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Stock axles with 33s?

9K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  ShutterBug 
#1 ·
12 Sport automatic with 33x12.50x18rt's. It's my daily driver (very few miles a day) with minimal off roading. How will the stock axles handle the larger wheels and tires? I purchased the Jeep in August - the dealer installed the wheels and tires then also, so they have only been on the axles for 4,000 miles. It wasn't a Jeep dealer so I'm sure they did not change the axles. Just threw the setup on to lure in buyers. I don't plan on doing any major off roading and was curious how they will hold up as time progresses.
 
#2 ·
You will have no issues with 33s. They are only an inch taller then the stock tires.
 
#3 ·
Your axles will hold up just as well as they would with the factory 32's.

33's are not large enough to cause any excessive wear on your axles, it's really when you start getting in to the big tires especially 37's and larger that you will see axle failures but usually from wheeling this is why some get larger custom axles made with all the best parts.

My axles are like new still and I've been running a 305/70/16 (33) for over 3years.

When you get into the wider tires you then need a more aggressive backspacing on your wheel and I worry more about ball joints etc failing because of that then I do the axles. Off roading is usually the culprit when it comes to axle breakage which can usually be avoided. One of the worst things that people do is get hung up on something and then start bouncing the Jeep all over the place to either get free or climb a ledge and this will shock load your diffs/axles and then failure can happen.

With 33's wheel smart and do routine maintenance on your axles and they will last the life of your vehicle.
 
#10 ·
I know this is deviating a little bit from the OP's question, but I guess it relates if he ever decides to upgrade further.....but I was curious Derf, I have seen you post several times about this topic in various threads, and I was kind of curious from someone with a little more experience what suspension/steering components you have replaced due to having 35's? And what brands? I have 35" tires on my D30 axles and I have been fine for about 2 years with light wheeling but I'm thinking replacing the ball joints, adding some gussets and potentially some truss work and steering parts might be a smart move before something decides to fail on me.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Here's my thoughts. These are minimums. If you wheel especially hard or have exceptionally heavy wheels and/or tires, take the next step...or two. YMMV.

33's - Do nothing. 33's aren't much bigger or heavier than stock Rubi tires and wheels. The axles, whether D30 or D44, outboard of the differential housing are identical.

35's - Gusset the inner C's. The axle tubes are good to go IMHO but the inner C's are weak and the extra weight and size will probably bend them.

37's and up - Swap out the D30 for a stout D44. The smaller D30 R&P can't take it. If you have a Rubicon (and the D44), gusset the C's and truss the axle tubes or upgrade the axle. 37's are beasts and the force they will put on the stock axles will probably break them at some point unless you're mall crawling.

Ball joints - If you're doing axle work, replace them with quality joints...period The stock ones suck and if you're in there welding gussets and trusses, it's easier to do it then. The stock ball joints will go at some point, probably well before you reach 50k, maybe as early as 15 or 20k.

And all that being said, you can't get around tire size and bigger tires mean stronger forces acting on the wheel. Trust me, I'm an engineer ;) But you can shave off weight. The lighter the wheels and tires, the better. My 33's and 17's are only 3 pound heavier than my stock Rubi tires and wheels. But I could easily turn that 76 pounds into 85 or 90. They extra weight might not sound much but it's significant. Some guys never have trouble but some do. The suggestions above are reasonable upgrades to keep you Jeep on the road and out of the shop.
 
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