What has to be done to fit 33s on a budget?

I've said it before and I'll still tout it to this day

My first Jeep was an 06, 2.4, 6 speed. 1.25" body lift, 2.5 spring, .75 spacer, 1" motor mount lift. Resulted in keeping stock shafts and stock skid height with zero vibes and stuffed the 33" tires. Drove great. Put 50k miles on it that way. The coils and shocks were Rough Country. Springs were fine. Shocks were garbage. Buy some Ranchos for budget. Gears need attention.

No, it wasn't a rock crawler. But I still can't think of a better path to running 33s as economically/efficiently as possible to this day.

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billiebob said:
Yep, I say those preaching doom and gloom could use driving lessons. It is embarrassing to read such stupidity.
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I don't post a lot on here but this is probably the 5th time I've seen you suggest that having longer and less gears in the acceleration range is somehow better. Like less overlap in the power curve is better.
You should just run a powerglide with your 150whp rig. You'll get the best mpg for sure, and acceleration will be off the charts
 
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bluescapegoat said:
I don't post a lot on here but this is probably the 5th time I've seen you suggest that having longer and less gears in the acceleration range is somehow better. Like less overlap in the power curve is better.
You should just run an powerglide with your 150whp rig. You'll get the best mpg for sure, and acceleration will be off the charts
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Please don’t start 🤣
 
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davidsfarcioc said:
Hello,

I just purchased my first jeep wrangler being new to this industry I have some questions regarding my purchase. I live in Phoenix, AZ and I plan on taking my Jeep on trails here and there but nothing crazy (no rock climbing etc..) . I'd like to fit 33's on my jeep and I've even seen people fit 35's on their jeep with no lift. What has to be done so I can fit some bigger tires. My budget is pretty tight and I dont want to spend aa ton of money if I'm not going to be off roading crazy trails. I just really like the look of the TJ with some nice tires. I bought a new bumper w/ winch and fender flares. I was looking into a body lift which a lot cheaper and honestly seems like the best option for me (just need a little clearance to fit tires) and what opinions do you have with rough country? Thanks!

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Nice jeep, and welcome! Always good to meet a fellow khaki jeeper.


To answer your questions:

1. Rough country coils and shocks suck. My first and only rough country purchase was a pair of adjustable track bars... i dont regret it, but would do it differently next time around.

2. Regarding an inexpensive lift.... zone is the best value. It gets you to 4.25, which is the best height for 33's.
That kit requires at least an adjustable front trackbar... overall, you can spend around $800 and have a decent setup.

In reality.. you can spend much less by staying under 4.25, but you will lose wheel travel.

My reccomendation.... wheel what you have for a year or so.
Save the money, and in a year you will know what you want to do.

Another reason to wait is to gain offroad experience. Learning the lines at stock height will give you the confidence and skillset to run at a higher height... taking in more challenging trails with less mistakes.

One last point... instead of a lift.. get a front lunchbox locker... you will love the increased capability.

Pm me if you have any questions.
 
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SecondChanceTJ said:
When I was shopping around for my current jeep, I test drove a manual with 3.07 gears on 33's...forget 6th gear. I couldn't imagine an automatic with only a few ratios. That was much worse than my first jeep with 3.73 gears on 305/70r17's (33.8 in.) with a 5-speed manual. Needless to say, when I test drove my current jeep with 4.10 gears on 265/75r16's (31.6 in.), it was heavenly.

Edit after reading everything: not trying to pick a side, I'm just sharing my experiences with different combinations of tire sizes and gear ratios
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Not saying it's great, but the 32RH handles 3.07's better than any other transmission offered in the TJ. I've been running mine a couple years on 35's without trouble. On the road I can pretty easily outrun both of my buddies TJ's that have the 5 speed 3.73 combo.

To the OP, if your Jeep will be used as a daily I think you will want to regear. If you put 1500 miles a year on like me (weekend cruiser, moderate trails a few times a year) it may not be very necessary at all.
 
@davidsfarcioc One more idea for ya....

You can gradually get to 33's and a 4.25 inch lift.

For now, buy some OME 2.5 inch springs, Rancho 5000x shocks, currie bumpstops or hockey pucks, a front adj. track bar, a rear relocation track bar bracket, and sway bar disconnects.

Maybe 1.25 inch wheel spacers, and maybe 10 mm OME coil spacers, you might not need it.

That would total around $1k. You would keep your 31's, and you would gain 2.5 to 3 inches in usable lift.

Then when it is time to get new tires... buy the 33's, a 1.25 body lift, and a motor mount lift. Excluding the tires, that would just be a few hundred dollars.

If you get driveline vibes... either shell out another $1k+ (I think?) to do the SYE eliminator/Tom Woods upgrade.. or spend $1.50 on washers and lower your transmission skid plate.
 
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