Daily driver tire suggestions for rain (daughter’s Jeep TJ)

[Ashley Warren]

Howdy! My daughter is now the proud owner of a 2004 TJ. She’s ecstatic and loves her Jeep to pieces but she has started complaining of a bit of hydroplaning when taking turns (even while going slow) in the rain.

The Jeep is in great shape with low mileage (for the year) and came with fairly new
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires on American Racing rims.

Is there a better tire for her? She does no 4WD and really only uses her Jeep to get to school and work (very little highway driving). I don’t want her riding 4WD because I’ve heard it can be bad for the Jeep and really won’t provide much additional traction in the rain anyway.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

 

[06lj]

I'm not sure how she can be hydroplaning when going slow. Is she using 4 wheel drive in the rain? That will cause cornering to be dangerous. Basically the 4 wheel drive system on a Wrangler mechanically connects the front and rear axles. Once engaged you will be forcing the front and rear to turn at the same speed. One of the axles will have to break traction to complete a turn. This not a problem on loose surfaces like dirt. Otherwise Jeeps are a short wheelbase and handle very differently than cars. It can take some getting used to. Her tires should be fine in the rain. They are a fairly highly rated tire. Are there any suspension modifications?

 

[Chris]

If you want the a tire you can daily drive on, but still have very good traction in all sorts of conditions, get an A/T tire such as a BF Goodrich KO2 or a Goodyear Duratrac. Either of those are excellent, excellent tires and will perform well in almost all conditions, while still giving you that "off-road" M/T tire look.

I've personally run the Goodyear Duratrac A/T tires for years in just about every condition, and they perform exceptionally well in everything from rain to snow.

 

[Ashley Warren]

I'm not sure how she can be hydroplaning when going slow. Is she using 4 wheel drive in the rain? That will cause cornering to be dangerous. Basically the 4 wheel drive system on a Wrangler mechanically connects the front and rear axles. Once engaged you will be forcing the front and rear to turn at the same speed. One of the axles will have to break traction to complete a turn. This not a problem on loose surfaces like dirt. Otherwise Jeeps are a short wheelbase and handle very differently than cars. It can take some getting used to. Her tires should be fine in the rain. They are a fairly highly rated tire. Are there any suspension modifications?

She is not currently driving in 4 wheel but that was a suggestion I was pursuing before reading (on here) that it’s a no-no. As far as suspension modifications I do believe the Jeep is lifted a bit but I’m not 100% how to tell what else has been done. My only knowledge was my previous JK which was all stock. Are there some suspension modifications that might cause the hydroplaning? More than happy to take it to my local mechanic to have it checked out, all we’ve done so far was to have it checked for its general roadworthiness but nothing related to this (yet). Thank you!

 

[Ashley Warren]

If you want the a tire you can daily drive on, but still have very good traction in all sorts of conditions, get an A/T tire such as a BF Goodrich KO2 or a Goodyear Duratrac. Either of those are excellent, excellent tires and will perform well in almost all conditions, while still giving you that "off-road" M/T tire look.

I've personally run the Goodyear Duratrac A/T tires for years in just about every condition, and they perform exceptionally well in everything from rain to snow.

Would the KO2 be better in the rain than the All-Terrain tires she’s running? The Jeep isn’t here at the moment she’s at work but I can take a closer look at the exact model when she gets home. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Chris]

Would the KO2 be better in the rain than the All-Terrain tires she’s running? The Jeep isn’t here at the moment she’s at work but I can take a closer look at the exact model when she gets home. Thanks for your suggestions.

The key with rain would be running a narrower and taller tire. So instead of the typical 33x12.5 for instance, you'd run a 33x11. The narrower tire help prevent against hydroplaning.

The BF Goodrich KO2 is a newer tire, and it has very good rain handling characteristics, so yes, I do think it would be quite an improvement.

 

[06lj]

She is not currently driving in 4 wheel but that was a suggestion I was pursuing before reading (on here) that it’s a no-no. As far as suspension modifications I do believe the Jeep is lifted a bit but I’m not 100% how to tell what else has been done. My only knowledge was my previous JK which was all stock. Are there some suspension modifications that might cause the hydroplaning? More than happy to take it to my local mechanic to have it checked out, all we’ve done so far was to have it checked for its general roadworthiness but nothing related to this (yet). Thank you!

Lifts and modifications won't cause hydroplaning but can make the Jeep handle differently. The only reason I asked was to get a little more info on the vehicle. I think you have a good idea to get it checked out a little more. If you can find a good shop that specializes in Jeeps that would be even better. I'd hate to see her drop $ on new tires and have no improvement.

 

[Rob5589]

Welcome to the forum. What size tire are they? It is important not to over inflate the tire, knowing the size will be helpful to the forum. If that isn't an issue, the Cooper line is a great tire. They make a bunch of all season tires.

 

[OlYellerTJ]

Howdy! My daughter is now the proud owner of a 2004 TJ. She’s ecstatic and loves her Jeep to pieces but she has started complaining of a bit of hydroplaning when taking turns (even while going slow) in the rain.

The Jeep is in great shape with low mileage (for the year) and came with fairly new
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires on American Racing rims.

Is there a better tire for her? She does no 4WD and really only uses her Jeep to get to school and work (very little highway driving). I don’t want her riding 4WD because I’ve heard it can be bad for the Jeep and really won’t provide much additional traction in the rain anyway.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

I DD my '02 on 33x10.5 KO2s, and they have been great in the rain, and snow we get in New England. One of the reasons I chose the more narrow 10.5" over the 12.5" was stated by Chris in post #6.

Another tire I could recommend, based on personal experience, is the General Grabber AT2. I used a 30x9.5 set before I lifted (3") and got over 60K out of them. Their tread was similar to the original KOs by BFG. General has a newer permutation, the Grabber ATX, that mimics the KO2, with similar features.
One can hydroplane at speeds of only 30 MPH (per the National Safety Council, I used to teach safe driving techniques to new hires where I work). Over or under inflated tires may also be prone to traction issues. Check the tire pressure often; a 10ºF+/- change in ambient air pressure, equates to a 1 lb +/- change in tire pressure.

Good luck OP, keep your daughter safe!

 

[mots]

Welcome to the forum. What size tire are they? It is important not to over inflate the tire, knowing the size will be helpful to the forum. If that isn't an issue, the Cooper line is a great tire. They make a bunch of all season tires.

X2 - check the tire pressure. If the tires are overinflated, you aren’t getting good traction. Change it to match the below chart before spending any money. Also tell her to slow down a bit. If she is used to driving a car, you can’t take the turns as fast and you have to honor the wet roads a bit more than you would normally.

By tire height:
30” - 29 PSI (OEM size for most Jeeps and factory recommended pressure.)
31” - 28 PSI
32” - 27 PSI
33” - 26 PSI
(Only if the Jeep has a bunch of weight added to it or is fully loaded with gear and passengers would you want to run a slightly higher tire pressure, maybe +1 PSI).

 

[Ashley Warren]

Thank you for all your replies and suggestions this is amazing! I will definitely check out the PSI on the tires didn’t even think about that. Unfortunately it’s dark out but I ran out with my flashlight and they are KO2 Baja Champion tires 32X11.50 R15LT. Tried to get a decent pic of the tread bit my phone stinks in the dark.

 

[mots]

Hi, from the pics, they do look a bit worn, but the pic might be playing tricks on the perspective to how worn they actually are. I would measure the tread depth to be sure. Brand new, tread depth on these is 15/32" (just a tad less than 1/2 inch). If the pressure was much too high for most of their life, the tread would be more worn more in the center of the tread patch and I don't see this, so that is good at least. You can also check the date on the tire to see when they were made. Rubber will harden over time and won't grip as well.

I have the exact same tires and size that I just bought brand new. They handle well in the rain for me at 27 PSI. If the pressure is much higher than this, then it will definitely make a difference until you decide to buy new tires.

 

[Ashley Warren]

Hi, from the pics, they do look a bit worn, but the pic might be playing tricks on the perspective to how worn they actually are. I would measure the tread depth to be sure. Brand new, tread depth on these is 15/32" (just a tad less than 1/2 inch). If the pressure was much too high for most of their life, the tread would be more worn more in the center of the tread patch and I don't see this, so that is good at least. You can also check the date on the tire to see when they were made. Rubber will harden over time and won't grip as well.

I have the exact same tires and size that I just bought brand new. They handle well in the rain for me at 27 PSI. If the pressure is much higher than this, then it will definitely make a difference until you decide to buy new tires.

Thank you so much for your help! I’ll measure in the am and check the tire pressure as well. If they’re due to be replaced so be it, I just want to make sure whatever I put on there is safe etc.

 

[mots]

P.S. try the penny test. Stick a penny into the tread. If any part of Abes head is covered by the tread, you're driving with the legal tread...about 2/32". Yours likely meet this from what I see in the pic, but if the rubber is old and tread is worn down pretty good, traction will suffer. I thought the tires on my Jeep looked pretty decent to get me by for a couple months (similar to your pics if I am seeing right), but wow what a difference my new KO2's made. No more slipping from a stop in the rain or sliding on corners like you described.

 

[Shatto]

Howdy! My daughter is now the proud owner of a 2004 TJ. She’s ecstatic and loves her Jeep to pieces but she has started complaining of a bit of hydroplaning when taking turns (even while going slow) in the rain.

The Jeep is in great shape with low mileage (for the year) and came with fairly new
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires on American Racing rims.

Is there a better tire for her? She does no 4WD and really only uses her Jeep to get to school and work (very little highway driving). I don’t want her riding 4WD because I’ve heard it can be bad for the Jeep and really won’t provide much additional traction in the rain anyway.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Ashley, My Experience is based on around a million miles as a courier, driving a Dodge Dakota, GMC Sonoma and my trusty Tundra, Clyde the Ride.
On a rainy day, I have slud through an intersection with locked brakes on Bridgestone, BF Goodrich, Dunlap and Cooper tires.
Today I stick with the best performing, longest lasting tire I have found Michelin. I easily get 100,000 miles with them.
If your baby goes out and gets stuck using highway tires, I'll bet lotsa guys will help her out.

By the way, there are schools where she can learn the proper way to drive her Jeep.



https://www.michelinman.com/find?se...yre=725881&carDimension=2014836&zipCode=85119

 

[ElectricWizard]

2x on Duratracs. Sometimes I have to daily with my Jeep, I've ran them in all conditions and haven't had any issues.