Hey sorry if there is already a thread on here on this topic but I couldn't find one. I have a 4 dr Jk that is basically stock and for my job/hobby I need to drive in sand of all types. the sr a tires on her don't get the job done in some of the places I need to be. Oh yeah I have no money... thats a problem. So I cant afford some rims that will let me air way down. The jeep isn't my daily driver and I generally stay far away from mud. I have been looking at the cooper stt tires but they seem a bit overkill since I am going for more float then anything else. And all the "sand tires" I have found are way out of my price range So any help would be very appreciated

 

I have 5- American Eagle 185 15" rims with BFG MT's 33x12.5x15" with about 27,000 miles on them. Tire dealer told me that about 50% of the treadt is left.
You can have them for $400.00. That worked good in loose dirt/ sand for me.
I know your not local,but just in case you know some way of getting them to you. Just a idea that may be in your budget.
Good Luck.

PS: I aired the tires down to 12 lbs each when crawling.

 

For sand, typically, you do not want an MT, as they have a bad habit of digging a hole/bogging down...especially if you have to stop and start, etc.

AT's are typically a good choice in that regard...as they have enough lug to grip, but enough contact to float.

YOu want as FAT at tire as possible...but your budget precludes going fatter than about a 285 due to clearance issues...JK's need spacers or rims with less BS than stock to go wider on tires. :(

A TALLER tire will help too, as the taller the tire, the less steep a ramp the leading edge of the tire will have to climb, and, the longer the foot print will be.

A long foot print adds surface area/flotation, and, adds directional contact (Think tank tread...a longer contact patch...).

A stock JK is limited to a 33" tall tire.

I'm assuming you have 16" rims...if not, you are DOOMED. (17" tires are EXPENSIVE)



A 285/75/16 for example would be roughly a 33x11.5/16 tire....what you are looking for.

If you could cough up another ~ $200, and get a set of 1.5" wheel spacers, you could get a set of 305/70/16's instead, and have much better flotation and traction.

For a cheap sand tire, look at Pep Boys Definity line...they have a cheap AT that's OK for what you describe.

 

how deep the sand and what kind of distances?

 

get 15 inch rims and 33s and you will be happy. just air down a bit. The smaller rims will let you take advantage of the side wall of the tire. Do not worry about the type of tire if you go with the 15 inch rims.

I would spend 150 bucks and get a BB when you can afford it.

 

Hi Ashock, I live in Dubai & 90% of my JK driving is either in desert sand or beach sand. I tried many 4x4s & many tire sizes & brands over the years to know which can perform best in sand & on road.

We get sand tires here (Dunlop, Bridgestone, Sumitimo....) they got no tread at all or just straight lines, they work well in sand, but very bad on road.
So I kept on looking & trying, I'm convinced now that there is no tire can outperform these 2 in sand

- Michelin LTX M/S or BFGoodrich Long Trail T/A

Now 1 more important factor is tire size Vs engine power.

For best sand driving results you need a high torque engine & big tires, unfortunately our JKs are not High torque 4x4 so a bigger tire without the needed torque will just rob your engine from its power.

My recommendation for you if your JK is stock & no plans for re-gearing is to go for 265/65/17
It will give you a power boost in sand since they are smaller in Diameter, but larger in width (remember that you will loose about 1 inch of ground clearance, but thats not important for sand driving) you can always deflate your tires to 18 PSI safely.

 

michelin ltx are the best for here, we all know that, bfg's are good but abit heavy, but you shouldnt have a problem with stock tyres, i let the air down to 10 to be safe and 8 for hill climbs, have never had any problems, btw what are your stock tires?? bridestone or the goodyears?

 

I have 33/12.5r16 TRXUS A/T and they work good on sand and on road. I wheel in the Pine Barrens in NJ and there is alot of sugar sand and these tires work great. They are like 160 a tire and that is cheap for any 4x4 tire. I got mine from quadratec. Hope this helps.

 

wow you guys are quick. I have the goodyear p245 75 16. I went to high school in western Australia and am well versed in driving in very sandy conditions but man I have just been failing recently. I guess this is my first non-diesel to attempt driving in deep sand so maybe its just my driving ability. Distances are from a few miles to a few days of going from site to site. I am a geologist and am doing research in evaporite minerals so conditions are from salt flats to really loose stuff. So it looks like it is more about what size I get then what type. Can I fit a 12.5 width tire without spacers? Thanks!!! keep it coming

oh and trail bud I would love to buy your wheels but CA is a bit far for me haha