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34s over 35s - Will I regret it?

Greymatter

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Just picked up up a 21 Willys 3.6 eTorque 8 speed. About to add rubicon springs and out a 3/4 spacer kit on.

I have a set of Method 17/8.5 wheels and trying to decide on tires.

I don’t do a lot of rock crawling but plan to do some moderate trails. I love the look of the 35s but am considering 34s.

Am I going to regret going with the 34s? Would 35s have that much more of an effect on performance and drive ability?
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The Last Cowboy

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34s should be perfect and I wouldn't want to go more on the front axle or the 3.45 gears. But being on this site though, many will tell you to go 35s or 37s. I think 35 is the absolute limit for the M186 front axle, and I never like to use something at the absolute limit.
 
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AcesandEights

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I run 285/75/17 tires on my truck and they are probably the size I will run on my Rubicon when I buy new tires. They are 34". I don't want to go wider than 285 and that limits me, as most manufacturers don't make a 285/80/17 or 285/85/17...so, I I've been running that size for maybe a decade and think it's a great choice.
 

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@Greymatter I think it really depends on what additional clearance you need from the tires. I found upgrading to a wider and grippier tire worked great even if I didn't upsize diameter. I didn't really NEED to make the Jeep any taller so sticking with 32" wasn't a bad call for me. If you wind up getting hung up on rocks a lot then I would go with a 35 and potentially a regear.
 
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Greymatter

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I run 285/75/17 tires on my truck and they are probably the size I will run on my Rubicon when I buy new tires. They are 34". I don't want to go wider than 285 and that limits me, as most manufacturers don't make a 285/80/17 or 285/85/17...so, I I've been running that size for maybe a decade and think it's a great choice.
That is exactly the size I’m considering in the Ridge Grapplers. I do like the look of the wider tire which is my main thought about going with the 35/12.5
 

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AcesandEights

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I like the narrower tires and don't want wider than 285...hell, I'd take a 35x10 or 35x10.5 over a 12.5" wide tire, but there aren't many of that size available (yeah, I know a few). Anyway, 285/75/17 is a great size. I think you'll be happy.
 

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I just installed 37 on all stock parts including a spacer lift on my JLUR. Tbh I was surprised how well the jeep drove. This was only temporary will be upgrading all my suspension/gearing so keep that in mind. I’d get the 35 and focus on lighter wheels and tire combinations. Get the look you want but compromise when you can. I have the km3 and so far love them.
 
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Steph1

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Depends, the bigger the tires, the more impact on gearing. If you want to avoid re-gearing, 34s will do perfect. Don't forget that 34s will look as big on your Willy's, as 35s do on Rubicon, due to the Rubi higher and bigger fender flares/ wheel openings.

Look at 305/70r17s they are a real 34 inch (33.8-33.9) and 315/70 are 34.5 inch and a mere 1/4 inch narrower than the 315s should look pretty fat on your 8.5 inch wheels and IMO, even bigger than the 35s on a Rubi and at what I think is the very limit of needing to regear.
 
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Just picked up up a 21 Willys 3.6 eTorque 8 speed. About to add rubicon springs and out a 3/4 spacer kit on.

I have a set of Method 17/8.5 wheels and trying to decide on tires.

I don’t do a lot of rock crawling but plan to do some moderate trails. I love the look of the 35s but am considering 34s.

Am I going to regret going with the 34s? Would 35s have that much more of an effect on performance and drive ability?
Jeep Wrangler JL 34s over 35s - Will I regret it? 549927CE-D516-4B03-8725-79A2067CE19C

i have this exact setup ( rubi take-off + 0.75 ) and i love it. Its my DD with 120 miles each day with occasional offroad, couldn’t be happier. I think its the perfect compromise to keep driveability and offroad capabilities without changing gears and/or t-case and the jeep still looks great.
 
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The Last Cowboy

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After reading your post again and thinking about you using the word regret, it seems as if you really want 35s. However, there is a post somewhere on this site, and I wish I could remember where it is, maybe the Willys thread in the last week or so, where a guy has a Snazberry Willys and he put 285/75/17s (34") tires on his stock suspension and they actually fit and look great. With your Rubicon springs, I think that size would be perfect.

I think 35x12.50s are heavy and rough riding. They are mostly a load range E tire, there might be a D range one offered out there somewhere. Ideal for super aired down use on rocky and rough terrain, not really good for much else in my opinion.

Also, what is the backspace/offset on your new wheels? That will have an impact on what tire you can use based on the suspension setup you planned.
 
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Greymatter

Greymatter

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After reading your post again and thinking about you using the word regret, it seems as if you really want 35s. However, there is a post somewhere on this site, and I wish I could remember where it is, maybe the Willys thread in the last week or so, where a guy has a Snazberry Willys and he put 285/75/17s (34") tires on his stock suspension and they actually fit and look great. With your Rubicon springs, I think that size would be perfect.

I think 35x12.50s are heavy and rough riding. They are mostly a load range E tire, there might be a D range one offered out there somewhere. Ideal for super aired down use on rocky and rough terrain, not really good for much else in my opinion.
I agree. I was heavily leaning towards 34s. Wanted to put thisthread out there to see if there was anything I wasn’t considering.
 

aldo98229

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I agree with @The Last Cowboy: 34s are perfect for Wranglers.

I have owned more Wranglers than I care to admit, with tires ranging from 31 through 35. Wranglers are most happy in the 33 through 34 range. By the time you get to 35s, you are trading in a fair amount of the factory on-road ride and handling characteristics.

I had 34x10.5 KO2s on my 2015 Sahara: it was by far the best riding and handling of all my modified Wranglers.

Jeep Wrangler JL 34s over 35s - Will I regret it? A788D46C-D996-495D-8F69-C731A7B255A5

Jeep Wrangler JL 34s over 35s - Will I regret it? 1631289791322


A close second has to be my current JL Sahara when it had the 275/70R18 (33.2 x 10.8 inches) KO2s
Jeep Wrangler JL 34s over 35s - Will I regret it? 1631289944882

Jeep Wrangler JL 34s over 35s - Will I regret it? 1631289966638


With 35x12.5 ATs, my Sahara is a now beast on the trail, but it has come at significant cost of on-road handling.
Jeep Wrangler JL 34s over 35s - Will I regret it? 1631290077222
 

The Last Cowboy

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If I lived near a place with a lot of publicly accessible backcountry and trails or a on a big ranch , 35s would be high on my list. But, since I am forced to drive this thing on the road a vast majority of the time, neither big tires nor major mods make no sense for me. Probably not for a lot of people.

My system of modification relies on improving something when it breaks so I won't have to deal with it again.
 

Maverick909

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i am running Patagonia MT in a 315/70r17 to be honest with the sport's braking system it isn't great. if i was daily driving that would be something to think about. I cannot remember if the Willys have the big brakes on them or not like the rubicon and Sahara's do. and another thing im pretty sure the willys already come with rubicon suspension from the factory no reason to change that out. but the spacer will do wonders for you on the 2 door wrangler. Anywhom, i switched from the rubicon faulkin wilf peak M/T's in a 32.75" to the 34.75" and it was a big difference in clearance for moderate trails. best of luck!
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