[Littlejoe]

I have a 02 TJ SE, 4cyl,5spd, 4:11gears with 70,000 easy miles. I got it afew months ago. Just got a Rough Country 3.25 lift in the mail today.I have ordered 15x8 steel wheels with 3.75BS. Now I need to pick tires, I have narrowed it down to the Goodyear Duratracs. I really want 33x12.50's but I can't regear right away.I know 31x10.50's will work just fine for what I want to do and will not kill my power as bad as 33's. My last jeep with a 4cyl. did just fine with 31's. I have never drove a 4cyl with stock gears on 33's. just how much power will I kill? This is my DD, but I am semi-retired. This jeep is mostly used on weekends Trail riding and playing in the creeks here in southern Indiana. Thanks for the help Guys.

 

[thedaringmove]

I've got a 4cyl stock gears and 33s... You will lose power but IMO it doesn't matter. Your top speed will drop some and you Will accelerate a lot slower. I have no plans to regear. I shift at 2000 RPMs...

Also, I don't do a lot of highway driving so higher speeds aren't necessary for me.

 

[Littlejoe]

I've got a 4cyl stock gears and 33s... You will lose power but IMO it doesn't matter. Your top speed will drop some and you Will accelerate a lot slower. I have no plans to regear. I shift at 2000 RPMs...

Also, I don't do a lot of highway driving so higher speeds aren't necessary for me.

Kinda what I'm thinkin to,my jeep never gets over 55mph anyway. My low-range is so low I can't hardly use 1st or 2nd now. Do you have any trouble off-road with 33's. I think most guys regear more for highway driving. Is that right?

 

[thedaringmove]

Kinda what I'm thinkin to,my jeep never gets over 55mph anyway. My low-range is so low I can't hardly use 1st or 2nd now. Do you have any trouble off-road with 33's. I think most guys regear more for highway driving. Is that right?

Correct. There is really no trouble on the rocks even in 4HI. Especially if your good with your clutch. I still hardly use first in 4LO. Go for 33s. You get a lot more looks and there's a lot less you can't do with the thicker/taller tires. Also maybe consider a 1" body lift if your really flexing the 33s. They're super easy to install and add height

 

[Dextreme]

I think my 4cyl with 4.10s actually works better with 33's that 31's for daily driving. While 5th is useless, I find 1-4 works fine and I don't have to shift as much.... Able to hold the lower gear longer in the power band. 31's sometimes had a point where 3rd was too low yet bogged in 4th. Now I can stay in 3rd and be in the powerband. Eventually I will get 4.88 gears to be able to use 5th gear again but right now I don't miss using it.

 

[D2K47]

I got a BB lift stock gears on a 2.5 and have 31's , absolutly have no problem hitting 75 on highway(did it only once just to see if I can but was at 3500 rpms I think.....) I like the flex and the wheels suit my lifestyle, sure 33's are a huge chick magnet and turns necks left and right, but I would hate to lose any more power that is already lost. That's just me but if I had money to regear I'd def get 33's, also I hate that everybody and there mother have duratecs tires, there are way better tires out there!!!

 

[Wattapunk]

Why not find a happy medium at 32 x 11.5 tires ? Get the width and height.

 

[trailinone]

Go 33s. 31 will leave you wanting more. My 2 cents.
Chris

 

[Gunner]

Get the 33's. if they don't work you can always trade them down for a set of 31"s but you almost can never trade up.k

 

[Gogolen]

When I got my 33's the jeep went back to the shop the next day for 4.88's. I hated driving it with the 4.10's, it was a DOG!

 

[bcpaddler]

I've also got pretty much the same set up as you 2.5L, standard, 4:10 gears. I bought my Jeep with 31" Buckshots already on it, they are/were in excellent shape - which makes it hard to by new ones right now. I installed the same lift as you (RC 3.25) this winter... The lift really made my tires look small, so I think you'll want bigger tires - I know I do. My baby is strictly a toy, not my DD, so when I upgrade to 33's running stock gears, power loss is not a major concern of mine.

 

[Littlejoe]

I've also got pretty much the same set up as you 2.5L, standard, 4:10 gears. I bought my Jeep with 31" Buckshots already on it, they are/were in excellent shape - which makes it hard to by new ones right now. I installed the same lift as you (RC 3.25) this winter... The lift really made my tires look small, so I think you'll want bigger tires - I know I do. My baby is strictly a toy, not my DD, so when I upgrade to 33's running stock gears, power loss is not a major concern of mine.

Nice looking Jeep paddler. How do you like the lift? Is it stiffer than stock?