Considering ditching my Moabs for 15" wheels...

Didn't you just tell me yesterday when I asked the same question how you loved your Moab wheels and would not swap them out? hahahahaha

Yeah, and then I keep reading about how all these guys say that E load tires ride like complete garbage and yada, yada.
 
Yeah, I'm not sure if I want that or not. I've never been much of a fan of the big tires sticking out past the fender. But with 12.5" wide tires and aftermarket wheels, I probably don't have much of a choice.
Never say never...I see Bushwacker fender flares in someone's future...
 
Never say never...I see Bushwacker fender flares in someone's future...

I'd die before I ever put Bushwacker flares on. Those things have to be the ugliest fender flare ever for the TJ. If I was going to put on different flares, I'd probably put on these ones:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010DMXYM/?tag=wranglerorg-20

But I think what I'll probably just end up doing is keeping the Moab wheels and going with the 285s, even though they are E load. I don't remember them being harsh for me.

Oh, and this is funny... According to Tire Rack, the Duratrac in 33x12.5r15 is actually 32.5", and the Duratrac in 285/75r16 is 33.1".

So the 285 is a true 33", whereas the other one is technically still a 32". Pretty interesting!
 
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@Chris, are you married to duratracs? We all know you love them but if you’re willing to venture out you do have other tire options that are not “E” load rated. I know it’ll be tough, but expand your horizon.
 
Okay, in the process of upgrading to 285s, I noticed that Goodyear does not make the Duratrac in a 285 in load range C, they ONLY offer it in an E load range.

This got me thinking, will I regret a load range E tire?

If so, maybe what I need to do is get rid of my beloved Moabs and switch to a 15" wheel, which I can then pair with a 33x12.5r15 Goodyear Duratrac, which is a load range C.

I was thinking of pairing them with these Walker Evans 501 wheels in bronze:

View attachment 38508

My thought is that those might look good being as though my Jeep is Khaki. What do you think?

These have a backspacing of 3.779", plus the addition of the 12.5" wide tires, so about how much do you guys think it would stick out past the 4.25" factory Rubicon flares (remember, Rubicon flares are 1" wider than non-Rubicon flares).
Sexiness! Simulated or true beadlocks?
 
@Chris, are you married to duratracs? We all know you love them but if you’re willing to venture out you do have other tire options that are not “E” load rated. I know it’ll be tough, but expand your horizon.

I'm willing to venture out, but they have to be an A/T tire, and they've got to at least look somewhat aggressive (which is why I like the Duratracs).

Sexiness! Simulated or true beadlocks?

Simulated. No way I'm running real beadlocks on the street! Mounting the tires alone is probably an hour per rim, haha.
 
I'm willing to venture out, but they have to be an A/T tire, and they've got to at least look somewhat aggressive (which is why I like the Duratracs).



Simulated. No way I'm running real beadlocks on the street! Mounting the tires alone is probably an hour per rim, haha.
I'm willing to venture out, but they have to be an A/T tire, and they've got to at least look somewhat aggressive (which is why I like the Duratracs).



Simulated. No way I'm running real beadlocks on the street! Mounting the tires alone is probably an hour per rim, haha.
Lol I feel ya, I did the same thing. I went with sota wheels cause you can still replace rings if damaged.
 
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Huge fan of the Duratracs as well. I moved from D rated Maxxis to my 285/75r26 Duratracs E-Rated and I love the ride. I'm on a slightly heavier LJ though. I run them around 28 PSI on the road, and down to around 12 offroad. Too bad your not closer, I'd let you take it for a spin to see what you think.

Had to go look in the garage, the Duratrac e-Rated tires, atleast in 285/75r16 are 2 Ply side walls, maybe that attributes more to the ride, than the previous 3 Plies they had?
 
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I'm on E load rated tires. I thought the rough ride was because of the tires (and I'm sure they are still contributing) but the change in shocks from the Bilstein 5100s made a huge difference. I'm sure it would be an even softer ride with a C load range tire, but I've got probably a good 40,000 miles left on these.
 
I'd die before I ever put Bushwacker flares on. Those things have to be the ugliest fender flare ever for the TJ. If I was going to put on different flares, I'd probably put on these ones:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010DMXYM/?tag=wranglerorg-20

But I think what I'll probably just end up doing is keeping the Moab wheels and going with the 285s, even though they are E load. I don't remember them being harsh for me.

Oh, and this is funny... According to Tire Rack, the Duratrac in 33x12.5r15 is actually 32.5", and the Duratrac in 285/75r16 is 33.1".

So the 285 is a true 33", whereas the other one is technically still a 32". Pretty interesting!

This is one thing I also liked about the 285 Duratrac! Every little bit helps.
 
I agree! I have never used an E load tire, but I hear they are horrible on a light vehicle like a TJ. I’m finding there’s a lot more tires out there for 15” rims too.

Load Range 'E' is much too heavy for your needs. They are 10 ply rating, and only become bearable under load. I've always run them on my Dodge/Cummins 4x4's .....
Stick with the 15" tire/rim combo's ......
Don't mean to be a 'wet blanket' about your choice of wheels Chris ..... but, your wheel choice is just too busy looking.
How about some OEM rims .... powdercoated/polished to your liking. They have the proper backspacing etc. for your project.
I like your project .... and my $0.02 is half price today ......... $0.01 !!
:dance1::dance1:
 
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Load Range 'E' is much too heavy for your needs. They are 10 ply rating, and only become bearable under load. I've always run them on my Dodge/Cummins 4x4's .....
Stick with the 15" tire/rim combo's ......
Don't mean to be a 'wet blanket' about your choice of wheels Chris ..... but, your wheel choice is just too busy looking.
How about some OEM rims .... powdercoated/polished to your liking. They have the proper backspacing etc. for your project.
I like your project .... and my $0.02 is half price today ......... $0.01 !!
:dance1::dance1:

Yup good advice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Load Range 'E' is much too heavy for your needs. They are 10 ply rating, and only become bearable under load. I've always run them on my Dodge/Cummins 4x4's .....
Stick with the 15" tire/rim combo's ......
Don't mean to be a 'wet blanket' about your choice of wheels Chris ..... but, your wheel choice is just too busy looking.
How about some OEM rims .... powdercoated/polished to your liking. They have the proper backspacing etc. for your project.
I like your project .... and my $0.02 is half price today ......... $0.01 !!
:dance1::dance1:

So how does one determine the Ply rating? My 285s are listed on the sidewalls as 2 Ply. I dont have another set of E Rated to compare side wall markings.

6ffbd28e4873078093e02000a6d2567f.jpg
 
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Well, I slept on it and I think I'm going to keep the Moab wheels and get 285 Duratracs in E load.

I had them on my black TJ Rubicon, and while that was several years ago, I don't remember it riding harsh at all. But maybe it's because my TJ is a bit heavier? I've got all the skid plates, winch, bumpers, hard top, full doors, and usually I always have 4 people in it when we drive it (me, my wife, and two kids).

I just never for the life of me remembering my old 285 Duratracs on the black TJ riding rough at all. I remember liking the way it rode a lot.

The other issue of course is that I tend to like a taller and narrower tire as oppose to a wide tire. I don't want my tires to stick out noticeably past the fender flare (currently they only stick out about 1/2" on each side). I suppose that means I could get a 15" factory wheel with 5" backspacing but then I'm going to run into rubbing issues when turning, especially with a 12.5" wide tire.
 
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Well, I slept on it and I think I'm going to keep the Moab wheels and get 285 Duratracs in E load.

I had them on my black TJ Rubicon, and while that was several years ago, I don't remember it riding harsh at all. But maybe it's because my TJ is a bit heavier? I've got all the skid plates, winch, bumpers, hard top, full doors, and usually I always have 4 people in it when we drive it (me, my wife, and two kids).

I just never for the life of me remembering my old 285 Duratracs on the black TJ riding rough at all. I remember liking the way it rode a lot.

The other issue of course is that I tend to like a taller and narrower tire as oppose to a wide tire. I don't want my tires to stick out noticeably past the fender flare (currently they only stick out about 1/2" on each side). I suppose that means I could get a 15" factory wheel with 5" backspacing but then I'm going to run into rubbing issues when turning, especially with a 12.5" wide tire.

Long live the Moab's and Duratracs! I think you'll love em!
 
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