Let me start off by saying, I've been looking at this forum for a little while now, enjoy it and I thank everyone before hand who respond to whatever I ask or post...
I grew up in the woods of Massachusetts, camping, shooting guns, riding dirt bikes and of course being thrown up off the back seat and bouncing my skull off the roll bars of my dad's 73 CJ5 Super Jeep...later he bought an 86 CJ7.
I've always wanted a Jeep but looked at them as not being very practical...Yeah, I know I know, I look back and say what a little ho I was being...I bought my first Wrangler JK (2016 sport bare bones) a month ago and the thing couldn't be more practical...roll up windows and manual locks and I FK'n love it. Ive always preferd driving a stick but I commute outside of DC and honestly didn't want to burn out the clutch...I bit the bullet and paid 25 grand for it...couldn't pass it up.

NOW...my Jeep came with FK'n roller skate tires and wheels...The standard 225s 16inch rims. Whenever I pull up to a jeep with some 35s or 37s looking amazing, I sink into my seat, pulling the bill of my Boston ball cap over my eyes, like I'm in a dream, 10 yeas old, wearing nothing but my underwear in school AND I NEED HELP!!!

I've looked at EVERYTHING from 33's with a 2.5 inch lift, 35's with a 2.5 to 3 inch lift with black 16 to 17 inch rims (basic black rims). I like more tire than rim...Guys who have giant rims with less tire make their Jeep look like some GD wagon out on the Prairie...No offense, just not my thing.

Question 1.
One place I went said, if I put a 2.5 inch lift with 33's 12.5 inches wide, I would need to install a chip to regulate gas milage, new this that and the other thing coming up to 4,700.00. Do I need a chip? I heard the chip is not necessary unless I go to 37's.

Question 2.

A guy agreed to sell me 5 brand new stock Rubicon tires and rims with like 20 miles on them for 1200.00. I did not buy them yet. I though, I could throw a 1.5 inch leveling kit along with 1.5 inch spacers to give it a better look. I then called a place that specializes in Jeep mods and the guy on the phone told me, he refuses stock, sell or install spacers because they are dangerous and people have been killed...IS THIS RIGHT? or is he trying to get me to spend more?

Anyone living in the Northern Virginia area, knowing of a good place to go and get this work done without being bullshit'ed is much appreciated.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

Jeremy

 

$1200 for rubi take off wheels is insane. I have bought for as little as $400 for a set of 4 but $6-800 is more realistic for take off's.
If you do use factory take off wheels and tires there is no need for wheel spacers or the correct term "wheel adapters" which are completely safe if installed correctly. Wheel spacers should not be used as they are just shims between the wheel and hub.

You need a flash pack or programmer not to set fuel economy but to correct the computer for the tire size you have. The JK uses a wheel sensor in the hub and computes your speedometer and odometer by mathematical equation. When you change the tire size you need to tell the computer what size so things are correct on the dash.

There are a bunch of guys on jkfreaks.com from your neck of the woods and they are really good at helping jeepers. You might want to sign up over there as well.

Good luck with the build.

 

Have you actually looked into Chaos Fab up your way? I'm 4 hours south but Dirtman is spot on- $1200 is rape. I bought 5 35's for $1200 brand new.

Wheel spacers won't kill you. I've put 150k miles on mine now (up and down 95 and across 64) and its been a dream. Go play with it before you buy anything too crazy. You can get the 17" takeoff wheels for super cheap around your area and those mud tires are sucktastic for commuting on the highway. That good snow we got last year, I took a trip to DC and was the only one on the road. 2.5" with 33's is a sweet spot for a commuter in our area.