manamal

First and foremost, I'm stoked I found this forum. Other forums where JK owners are the minority are a bit lacking on JK specific resources. Like many first time, and veteran jeep owners, I'm obsession over what I want to do to my currently stock JKU. Going off of the suggestions of others, I've got a few options that I'll list below. I'm excited to share these as I imagine many of you have used, or currently use some of these products.

This is my DD, and 99% of the time I'm on asphalt. So here goes.

Option 1:
Suspension: BDS JK4door 3" Suspension and Lift
Wheels: 15" MB72s Black
Tires: GY Duratec 35s
Disconnects: DIY from hardware store
Bumper Caps: Rough Country JK bump caps
Rock Rails: Ace JK Rock Sliders
Antenna: 13" Off Road Antenna
Jack: Hi-Lift Jack 48 Inch
Jack Mount: DIY

My concerns about this Option:
Do I need to gear up for the 35s?
Are 35's silly for a DD?
Will the 35 spare kill my tailgate spare holder?

Option 2:
same as option 1 but I buy 33s or 35s for the stock JKU 17" wheels

So i guess i don't really have 2 distinct options as much as I have a decision to make about wheels. And honestly there can be big portions of this i'm missing as i'm pretty new to all of this.

I'd love any feedback about any and all of it, especially the wheels and tires. Pros / cons of keeping stock wheels and upgrading tires, vs new. if new, 15s or 17s, 33s or 35s.

I appreciate any and all help

big dr

Just my opinion,, but, 35's not only look better, but improve off road capabilities,, A lot! I would do the tires and lift and start saving for the re-gear. Get it done ASAP as to reduce wear on tranny. I would also do 15" rims with 35's. You will see a noticeable improvement with ride quality with the taller sidewall. I'v heard the general rule for rim size is: stay under half the size of the tire. So, for 35's you would be ok with 17"rims,, but it wont ride as nice. Plus, if you buy the 15's,, you can get a little wider stance thru backspacing.
Nooooo,,, 35's are great for a daily. My guess is, if you buy 33's,,, you will be counting the days till they are worn out enough that you can justify the new 35's!
Yes,, a 35 will eventually kill your tailgate without a little beefing up.
Sounds like you are off to a great start,, no matter what you decide.

manamal

Thanks for the info.

How long do I have before I have to gear up?

Anyone else have any insight on the tire / wheel situation? Any pics to share?

Tripletsi

35's with the 3" lift will look great. I'm not sure if a 15" wheel will fit over the brake caliper, might want to stick with 17's (not a fan of bubble tires anyway). Be sure to add gussets to your front axle, and you'll need an AEV Procal to reset your speedometer/shift points too.

The new Teraflex HD Hinged tire carrier sounds like it would fit your Jeep well, ORW has a great deal right now, send them a pm.

My brother has 33's with 3.73's and it has noticeable difference from my stock tires with 3.73's. I would definitely regear to 4.10's with 35's. His mpg shot down to 14/16 compared to my 18/20 (not good for a 99% DD).

Kanueh

Keep with the 17's when you go to 35's in my opinion, the ride isn't too bad depending what tire you go with. Here is mine with a 3" lift wheel spacers (not a big fan of spacers but they work until,I'm ready to buy bead locks) and Toyo Open Country M/T 35x12.5x17.


you can get by for a short time with the stock carrier as long as you have the adapter to raise it and push the tire out. I wouldn't do it too long because a new rear carrier or a bumper with a carrier will be cheaper than body work on the tailgate.

manamal

These are great options! Thank you for insights and pictures. I sure do have a tough decision to make.
Does anyone else want to weigh in on 15" or 17" wheels with the 35" tires and post up a pic or two?

I have done no research about adding anything to the axels, or spedometer changes so i need to investigate and add those things to the budget spreadsheet for sure

Team Desert Eagle

Here are a couple pics of mine.
4.5" BDS and 35's on tailgate

Team Desert Eagle

And two more pics

manamal

So i still can't make up my mind about what i need to do as far as tires and lift...

So now I'm deciding between a cheap set up for now, with a larger investment to follow... why? because i dont want to wait. Yes in the log run i'll spend more, but I gotta scratch that itch, ya know?

Cheap:

Wheels & Tires: Rubicon Take Offs
Lift: TeraFlex Leveling Kit
SwayBar: JKS Quicker Disconnects
Rock Rails: Rubicon Take Offs


Not as Cheap:
Wheels: MB72s
Tires: DuraTrac 35s
PC: AEV PRocal Module
Lift: TeraFlex 2.5 w/ Shocks (Bilsteins)


I'd love any feedback on either setup. perhaps i'll just do a budget boost? I dont know... Either way, today I did this mod, Looks 100x better up front.

Team Desert Eagle

Go with the BDS lift, you won't be sorry.