What are the best road tires (comfort, handling, and safety) for JLUR?

[needajeep]

Hi Folks,

I have a 21' JLURD with the Falcon Wild Peak MTs on it. I'd love your opinion on the best tires for a mall crawler. I'm looking for tires that look relatively cool but will perform the best on road/on the highway, etc. The MT's look cool and are great off-road, but contribute to the poor steering, handling, and braking.

Thanks!

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[dchemphill1]

BFG KO2 would be a good choice....you will get lots of opinions.

 

[RichD]

In general, I've found that most tires rated as "LT" (light truck) will ride stiff and noisy. Since I drive mostly highway, I bought the largest "AT" (all terain & mud) that looked looked aggressive but still had the comfort of a typical road tire. I settled on 265 70 17 Goodyear Wranglers. BUT, I'm told the KO2s are awesome too.

 

[CarbonSteel]

My 2019 JLUR came with those Falken's and they grew noiser and ride worse as they wore.

BFG K02 are what I am running and they have been a really good all around tire and are very quiet and smooth on the highway.

Not sure if you have to drive in snow, but they are 3 peak snow rated as well.

 

[OldBlue]

There will be a lot of opinions here, but...

Take a look at the Cooper Discoverer AT3. Good mild AT, snow rated, and long wearing.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Hi Folks,

I have a 21' JLURD with the Falcon Wild Peak MTs on it. I'd love your opinion on the best tires for a mall crawler. I'm looking for tires that look relatively cool but will perform the best on road/on the highway, etc. The MT's look cool and are great off-road, but contribute to the poor steering, handling, and braking.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, "look relatively cool" and " the best on road/on the highway" will lead you to a compromise tire (again), if you mean an off-road looking tire. So, I'm not going to give you a compromise recommendation, since you sound serious about the on-road performance.

So, take this with the perspective of 'best on-road' tire recommendation.
My experience is that Michelin tires have given me the best tires in terms of quality, longevity, and performance, on-road. From their latest Sport 4S to many older on-road tires, they have all been the best in their category, for me.

I'd suggest the Michelin LTX A/T2 in your OEM 285/70R17. Probably unpopular among off-road enthusiasts here, because they are a very street oriented tire labeled as an "A/T", and they're not cheap. You get what you pay for. Available at your local Costco, if that matters.

 

[TxJeepers]

BFG KO2 would be a good choice....you will get lots of opinions.

This is the way

 

[Heimkehr]

I'd love your opinion on the best tires for a mall crawler. I'm looking for tires that look relatively cool but will perform the best on road/on the highway, etc.

Aesthetics are subjective, so I'll limit my suggestion to your stated performance requirements.

Michelin LTX M/S

N.B.: They're sometimes sold with "Defender" on the sidewall, depending on where the tires are purchased.

Easily the best all-season radials I've ever used. I've been purchasing them as replacement tires for 20 years now. By happy coincidence, they're the stock tires on my Wrangler. They've 35K on them now, with a fair bit of tread life remaining.

The heavier the vehicle, the better the Michelins' performance in the snow. The LTXs were superlative in the white stuff when I owned my Ridgeline. On the Jeep, however, its lighter weight made the Michelins a bit less effective. I did eventually purchase studded 3PMSF Generals for winter use. Granted, this may not be a concern for someone who lives in Austin.

Best of luck with your purchase decision.

 

[Jim1964]

With reference to your other thread, don’t fool yourself into thinking the right tires will turn a Wrangler into something it’s not. Yes, you CAN rid yourself of some road noise. That’s about it.

Michelin in P rated is my go to tire for what you’re asking. But it will not make a Jeep feel like a car.

 

[needajeep]

With reference to your other thread, don’t fool yourself into thinking the right tires will turn a Wrangler into something it’s not. Yes, you CAN rid yourself of some road noise. That’s about it.

Michelin in P rated is my go to tire for what you’re asking. But it will not make a Jeep feel like a car.

Yeah, I think I have to cut my losses. Hopefully, I can sell it to someone who wants a good deal on a diesel Rubi to build their own custom rig and enjoy it for off-roading/Overlanding.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Yeah, I think I have to cut my losses. Hopefully, I can sell it to someone who wants a good deal on a diesel Rubi to build their own custom rig and enjoy it for off-roading/Overlanding.

If you like the 4x4 vehicles, but want a more road friendly driving experience, drive a Bronco, Toyota FJ Cruiser, or if you have the budget, a Mercedes G-wagon. I like the FJ Cruisers and almost bought one for my hunting needs. They're out of production, but they are still around in low mileage condition.

 

[m3reno]

Michelin LTX is what I had on my 2018 JL and it was great on the highway and decent in the snow.

 

[blnewt]

I see from your other thread that you're in a rough spot regarding resale on your Rubicon. Gotta ask, it seems that you came from a "regular" street car background.

I assume you're not a fan of the solid front axle behavior of the Jeep, the caster on regular Rubicons is very low, this results in a vehicle that wants to wander at highway speeds. I'm not 100% sure w/ the diesel Rubicons, but I assume they also use the same Lower Control Arms (LCAs) as all the rest of the JL platform.

If indeed the caster is low (like around 4 degrees) your Jeep will be more prone to wander at speed.
If the diesels use the same LCAs then it's a simple fix to get your caster in the 6 degree range w/ Mopar lift LCAs, this is an $80 fix if you or someone you know can DIY the install, Here's my install post on them along w/ part #
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/rubicon-suspension-on-2-door-sport.40700/#post-919317

Once your caster is in the 6 degree range you may be much happier w/ the road manners, I think I would do that first then decide if you need a smoother rolling tire.
G'luck through this and hopefully a simple fix will get you to a better place w/ your Jeep, they truly are great vehicles unless they really just aren't your thing.

 

[JeepViking13]

BFG KO2s Hands down. Quiet on the road, lasts a long time, great snow tire, and a good off road tire. Only downside not the best in deep mud.

 

[beachbumm78]

Sorry to hear about your issues with those. I’d listen to what others mentioned here. I had those and loved them. Had great on road and off road manners. Got 60,000+ miles out of them before it was time to change. For an MT they definitely aren’t that loud (at least compared to others I’ve seen). They are a completely different feel though compared to a puny looking street tire that some have haha (personal opinion here). Maybe check out the Mickey Thompson baja boss AT tires. They have a nice “rugged” look but perform well on the road. Otherwise there’s plenty of options. K2s. K3s. Etc.

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