TwinsJeep

Howdy folks... my name's Adam, I live in Calgary. I've got a black Sahara Unlimited on order - auto, 18" wheels, trac-lock, tow package, side air-bags, dual tops.

I've been lurking here for a while (I've been participating on another Jeep forum, too) and bothering Eddie with endless e-mails (he is a VERY patient man!). You guys are a great source of information!

My Jeep will be my daily driver (mixed city/hwy on a 21-mile roundtrip). Living in Calgary means that I regularly have the pleasure of contending with all street conditions from dry to wet to slush to packed snow to black ice and back again... usually all within one week! As well, I have COMMITTED to getting out once a week to do some mild off-roading (logging trails/dirt hills).

The fruits of my Jeep fora surfing and picking Eddie's brain have led me to this short-list of initial mods:

1. Tires: BFG All-terrain T/A KO 285/65 18, siped, with 1.5” Spidertrax spacers;
   
2. Suspension: Full Traction 2” Econo-lift;
   
3. CAI: AEM Brute Force
   
4. Exhaust: Magnaflow cat-back (mandrel bent);
   
5. Interior: Brushed-aluminum dash applique; and
   
6. A note to the techs to ensure the steering wheel is re-centred post-installation of lift and mounting of BFGs.

(does this list look familiar Eddie?)

(Although, I've seen a number of posts from guys running 33s with spacers and NO lift, which still has me and wondering whether I should go ahead and commit to the spacers AND the lift or just go with the spacers...

Anywho... after having thought I had settled on the BFG T/A KO, I started wondering whether I'm selling myself short with an all-terrain tire and sacrificing the proper Jeep look with a beefier M/T tire; after all, if it's siped it ought to perform just about as well on-road as the all-terrain, no? And so, after learning that the BFG M/T is not available in a 33 for an 18" wheel (or am I mistaken in this???), I started looking elsewhere for a 33" M/T tire to put on my 18" wheels, and I found this, the Interco TrXus MT 33x12.50R18LT:



So, all that to say and can anybody comment on putting the 33x12.5 18 Interco TrXus MT on the factory Sahara wheel, what sort of backspacing would I need, would I need the 2" econo lift (I think this tire is a bit taller than the 285/65 18 BFG T/A KO), is there a "better" (I know, very subjective) 33" M/T for my 18" wheels, yada yada yada.

Thx guys,
Adam

Phishjeep

Wow that's a good looking tire! I've never seen that before, but it looks like a good combination of MT and siping. Only problem with Interco is price and low mileage life.

duffman

If all you want to run is 33's the 3/4" front spacer like 2K2wranglerx's brother has might be the best option.

wayoflife

Hey TwinsJeep, I'm glad to see you on our forum and it really has been my pleasure helping you out

Regarding the TrXus M/T's, I'm on my second set on my TJ and love them. Truly, these are a supurb tire on and off the pavement and in virtually every surface I have thrown at it to date. The only thing you should be aware of is that because of its soft grippy rubber compound, it will wear out faster than a BFG (maybe 35,000 mile lifespan) and because it is so thick and tough, they can be difficult to balance. Need I say, I typically pay the extra cash for road hazzard warranty and use the lifetime balancing feature often.

As far as your factory wheels go, you should be able to mount these without any problems. And, the tight fit will do a good job of holding the bead when aired down for the trail. I still think you may need wheel spacers to accomodate for the back spacing. Also, I think you might just be able to just run these in 33's without any lift at all. Although, I think your Jeep would look better and perform better with a small lift

TwinsJeep

Eddie, hey there... and thanks again.

Are you suggesting that the Interco 33 is not as tall as the BFG T/A KO 285/65? Or is it that I could run either tire without the 2" lift, but, as you say:

Can you shed some light on 2k2wrangler's suggestion to use a 3/4" spacer in the front? I thought the 2" lift was the smallest offered ???

(I believe this Interco is wider than the BFG, no?)

wayoflife

I don't know for sure as no two tires measure up the same or even up to the size stated on the sidewalls. I ran a 33" TrXus in the past and can tell you that it's actual height was closer to just under 32". Likewise, I have run 33" BFG's and they measured up to about 31.5". In any case, what I am suggesting is that you might be able to run either of these tires without any lift, but I personally wouldn't.

3/4" spacers are available and you can buy them in pairs. These are typically intended to level out the front end of your Jeep after installing something heavy like a rock bumper and winch. But, a lot of guys like to install them to get rid of the factory rake (slight dipping of the front end which is designed into vehicles). By lifting just the front end of your Jeep, you should have a bit more room to play in.

Technically, it should be but as I said before, no two tires measure up the same and certainly not up to what they are supposed to be.

biglynny

Although, I think your Jeep would look better and perform better with a small lift [/QUOTE]

I would endorse the Guru's thoughts - do a lift, in the long run you'll be glad you did. If you end up running the meats in the picture you'll be glad you got a lift. And thanks for asking the question about the 18" wheels. It seems everyone has 16 or 17's and not many with 18" so I've been wondering what I'm going to do - get different wheels or find a good tire such as the one you have shown. It seems with a smaller diameter wheel there are more options. Good luck