So my TJ which I bought last year came with a lift & BFG A/T KO2 tires size 33/12.50 R 15 on Dick Cepek Steel wheels. After getting new track bar, tie rod kit, front hubs steering box & Rubicon Express shocks it was fantastic on the highway for a while. You could actually drive it at 70 mph with one finger on the steering wheel which I understand is rare for any Jeep. A couple of months ago I noticed a shake in the steering wheel that began at around 40 mph (NOT death wobble). I’ve had the tires rotated & rebalanced & that didn’t help. I’ve had two different shops (one of which did the front end work) check out the front end components & pronounce everything good. So that leaves the tires. I had this same brand of tire on an F-350 several years ago & one of the tires had a belt either shift, break or somehow go bad. Changing to new tires solved the problem.
When I first got the Jeep, the manager at my local 4 Wheel Parts store in Beaumont, Texas said that the KO2s are terrible & cause a lot of problems. The steel wheels don’t help either. I immediately thought that this guy was just trying to make some money off me & it wasn’t quite time to change out the tires anyway. After the front end work was done & it drove so great I thought my suspicions about him were confirmed. Then this shake started. I went back to him & he said, “I told you so”.
Well, my plan going forward is to get new tires since The old ones are 5 years old & I was going to replace them next year anyway & cast aluminum Pro Comp 69 series Vintage Flat Black Alloy Wheels (15X10). I’m thinking about the General Grabber A/TX tires since they are a lot like the BFGs.
My other problem is that I really wanted to go down to size 33/10.50 tires to reduce rolling mass, unsprung weight, & to keep from wearing so much mud when we’re wheeling, but the only ones in A/T tread that I could find are the BFGs that I’m trying to get away from (
) So, unless I can get some enlightenment from some of you, I’m sticking with the General (or some other brand) in 33X12.50.
I know there will me many diverging opinions about all of this, but I would appreciate your input & suggestions
Thanks in advance for your help.
When I first got the Jeep, the manager at my local 4 Wheel Parts store in Beaumont, Texas said that the KO2s are terrible & cause a lot of problems. The steel wheels don’t help either. I immediately thought that this guy was just trying to make some money off me & it wasn’t quite time to change out the tires anyway. After the front end work was done & it drove so great I thought my suspicions about him were confirmed. Then this shake started. I went back to him & he said, “I told you so”.
Well, my plan going forward is to get new tires since The old ones are 5 years old & I was going to replace them next year anyway & cast aluminum Pro Comp 69 series Vintage Flat Black Alloy Wheels (15X10). I’m thinking about the General Grabber A/TX tires since they are a lot like the BFGs.
My other problem is that I really wanted to go down to size 33/10.50 tires to reduce rolling mass, unsprung weight, & to keep from wearing so much mud when we’re wheeling, but the only ones in A/T tread that I could find are the BFGs that I’m trying to get away from (
) So, unless I can get some enlightenment from some of you, I’m sticking with the General (or some other brand) in 33X12.50. I know there will me many diverging opinions about all of this, but I would appreciate your input & suggestions
Thanks in advance for your help.
. Get the 8" wide wheels and not the 10” wheels. If you ever need to air down the 8" wheels hold the tire on better.
