Hi guys,
I recently picked up a jeep TJ project that someone else gave up on, so I am new to the jeep world. I had a TJ for a very short time in 2002 but soon after was laid off and had to sell for something older and cheaper and not a jeep. I have been reading a lot on this forum but a lot of information is over my head, especially when it comes to suspension, geometry, etc. I know a lot of people give up some on road performance, in one way or another, to gain off road performance. As I start planning my build I am wondering if it is really possible to have the off road performance and not give up quite as much on road when I don't need to go off road?
As much as I would like to think differently, this jeep will spend 99% of the time on road, with the occasional trip off road, that will hopefully get more and more challenging as I gain experience.
If I build the Jeep to off road on 35 inch tires, would there be any harm in running 33 inch tires the 99% of the time it is on road, other than the cost of an extra set of wheels and tires? I read the best way to start a build is to chose the tire size you want first, then build around it. So I know the tire size basically affects everything else. A 33x10.5 can use a much lighter rim with less backspacing than a 35x12.5, but would I lose anything or cause any problems by swapping to smaller tires for less rolling resistance, less affect on acceleration and braking, MPGs, wear and tear, etc, without changing anything else?
I recently picked up a jeep TJ project that someone else gave up on, so I am new to the jeep world. I had a TJ for a very short time in 2002 but soon after was laid off and had to sell for something older and cheaper and not a jeep. I have been reading a lot on this forum but a lot of information is over my head, especially when it comes to suspension, geometry, etc. I know a lot of people give up some on road performance, in one way or another, to gain off road performance. As I start planning my build I am wondering if it is really possible to have the off road performance and not give up quite as much on road when I don't need to go off road?
As much as I would like to think differently, this jeep will spend 99% of the time on road, with the occasional trip off road, that will hopefully get more and more challenging as I gain experience.
If I build the Jeep to off road on 35 inch tires, would there be any harm in running 33 inch tires the 99% of the time it is on road, other than the cost of an extra set of wheels and tires? I read the best way to start a build is to chose the tire size you want first, then build around it. So I know the tire size basically affects everything else. A 33x10.5 can use a much lighter rim with less backspacing than a 35x12.5, but would I lose anything or cause any problems by swapping to smaller tires for less rolling resistance, less affect on acceleration and braking, MPGs, wear and tear, etc, without changing anything else?