I felt this thread was necessary at this point. We see a lot of people on the forum who insist on running 35" tires, but probably don't know how to do it properly, or what's required (other than just the tires and lift).
For anyone considering adding 35" tires to their TJ, first take into consideration that this is no small feat. You're going to need at minimum several thousand dollars set aside. Sure, there's ways to do it on the cheap, but if you plan on off-roading your TJ at all, you'll want to do it right.
I'm going to give you a run down of what you'll need to properly run 35" tires:
Lift Kit (5" to 6" of lift)
This can be done with all suspension lift, or a combination of something like 4" of suspension lift and 1" of body lift. I prefer the latter because that body lift will allow you to tuck your transfer case (tummy tuck), which is highly desirably in off-road situations. For a good quality lift (i.e. Currie, Metalcloak, etc.) you should be prepared to spend around $3000. For a lesser quality lift (i.e. Rough Country, Skyjacker, etc.), you'll probably spend around $1500 (but you'll be getting a subpar quality lift).
LCG Lift
Alternatively, if you want a low center of gravity (LCG) lift, you can go with a 2" to 3" lift, tubed or highline fenders, and trim the tub. This will easily fit 35" tires while giving you that low center of gravity. For the record though, I think the whole "LCG" thing is complete bullshit.
Slip Yoke Eliminator (SYE) & Double Cardan (CV) Drive Shaft
You'll definitely need a slip yoke eliminator and double cardan driveshaft. The only exception will be if you have a Rubicon model. Then you'll only need the double cardan driveshaft. Be prepared to spend around $900+ for everything, not including labor. For more information on SYEs, check out this thread:
The Official SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) Thread
Wheels & Tires
Due to the most common width of 12.50 on 35” tires. Stock Jeep wheels won’t work well. You’ll want an 8” wide wheel with 4” of back spacing of less.
Figure that you'll spend around $600 (more if you buy premium wheels) on a new set of 5 wheels (don't forget the spare), and $1500 on a new set of 35" tires. So roughly $2100 for wheels and tires (35" tires aren't cheap!).
Stock TJ Axles
A stock Dana 35 rear axle can actually be built to be very durable. For proof of that, and to read more on the subject, check this thread out:
Should I upgrade my Dana 35 axle?
A stock Dana 30 front axle can be made to last with chromoly shafts. There's a lot of guys out there running Dana 30 front axles with 35" tires who haven't had any issues.
Stock TJ Rubicon Axles
A stock Dana 44 rear axle will be more up to the task of running 35" tires than a Dana 35. However, the stock axle shafts will still be the weak point. If you upgrade them to a high quality chromoly axle shaft (i.e.
Revolution Chromoly Axle Shafts) you shouldn't have any issues at all.
A stock Dana 44 front axle, being a hybrid Dana 44 / Dana 30 presents some other issues. It has 30 spline inner shafts. But the U-joints, outer shafts and unit bearings are all Dana 30. So that makes the outer shaft a 27 spline. At one time Alloy USA was selling a 30 spline unit bearing and outer shaft for the 30 and 44. Hopefully this will return to the market. As always chromoly shafts will help. The Dana 44 front axle is still a low pinion design and under severe strain can have similar failures to the low pinion Dana 30.
Gears
If you're running 35" tires, you'll undoubtedly want to re-gear. You can expect to pay on average $650 for a set of gears, plus $800 for labor (seems to be the going rate). Once it's all said and done, you'll have spent roughly $1450+ to re-gear. If you don't re-gear, your TJ is going to feel like an absolute dog (especially on a huge tire like 35") to drive (yes, it's really that bad).
Steering
Stock steering components are weak. Upgrade the steering to a heavy duty drag link and tie rod at least. My suggestion is upgrading to a
Currie Currectlync, which is by far the best bolt-on steering kit available for the TJ. Another option for more budget minded folks is the
ZJ tie rod conversion. Either way, if you plan on off-roading, you'll want to upgrade the steering since the size of the 35" tires will definitely add more stress to your steering. To upgrade your steering you'll spend anywhere from $150 to $550 give-or-take.
Brakes
At 35" you'll need to know that your stock brakes simply aren't going to cut it, especially for use on-road. Hands down, the best thing you can do when you run 35" tires is to get the Vanco big brake kit. This is worth every penny. You could also just run Black Magic brake pads, but it's not going to be as good as the big brake kit upgrade. A Vanco big brake kit will run you around $1100 to $1400 depending, but I know that Blaine will give you a deal if you mention you're from the forum. If you'd like to read a real world review of the Vanco big brake kit, check out my thread here:
My Review of the Vanco 16" Big Brake Kit
Conclusion
Once it's all said and done, to properly run 35" tires, you're going to easily spend upwards of $7000 (that's not an exaggeration either). Yes, it can be done for much cheaper, there's no arguing that. However, if you do it cheaper, you'll end up in one of those situations where you find yourself wishing you'd done it right the first time.
If all you're after is looks and have no desire to off-road at all, then yeah, you'd be safe doing it on the cheap. However, if you plan on off-roading it at all, save up the money and do it right the first time.
