrain tires are comfortable, long-lasting, and offer excellent grip in most conditions, though they may struggle through deep mud and other extreme terrain. 

• Mud-Terrain: Exceptionally aggressive tires featuring rugged off-road performance in exchange for on-road comfort and treadwear. Mud-Terrain tires are an excellent choice for avid wheelers, but don’t expect long lifespans of quiet, comfortable ride quality. 

• Hybrid-Terrain: Hybrid-terrain tires split the difference between all-terrain and mud-terrain tires, offering more off-road performance than conventional all-terrain tires but improved ride quality over traditional mud-terrain tires. 

For additional information on tire types and characteristics, check out our Jeep Tire Buying Guide!

Tire Sizing

Lastly, let’s talk about tire sizing. When selecting tires for your Jeep Gladiator, you’ll want to find the best balance between aesthetics and functionality. The goal here is a tire size that complements other modifications, enables full articulation and steering lock without rubbing, and looks proportional. For example, a set of 38-inch tires may look the part but offer poor driveability and clearance issues, whereas a set of 32-inch tires may offer good on-road manners and fuel economy but poor aesthetics; it’s all about balance. 

Of course, tire sizing varies significantly by your Jeep’s suspension/body modifications and your planned usage. In most cases, we’d stick between 33 and 35-inch tall tires. With shorter gearing and a sizable lift, we’d consider 37s. 

Check out the chart below for a list of factory sizes by trim and our recommended sizing for aftermarket suspension and wheel/tire setups!

Best Jeep Gladiator Wheels

With aftermarket wheel/tire benefits and variances covered, let’s check out our expert’s top picks! Stay tuned as we cover the top Jeep Gladiator wheels for various enthusiasts, including the budget-minded shopper, avid off-roader, and all-around modder.

Top Budget Wheel: Rugged Ridge Grey Trail Runner Classic Wheels

For the budget-minded enthusiast, it’s tough to beat a set of durable, cost-effective steel wheels. Though heavy and corrosion-prone, steel wheels are a fan favorite for wheelers and overlanders, offering exceptional strength and durability. 

Rugged Ridge Grey Trail Runner Classic Wheels offer the same reliable steel construction that's beloved by the off-road community. This reliable construction gets paired with a stylish, 5-window design, rather than conventional bullet-hole or D-window steelies. The wheel’s sleek, gunmetal finish offers far more depth than generic black steel wheels, complementing any body or accent color. At under $200 per wheel, what’s not to love? 

Rugged Ridge backs the Grey Trail Runner Classic Wheels with a limited lifetime structural and 1-year finish warranty. 

Features: 

• Heavy-duty steel construction

• Sleek gunmetal finish

• Classic windowed design

• Limited lifetime structural | 1-year finish warranty

Top Off-Road Wheel: Method Matte Black 105 Beadlock Wheels

When the trails get tough, you’ll need an equally durable and purpose-built wheel, like the Method Matte Black 105 Beadlock! This product utilizes the same durable and lightweight cast aluminum construction as the company’s monoblock wheels, with the addition of beadlock technology! The wheel’s forged aluminum beadlock ring grips the tire’s external bead, preventing blow-outs even when aired to single-digit pressures. 

While offering superior off-road performance, Method Matte Black 105 Beadlock Wheels are not DOT-approved, barring them from road use. As such, we can only recommend this product for off-road use. 

Method Matte Black 105 Beadlock Wheels feature a limited lifetime structural and 2-year finish warranty. 

Features: 

• Durable cast aluminum construction

• Forged aluminum beadlock ring

• Matte black powder coat finish

• Hub-centric center bore

• Lightweight and TPMS-compatible

• Decorative center cap

• Grade 8 zinc-plated mounting hardware

• Machined logo

• For offroad use only / not DOT-approved

• Limited lifetime structural | 2-year finish warranty

Top All-Around Wheel: Black Rhino Black Armory Wheels

If you’re looking for an aggressive, off-road-inspired design that’s legal for daily use, check out the Black Rhino Armory in Black! This military-inspired wheel features an aggressive face laden with simulated bolts and hardware. The wheel’s face is entirely spoke and hole-free, resulting in a purpose-built appearance reminiscent of the wheels found on military humvees. 

Though aggressively designed, Black Rhino Armory Wheels feature a modern cast aluminum construction and conventional bead, resulting in a lightweight, street-legal wheel. 

Black Rhino Black Armory Wheels include a limited lifetime structural and 1-year finish warranty. 

Features: 

• Heavy-duty cast aluminum construction

• Rugged military-inspired styling

• Flat, spoke-less face

• Tactical black hardware

• Oversized bolt-on center cap

• Stealthy Gun Black finish

• Limited lifetime structural | 1-year finish warranty

Best Jeep Gladiator Tires

Next, let’s cover our expert’s top tire picks for the Jeep Gladiator! We’ve selected tires in the three previously mentioned styles: all-terrain, hybrid-terrain, and mud terrain.

Top All-Terrain Tire: Nitto Recon Grappler Tires

Though Nitto has offered an all-terrain tire for years (the Terra Grappler G1 and G2), 2021 saw the release of another addition to Nitto’s tire lineup: the Recon Grappler. This aggressive, stylish all-terrain bridges the gap between conventional all-terrain and hybrid-terrain tires, pairing quiet and comfortable on-road ride quality with exceptional off-road performance. 

This new tire boasts staggered shoulder lugs, wide and narrow circumferential grooves, and massive tread and shoulder blocks, allowing it to bite through sand, snow, mud, and other challenging terrain. The tire’s dual-sidewall design allows further customization not typically offered by modern all-terrain tires.  

As a bonus, the tire’s durable tread compound provides an exceptional 55,000-mile treadwear warranty! 

Features: 

• Staggered shoulder lugs

• Wide and narrow circumferential grooves

• Large tread and shoulder blocks

• Dual sidewall design

• Zig-zag main and shoulder grooves

• Reinforced block foundation

• 55,000-mile treadwear warranty

Top Hybrid-Terrain Tire: Toyo Open Country R/T Trail Tires

Every beloved tire has a successor; while some don’t live up to the hype of the original, the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail isn’t one such example! This aggressive, hybrid terrain tire packs the looks and performance to earn it a spot on our list, including staggered tread blocks, an extra-thick sidewall with a built-in rim protector, and wide circumferential grooves. 

Aside from styling and off-road performance, the Toyo Open Country R/T Trail also displays excellent on-road performance, providing quiet and controlled road manners due to its optimized tread pattern and variable-pitch design.  

Features: 

• Hybrid all-terrain/mud-terrain tire

• Optimized tread pattern

• Staggered shoulder blocks

• Extra-thick sidewall

• Rim protector

• Wide circumferential grooves

• Variable pitch pattern

• 45,000-mile warranty

Top Mud-Terrain Tire: Toyo Open Country M/T Tires

We can’t reference off-road tire performance without mentioning one of the oldest, most beloved, and most proven tires on the market: the Toyo Open Country M/T. This rugged mud-terrain tire has dominated the M/T class since its release in 2006 and has hardly changed since its conception! 

Toyo Open Country M/T Tires feature a deep, aggressive tread design consisting of hook-shaped tread blocks, scalloped shoulder blocks, and over-the-shoulder tread lugs. Deep siping helps the tire maintain grip over wet surfaces, while aggressive tread and sidewall designs improve traction in deep snow, thick mud, and other problematic terrains.

Features: 

• Deep siping for increased grip on wet surfaces

• Aggressive, hook-shaped tread design delivers superior off-road traction

• Snow/mud-ejecting scalloped shoulder blocks 

• Durable, impact-resistant 3-ply polyester construction 

• Over-the-shoulder tread lugs claw through deep mud/snow

• Improve handling through sharp, aggressive turns