Chuck-The-Ripper

I drive 90 miles a day mostly highway at 85+ on 37s and 2.5" lift and it's stable af. I'd equate it to 35s with no lift and flat fenders. That's the choice id make all day. 33s are a thing of the past, or still present if you drive a Toyota lmao.

Kojack

FOr someone who thinks they know everything you obviously don't. Weight of a tire has a really big relevance to the way a vehicle drives, reacts handles etc. You don't think so because you use your jeep as a crawler. I use jeep in a loose sense of the word as there is pretty well nothing left jeep besides the grill. SO.....Anyways, I know that the lemmings will jump to your defence with whatever you say here.

33's vs 35's is a very real difference in handling, rolling resistance, weight etc. If you think otherwise you obviously have limited knowledge in road racing, road driving etc. If ONLY off roading......yep, biggest you can stuff. If you use your jeep as a do everything rig, than YES it makes a real impact. CHUCK, I can guarantee if we both fill up at a gas station......Leave the same time, travel the same speed, I am going farther than you....plus I will be accelerating and handling better as well. JUST SAYIN! I know you love to try to argue with me at will....but that's ok.

Kojack

I would not use those tires. They are terrible for anything other than desert. They are down right scary in the rain/snow. If you like generals go with the AT2. Much better suited for a daily driver.

Kojack

HOw many times in that 90 miles do you fill up your jeep chuck? I would really like to know. I bet you are getting like 8 mpg at that speed with the 37's. gearing or not. I will wave at you as I pass you in the gas station! And.....before you start on the cheap part, it like having good gas milage for range...not for cost. I like to go farther with the gas in my rig since we don't have gas stations every 90 miles here. Nothing to do with money.

Kojack

hey dirtman,

there is absolutely no difference between a 33' and a stock size tire. NONE...your right. so minimal that you can't even see it. wow.

I must have 37s on front then hey? or did I mount a car dummy tire on the rear? please clarify I am stumped on what I have?

Kojack

hey dirtman,

there is absolutely no difference between a 33' and a stock size tire. NONE...your right. so minimal that you can't even see it. wow.

I must have 37s on front then hey? or did I mount a car dummy tire on the rear? please clarify I am stumped on what I have?




Just so you know too...my jeep still has forward rake. when all four tires are the same....so that's even bigger difference because as you can clearly see, the reverse rake with the 33's on front and stock in the rear....JUST SAYIN.

jadmt

the difference in ground clearance at the pumpkin between a stock bfg mt 255/75-17 and what most consider a 33" ie 285/70-17 is like 1/2". I know from my experience I will take fatter 35's over pizza cutters in almost every condition that I run in (most of my jeeping is in Montana but go to Moab every year). I run toyo at2 35's and KO2 34x10.5-17 and the only thing the KO2's do better on is ice. In deep snow or mud the toyos come out on top all day long. I put 20,000 miles a year on and DD mine. Last year in a 6 month period I did Moab, Colorado, and the Rubicon trail. I used the KO2 in Colorado as I wanted to save wear and tear on the 35's. for the little mpg difference I get between the two ie not measurable the bigger tires have few disadvantages compared to the smaller tires, but the smaller tires have many disadvantage in many areas compared to the larger tires if that makes sense.
for me about the only advantage I can think of on smaller is braking. if I was drag racing smaller would be better as well.

TheDirtman

I say weight is not an issue due to the fact that not specific tires are mentioned (or wheels for that fact) There are 35" tire that are lighter in weight then 33" tires and vice versa. Without specifics on tire/wheel combo then yes weight is not a factor in the discussion.

I never told anyone to run 37's or larger tire. I typically will recommend running a 35" tire as it is a good fit for the JK wheel well and can be done with minimal lift. When people want to build a rig like mine I suggest keeping the jeep on 35's for all around and to build a buggy. I almost never encourage people to build big rigs and dump lots of money into them.

I have a JKU that is completely stock as well as a 2001 TJ also completely stock. I have owned over the years several ti's both in stock form and stretched on 37's. I have owned a liberty and grand cherokees. I have also owned 4 wd pick ups in the 250-450 ranges as well as dump trucks. I am also a heavy equipment operator with 30 years of building stuff in most conditions. Oh and last year I started getting studying the ultra 4 world of off-road. Watching these races, observing the pits, and studying the builds will teach you a lot about suspension design and performance of those cars. I was honored to be on a buddy team last year for KOTH and got to wrench on the car and got to ride in it when we were tuning the shocks. Simply amazing what those things can do.

I understand racing, no expert by all means but typically tire size is dictated by the rules (yes, off-road racing too, its not stuff the biggest tire and go) and any extra weight in the racing world is the enemy. One thing that is pretty consistent in road and track racing is the contact patch with the only exception I know of being cycling.

Now as to my jeep, which you like to throw a lot of misinformation around about it, is a 2007 sahara. It has the factory motor, transmission, frame, fenders, tub, hood, windshield and yes the original grill. It is registered for the street and I drive it as much as I want. It has 14" travel shocks on the front and 16" travel in the rear. 40" tires, atlas and pro rocks.

Over the years, I too ran 33" tires as coming from the TJ world 33's were a considered a big up grade. It was not and offered little in off road performance and visually looked too small on the jeep with flat fenders. Along with that came a 2" lift. Next was the old 37" MTR tire which is more like a true 35" and I added the JKS ACOS into the mix along with a full set of control arms and drivelines. 37" MTR/K came next with the addition of bead locks. Added the EVO front coil over kit and the jeep sat at 5.5" of lift and was done right scary to drive off road. Dropped it down to 4" and added long arm and 40's, the next year it was stretched with full coil overs and air bumps. Over the last 3 years not much has been done to it and am now starting to tweak a few things here and there. I have dumped tens of thousands into this thing and countless hours working on it to try and get the most out of the JK offers and would not encourage anyone to duplicate it.

I am sorry your butt hurts from running the teraflex leveling kit and monroe mono shocks, maybe you have regrets and envy jeeps with bigger tires. Who knows. By your logic you should stay stock size and not even go to 33's, which is fine, the skinny factory tires have less rolling resistance and weigh less then a 33" tire. How can you say moving to 33's gives a better ride then stockers? When you say 35's are too big and heavy to give a quality ride. Your lift has actually nothing to do with improving your ride quality. Tires are going to affect the ride more then just a bout anything else you do to the jeep.

And Kojack since you are an expert on tires why do tractors have tall skinny tires on them?

TheDirtman

Where did I make that statement?

Are those the 285 70/R17 E tires you have listed in your profile?

zstairlessone

I don't think he understood you when you said there isn't much of a difference in size. You were talking about the 32" tires on many Jeeps as OEM fitment and not the 29" tires he may have had which will be a big step up. Heck, stepping up to a set of OEM Rubi wheels and tires makes a huge difference if you are starting out with mini tires and they work well while not requiring any lift.

Someone's comment about up travel earlier with a spacer kit - with spacers, shock extensions and bump stop extensions your amount of up and down travel is the same.

To the OP, if you decide on 33s a narrower tire (10-1/2" to 11-1/2" wide) means you don't have to put on spacers, always a win because there is less stress on ball joints, C's, steering components etc. If you aren't out rock crawling or desert bombing you don't need that 14"+ of wheel travel and for me personally, while lifted Jeeps might look cool I only lift as little as I have to for what I plan to do with mine or to support what tires I am installing, anymore destabilizes a vehicle more than necessary.