33x10.5 tires versus 33x12.5 tires

Chris said:
Here's mine with 11.25", does that count? Haha

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Hey Chris, what size wheel was this ? 15x7? Im looking for a 33inch setup (33x10.5 or 33x12.5), with a 15x8 wheels. Issue I’m running into is backspacing since we have laws on tires sticking out of the fender.
I have Saraha fender flares, so same as yours essentially, so wondering if a 4.5 BS would be enough to clear the control arms..
 
JamieJeep5 said:
Hey Chris, what size wheel was this ? 15x7? Im looking for a 33inch setup (33x10.5 or 33x12.5), with a 15x8 wheels. Issue I’m running into is backspacing since we have laws on tires sticking out of the fender.
I have Saraha fender flares, so same as yours essentially, so wondering if a 4.5 BS would be enough to clear the control arms..
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Those are factory 16x8 Moab wheels. 4.5" of backspacing would be enough to clear the control arms with a 10.5" wide tire for sure, and with a 12.5" wide if you adjusted the steering stops.
 
Chris said:
Those are factory 16x8 Moab wheels. 4.5" of backspacing would be enough to clear the control arms with a 10.5" wide tire for sure, and with a 12.5" wide if you adjusted the steering stops.
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Thanks for the quick reply Chris, and thanks for all the information you provide to the TJ community. I like those 16’s. I see you run 11.3 (metric) in wranglers, but it seems like the only available size I can find it 33x12.5x15 for the 15inch sizes. So to confirm, a 15x8 with 4.5BS and 33x10.5x15 wouldn’t poke much on the Rubicon/Sahara fender flares?
A 33x12.5x15 would be too wide to try and get it not to poke, and if I don’t run enough backspace it will rub the control arm (unless I do steering bumps)
 
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JamieJeep5 said:
Thanks for the quick reply Chris, and thanks for all the information you provide to the TJ community. I like those 16’s. I see you run 11.3 (metric) in wranglers, but it seems like the only available size I can find it 33x12.5x15 for the 15inch sizes. So to confirm, a 15x8 with 4.5BS and 33x10.5x15 wouldn’t poke much on the Rubicon/Sahara fender flares?
A 33x12.5x15 would be too wide to try and get it not to poke, and if I don’t run enough backspace it will rub the control arm (unless I do steering bumps)
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The 10.5” won’t stick out at all. The 12.5” would stick out a little, but it would be very, very little. I’m thinking maybe 3/4” at most.
 
Chris said:
The 10.5” won’t stick out at all. The 12.5” would stick out a little, but it would be very, very little. I’m thinking maybe 3/4” at most.
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Roger that, in that case a 33x12.5x15 with 4.5BS would clear the control arms if you recon? If you think it’s risky then ill just play it safe with 10.5 width and call it a day. Only thing is it seems like the only option for 33x10.5x15 is BFG KO2’s
 
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I waffle on this issue so bad. I like the advantages of 10.5 in the rain and snow, which are rare here, and I like the lighter weight and I like the look of the tire not sticking out so far... But so much of the wheeling I do is on dry dirt and rocks that the 12.5 would probably be a better choice. It also opens up a lot more tire options since BFG seems to be about the only ones interested in making a 10.5.

I'm on 32x11.5s now so it's a happy medium, but I'm going with 33s for my next set of tires.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
I waffle on this issue so bad. I like the advantages of 10.5 in the rain and snow, which are rare here, and I like the lighter weight and I like the look of the tire not sticking out so far... But so much of the wheeling I do is on dry dirt and rocks that the 12.5 would probably be a better choice. It also opens up a lot more tire options since BFG seems to be about the only ones interested in making a 10.5.

I'm on 32x11.5s now so it's a happy medium, but I'm going with 33s for my next set of tires.
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Yeah I guess it will vary depending on the application. In my case, its mostly for the road/snow.. so im guessing 33x10.5x15 on a 15x8 4.5BS would be my best bet to get it to not stick out of the fender. I kind of like the roundness of the duratracs and less the square KO2, but this KO2’s are the only option for 10.5.
 
JamieJeep5 said:
Roger that, in that case a 33x12.5x15 with 4.5BS would clear the control arms if you recon? If you think it’s risky then ill just play it safe with 10.5 width and call it a day. Only thing is it seems like the only option for 33x10.5x15 is BFG KO2’s
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BFG KO2s are excellent tires. I run them and love them!
 
JamieJeep5 said:
Hey Chris, what size wheel was this ? 15x7? Im looking for a 33inch setup (33x10.5 or 33x12.5), with a 15x8 wheels. Issue I’m running into is backspacing since we have laws on tires sticking out of the fender.
I have Saraha fender flares, so same as yours essentially, so wondering if a 4.5 BS would be enough to clear the control arms..
Click to expand...
You can also install OE style fender flares up to about 7". Metalcloak flares (not OE style) even go up to 8". The 6.25" flares I installed barely cover the tread of a 12.5 wide tire (actually 315s) on 3.75" effective backspacing. Then you can go as wide as you want.

If the law is to cover the tread, it is much easier than if the law says the sidewall must be covered as well. PA requires tread coverage, as do most other states.
 
Augustus said:
A little before and after. Apologize for the poor quality pictures, but I just got my lift and 33s 2 days ago and it has been snowing since. I went with 12.5's and I absolutely love them. I have the 3 speed auto with 3.73's and it actually rides MUCH better on road than my tiny little worn out 30s. I think my last tires were too small for my gear ratio because my RPMs were always through the roof, and the speedo was geared for bigger tires (my speedo always clocked me going about 5 miles or more over at highway speeds).

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Any idea what the backspace is on this set of 15x8’s?
 
I was researching this question and came across an interesting article so I thought I would share. Initially I thought I'd upgrade to 33x12.5x15 Duratracs when I wear out the 31x10.5x15s of the same line that came on my TJ since I like the look and performance, and because these Duratracs wear so well (so much so it's testing my upgrade patience). Just as an FYI I really like the overall performance of these tires--quiet, corner well, nice look imo--I just want to go bigger. After reading this and similar threads I was turned off by the idea of on-road (highway) floating tendencies and additional wear and tear of the 12.5" width and became sold on 33x10.5x15 KO2s except for the sand thing. I'm an hour away from the Oregon dunes and car-friendly beaches, so...felt like I'd be missing out on at least one advantage of 33x12.5s. After reading the article linked below, my concerns are no more. Long live physics. Bring on the KO2s.

https://outbackjoe.com/macho-divertissement/macho-articles/why-wide-tyres-dont-help-in-sand/
 
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RitualHabitual said:
I was researching this question and came across an interesting article so I thought I would share. Initially I thought I'd upgrade to 33x12.5x15 Duratracs when I wear out the 31x10.5x15s of the same line that came on my TJ since I like the look and performance, and because these Duratracs wear so well (so much so it's testing my upgrade patience). Just as an FYI I really like the overall performance of these tires--quiet, corner well, nice look imo--I just want to go bigger. After reading this and similar threads I was turned off by the idea of on-road (highway) floating tendencies and additional wear and tear of the 12.5" width and became sold on 33x10.5x15 KO2s except for the sand thing. I'm an hour away from the Oregon dunes and car-friendly beaches, so...felt like I'd be missing out on at least one advantage of 33x12.5s. After reading the article linked below, my concerns are no more. Long live physics. Bring on the KO2s.

https://outbackjoe.com/macho-divertissement/macho-articles/why-wide-tyres-dont-help-in-sand/
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So, what tire are you going to be running? A 33x10.5r15 KO2?
 
Do 33x12.5x15 stick out too much with original TJ flares ? Looking at new tires but many do
not have 33x10.5.
 
JMT said:
So, what tire are you going to be running? A 33x10.5r15 KO2?
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Yeah, that one. If Goodyear made a Duratrac in the same size I'd go with that one, only because 'better the devil you know,' but I'm taking forum member's word on the KO2s. I'm sure they'll be great. Wish more manufacturers made the 33x10.5x15 size. It would be nice to have some options.
 
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RitualHabitual said:
I was researching this question and came across an interesting article so I thought I would share. Initially I thought I'd upgrade to 33x12.5x15 Duratracs when I wear out the 31x10.5x15s of the same line that came on my TJ since I like the look and performance, and because these Duratracs wear so well (so much so it's testing my upgrade patience). Just as an FYI I really like the overall performance of these tires--quiet, corner well, nice look imo--I just want to go bigger. After reading this and similar threads I was turned off by the idea of on-road (highway) floating tendencies and additional wear and tear of the 12.5" width and became sold on 33x10.5x15 KO2s except for the sand thing. I'm an hour away from the Oregon dunes and car-friendly beaches, so...felt like I'd be missing out on at least one advantage of 33x12.5s. After reading the article linked below, my concerns are no more. Long live physics. Bring on the KO2s.

https://outbackjoe.com/macho-divertissement/macho-articles/why-wide-tyres-dont-help-in-sand/
Click to expand...
Well any Icelander will tell you that is a crock of shit...
jeep.jpg


or any farmer....
Cn0YykWUsAQYCTk.jpg-large.jpeg
 
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myjeep3 said:
Do 33x12.5x15 stick out too much with original TJ flares ? Looking at new tires but many do
not have 33x10.5.
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Depends on your rims, but I'd say at least a little even on factory rims. 31x10.5x15s on factory rims fit just under the flares before I moved to a 15x8" steelies with 3.75" backspacing. Now the same tires stick out 1.5" or so--maybe even 2" including the sidewall. I'd expect a 12.5" wide tire to stick out at least an inch on a factory rim so you would get some involuntary side decor. Also, the 31x10.5x15s on factory rims rubbed when fully cranked. Decreased backspacing fixed that, but now I'm looking for new fender flares for winter and off-road driving. Does anyone run a 33x10.5x15 on a 15x7, 3.75 backspaced rim under Rubicon flares? I'm wondering if that would be the perfect combination, or if you would need more flare still? I'm not a fan of the look of 6" flares, but if function determines form I may go that direction anyway. It is annoying to have water and mud flipping everywhere. Curious to hear what someone who has run that tire size has to say though..
 
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billiebob said:
Well any Icelander will tell you that is a crock of shit...
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or any farmer....
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lol very possibly true but the article was enough to seal the deal for me on the 10.5" width. Maybe I just wanted someone to tell me what I wanted to hear :) If nothing else it's an alternative perspective from an experienced 4Xer.
 
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RitualHabitual said:
lol very possibly true but the article was enough to seal the deal for me on the 10.5" width. Maybe I just wanted someone to tell me what I wanted to hear :) If nothing else it's an alternative perspective from an experienced 4Xer.
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just skip it all and go straight to 40x15.50 23 super sticky XLTSR 9000 MTSuperRs. It’s what I’d run.
But for real, if 10.50s had a better selection I would consider them
 
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