Tire size for a daily driver.....?

Hello everyone,

Soon, hopefully within the next few months, I'll return stateside and find the perfect Cherokee for me. This XJ will be my daily driver, but also will see extensive trail use. Optimally, I would like 32" or 33" tires. I know I need a 4.5" suspension lift and fender trim at the minimum. I'll be taking several 800-1,000 mile road trips and want advice that will help me choose a practical tire size and one that best suits all of my needs. Please enlighten me. Thanks for reading. Happy Trails to you and yours.....

Fogman

That set up has many twists and turns. So many answers and they can all be correct.

If it where me and thats what I have been trying to do is:

1. Beefy bumpers, rock rails, and skids to protuct paint, body, and underside vitals.
2. Regear and upgrade front shafts to 760x joints, and a seclectable locker in front.
3. Regear and upgrade rear axle with a Ford 8.8", Dana 44, Ford 9" something stronger than a Dana 35 and dont try and polish it, its still going to be a turd.
4. For ideal street handling a seclectable locker like an ARB in the rear.
5. A set of A/T for street use and a set of Super Swampers on another set of rims for weekend offroad use only.
6. Long arms or drop brackets in the front for smooth highway riding.
7. Add some preformance stuff to the motor such as an intake and full exhaust. Ya it will get you more power but it helps the gas mileage on the interstate. With my 32s and all the crap I have done I get around 20mph on the inerstate and 16 to 17 in the city with intake, port and polish head, cam, bored motor, header, high flow cat, flowmaster and a few other minor things.
8. SYE and new driveshafts.

Theres more stuff but I cant think of it. Somebody else will chime in and give some more good ideas.

AARON

D@mm,all he asked about was tires!Your lift(at least your current plans) really says 32x10.5's to me,best working set-up Ive ran yet."Shoeshiner's" setup would take some serious time and cash!

LOL.... well I got 31's on my DD and I am geared for it... but I will be going to deeper (lower) gearing by next summer in preparation for 32's or 33's (probably the latter).... In essence the tire choice is bound to the rest (primarily gears) of hte plans...

Btw, there is an XJ for sale in SD that you might wanna look up http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9631

nice part is that it's 2 doors, which is a perfect setup for lifting (more room to trim in the rear!)

Kejtar

in the next month or so, i will be moving up to 33's on my dd. of course they will either be bfg's 33x9.5's or 33x10.5's. i will be at 4.5 with about an inch or so trimmed front and rear. that is my ideal tire size and lift height. just my opinion though, and i cant say for sure, since im not there yet.


Mark

35"

mbryson said:

35"

Click to expand...

no 37s

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I guess the information I really need to know, is: 1) Are 32" or 33" practical for a daily driver that will be subjected to extended road trips? 2) How do large tires ride on the road?

I know there are a thousand varibles to take into account. My set up will include the proper suspension, gearing, at least a rear locker/ARB, and all of the other important changes. I will make sure to have a proper set up, all I need to do right now is decide what size of tires I want to run.

I'm not new to 4x4's, but I've never run a lift or tire's over 30".

Maybe one day I'll move up to the 35's or 37's, but for now, can you guys tell me anything else about the on road characteristics that are commonly associated with oversize tires? Thanks to everyone who provided a helpful response.

Fogman

I'm about to depart on a trip to Colorado and Utah, so I'll be putting on 3000+ miles on my Pro-Comp MTs over the next couple weeks. My experience so far at highway speeds (to Badlands),
would indicate that highway ride is fine, except a slightly higher tendency to wander on uneven road surfaces. At the lift height
you are looking at, I would highly recomend a system with the control arm drop brackets, as this keeps the suspension geomety
close to stock. Mine rides about the same at 5.5" with drop brackets and 33s as it did with 2.5", no drops and 31" ATs
I'll give an update after my trip with more details

Fogman said:

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I guess the information I really need to know, is: 1) Are 32" or 33" practical for a daily driver that will be subjected to extended road trips? 2) How do large tires ride on the road?

I know there are a thousand varibles to take into account. My set up will include the proper suspension, gearing, at least a rear locker/ARB, and all of the other important changes. I will make sure to have a proper set up, all I need to do right now is decide what size of tires I want to run.

I'm not new to 4x4's, but I've never run a lift or tire's over 30".

Maybe one day I'll move up to the 35's or 37's, but for now, can you guys tell me anything else about the on road characteristics that are commonly associated with oversize tires? Thanks to everyone who provided a helpful response.

Fogman

Click to expand...

My point with my '35' comment was that if you do address the above variables, you can daily drive whatever tire size you desire.

31's Are the best DD tire I think. I've had 31's, 33's, and 35's on my Jeep but for all around use 31's will be more reasonable. 5 inches of lift and 31's are a great combo! Again my 2 cents worth.

i have 33`s on my dd, it works fine

Well when he said the best tires side for a DD everything needs to be upgrade to handle the bigger tires such as 33's when compared to stock. A DD can not be trusted at all if expected to be wheeled on the weekends with JUST 33's and a lift. I know a guy that put a lift on and 33's not touching anything else and it runs and rides like crap. I have had great success with mine as it stands now. The only occasional thing that goes wrong with mine are seals but they effect stock vehicles too. I guess its all in the point of view

AARON

Well, we have know idea what kind of fourwheeling, if any, fogman plans on doing. Apparently rear locker is a necessity, though i think lockers are highly over-rated. I plan on getting one ONLY because most club runs require it. We also don't know what extent DD is for you fogman. i drive 120+ miles a day, and that's just to get to work and back. I often put another 50-100 miles or more on during work. Mine rides and drive great. I like it better than when it was stock. It corners better because it is a little stiffer and i get less body roll. it's not as plush for the same reason, but only the biggest of jolts get are get through and they are few and far between. My gas milage has dropped to 13-14 mpg with the 33s and power has dropped quite a bit. it's fine from the line, but freeway cruising, which i do alot of, has suffered. Regearing to 4.56s soon.

HTHs

basalt51 said:

.................., though i think lockers are highly over-rated. I plan on getting one ONLY because most club runs require it. ...........

HTHs

Click to expand...

Ummmm......??????.........not being a dick, but 'What you talking 'bout Willis?'

basalt51 said:

Well, we have know idea what kind of fourwheeling, if any, fogman plans on doing. Apparently rear locker is a necessity, though i think lockers are highly over-rated. I plan on getting one ONLY because most club runs require it. .

HTHs

Click to expand...

Have you ever thought maybe they require it because they are needed. When lift a tire of the ground on a trail see how far you go without a locker.

Hey basalt, go buy yourself a locker and see what you say then!!!

lol, I've never needed one thats what I'm talking about. I know most clubs require them because they don't want you slowing down the group. There isn't anyplace I can't go right now that I could go with a locker. It would just take me longer without it.

The reason I said that was because i see sooooo many people who just got a 4x4 , have never even been offroading, and come to forums like this for advice and leave thinking they can't go ANYWHERE or do ANYTHING without one. Thats bull. Same goes for big tires, and dana 44's (or 60's), and all that crap.

Yes and no........ I got factory LS in the rear, but I have been in couple situations that I really would have liked to have a real locker in the rear (btw my LS is slowly fading away) and couple others where some extra traction device in the front would have been really welcome!

While you do have a point that you don't need one to go places, there are places that make them more of a requirements instead of just an option.... personally I don't run hardcore trails but I do run some of the harder local trails and I think that they should not be as easily dismissed...

Kejtar

Not to say that I do not like lockers, or they are not nice to have or sometime even required. But I must admit that I agree that they are "over rated". There are many things that can make up for not using lockers, or many other atributes to a 4x4 vehicle that make it capable and I see way too many people on the trail with lockers who use them way more than they should because they use it to make up for lack of other skills.

The most important thing that makes a 4x4 capable is the driver!!
Useable suspension travel, good tires, and a capable driver are what makes a good 4x4.

Lockers add stress to all the running gear, put added wear on tires and running gear and are really only needed a very very very small percentage of the time on a Daily driver.

I have a good friend with a Early Bronco on 3.8.5 swampers, tons of power, gobs of articulation, lockers front and back. and I have no problem keeping up with him on the trail, and on two seperate occations he has brocken axles when I have had no problems at all (and his is a trailer queen). I have a very simple 4.5" lift, 33's and open diffs.

My point is only this: Learn to wheel your vehicle, and understand it's strengths and weeknesses. A daily driver does not always need lockers to be capable off road.

Michael