So I'm finally installing a lift, after >2 years of deliberation/hesitating, and want to get into some 35's once I have the cash (because I know I'll regret it if I go with 33's)

Anyway, I'm a little concerned about the mileage drop that I'm sure to have with 35's, and am wondering how practical it would be to keep a set of 31 street tires on the stock wheels for daily driver use, and then throw on the 35's for wheeling trips.

The accomplishment here is 2-fold:
1) Get great gas mileage for driving to work
2) Stretch the life of those ridiculously expensive 35's by using them sparingly

The plan would be to just use a ProCal/etc each time I change over. Are there any foreseeable issues in doing this (other than looking like a tool with a tricked out Jeep on 31" street tires)???

 

Hold on!!! I'm stopping at #1... "great gas mileage"... In a Jeep?!?! Who's been lying to you?

 

What size lift are you running? Shouldn't be any issues other than looking a bit like a roller skate lol.

 

From a purely technical standpoint I don't think there would be a problem with doing this. You may notice a reduction in mileage simply because of the lift though, so keep that in mind.

If you're just using the 35's on the trail you probably wouldn't need to worry about fixing your spedo either.

It will look a little funny depending on the size of the lift, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll end up leaving the 35's on there because you fall in love with the way it looks...

What lift are you looking at?

 

Honestly I don't see the point. Part of the reason for 35's, at least for me, is the look and stance it gives the Jeep...

 

HAHA. Relatively speaking!

Just the 2.5 AEV lift. I wish it was a 6in. long-arm kit, then it would look REALLY cool, haha.

Good point. With 2.5" lift (and the stock AT 32's that I'm running on stock 17's) I'm hoping for no drastic loss of mpg, but you're right, maybe the difference will be marginal and not worth the inconvenience. I just figure with the huge weight difference between a low profile 31 vs. a 35 there's got to be a significant advantage, right (I always see 10 lbs of rotational mass = 100 lbs of cargo)?

I also just can't stand the idea of dropping ~$1,700 on 35's and then using up the treads on all the miles driving to work, the mall, etc.

 

You're probably right, you'll likely see a bigger drop in MPG if you keep the 35's on it on the street, but I just wanted to make sure you were ready for slightly reduced MPG no matter what.

In theory it sounds fine to me. I still think that once you see your baby with 35's the dollar signs are going to fade out of your mind and you're going to end up running them all the time.

EDIT: Although I will say 2-2.5" isn't a huge lift so it might not look too strange. It will look better with the 35's but it's not as if you're talking a 4 inch lift and stock 32's.

 

Just to throw a number out for the OP, I drove for a few months with a 2.5" lift and stock tires. I lost 1mpg from the lift changing the aerodynamics.

I lost another 3mpg when I put 34s on. It was all highway at that time.

 

Cool. I'll post up with the mpg results if and when I actually start running these setups. Course the easier alternative would be 33's this time around...

 

I can't find time to wheel let alone clean up after wheeling, let alone switch wheels