Jeep Wrangler TJ Full Electric Conversions

Tires; form and function

bmcgc

bmcgc

TJ Enthusiast
Original poster
Joined
Dec 13, 2023
Messages
459
Location
Georgia
The 18" JK wheels have got to go. As soon as I paint the 15" Canyon wheels, they are going on.

For the next 12-18 months the Jeep will be my wifes DD to commute to and from work, about 18 miles round trip. All city streets. After that, who knows, will probably tow the Jeep behind the motorhome.

My 99 has stock suspension except for a .75/1.75 leveling kit.

The current tires are 32" tall.

Between my back, shoulders, hips and ankles I have having difficulty getting in and out, even with the new China grab bars.

Most here say to go with 31/10.5/15's.

A 255/70/15 is pretty close to the oem 30/9.50/15, except it is 29" tall vs 30" tall.

I am considering the 255/70/15, it will give me a 1.5" lower ride height than the current 32" tall tires.

My thoughts:

How many times will we get in and out of the Jeep?

Will 1.5" ride height make a difference?

Would a good set of steps solve the entry/exit issue?

Price wise 31/10.5/15 is the best bang for the buck.

How does a TJ look with a 29" tall tire.

My 88 YJ had a 2.5" lift and a 30" tall tire. I loved the look with a lot of gap between the tire and fender.

Your thoughts?

88Wrangler.webp
 
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There's not a lot of love for going smaller around here. 31's are pretty standard for a small lift, but there's plenty of people happy with 30's. The actual ride height difference is hard to calculate for sure because you would have to compare the actual mounted height of your current setup versus the actual mounted height of what you go with. That will not match what the calculations or sidewall says.

31s are pretty decently priced and you have a ton of options. I would vote 31's and then add some steps if you think you need them after that.
 
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Sounds like you need a Toyota Camry. 😆 jk

I personally wouldn't go below 31's but hopefully you find something that works.
 
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  • Haha
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I would go with the 30x9.5 or the 31x10.5. I think the metric 29s will look goofy with your leveling kit. I'm not certain about this, but I thought Saharas came with the 30" tire package by default because of the wider fender flares.
 
Until my misses retires, this is an on road Jeep. After she retires, we will spend our summers out west in the RV. If I need an offroad tire, I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Boogie, nice stance. about what I would like to end up with. What is the height from the bottom of the door to the ground?
 
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bmcgc said:
Until my misses retires, this is an on road Jeep. After she retires, we will spend our summers out west in the RV. If I need an offroad tire, I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Boogie, nice stance. about what I would like to end up with. What is the height from the bottom of the door to the ground?
Click to expand...

Thanks. I never measured it and now it's much higher.
 
To clarify,you have 32" tall tires as measured?

If you buy "31's" they won't be 31" tall. They will be closer to 30".almost all the old school floatation sizes are smaller that their measurements
 
Just so you can have some numbers to consider:

I run General Grabber A/T in 31x10.50x15. They're the only tire I could find that supposedly measures a true 31". At full inflation, that's true I guess, but at 24psi, which is ideal for my setup, they measure out to 29.25" front and rear.

I'm on Pro Comp 2" springs (for now... Swapping to BDS 3" soon) that have sagged in the 2 years I've been running them (getting around 13.25" on front springs, just under 10" on rear) so I'm not getting the advertised lift.

I measured 27.5" to the bottom of the doors.
 
Go BIG or go home.

On a serious note, @Plumber1 added a step that hangs down quite a bit. He can remove it when he goes wheelin. Removal not necessary in your case, but I looked at them seriously for awhile a few years ago. They hang down more than your typical nerf bars to aid ingress and egress
 
I am at 27 3/4" to the bottom of the door.

I currently have Bridgestone Dueler A/Ts 255/70/18.

A 30 950 15 should drop my ride height a full inch. That would make a world of difference getting in and out.
 
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bmcgc said:
I am at 27 3/4" to the bottom of the door.

I currently have Bridgestone Dueler A/Ts 255/70/18.

A 30 950 15 should drop my ride height a full inch. That would make a world of difference getting in and out.
Click to expand...

What about removing the front spacer, swapping the rear 1.75" spacer for a 1" spacer, and run 31x10.50's? That should keep you level and drop your height. I know plenty of people running 31x10.50x15 on an otherwise bone stock jeep that seem to be perfectly happy with it.

Edit: mixed up some numbers
 
The rear spacer is 1", the front spacer is 1.75".

I could move the rear spacer to the front and run no spacer on the rear.
 
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bmcgc said:
The rear spacer is 1", the front spacer is 1.75".

I could move the rear spacer to the front and run no spacer on the rear.
Click to expand...

My bad... I'm trying to watch TV and type and keep mixing up the numbers 😂

That's probably the move I'd make. And I'd try to stick with 31x10.50x15 just for the sake of price and selection. I know there's a decent, reasonably priced selection in that size. I haven't looked, but doubt that's the case for 30x9.50
 

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