Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

New to me Jeep: Should I ditch the 35s?

grayson20

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Dec 27, 2024
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Pryor, OKlahoma
Hey guys....been about 10 years since I've owned a jeep. Getting old enough its time to switch from 2 wheels to 4. picked up this 97 tj 4.0, 5speed. lot of miles )164k. no rust of frame, some on tub on body mounts... jeep has been rebuilt, no frame damage (supposedly), i dont really care i picked it up for $5k. just want something to tool around in, dirt roads, maybe a few light 4x4 trails but not after a crawler or ridiculous axle travel etc. etc. Jeep has a 4:10 rear end, Other than being loud, runs really well down the highway (was very suprised)...my question is this. Measuring the coils, it appears to have a 2.5 in lift, no body lift, has 4 adjustable links other wise no mods that i can tell. Seems to run around just fine with these 35in tires, but i continue to see on multiple threads how 35's are a no no with out proper MAJOR mods.....should i ditch them pretty quick or am ok for doing what i wanna do with this jeep?

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Toss 31s on and you could be back in a position to use all the available flex. As is you will rub/destroy your fenders and have very limited travel.
 
Toss 31s on and you could be back in a position to use all the available flex. As is you will rub/destroy your fenders and have very limited travel.

Say i put 31's or 33s on....all my bump stops are rotted off and rolling around inside the coils...is there a rule of thumb on the "right size" to go with certian tires or do you just manually flex your axle with chosen tires on making sure it hits stop before fenders?
 
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Say i put 31's or 33s on....all my bump stops are rotted off and rolling around inside the coils...is there a rule of thumb on the "right size" to go with certian tires or do you just manually flex your axle with chosen tires on making sure it hits stop before fenders?

All depends on your vehicle configuration. I have stock front bump stop with a 2 inch hockey puck lower bump stop extension for my ~3 inch front lift.

You will also need to evaluate the shocks to see if they are limiting extension. These are relatively cheap to replace (Black Max or similar).
 
Unless you're doing heavy off-roading and rock crawling I see no point in 35s. I think the ideal setup for most TJs is 31s and a 1.25" body lift.

That will be just fine, even off the beaten path.
 
Say i put 31's or 33s on....all my bump stops are rotted off and rolling around inside the coils...is there a rule of thumb on the "right size" to go with certian tires or do you just manually flex your axle with chosen tires on making sure it hits stop before fenders?

Manually flex- cycle the suspension and get everything set up to stay within the mechanical limitations of the rig-

Remember bump stops compress- you want them to
Be at full squish before the shocks bottom.

Watch the brake lines too.
 
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Unless you're doing heavy off-roading and rock crawling I see no point in 35s. I think the ideal setup for most TJs is 31s and a 1.25" body lift.

That will be just fine, even off the beaten path.

yeah me neither. i was hoping i could find someone going in the other directions and do some swapping. Will 31's look funny with a the little 2.5 lift? get rid of it too?
 
Manually flex- cycle the suspension and get everything set up to stay within the mechanical limitations of the rig-

Remember bump stops compress- you want them to
Be at fill squish before the shocks bottom.

Watch the brake lines too.

Will do. think ill see if i can find someone wanting to go the other direct and swap tires/rims......thanks for help
 
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I'm currently running 33's with 4.10s and a 3" spring lift. She runs the roads great, but I'd like a little deeper gear and another inch of lift so that I could turn my front tires at full stuff without rubbing the flares. If you have no hard off-roading plans, I'd put some 33" A/T on and a 1-1.25" body lift and roll with it, or a 1/2" spacer.
 
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yeah me neither. i was hoping i could find someone going in the other directions and do some swapping. Will 31's look funny with a the little 2.5 lift? get rid of it too?

It won’t look terrible but there will be a little too much gap.
 
Post some pics of your suspension and bumpstops.measure your springs installed height too.

I would definitely go with a 31-33 on 15x8 wheels.

I know it is subjective but I think 2" lift and 31s is sharp on a tj.
 
yeah me neither. i was hoping i could find someone going in the other directions and do some swapping. Will 31's look funny with a the little 2.5 lift? get rid of it too?
Yes, I would ditch the 35" tires.

But I would keep the 2.5" lift, and pair it with 32" tires. That would look very proportionate. And, a 32" spare tire will fit on the stock carrier. :)

This is exactly what I did on my own Jeep:

TJ Wrangler.jpg
 
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wait how old do i have to be to give up dirt bikes????
That depends on your genetics, how hard you rode, and how bad you wrecked. For me, it was about 40 years old. I still rode a bit after that, but by 45, it just hurt too much, for too long afterwards, every time I rode. I last rode snowmobiles in the mountains about 7 or 8 years ago. The tendonitis in my elbows took no less than 2 years to go away. I haven't been on a motorcycle or snow machine since. Three years ago, I embraced my inner old man and bought the LJ for this chapter of my life...
 
Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts