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Should I go with 35s or 33s?

2K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  Jeep maniac 
#1 ·
I'm near pulling the trigger on some new wheels and tires. I am going with a basic set of 15x8 for the wheels, and I'm torn between 33x12.5 or 35x12.5 for the tires.

My TJ is lifted roughly 4" and have Bilsten shocks. I have tube fenders up front. Currently it sits on the stock Rubicon wheels with ~31" tire.

I typically drive around town. My top speed on any given drive is <60mph. I've owned the Jeep for less than a year, and have yet to take it wheeling anywhere, though I would enjoy doing so this summer. With that being said, this TJ should be geared towards on road performance, with the ability to go offroad if need be.

My main concern with the 35s would be even worse gas mileage and acceleration. Coming from a sporty little compact, those are my only two complaints with the Jeep currently, and I would hate to see those get dramatically worse.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!
 
#4 ·
Optimum gearing for 35's and the automatic would be 5.13, and the 6 speed would be 4.56 if using mainly as a road vehicle. If a stick and running 33's your 4.10's would be good for the highway, and if an auto, 4.56 would be optimum. You would take quite a hit on both gas economy and power if you went to 35's without regearing.
 
#6 ·
Based on your post, stay with 33" tires. Going above that, to 35", requires more work to ensure reliability and performance. Axles need to be upgraded, gears need to be upgraded, steering needs to be upgraded, etc., to handle the larger rotating mass. Without doing these things you'll likely be frustrated and disappointed with driving the Jeep.

I had a previous TJ that I wanted to run 33" tires on, but maintain some of the "spirited" driving characteristics of smaller tires, and keep my stock wheels. To compromise, I ended up going with a 4" BDS lift and 33x10.50 tires. The downside to this is that the tire choices are very limited. Some I know of are General Grabber, BF Goodrich KM2, and BF Goodrich A/T. I drove this combo, with KM2s, for 3+ years and loved it. Here's a few pictures:





 
#8 ·
If you don't want to regear then go 33s. I just put 33s and a lift on my 05 rubi (manual) and the 4.10s are fine for highway driving with no noticeable loss in acceleration in higher gears.
 
#14 ·
I think you should....oh wait you already made up your mind. Just like my life a day late and a dollar short! LOL
 
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