Sawyer10

Guys, I got myself a 2013 jeep rubicon.

I know that I want to lift it up a little bit, and maybe put some bigger tires on it so it looks more aggressive. But I don't know what kind of tires and lift would be a good fit on a rubicon?
Any suggestions?

jk_sea

Congrats on the new Jeep!

As an aside, I think JK-Forum members need to develop a Visio process diagram/flowchart for beginners looking for advice on lift and tire options

Some basic questions to research and consider.

1. Do you want looks and some function, or looks, and a lot of function? The difference is a puck/spacer lift, or a full suspension lift. Most puck and spacer kits keep the factory springs and shocks but do little to correct overall suspension geometry and there are limitations in suspension travel. My recommendation would be to go with a full suspension lift where you get longer shocks, upgraded springs, and all the necessary bits to correct geometry and make it ride correctly. You invested in a brand new Rubicon...investing in a GOOD lift setup, done properly, is advisable. Popular lifts on here come from AEV, Teraflex, Rock Krawler, and other reputable companies--there are lots of good ones.

The next question is height. How high do you want to lift? JK's are good to go until you go above 2.5". Then, the problem becomes more expensive as you'll need to start replacing driveshafts and steering components as you go higher. Puck/spacer kits are usually good for 2-3" or so, but come with the limitations described above. Suspension lift kits can go much higher--at a cost. Remember, any lift height will be in addition to the lift that upgrading your tires to a bigger size gives you. If you pick up an inch with your tires, and put in a 2.5" lift kit, you've jacked up your entire rig almost 3.5".

Let's talk tires. 35" is a popular size, and will fit just fine with most 2.5" lift kits. You can go bigger, at a cost. 33" tires are also a good option if you're budget and economy-minded, and do a lot of on-road driving. There are a lot of opinions on tires. The first decision is... Mud terrain (deep, gnarly tread) or all-terrain (Good tread, a better mix of on- and off- road driving). Popular brands on here are BF Goodrich A/T or KM2, Goodyear Duratrac, Nitto Terra or Trail grapplers, Mickey Thompson, Dick Cepek, Toyo, etc.

Then, you need to make a choice about wheels. If you'd like to keep your factor wheels, your tires will begin to rub suspension components when you enter 33" territory. You will need to run spacers, or buy wheels with different backspacing to keep the tires away from suspension components. Spidertrax are a popular spacer that folks run on here. Also, the factory wheel is only 7.5" wide, which will accomodate up to a 35" tire (315/70/17). If you plan to go bigger, you will most definitely need new wheels.

Once you've got your lift and tires and wheels picked out, then you should think about gears. If you're not doing crazy wheeling, the stock 4:10 gearing in your Rubicon is probably just fine with a 35" tire. If you want to go bigger (37's)...ask around about gearing to see what others do. 4.56, 4.88's, 5.13's might be in your future depending on how you want to use your Jeep. The larger size tires you run, the higher your effective gear ratio (numerically lower). For instance, if you're running 3.73 gears and put on a 35" tire, that 3.73 ratio is going to feel and be as effective as say, a 3.21 ratio.

We've covered the 2 basic types of lifts, and different heights, and potential limitations.

We've covered tires, sizes, the two basic types, and spacing issues and the limitations of factory wheels.

We've covered the limitations of factory gearing with regards to tire size.

That should be a good start, and impetus for you to look around at a bunch of pics and what others have done on here. Don't forget recovery gear, what you might want to do with bumpers, and trail protection - rock sliders, skid plates, etc.

The most popular place to start is with tires and a lift. I'd say check out 2.5" suspension lifts and 33" or 35" tires to start, unless you know you want a rig jacked to the sky (4.5"+) and super swamper tires, 37-40".

And, of course, stuffed in there are budgetary limitations. Just remember...you bought the king of all Jeeps, the Rubicon. Do it justice by putting good stuff on it and doing stuff right, the first time.

horrocks007

^^^^What a nice answer. It's great to see people taking their time on here to help people out like that.

I would look at Teraflex's website, or search them on youtube. They have a lot of great videos and stuff explaining the different tire sizes, lifts, etc. Weather you buy from them or not, they give some great info and the videos are sometimes fun to watch.

raycn

Go with the 2 1/2" Teraflex lift with Bilsteins offered on this forum for $750. This will get you to 35s which are plenty for 90% of us. I like the Duratracs because they are great off road and in the snow but run great and are QUIET on the street!