Requesting blessings for my wheel and tire choices

nondem

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 17, 2021
Messages
152
Location
Tallahassee, Fl. USA
I’ve been struggling for months deciding on if I want 33’s or 35’s on my TJ and putting the decision off as long as possible while I did the lift, SYE etc.. on my 03 TJ(42RLE auto).
Well, I’m at the point of actually ordering all the wheels/tires and wanted to post what I plan to buy here so those w/more wisdom on the subject might sign off on it(or tell me I’m an idiot).

Due to my desire to have good reliability in balance w/trail capability after reading all the threads on running 35’s I’ve reluctantly settled on 33’s even though I plan to install a Dana 44 rear and do other strength and durability mods on it soon.

This is what I plan to buy…I’d appreciate any thoughts.
Milestar Patagonia M/T 33x12.50R15 (the original version not the MT-02)

Mammoth 8 Black Wagon Wheel Edition Steel Wheel; 15x8
Backspacing: 3.75" (95mm) Offset: -19mm

For Reference: This is a trail rig that won’t see tons of pavement. I have a 4” lift w/all Currie/RockJock components, a Mega-Short SYE, Tom Woods CV Driveshaft, Front AntiRock, Spartan Locker in the Front and Open Rear. I’ll put a locker in the Dana 44 when I get it.
 
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Pat's are junk if you ever go off-road ever, or if you wan't your tires to last more than 20,000 miles. Spend the money on good tires, they are the only thing allowing all of your other mods to actually contact the ground and move the jeep forward, dosent matter how locked you are or how much articulation you have if your just spinning your tires. Even worse if you're sitting on the side of the trail with a sliced sidewall.

Wheels seem not bad though, I like that they're still a lighter alloy wheel, should help with balancing and the ride, probably fuel economy to some extent.
 
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I’ve been struggling for months deciding on if I want 33’s or 35’s on my TJ and putting the decision off as long as possible while I did the lift, SYE etc.. on my 03 TJ(42RLE auto).
Well, I’m at the point of actually ordering all the wheels/tires and wanted to post what I plan to buy here so those w/more wisdom on the subject might sign off on it(or tell me I’m an idiot).

Due to my desire to have good reliability in balance w/trail capability after reading all the threads on running 35’s I’ve reluctantly settled on 33’s even though I plan to install a Dana 44 rear and do other strength and durability mods on it soon.

This is what I plan to buy…I’d appreciate any thoughts.
Milestar Patagonia M/T 33x12.50R15 (the original version not the MT-02)

Mammoth 8 Black Wagon Wheel Edition Steel Wheel; 15x8
Backspacing: 3.75" (95mm) Offset: -19mm

For Reference: This is a trail rig that won’t see tons of pavement. I have a 4” lift w/all Currie/RockJock components, a Mega-Short SYE, Tom Woods CV Driveshaft, Front AntiRock, Spartan Locker in the Front and Open Rear. I’ll put a locker in the Dana 44 when I get it.
Only go with 35's if your rear axle is the optional stronger Dana 44 axle. The standard Dana 35 rear axle is not strong enough for 35's unless you also replace its axle shafts with the significantly stronger shafts in the Super 35 kit from Revolution Gear & Axle.

Forget the Offset dimension, only the backspacing dimension is the one you need to worry about. 3.75" to 4" of backspacing is fine for 12.5" wide tires.

I checked your Profile to see if your TJ had the Dana 44 or Dana 35 rear axle but that information was missing.
 
Wait...so the Patagonias aren't the best tires known to man on earth? I did read/watch some people complaining about chunking but overall the reviews in various places were not bad. Seems like they are considered good on rocks and in mud which is pretty rare. The soft compound may be why they do ok in rocks and wear faster than some.
I will be doing a mix of rocks/sand and mud so it seemed like the perfect choice short of tires that cost $600+ each. What would be a good equivalent?
 
For $50 bucks I’ll say yes to about anything.

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Only go with 35's if your rear axle is the optional stronger Dana 44 axle. The standard Dana 35 rear axle is not strong enough for 35's unless you also replace its axle shafts with the significantly stronger shafts in the Super 35 kit from Revolution Gear & Axle.

Forget the Offset dimension, only the backspacing dimension is the one you need to worry about. 3.75" to 4" of backspacing is fine for 12.5" wide tires.

I checked your Profile to see if your TJ had the Dana 44 or Dana 35 rear axle but that information was missing.

I will be installing a Dana 44, better steering and such...but even with that it seems like 35's are a lot harder on a TJ than 33's even...at least from my reading. I'd rather have to winch sometimes than have to be towed out w/something broken.
 
Patagonias are an absolutely garbage tire. Anyone who thinks they are good at doing anything on or off road has no ability to judge how good or bad a tire performs.
 
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I will be installing a Dana 44, better steering and such...but even with that it seems like 35's are a lot harder on a TJ than 33's even...at least from my reading. I'd rather have to winch sometimes than have to be towed out w/something broken.
35's with a rear Dana 44 and a front Dana 30 with upgraded 27 spline 4340 axle shafts which are not expensive means it's going to be relatively reliable on the trail. Axle shaft breakages should not be expected with that combination. Those together with a stronger tie rod and the proper axle gearing for your tire choice will give you a good Jeep you won't have to worry about on the trail.
 
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I’ve been struggling for months deciding on if I want 33’s or 35’s on my TJ and putting the decision off as long as possible while I did the lift, SYE etc.. on my 03 TJ(42RLE auto).
Well, I’m at the point of actually ordering all the wheels/tires and wanted to post what I plan to buy here so those w/more wisdom on the subject might sign off on it(or tell me I’m an idiot).

Due to my desire to have good reliability in balance w/trail capability after reading all the threads on running 35’s I’ve reluctantly settled on 33’s even though I plan to install a Dana 44 rear and do other strength and durability mods on it soon.

This is what I plan to buy…I’d appreciate any thoughts.
Milestar Patagonia M/T 33x12.50R15 (the original version not the MT-02)

Mammoth 8 Black Wagon Wheel Edition Steel Wheel; 15x8
Backspacing: 3.75" (95mm) Offset: -19mm

For Reference: This is a trail rig that won’t see tons of pavement. I have a 4” lift w/all Currie/RockJock components, a Mega-Short SYE, Tom Woods CV Driveshaft, Front AntiRock, Spartan Locker in the Front and Open Rear. I’ll put a locker in the Dana 44 when I get it.

For 33's vs 35's for a mainly trail rig you should just follow your gut based on who you will be wheeling with and what trails you will be wheeling. 33's are plenty for most stuff and often the difference is skill, not tire size. But sometimes you do just need a bigger tire. Always tough to decide. I think the advice of your wheeling buddies should matter more than what we have to say, though, since you'll be sharing the trails together.

As for the Patty's, I have seen the hate for them in person and find it odd, but I haven't run them myself. I would ignore advice from people who haven't even used them.

This guy has and has some good info about sidewall issues you may want to consider:

 
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For 33's vs 35's for a mainly trail rig you should just follow your gut based on who you will be wheeling with and what trails you will be wheeling. 33's are plenty for most stuff and often the difference is skill, not tire size. But sometimes you do just need a bigger tire. Always tough to decide. I think the advice of your wheeling buddies should matter more than what we have to say, though, since you'll be sharing the trails together.

As for the Patty's, I have seen the hate for them in person and find it odd, but I haven't run them myself. I would ignore advice from people who haven't even used them.

This guy has and has some good info about sidewall issues you may want to consider:


I actually watched that before and looked for the new "02" versions that are supposed to have better sidewalls and chunking resistance. They didn't seem to be available. I don't mind spending a little more...as I mentioned part of the reason I'm attracted to the Pats are the reviews where they do relatively well in the various types of terrain I expect to see. Seems like other options all have some area they don't do well in. I'm in fl.us so the only rocks I'll see are when I take trips to the mountains a couple times a year but I'd like them to do Ok for that as well as sand and mud.
Besides, Matts Off-Road Recovery swears by them...I'm sure the sponsorship has nothing to do w/it :)
 
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Wait...so the Patagonias aren't the best tires known to man on earth? I did read/watch some people complaining about chunking but overall the reviews in various places were not bad. Seems like they are considered good on rocks and in mud which is pretty rare. The soft compound may be why they do ok in rocks and wear faster than some.
I will be doing a mix of rocks/sand and mud so it seemed like the perfect choice short of tires that cost $600+ each. What would be a good equivalent?

It is tough to get a good read on the Patty's, isn't it? People love them or hate them. The decision is easy for me because my Jeep is my daily so I will avoid Patagonias due to noise and wear. For you with a mostly trail rig, it is probably a tougher choice.

As for alternatives, are you looking for a mud tire since it is a trail rig? For a mud tire I think the BFG KM3s have a good reputation. The Cooper STT Pros seem good for a hybrid/at tire. I have used neither but they seem to get high praise. Neither cost $600 each.
 
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They aren’t really that cheap of a tire anymore. They’re only like 40-50 bucks less than a Maxxis RAZR.
 
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