Tire/wheel advice for a noob?

[LCL-Dead]

Hey there ladies/gents.

Getting back into the jeep world with an 06 Rubicon that I'm picking up next week and one of the first orders of business is going to be a 3.25 lift and wheels/tires to match. IIRC it's all factory standard right now in terms of suspension and wheels/tires.

My question stems from seeing an 07 Wrangler on a 3.5 (he was guessing as he didn't install it) lift with 35x12.5R15 tires on it. I loved the more aggressive, wider stance but when I set about to searching out wheels and tires online, the tires I found, but I've been hard pressed to find a decent wheel that's over 10 inches in width. Do the 06 and below TJs have a limitation or am I just looking in the wrong place?

 

[Rob5589]

The TJ has smaller wheel openings than the JK, so no 35's on 3" of lift without crazy rubbing. A standard 8" wide wheel with 3.5-4" of backspacing will stick out plenty. Going to a 10" + wide wheel isn't necessary or desirable.

3.25" of lift is minimal for even 33's, 4" being better. 35's take 5" + of lift which is a whole bunch of money and work. There is a thread around here describing what it takes to get 35's on a TJ.

Welcome to the forum and thank you for your service:emoji_thumbsup:

 

[LCL-Dead]

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

I guess without the TJ sitting there next to his JK the difference wasn't obvious.

(My work computer doesn't really like this forum, cut off my reply)

 

[Chris]

The TJ has smaller wheel openings than the JK, so no 35's on 3" of lift without crazy rubbing. A standard 8" wide wheel with 3.5-4" of backspacing will stick out plenty. Going to a 10" + wide wheel isn't necessary or desirable.

3.25" of lift is minimal for even 33's, 4" being better. 35's take 5" + of lift which is a whole bunch of money and work. There is a thread around here describing what it takes to get 35's on a TJ.

Welcome to the forum and thank you for your service:emoji_thumbsup:

X2. This is solid advice.

You don't want a 10" wheel on a TJ, that's a big mistake. You want a 8" wheel with 3.5-4" of backspacing (which will stick out plenty).

For 33" tires, 4" of lift will be ideal. If you wanted to run 35" tires, the ideal setup is usually a 4" suspension lift plus a 1" body lift.

 

[Chris]

Check this thread out too: A Beginners Guide to Lifting Your Jeep Wrangler TJ

 

[UpperMI]

When you say getting back into the jeep world, what was your first experience? I would recommend that after you pick it up wait a few weeks or even a month before you do anything. Figure out the quirks first and then put your lifting plan into action. A lot of guys on here wish that they would've stayed with 2" inches of lift and 31" tires. @Chris is one of them (he's the guy that started this wonderful forum). Nothing wrong with lifting your rig, just passing on some information from other Jeeper's experiences.

For your TJ, 35's are going to be tough to fit with only 3" of lift. I think it requires 4". However you need to be cautious that as your suspension lift height goes up past 3", You start to bring other issues into play. And when you buy your lift, make sure it's a quality one so you only have to do it once. Good luck and post some Pictures of your new rig when you pick it up.

 

[LCL-Dead]

My first experience started in high school with a 95 Wrangler (YJ I think?) that we had (my wife and I) up until 2009, so for about 7 years. it was on 31s with no lift (lots of rubbing, yes) with stock wheels. It was a 4 banger and then we added another one, a 94 Wrangler that was a manual that I drove. Again, 31" tires (not sure of the width) and I spent a lot of time trail riding in MD and then swamp hopping the lighter areas here in eastern NC. The 94 died and, as a young Marine, I didn't have the money or the will to fix it so I moved on to little ricer cars for a few years and we ended up selling the 95 back to her dad after she procured a corolla for work use.

Didn't really do much in terms of modifications to either jeep.

When I wrote this thread I wasn't sure if the TJ's had a reasonable limitation to wheel/tire sizing but obviously I was wrong. 31/33" tires should be fine, I guess I just need to go find some local TJs and see what they've got done to theirs. Eventually, once our minivan (stop laughing) is paid off I'll be buying a new Unlimited model jeep because we've got two kids and a 90 pound dog I'd like to be able to comfortably take to the beach.

I'll definitely be waiting a few months before I do anything at all where the suspension/wheels are concerned. With summer coming I need to procure a bikini top for it so I can drop the hard shell without my wife getting pissy at me for not having anything on it in case of rain.

 

[StG58]

My first experience started in high school with a 95 Wrangler (YJ I think?) that we had (my wife and I) up until 2009, so for about 7 years. it was on 31s with no lift (lots of rubbing, yes) with stock wheels. It was a 4 banger and then we added another one, a 94 Wrangler that was a manual that I drove. Again, 31" tires (not sure of the width) and I spent a lot of time trail riding in MD and then swamp hopping the lighter areas here in eastern NC. The 94 died and, as a young Marine, I didn't have the money or the will to fix it so I moved on to little ricer cars for a few years and we ended up selling the 95 back to her dad after she procured a corolla for work use.

Didn't really do much in terms of modifications to either jeep.

When I wrote this thread I wasn't sure if the TJ's had a reasonable limitation to wheel/tire sizing but obviously I was wrong. 31/33" tires should be fine, I guess I just need to go find some local TJs and see what they've got done to theirs. Eventually, once our minivan (stop laughing) is paid off I'll be buying a new Unlimited model jeep because we've got two kids and a 90 pound dog I'd like to be able to comfortably take to the beach.

Never underestimate a TJ on 31" tires and a very few required mods. May I recommend browsing through some of the older threads on here and the discussions on what is truly useful and what is not. Welcome aboard!

 

[LCL-Dead]

I'm definitely going to be pouring through this forum over the next few weeks to figure out what the best route to go is for what I plan on using it for (which isn't much). Some beach running, maybe some trail runs with the local clubs depending on when and where they go, etc.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

For your TJ, 35's are going to be tough to fit with only 3" of lift. I think it requires 4".

4" is recommended for 33's but to actually wheel it/take it offroad with 35's, 5" is recommended. A 4" suspension lift plus a 1" body lift is a great combination that is suitable for 35" tires. Plus regearing, plus better brakes, plus a beefed up tie rod. The stock tie rod isn't up to staying straight with 35" tires, it doesn't even do that well with 33's.

 

[Rob5589]

My stock tie rod bent with 31's...

 

[StG58]

My stock tie rod bent with 31's...

Crap...

 

[Chris]

Sucks you can't safely run a Currie Currectlync with anything less than a 4" lift.

 

[StG58]

Well, it does suck to be me, sometimes.

 

[Rob5589]

I bought it ever so slightly bent and it got worse towing it to ID last year. I replaced it with a HD rod and new ends. I didn't know about the ZJ swap or would have probably done that.

 

[LCL-Dead]

Check this thread out too: A Beginners Guide to Lifting Your Jeep Wrangler TJ

So I'm a cheap bastard and, on top of that, there's no way my wife would let me drop $1,000+ on a lift kit.

I don't plan to be doing any extremely technical off roading, rock climbing or slogging it through huge mud holes (as I want the jeep to last) so I'd imagine that for me the smaller, cheaper lifts would be better. As time goes on I could change out the shocks for better brands, add in the smaller pieces that the cheap kits don't have.

You guys have convinced me (Through this post and reading others) to stay with 31/32" tires as my max with a 3" lift to start. I'm sure that 95% of my driving is going to be on hardball roads anyway with the occasional jaunt onto the beach or down a maintained trail.

 

[Chris]

So I'm a cheap bastard and, on top of that, there's no way my wife would let me drop $1,000+ on a lift kit.

I don't plan to be doing any extremely technical off roading, rock climbing or slogging it through huge mud holes (as I want the jeep to last) so I'd imagine that for me the smaller, cheaper lifts would be better. As time goes on I could change out the shocks for better brands, add in the smaller pieces that the cheap kits don't have.

You guys have convinced me (Through this post and reading others) to stay with 31/32" tires as my max with a 3" lift to start. I'm sure that 95% of my driving is going to be on hardball roads anyway with the occasional jaunt onto the beach or down a maintained trail.

There's nothing I push more than the OME 2.5" lift. With that you could run 31" or 32" tires and have one of the best rides you'll ever get.

It's a little under $1000, but the good thing about that is that with that amount of lift you won't need to spend anymore money on things like adjustable control arms, track bars, etc, like you would if you had 3" or more of lift.

You can get a cheaper lift (i.e. Zone), but it's not going to ride nearly as good as the OME lift, primarily due to the crappy shocks that come with it.

 

[LCL-Dead]

The thing is.. I was very, how do I say it?

I was horrible at managing my money and impulse purchases while active duty. Couple that with getting out and starting a low paying government job in a high cost of living area and we ran up a bit of debt those first few years, so it will take me about a year to budget up for those kinds of costs. Not to mention the other 1000-1200 I'd need for rims/tires (from a quick glance at various rim/tire websites).

This will more than likely end up being a slow build for at a rate of a few pieces of gear a year with maybe one big purchase thrown in when taxes come back. Obviously I want to do this right but I will forever battle the "want it now" impulse side of my brain.

 

[Chris]

Don't feel bad about building it slow. I think too many guys try to do things as fast as they can on an unrealistic budget. They end up with cheaper parts, and eventually end up realizing why those parts are cheaper. There's a saying with Jeeps that goes, "buy once, cry once". I firmly believe in that. Pay for something quality, because it's going to outlast the Jeep.

I hate seeing guys drop money on these Rough Country and Skyjacker lift kits. They do that because they are priced so good. Well, there's a reason they're so cheap, and once you take a ride in a Jeep with one of those lifts, and then ride in a Jeep with a nice lift (i.e. OME, Currie, Savvy, etc.), you'l completely understand why.

You can easily fit 31" tires on your stock Jeep, so maybe the starting point is some 31" tires, then a lift when you can afford it!

 

[Rob5589]

For 31's you do not need any lift, although it will give you added clearance and look good. For a "budget" set up that will ride well I suggest this. From what I have read the BDS springs work well and give up to 2.5" of lift, depending on your rig set up. The 5000X shocks I do run and they are excellent on and off road. At 2-2.5" of lift you are staying in the "safe" zone as far as not needing driveline work. You may need an adjustable frt trackbar and rear TB relocating bracket, both of which are easy swaps and not crazy expensive. And if you really want more lift you can add a 1.25 body lift down the road. A TJ on 31's is pretty damn capable, so do not think you must have 33's to get er done off road.
https://waldoch.com/store/performan...bds-jeep-wrangler-tj-coil-springs-pair-1.html
https://waldoch.com/store/performan...jeep-wrangler-tj-coil-springs-pair-34204.html
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01963XI50/?tag=wranglerorg-20