Hi guys, I am ordering a 2013 Sport S in Dune soon and need a little guidance... I've fished through a couple forums and my head is spinning! I plan to replace the Alloy wheels with 16" Pro Comp 7069 in flat black. For tires i'm thinking some sort of 33"... I am not going to lift the jeep right away so I want soemthing that will have no issues with rubbing without a lift. Currently i'm trying to decide between Goodyear Duratrac and GY Silent Armor... This vehicle will be my daily driver, i do about 50 miles a day on the highway, and I won't be really wheeling with it...so maybe the occasional off road trip or beach excursion in the summer. I am from Massachusetts so we get snow and ice and I live in a hilly neighborhood that rarely gets plowed. I like the look of aggressive treads like BFG M/T or the Duratrac but I don't know if those will significantly affect my highway driving. I've also looked at some Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX that look nice... I don't want to spend a fortune on tires but i know they won't be cheap. Can anyone offer advice on this for me? Anyone have photos of 33" on a 2dr JK with no lift?

Part 2: I am factory ordering my jeep with the 3 piece hard top but I also want a soft top... The dual top option is $2300 but if you just get soft top its $400 and just hard top its $900... how does that make sense? WOuld it be better to get an aftermarket soft top and I need a frame too right? would that be cheaper? Also, my coworker has a soft top for his 2009 JK that he said he'd sell me for a few hundred bucks...will that fit a 2013 without issues?

ANy advise and help is appreciated...i'm a newb.

 

Soft top off an older model will be fine provided all hardware, door surrounds, tailgate bar etc are included. Wait till you get your jeep before you drive yourself nuts about which mods to pick. It's not a race.

 

Also the search feature is your friend. Many of these questions have been asked and answered before. Congrats on the new jeep!

 

Here's a couple of things to think about.

Wheels -- Everything I've read about 16" wheels is that they're dead. Any reason you're not considering 15's or 17's instead?

Tires - I'm running Duratracs right now. Brand new....they make just a bit of noise on the highway. They're noisier than my BFG A/T's that I had on my old Jeep. If you're going strictly highway, I'd look at the BFG A/T or the Silent Armor. The Silent Armor is probably going to be the best road-going tire.

Tops - I think you'll like the 3-piece hardtop. I'd wait until you know you definitely want a soft top. I wouldn't order it new...I'd look for a used deal like you said you might get from your buddy, or an aftermarket piece.

 

You can find both nice used soft and hard tops on these forums or on craigslist. I have seen both in your area before. I would get the hard top and look for a used soft top. That is what I run here in Maine. Hard top for the winter and soft top in the summer. I am also running 16' 285 Duratracs. I have found plenty of choices for 16' either in the 33' or the 35' that I am going to next. I have over 30,000 miles on them and they are still going. I heard no noise with mine and they have just started to make a little noise now. Key is rotation and tire pressure. I had to mess with my pressure a few times before I found the best for tire wear. I also rotate all five.

Good luck!!!

 

I guess I was just thinking the 16" because that's what my coworker has...be he has 35's and a 3" lift. is there an advantage to 15" or 17"? Do any sizes effect the price of the tire? I assume a 17" would equate to slight less expensive tire due to less tire material? jsut a guess haha...

 

Hehe...my statement is less judgemental than it probably sounds. A 16" will roll just fine, but my assumption is there might be more wheel selection in a 15" or 17", and while you can find big tires for a 16" wheel, are they readily in stock like 15's or 17's? I truly don't know the answer as I kept the stock 17" wheels on my Jeep and haven't looked for replacments yet.

 

Here's my opinion on the soft top:


For less money you can buy a brand new bestop. Which in my personal opinion is a nicer top ...and also more options for style (supertop vs trektop for example)

Don't waste your money on the dual top option just buy the soft top seperate. Honestly sometimes I wish I didn't buy ANY top and had gone out and bought the wildboar hardtop

 

Anyone have a guess as to the size of wheel/tires on this and if it looks like it has a lift or not? I know they are GY Duratracs...

 

Lol at seeing this pic AGAIN today ^^. You can ask him, he's on this forum as Alanscott1