Wrangler Tire Size - Overland, Trail, and Other

[Nomad_K]

To distract myself from the dealer issues referenced in the Fireside Chat, I am refining my build plan and spending way too much time on a few Wrangler forums :sombrero: .

Between the forums, a few chats with off-road builders, and a few trail rides, almost everyone I have spoken to has encouraged me to go with a 35 inch tire - admittedly for trails - as opposed to the factory Rubi 32's or the 33's I planned to upgrade to. I have pm'd or chatted with close to a dozen people who had 32/33's and wound up with 35's. I like 32-33's for cost, weight, and would like to avoid what seems like an endless list of axle upgrades to reliably run 35's over the long haul. So - for all of you Wrangler owners on ExPo, how many of you run a 32-33 vs a 35-37? If you went with a 35-37, did you rebuild or reinforce your D30/D44?

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Heh Heh, well you don't say what you're driving !

My opinion is that 75% of JK/JKU use of 35s, is because of peer pressure, if you're not extreme rocking/sanding---you don't need 35" tires-

There are those that specify 35" tires for ground clearance, then airdown to 12psi and they have less differential clearance than stocker 32" tires

I'm happy with 33.6" Hankook Dynapro MTs for rock/sand/hills lava climbing--towing

Mine is an '08 JKUR, now if you have a 2012/2013--you can live with 35" tires, without any regearing and thats stick/auto, but

If your jeep is '07 thru '11 and auto--you probably should regear as soon as you go over 31" in diameter-

Good luck

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

 

[Kssting]

I agree with Jim. I have 33's on my JKU and so far they have taken me everywhere I have wanted to go and that includes several trails in Moab. As far as axle reinforcements it really depends how hard you push the jeep but gussets and a truss or sleeves are pretty cheap insurance even if you only run 33's.

 

[squinko]

I have been running 33's. I use to do a lot of rock climbing and always wished I had 35's when all the big guys would show up (just seemed like I needed them). I did change a lot of my skid plating to allow for more clearance under neath the Jeep. By the time I aired down on 33's I was sitting pretty low for the rocks. Changing the skid plating really helped with that. 35's would have given me more clearance. However, my 33's took me everywhere I wanted to go even some 5+ rated stuff in Moab. Now I tow a trailer and do more hunting and expedition type stuff. I have been running my stock Rubicon set up (axles, driveshafts) since I bought it 2004. Worked well for me. My buddies running 35/37 have upgraded the axles shaft. Seen a lot break with the 37's.

Benny.

 

[kickingprop]

I dont own a wrangler but I'll give my $0.02 anyway. My CJ7 is on 33's and will everywhere my best friends locked TJ on 35's goes. Yeah there is an extra inch of clearance with 35's but smart driving will always get you further than that extra inch of clearance.

Stick with the slightly lower unsprung weight IMO and go with 32-33" tires..

 

[Hawkz]

My 03 Rubicon runs 35x12.5 MTR w/ Kevlar. Off road everything works great, but on road the wider tires wander a bit. If I could find a good radial 35x10 or 10.5 I would swap.

I considered going back to 33s but I have a 2" lift and the Metalcloak tube fenders. Maybe I'll decide to put the fenders back on and go back to 33s.

I am very happy with the 35s off road, but if I was going to be doing much highway driving I'd go with a skinnier 33...

 

[Nomad_K]

Thank you for the responses guys. Also, apologies for not mentioning the year - 2013 JKUR Auto with 4.10's. As far as gussets and a truss vs. sleeves, I haven't read up on the different options enough to decide one way or another.

A friend with a JKU here actually suggested looking at a 15 inch wheel - thank you for the small brakes on domestic JK's Chrysler - so that I could get 'more tire' to play with for the same diameter (whether 33 or 35), a 'big tire look' with a smaller tire diameter (not really a priority, personally), and cheaper tires for the same overall diameter (whether 33 or 35). The difference in price on 33 inch MTR's for a 15 vs 17 wheel is there. For a 35 inch tire, the difference is pretty significant :Wow1: . Has anyone here on ExPo gone down to a 15 inch wheel on their JK?

 

[mrchips]

Also think of the gear changes you need to do to run 35's on a JK or a TJ, at least 4.88 gear ratio is needed to keep it in the stock power band. I have run 35's on my LJ for 3 years and have done "the Hammers" and Rubicon, it depends on how you drive. The only thing I have had to replace is the ball joints, they will start to wear with bigger tires

 

[DarinM]

I've got 305/70/16 (33s) on my 04 Rubi. They're fine on the highway, and for mild to moderate offroading they have been quite adequate. I have a 4" lift as well.

 

[Dan Grec]

I drove from Alaska to Argentina with 31x10.5 r15 on my stock TJ, and I never once wished I had bigger tires.

If you plan on long overland journeys, I'd stay away from bigger tires, as they are harder to come by, more expensive (a buddy is looking at paying $375 per tire for 31s in Peru) and worst of all will suck mileage.

If you love to crawl, sure, go for 35s.

-Dan

 

[Power Wagon Family]

4.5" lift with 37" Tires

 

[Chris85xlt]

My 2.5" lifted JK did great for 3 years with the factory 32" BFG MT tires. It was stable and well tamed on the highway with enough traction for snow covered trails to the slick rocks of moab.

I just recently switched to 35's with 4.56 gears and right away i noticed my stopping distance has increase, mileage sucks, and it wanders on uneven pavement. Its still tolerable for daily/overland use but sometimes i feel it wasnt necessary to go so large for what i do.

BUT....now with 35s and knowing what i had to do to run 35's (axle upgrades, gears, lift and etc), i should have just gone to 37's with some minor brake upgrades

If you plan to run 35"+ tires i do suggest adding sleeves or a truss and C-gussets to the front axle housing.

 

[GetOutThere]

I am currently running the factory 32s, but I have a 2012 Rubi Auto with 4.10s.... I honestly don't see any reason to not switch to 35s. From what I hear the mileage hit will be marginal, and all I would require mod wise is a 2.5" lift.

I'd probably strengthen the front axle eventually, but for the short term I don't see any issues, considering my wheeling.

 

[wADVr]

While I don't have a JK, I've been all over Moab, the Rubicon and all our local trails in my XJ with 33s and now 35s. I can say I have found no benefit to the 35s. In a JKU I might lean toward 35s from an appearance, break over and having 17" wheels standpoint but otherwise 33s work great. I personally do not like 15" wheels or the tires that go on them. Load range c seems too low for a heavily loaded rig on a rocky trail where sidewall punctures can occur. They might provide a softer ride and even conform better at low pressure but having a little more confidence in sidewall strength is worth more to me. I also like the aspect ratio of a 33"-16" wheel combo, much positive response on road and on fire roads. I noticed a drastic decrease in performance going to the 1" taller sidewall of the 35s but I also push my jeep a bit harder than most.

Iwill be going back to a 33" tire when I wear these out, and am actually looking forward to it.

 

[Nomad_K]

My 2.5" lifted JK did great for 3 years with the factory 32" BFG MT tires. It was stable and well tamed on the highway with enough traction for snow covered trails to the slick rocks of moab.

I just recently switched to 35's with 4.56 gears and right away i noticed my stopping distance has increase, mileage sucks, and it wanders on uneven pavement. Its still tolerable for daily/overland use but sometimes i feel it wasnt necessary to go so large for what i do.

BUT....now with 35s and knowing what i had to do to run 35's (axle upgrades, gears, lift and etc), i should have just gone to 37's with some minor brake upgrades

If you plan to run 35"+ tires i do suggest adding sleeves or a truss and C-gussets to the front axle housing.

Have you sent me a PM on JKO from another username? Just kidding, but that is something I have heard from a few other folks.

I am currently running the factory 32s, but I have a 2012 Rubi Auto with 4.10s.... I honestly don't see any reason to not switch to 35s. From what I hear the mileage hit will be marginal, and all I would require mod wise is a 2.5" lift.

I'd probably strengthen the front axle eventually, but for the short term I don't see any issues, considering my wheeling.

I hear really mixed reviews on the mileage hit. Some people tell me 1-2 mpg, others tell me I'll go from 20+ to under 15 mpg on the highway with 35's, with a potentially worse hit in town because of the gas you burn in stop and go traffic with more mass to get rolling after a stop.

While I don't have a JK, I've been all over Moab, the Rubicon and all our local trails in my XJ with 33s and now 35s. I can say I have found no benefit to the 35s. In a JKU I might lean toward 35s from an appearance, break over and having 17" wheels standpoint but otherwise 33s work great. I personally do not like 15" wheels or the tires that go on them. Load range c seems too low for a heavily loaded rig on a rocky trail where sidewall punctures can occur. They might provide a softer ride and even conform better at low pressure but having a little more confidence in sidewall strength is worth more to me. I also like the aspect ratio of a 33"-16" wheel combo, much positive response on road and on fire roads. I noticed a drastic decrease in performance going to the 1" taller sidewall of the 35s but I also push my jeep a bit harder than most.

I will be going back to a 33" tire when I wear these out, and am actually looking forward to it.

As with other thoughts people have shared - thanks again to everyone - I really appreciate the first hand perspective. I thought about 16 inch wheels as a happy balance but I have been told that the tire selection is small, and that E rated 16 inch tires would be worse for fuel economy than 17 inch D rated tires with the same outside diameter.

I haven't compared across multiple tire brands, however, for the Goodyear WRangler MT/R Kevlar, the difference in weight between 15, 16, and 17 inch tires isn't as big as I thought it would be. I realize this isn't a perfect comparison since the 33 inch tire for a 15 inch rim is wider than the 285's but it was still an eye opener for me to actually check the weights. And the prices :Wow1:

33's
15 inch - 33/12.5/R15 - C rated - 60 lbs - $205
16 inch - 285/75/R16 - E rated - 60 lbs - $252
17 inch - 285/70/R17 - D rated, 58 lbs - $285

35's
15 inch - 35/12.5/R15 - C rated - 67 lbs - $235
17 inch - 35/12.5/R17 - D rated - 64 lbs - $339

On the wheel end of things only a few wheels that I looked at were available across all three sizes. For one particular Mickey Thompson model the difference in weight between sizes was minimal - a one inch increase in diameter for a similar width only added ~ 2 lbs (although the 16-17 inch comparison is off since the 17 inch wheel isn't as wide). However, for other wheels, a one inch increase in diameter meant a 5 lb increase in weight (potentially more with some brands/styles).

Mickey Thompson Classic - Simulated Beadlock
15 x 10 = 22 lbs
16 x 10 = 24 lbs
17 x 9 = 26 lbs

So, while I am still leaning towards 33's, the minimal difference in weight between the 15, 16, and 17 inch tires has me thinking a little more... along with the availability of 16 inch MT/R's. Now, does TrailReady make a 16 inch beadlock...