Hey all this is just a for your information type post.
Then I would like to hear your opinions and thoughts regarding all this just for curiosities sake.
As I did what I did after love came to town...

My rig is pretty typical:
An X 2dr, Automatic, (4.1 gears) with a 3" Tera Flex Lift and 35" x 12.5" Pro-Comp A.T.s on the stock 16" Aluminum Rims.
I have a Air Raid CAI and a Gibson flow thru muffler on currently, (when I get a snorkel the CAI goes away .

When I bought it, there were 30" tires on it.
At that time average milage (around town 50% street - 50% freeway) was between 19 and 21 mpg with the CAI and muffler installed, ( I never noticed what it was prior to putting on the CAI and flow through muffler, sorry).

After putting on the 35" tires my average milage went down to between 15 and 16 mpg same usage.
When wheel'n it drops to around 13/14mpg.
Also it drove like an old dog, coming out of the hole sluggishly and handled a bit bobbely¿ over railroad tracks and the like, but perfectly when in the dirt and on rocks, which is after all what it was set up to do.

Since it was strictly an R.V. I was good with all that as it was.

I found myself using the Jeep more and more as a daily driver though, so I started thinking about things like $180 per tire for the hiking boots and milage as well as wear and tear.

I also was very aware of the lack of responsiveness in traffic which I found uncomfortable and even potentially dangerous.

So I talked to my stealership about it and found that they could flash the computer down to 28" tires, if I could find any that fit the bill for load rating etc.

I wanted to go down to 28" for responsiveness, though I thought it would be somewhat ineffecient regarding fuel usage.

So I looked around a LOT and for a long time.
Finally I got with Discount Tires and put together a package for 5 Soft 8 rims (Black steel Craigers 16" rims with a 5" back spacing) and 5 Yokohama 28" tires.
They were great about matching and even beating the best prices I could find.

The reasons for the Yokohama tires are:
1st) they are manufactured in America. Period.
2nd) they are load rated at 101,
the 2dr actually wants 104 but that is over kill,
unless your going on long trips and trailoring etc.,
and there are no street tires of 28" that are rated 104 any way.
at least not 80,000 mile ones.

Discount Tires has a policy that they will not mount any tires on spacers ever. Period.
This is insane to me as they are legal in Arizona, and have been prooven very safe by me, but what the hell?
I don't need the spacers now anyway, (or so I thought).

I had them take the 35" off the stock Aluminum rims and put them on the Soft 8s.
The new Yokohamas were put on the Stock rims.
They took off the spacers and mounted the running shoes on the Jeep.

It took me 3 trips to get my 5 hiking boots back home into the garage.
Jeeps ARE pretty useless eh? lol
The 35s weigh a bunch too, let me tell yuh, getting that 5th one on top of the stack took 2 trys.

Anyway the upshot so far is this:
The responsiveness is almost sporty compared to what it was.
It comes off the line much quicker and drives more like a car than a truck.
It still is a truck though and the 3" lift lets you know it's still there.

The tires are totally SILENT.
Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin and Deep Purple sound a lot better at lower volumes now...so I turn it up....

My average milage has gone up to 18.5 mpg and may yet climb a bit more as I'm learning to drive it more efficiently over time.
I've only had the running shoes on for 2 weeks as yet.
I think I will hit 19 on average +-.5 or so, we shall see.

"Efficient" has a new meaning with the 28"s on than it was with the 35"s.
For example, freeway cruising at 65 mph gets me better milage than at 55 mph.

The 35"s did better at 55 than 65.
I like the 65 thing a lot better myself...

Also excellerating a bit quicker and getting up to speed firmly without opening the throttle to where you can hear it just SUCK down the gas is more efficient too.

On the street 40mph gets me EXACTLY the same average mpg as the freeway does at 65 to 70, so for the most part I can peg the 18.5mpg steady.
Only dropping off if actually stopped for some time, or in stop and go traffic (which I avoid by working early hours and other "tricks").

BTW the spacers are going back on over the 4th of July weekend due to the narrow street tire width and still having the 3" lift.

Widening the stance a bit will help stabilize the ride some and allow me to go around corners on the street without hitting the brakes.
That will save fuel over time believe it or not, but is not for amature drivers.
And so far the Yokohamas have prooven stable as hell on turns.
It should help against roll over tendancies due to the high center of gravity.

So here's how it all breaks down cost/benifit wise:

Completed tire/wheel purchase mounting and balancing and swap cost me $1150 with maxed out road hazard warrenties and 80,000 street treads, load rated to the Jeep's requirements, ( well mostly .
I bought two 3000 lb floor jacks at Harbor Freight for $130 so I can switch wheels with ease now.
I have a compressor and impact wrench just like the tire stores do.

At $3.00 a gallon I figure to get that back in about 2 years, if used regularly as a daily driver doing a 33 mile per day round trip, plus shopping etc.
At $4.00 a gallon I get it back quicker than that and so on...
A longer commute would give me back the difference quicker too but 16 miles is about all I'll do as more is crazy anymore I'm think'n.

I figured for $3.00 as I project prices will come down some for a while after the elections.
Then they go way back up for next summer etc. as we face the end of the internal combustion engine, (a good thing in my view) in the long run.
I can't wait to have an electric Jeep with a 30 foot sail on it...

So anyway I break even in regards to the money thing in a reasonable time.

I am not using my 35"s for anything at all except hiking, as they are meant to do.
This should keep them around for several years more than would be the case if used on the street.
In my view this puts me AHEAD in terms of tire costs over time.
Also wear and tear on the Jeep is less now too, as it has settled down nicely with the running shoes on it.
The Aluminum rims will no longer be getting abused on the rocks either.

My Jeep now GOES a lot more acceptably performance wise in traffic.
Also it stops better too. A lot better actually which surprised me.
I wasn't expecting that at all.

The only draw back as far as I am concerned is the Jeep looks just plain STUPID now.
I mean there it is all lifted up with what looks like little mini tires on it...
LMAOooo
Like I care eh?

So all in all, a worth while experiment for me in my usage at least.
I suspect that as far as milage goes 30"s would gain another 1 to 2 mpg over the 28"s and probably response curves would be similar.

But try to find STREET treads in a 30 inch tire!
I didn't want A.T.s or LT tires at all but as far as I saw thats what you end up with at 30" on 16" rims.
BTW I locked in on 16" rims due o my stockers are 16" and so my hiking boots are too.
17" or 18" rims might get you other options regarding tires. I duno.

Streeters only for the Daily Drive is what I wanted.
So far, the Yokohamas Kick Ass!
If the tread holds up etc. I will be replacing all my other cars tires with some of these.

They are made in the USA (like the Pro-Comps are) and are the last of all brands to be home grown.

Every other brand is made in China now, including the off road tires.

Anyway I hope this is usefull for those of you thinking along similar lines as I was.
If there are any of you that are as loose in the goose as I am .

Have fun as best you can, and get it home again...

Gobless

 

longest post ever.

cliff notes?

 

nice write up....im planing on keeping the stock tires for as long as i can to help with mpg

 

Yeh o.k. Obviously... But did it get yuh think'n?
Whatcha think?

 

I want to see pics of your JK with its lift and 28" tires

 

Makes sense.

I might go with some 30's for the street depending on how much I lift it. Only if I get me a programmer to flash for the different tire sizes myself, though, 'cause I know I'd never go through with the hassle to have the dealer flash it when I wanted to swap them out.

 

me, too .....

 

yah
I will add some when I get the camera and time.
It does look plain Dumb tho.
But I like it.
Really.
It's still tall enough to be a driving advantage around town.
I mean I can still see over most cars and am as tall as most trucks.

I will post some as soon as I can though, I shoulda waited to post the thread 'till I had some.
Woulda been even longer... LMAO

 

I swapped to my hiking boots without flashing and drove it around with no real issues.
A bit more sluggish but when in 4wh or 4wl it doesnt matter.
your speedo will be off and your computer etc. but it will still do the intended trail running and wheel'n just fine.

Especially when crawl'n in 2wl you can't tell any difference as far as I'm concerned.

I won't fork for a programmer for my once a month wheel'n..

 

How much did you spend on wheels and tires and all the hassle to change them out... Total cost?

Would it have been better to go finance or buy a second car for gas mileage like a used small car?

I will probably go this route when gas goes over 5 bills. I have two vehicles now but the wifes minivan is her baby (leather, TV's DVD, VHS, captains chairs, custom baby seat, etc)