10.5" or 12.5" tire width for 33s on a ‘99 TJ?

A 2" suspension lift does not give enough clearance for 33's, you need 4" of clearance for 33's if you do any offroading at all. A good way to achieve that 4" is via a 3" suspension lift plus a 1-1.25" body lift.

I've never been to Atlanta but with the understanding it rains a lot there, you'd find 10.5" wide tires won't tend to hydroplane on wet roads nearly as much as 12.5" tires will. Think water skis vs. snow skis. If it's just for weekend fun I like 12.5" better myself but make sure you're running wheels that will position the tires out a little further so their inside sidewalls will have enough clearance away from the suspension. That means an aftermarket wheel with 3.75" or 4" of backspacing. If you're sticking with the factory wheels you'll need to stick with the narrower 10.5" or 9.5" width tires. Or install 1" wheel spacers if you want to keep the stock wheels and run 12.5" wide tires.

I’ve been researching 10.5 vs 12.5 and while I would like to go 33x10.5, a huge con is they are 1. Pricier and 2. A much less common size than the easier accessible 12.5s. Then to add to all that there’s always 32x11.5....

Here’s my 99 with just the 1.25 body lift and 33x10.5s. I live in the Winder area. I am planning on installing my jks 3 inch lift soon. I think the weight savings and rain/snow benefit is worth it, but I also travel to the northwest frequently... I have 3.73 gearing and the Ax-15 5 speed it’s surprisingly very manageable until I put 4.56s under it.

I have the ko2 and 33 inch with 12 and 1/2 in wide. Mounted on 15in wheels. I really like the look of it I have no problem with any Clearance whatsoever with a three and quarter inch lift. My off roading is kept to two tracks.

As Jerry said I have a slight off set to keep them away from the suspension.

that said because I do not have wider fender flares yet they are constantly throwing dirt and mud on the side of my Jeep, it doesn't stay clean more than a day.

I do like the look of 10 and a half inch tires and I may go that route next time, that said I have no issues whatsoever with 12 and a half inch wide.

I have ran 33x12.5s for about 14 yrs. I think they played a part in needing 2 new sets of rear axles and 3 sets of front hubs over the years. Next set of rubber will be 10.5s and these days I really like that tucked in look of narrower tires. Good luck.

I have 305/65-17s(33-12.5s +/-) on 17x9 wheels with a 3" lift. They rub a little turned if turned all the way. Here is a pic

33 x 12.5s. Rim's have 3.75 backspace.

Go 10.5 unless you'll be hitting the trails a lot. I currently have 12.5s but don't need them. Any time it rains I get reminded of that. I much prefer the 10.5s having driven several TJs with that setup, and the near-stock 9.5s on my second TJ.

I had 33x12.5 on my YJ, my TJ came with 35x12.5
Both floated around way too much on fast gravel roads & rain. 12.5 is just really wide for a light vehicle.

The TJ now has 33x10.5 and it drives noticeably better on gravel roads at speed. I haven't had much offroad time with the new tires yet.

If you're looking for a really decent 33x10.5 - don't forget to check out Maxxis. They aren't carried in a ton of local shops, so sometimes they aren't on peoples list.

I prefer 10.5's, but I hate that the selection is so much smaller. I've run 33x10.5s and currently 32x11.5's, and it's reasonably likely I end up with 12.5's for my next set simply so I can try some new tires I've never used before. I just can't seem to shake a curiosity about the Milestar Patagonia's. Especially at about $40/tire less than KO2s.

so a question for those that have run both - does 12.5 provide enough advantage offroad to justify the added weight, maintenance (due to leverage on axles and bearings being space farther out), dealing with fender coverage or lack thereof, etc?

Most of my wheeling is on dry terrain of rock and dirt, where a 12.5 seems better applied with the added contact patch, and wider stance might help off camber stability. I don't drive much in snow and I actively avoid mud; the two situations where the narrow tires have the upper hand. But I look at that added weight (50 pounds total between the two tires I compared!) and 1.25" of extra backspacing and cringe a little.

freedom_in_4low said:

I prefer 10.5's, but I hate that the selection is so much smaller. I've run 33x10.5s and currently 32x11.5's, and it's reasonably likely I end up with 12.5's for my next set simply so I can try some new tires I've never used before. I just can't seem to shake a curiosity about the Milestar Patagonia's. Especially at about $40/tire less than KO2s.

Click to expand...

My next set I’m between 33x10.5 and 32x11.5. Which did you prefer? Currently I’m on 2” lift but if I went 33s I’d add a body lift of 1.25”. I’m also running slightly longer bumpstops in case I go 33s w 3” lift.

I'm in a spot right now where I am also considering a different size tire - currently running 33x12.5x15 Duratracs on my 98 TJ Auto and losing a lot of power. Debating on the 10.5 vs.11.5 and how much difference that would be and if the 11.5 would be small enough to notice much of a difference. I've looked at several tires and noticed a big difference in weight as well and curious how much that factors into it? Some tires would be 49lb and other brands as much as 57 for same size. Wondering how much the combo of tire diameter and weight play into it.

I've ran:
29"x dunno - lame street tires
31"x10.5", (all year - Cooper Discovery something lame)
33"x10.5", (all year - BFG T/A KO2)
now
33"x12.5", (winter - Duratrac)
35x12.5" (summer - Cooper Discovery STT Pro)

Honestly, I think the difference between 10.5" and 12.5" is somewhat like the difference between the popular Goodyear Duratrac vs BFGoodridge KO2: you can't go wrong either way.

Everyone seems to have their personal opinion on it...and I personally think they all can have some valid points. I cannot tell you the "best" answer, because that will be debated until the end of time. But I can tell you that whatever you choose, you won't have chosen the "wrong" answer.

Personally, I prefer the look of the 12.5" tires.
I also, albeit I'm in the minority - depending on where you live - I prefer wider tires in snow as well. We see about 6 months of snow where I live, so this is an important to me.

Several people will tell you that narrower tires are better in winter than wider tires.
Worst case scenario for me is that they are actually correct.
But even if that is the case, it's apparently not a significant enough difference, to me, to even notice it in 6 months of winter x 22+ years.
(I'm not here to argue wide vs narrow in snow - I'm just saying that I have a good amount of experience with both...and really do not think it makes that much of a difference, regardless of which side you're on.)

Largest noticeable difference in traction in winter to me has been tread and tire compound. Dedicated winter tires (like the ones cars get..and we don't in our size for some reason) are exponentially better in winter over all season, and summer tires. (I consider my Duratracs to be all-season. I'd still prefer a dedicated winter-only tire 35" tall. I'd take any width that fit if I could get that)

Tire height is also very noticeable with regards to acceleration, handling and weight when installing.

I will say that during the summer, narrower tires are easier to turn/handle on the highway than wider tires, and probably a lot easier on the ball joints/steering system. Cosmetics play a much larger factor for me in summer (I just like the wider look vs pizza cutter), as well as the mud and rock performance.

32x11.5x15's on a 2" bb.