Chefbrujo

Hi all, so ive got a 2010 sahara unlimited with the 3.8L with 3.73 gearing (i believe, need to double check) also have a superchips flashpaq and K&N intake. Also have added weight with xrc bumbers front and rear, rock rails and a winch.

My questions revolve around best setup to balance maintaining decent mpg (11-12mpg) and suitable trail use while lifting and running bigger tires (33-35s) i know the basic stuff like higher gears bigger tires require more power, reducing mpg, etc.. I am prepared to lose some mpg just dont want to go extreme for no reason. (I am hoping to get lift/tires without having to regear)

I currently get avg mpg of 15.2/21 in gas saver mode and 13.4/18.2 in 87 octane setting.
Im considering a 2.5"-3" lift and 33-35" tires. I have stock alloy 18s but will switch to alloy 16"-17" rims. (Alloy to save weight?)

My use of the jeep is approx:
80% putting around town.
10% light trails / campgrounds, fire roads, etc..
5% medium trails / exploring / expeditionary.
5% rock crawling (not sure if its the appropriate term but i would like to climb the easy to medium difficulty stuff u see at 4x4 obstacle/trial courses.
I wont be climbing boulders but would like to wheel on trails and ford rivers, climb rocky terrain, streambeds, etc..

My question is specifically what would the mpg loss estimate be between:
2.5" lift and 33"s/17"
And
3" lift and 35"s/17"

Also, would 16" rims be better or worse for any reason?
All input about anything would be appreciated.
Oh, and I love the Jeep wave and do my part to keep it alive here in the east san francisco bay area!

karls

You may be able to find tires for a cheaper price in the 16" variety.....as far as 33's or 35's go- both run small but you'll find that an adequate driver can compensate for the extra 2" of tires. 35's "should" also require more reinforcement in the front axle vs just bumping up a little to 33's.

There are some brand spankin new 2.5" jku metalcloak springs for sale in the for sale thread- they should give you the lift you're looking for, even with the weight you've added. The springs should also be a long lasting coil (in terms of sagging over lifetime)

Papa Surf

I am running 33s on 16" wheels in a 2010 JKU in SoCal traffic and average 14-15mpg

Chronotripper

The average mpg I seen from all users on this forum have averaged 14-15 mpg for an automatic transmission and 17-18 for a manual. I had a 4.5 inch lift on my JKU with 35s, 17" wheels, and 5.13 gears and I was averaging 17.5 mpg with my manual before I went to a Hemi, so I really doubt you will see a big change in your mpg. I would guess at the worst you will loose a mile, but I'd be willing to bet more that you will loose less than a half a mile. Also, the difference between a 16" wheel and a 17" wheel will be barely noticeable, if at all.

Chronotripper

To add on to my last post, I was assuming you were going to buy aluminum wheels instead of steel. If you go with steel, then the change in weight between a 16" and a 17" wheel will be a lot more than the aluminum. If you only want 11-12 mpg at a minimum than nothing you are planning do will bring it that low (I get 12 mpg now with my Hemi, 37's, and 5.13 gears). However, you sound like you want to save every scrap of gas mileage you can, so reading this post might help you decide on wheels:

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/spon...wheels-120933/

Here are my recommendations on what to get based on mpg/performance and the type of wheeling you say you do:

More MPG conscious:
2.5" lift, 33" tires, 15" wheels, 3.73 gears

More performance oriented:
3" lift, 35" tires, what ever rims you want, 4.88 if manual/4.56 if automatic

Hope this helps, and if anyone sees anything blatantly wrong with my post please educate us!

Chefbrujo

Thank you guys. That's good info.