Sell 35s and go with 33s?

[Justin Shaw]

Hello all, this is my first post and needing some advice...

I recently came across a great deal on a 2006 Wrangler X with 4" lift and lots of extra's. Only 80k miles and runs GREAT! It needed new tires and I ordered 33" Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires because that is what was currently on it. Discount tire ordered 35" tires in error and gave them to me for the same price so I accepted without knowing everything involved in running larger tires. Other than some loss of power the tires run great on the street. I have been searching forums and threads and everything I read says I need lots of upgrades to properly run 35" tires. I bought this mainly as a fun ride for the family but I do have friends that do mild off-roading occasionally. I don't mind adding all the upgrades over time but it sounds like it could be very risky even doing mild off-roading with stock axels and steering. I really do like the looks of the larger tires and I can invest a few thousand right now but from what I am reading it will take a lot more than that to do it right.

Unless someone has better advice I think the best option is to try and sell the 35's and go back with 33's for now.

Thoughts or suggestions??

 

[Chris]

If all you’re planning to do with it is on-road driving, you’ll be fine. If you’re going to do any serious off-roading, you’ll need to do quite a bit of work to run those 35s without doing a lot of damage.

You’ll need to invest some money in strengthening your axles, a larger lift, and ideally tube fenders to provide more clearance and travel. That’s just scratching the surface though. Running 35s the right way isn’t cheap by any means. But again, if you’re just going to be driving it on-road, it won’t matter.

 

[Drizit]

Price out a super 35 kit with new gears for the rear and a regear and chomoly shafts for the front. A stock ZJ or currie correclink steering setup, and some tube fenders. That'll get you going down the trail, if you run em off road as is you will have to be extremely ginger on the loud pedal, and the steering. It can be done by and experienced driver, but if you are new to off roading then you should bring spare parts and know how to change em.

At minimum your spare kit should be axle shafts all around, rear spider gears, a tie rod (although anyone with stock steering should have that) gear oil, and rtv.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.

 

[Justin Shaw]

It will be mostly on-road driving but I would like to join my friends when they go off-roading. They are not into rock crawling or anything serious just mudding and riding trails at North Texas off-road parks.

I don't mind making the investment in all the upgrades to run 35's but I can't afford to do it all right now and may take 1-2 years of gradual upgrades to get it all done.

 

[Justin Shaw]

"but if you are new to off roading then you should bring spare parts and know how to change em.

At minimum your spare kit should be axle shafts all around, rear spider gears, a tie rod (although anyone with stock steering should have that) gear oil, and rtv.


Yeahhhhh, that's what I am trying to avoid. The thought of potentially breaking something every time I go on the trail is why I am leaning to go back with 33's for now. = peace of mind

 

[Chris]

They are not into rock crawling or anything serious just mudding and riding trails at North Texas off-road parks.

There you go. This statement holds the answer.

35s aren't going to offer you any significant advantage over 33s (excluding looks) unless you're doing some serious rock crawling type terrain. If it's just mudding and trails, you could do that even on some nice 31s and a small lift. With 33s you'll be more than fine, won't have to worry about breaking stuff as much, and your wallet will be happier. Still, unless you have some alloy axle shafts, I'd carry a spare set of axles with you, because you never know. Once you upgrade to alloy axle shafts, then you won't have to worry about that nearly as much.

Most people assume 35s are going to give them some sort of huge advantage over 33s. Maybe if you're using your rig in the most extreme way, but if you're like most of us, 33s combine with good driving and skills will be all you'll need.

@JMT wheels in Texas (not sure if it's North Texas though), so I'm sure he can attest to this to some degree.

 

[Justin Shaw]

Chris, thanks for the input and advice. 33's would be a much better fit for my situation...just needed someone to help nudge me in that direction

 

[Drizit]

You know, I've personally broken one axle shaft in 8 years. It was in mud, with no rocks. I had replaced the ujoint 3 months before so it wasn't a bad joint. I was spinning the tires to keep moving and when I got to the far bank and the tire grabbed the harder dirt the joint broke and took out all 4 ears.

The only Dana 35 I've seen let go in person was on stock Rubicon tires. We replaced 2 cracked spider gears and an axle shaft that day. Because he didn't have the spare parts on him, I had to drive 45 min to the end of the trail, 2.5h to a friend's place for parts, 2.5h back, 45min back down the trail again, 45 min to install the parts and then 1.5h to get off the tail as it was pitch black by then. Brakeage happens, but look at the time spent because he didn't have parts on him. Some junkyard axle shafts are not expensive and not matter what tires you have, you should probably have em.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.

 

[Squatch]

Is it safe to assume that because the OP's TJ is an "X", that it has a Dana 35 in the rear? I didn't see anywhere where he stated such, nor did I see anyone ask him. Seems like if he has a Dana 44 in back, then he could at least eliminate the axle breakage issue as a concern, couldn't he? @Justin Shaw, do you happen to know what the rear axle is? A Dana 35, or a Dana 44? Maybe with all the extras the previous owner added to the rig, they also upgraded the axle to a Dana 44. Just curious...

 

[Jorge Bolivar]

Is it safe to assume that because the OP's TJ is an "X", that it has a Dana 35 in the rear? I didn't see anywhere where he stated such, nor did I see anyone ask him. Seems like if he has a Dana 44 in back, then he could at least eliminate the axle breakage issue as a concern, couldn't he? @Justin Shaw, do you happen to know what the rear axle is? A Dana 35, or a Dana 44? Maybe with all the extras the previous owner added to the rig, they also upgraded the axle to a Dana 44. Just curious...

Or to have a Super 35 upgrade on it already.

 

[JMT]

Hello all, this is my first post and needing some advice...

I recently came across a great deal on a 2006 Wrangler X with 4" lift and lots of extra's. Only 80k miles and runs GREAT! It needed new tires and I ordered 33" Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires because that is what was currently on it. Discount tire ordered 35" tires in error and gave them to me for the same price so I accepted without knowing everything involved in running larger tires. Other than some loss of power the tires run great on the street. I have been searching forums and threads and everything I read says I need lots of upgrades to properly run 35" tires. I bought this mainly as a fun ride for the family but I do have friends that do mild off-roading occasionally. I don't mind adding all the upgrades over time but it sounds like it could be very risky even doing mild off-roading with stock axels and steering. I really do like the looks of the larger tires and I can invest a few thousand right now but from what I am reading it will take a lot more than that to do it right.

Unless someone has better advice I think the best option is to try and sell the 35's and go back with 33's for now.

Thoughts or suggestions??

First of all, nice rig! Secondly, hello from another Texan. I wheel in the Hill Country. It’s rock crawling here. I’m from NE Tx though, Paris to be exact, so I know your living in mud.?

If I was you I’d look at the rigs your friends drive and use that as a gauge for how you need to build.

35’s is a lot of money, but you can build for 33’s now and keep going if you do end up wanting 35’s. 33’s is no walk in the park either. Your 4” lift is great for 33’s. You might upgrade your steering with a ZJ Tie Rod conversion. Not sure what gears your running. 3.07 or 3.73’s? What transmission? Probably want to regear anyway. Some 1541H revolution axles for the Dana 35 or go all the way with a Super 35.

If you want to go on to 35’s you’ll also need some Black Magic Brake pads, a 1” Body Lift (even now I can tell you don’t have enough lift), front and rear extended sway bar links, et al. It’s not too much more for 35’s, if you’ve really built well for 33’s

 

[jjvw]

33s or smaller while be wise.

 

[Justin Shaw]

thanks @Drizit for the mudding story. I never thought of that but it makes perfect sense how easily you could brake a shaft even while playing in the mud.

There are several jeep clubs in the area and I will find some local guys willing to help me build up a proper spares kit.

 

[Justin Shaw]

Is it safe to assume that because the OP's TJ is an "X", that it has a Dana 35 in the rear? I didn't see anywhere where he stated such, nor did I see anyone ask him. Seems like if he has a Dana 44 in back, then he could at least eliminate the axle breakage issue as a concern, couldn't he? @Justin Shaw, do you happen to know what the rear axle is? A Dana 35, or a Dana 44? Maybe with all the extras the previous owner added to the rig, they also upgraded the axle to a Dana 44. Just curious...

Or to have a Super 35 upgrade on it already.

Yes, it is an X model and verified it has the Dana 35 rear end but not sure if it has the Super 35 upgrade. I purchased the jeep from a friend but the previous owner is who set it up with the lift, bumpers, rock guards and other goodies. It seems someone spent money to make it at least look like a decent off-road rig but other than verifying it has the Dana 35 shaped rear end housing and measuring the shocks to determine it has a 4" lift, that's all I really know.

I am not a big gear head but looking forward to working on it and beefing it up. In hindsight, I wish I had known about the investment required for 35's so I would not have accepted them from discount tire but live and learn....live and learn.

I have boys, 2 & 5, and can already tell we are going to have a blast and make a lot of memories with this jeep. My wife even loves driving it - I have to fight her off it sometimes

 

[Mike_H]

Yeah, 33's or 35's...its not really that different, in my mind. Its not like 33's are a walk in the park. You can't just slap a 4 inch lift on an Wrangler X and run 33's all day long without fear of breakage either. If you start with a "typical" wrangler and want to run 33's you should already be thinking about SYE and DC driveshaft, lower gearing, Upgraded axle shafts, and upgraded steering. You want to jump to 35's, you still need all the stuff for 33's, but add in some bigger brakes and another inch of lift (body).

To OP...what has already been done to the jeep?

 

[crackedcornish]

or go to 31's and learn how to wheel first, then do the mods you actually need

 

[Andy5150]

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't go any bigger than 33,s no matter what. Maybe I'm spoiled from going from an '82 CJ-7 with an AMC 360, and a Borg-Warner T-18, to my current '03 tj, but even running 4.88 gearing with my 35,s, at the end of the day, this thing is still a stone. With 33,s you'll go to 90% of the places the 35" guys go, for a lot less money, and still have some power. A Super 35 kit will take care of the rear, and the Dana 30 will hold up just fine.Run some sticky brake pads, ZJ tie rod, 4.88 for the stick, 5.13 for the 4 speed auto, and enjoy.

 

[Rob5589]

It seems to a common, and unwise assumption, that a Jeep only needs to be "hardened" if rock crawling.

 

[Drizit]

or go to 31's and learn how to wheel first, then do the mods you actually need

This ^

It seems to a common, and unwise assumption, that a Jeep only needs to be "hardened" if rock crawling.

Very true. It's generally true that mud is like cancer, it eats away at your jeep over time. Rock is like a heart attack, sudden and dramatic. But it's not always the case.

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.

 

[Fouledplugs]

It will be mostly on-road driving but I would like to join my friends when they go off-roading. They are not into rock crawling or anything serious just mudding and riding trails at North Texas off-road parks.

I don't mind making the investment in all the upgrades to run 35's but I can't afford to do it all right now and may take 1-2 years of gradual upgrades to get it all done.

Be like a feather on the gas pedel. You might have to tip toe around off road. Or just drive it normal and see what happens.


Note: Hear say, but 4.0 and a Dana 35. Could be a bone stock 35 or could be “built.” I have no idea. All I know is it broke.