2021 JLR - Which 31" Tires?

[AcesandEights]

Thinking about ditching the stock 33" tires for some 31" tires. Will that look stupid on a Rubicon?

Thinking it'll give me better torque for off road. I do pretty difficult trails and think the additional torque will be great.

Any suggestions on tires for mixed rock and mud, for the PNW?

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[mjaga]

I'm no expert, but I'm pretty confident you want the larger sidewalls and to be aired down to be able to tackle the tough obstacles. In all my years of following YouTube channels etc I can't recall a time someone ever downsized their tires (and/or wheels) to increase their off road capability.

Take a look at the TFL videos comparing the JL to the Bronco to the Defender. The Defenders sidewalls were entirely too low profile and ruptured several times on a simple stone.

And if you're talking about decreasing wheel size too, yes I think that will look out of place.

 

[blnewt]

Thinking about ditching the stock 33" tires for some 31" tires. Will that look stupid on a Rubicon?

Thinking it'll give me better torque for off road. I do pretty difficult trails and think the additional torque will be great.

Any suggestions on tires for mixed rock and mud, for the PNW?

I would think your difficult trails would require more clearance not less?? Cooper Dicoverer STT Pro or Mickey Thompson Baja Boss MT would be about the best tires for rocks & mud but not sure if they have the smaller sizes. I'd stick w/ at least your stock size or more.

 

[entropy]

Thinking about ditching the stock 33" tires for some 31" tires. Will that look stupid on a Rubicon?

Thinking it'll give me better torque for off road. I do pretty difficult trails and think the additional torque will be great.

Any suggestions on tires for mixed rock and mud, for the PNW?

Why would you think additional torque would help? you are gonna lose clearance and the ability to go through larger obstacles. Your suspension articulation is gonna also max out on small rocks leaving you with tires on the air.

The powertrain platforms on the JL offer PLENTY of torque, more than you need. If you feel you are getting stuck and the Jeep isn't moving forward it is not because lack of torque, it is because of lack of traction. Turn on your lockers, pick a better line, drop your tire pressure. If you still can't move forward then you either try some momentum or increase your traction with something like traction boards. At this point it is your call what you do since you are in winch territory. More torque won't help.

Where did you hear about decreasing tire size?

 

[benny_rt2]

TJ rubicons came with 31" Goodyear MTR if i remember. So your logic is sound. But still I'd rather have more ground clearance than gain only a little better crawl ratio.

Save up for lower gearing and Chromo shafts. Other than armor for oil pans and diff covers those would be my first investments. If you want really low crawl ratio i think you can go as low as 5.29 ring and pinion gears. That would be crazy awesome with 33"tires

 

[AcesandEights]

People have been running trails for decades with 31" - 33" tires and I'm not sure 35" - 37" - 40" tires really provide a benefit, do they in a real practical sense? Really? What trails can a person not do with 31" tires? Aren't the skid plates there for a reason, in the off chance you scrape?

 

[Zandcwhite]

People have been running trails for decades with 31" - 33" tires and I'm not sure 35" - 37" - 40" tires really provide a benefit, do they in a real practical sense? Really? What trails can a person not do with 31" tires? Aren't the skid plates there for a reason, in the off chance you scrape?

Difficult trails with the "off chance you scrape"? I didn't even bother with the pictures of the skids and frame underneath, but all the rub marks and beat up sliders are from 1 trip through the Dusy-Ershim trail. On 37's and a 2.5" lift. I'm not sure what drivetrain combo you run, but the comparison to a tj on 31's is ridiculous as the 4.0 only made 235ftlbs. If it's an auto, that comparison is even more absurd as the 4.7 1st gear ratio is so low by comparison to the 2.86 1st gear in the tj auto. If you have the 2.0t, the torque limiting in 4lo by the factory ecu is likely the cause of your perceived lack of torque. Superchips tuner gets rid of that and would likely be a better solution for your use.

 

[entropy]

People have been running trails for decades with 31" - 33" tires and I'm not sure 35" - 37" - 40" tires really provide a benefit, do they in a real practical sense? Really? What trails can a person not do with 31" tires? Aren't the skid plates there for a reason, in the off chance you scrape?

What trails have you been doing? a lot of them have become a lot harder through the years. That's not true that you will just scrape skids.... a lot of the times you can get stuck on your belly. Bigger tires are not just about clearance, it is about being able to take on bigger obstacles. The larger the tire, the larger the rock you can get through. that's just physics.

Tire size does improve capability tremendously for rock crawling. There are benefits to a smaller tire which are less stress on suspension components, better mpg and on road handling. But it will not improve rock crawling abilities at all. Did you read and understand my previous post?

I wheeled my JL on a rubicon suspension with 31.5 inch tires for a year. Is it capable? yes. Could it do difficult trails? yes. I switched to 33 inch tires and it is night and day difference. I can take lines now that there is absolutely no way I would have been able to take with 31.5 without risking body damage or getting stuck.

You have 2 door Jeep. keep it on 33s and you can do almost anything if you pick the right line. You dont need to go to 35s or 37s. but going down to 31.5in tires is absurd. You are either overthinking this or dont know what you are talking about. Keep your stock tires. a 2 door JL on 33s is extremely capable.

 

[entropy]

Difficult trails with the "off chance you scrape"? I didn't even bother with the pictures of the skids and frame underneath, but all the rub marks and beat up sliders are from 1 trip through the Dusy-Ershim trail. On 37's and a 2.5" lift. I'm not sure what drivetrain combo you run, but the comparison to a tj on 31's is ridiculous as the 4.0 only made 235ftlbs. If it's an auto, that comparison is even more absurd as the 4.7 1st gear ratio is so low by comparison to the 2.86 1st gear in the tj auto. If you have the 2.0t, the torque limiting in 4lo by the factory ecu is likely the cause of your perceived lack of torque. Superchips tuner gets rid of that and would likely be a better solution for your use.

Thats a really tough trail. On my bucket list. I am pretty sure what OP is experiencing is loss of traction. Anyone who has actually done hard trails know 100% how bigger tires improve a Jeep capabilities. There is just no question about it.

 

[AcesandEights]

People regear all the time, buy 2.0L or 392 Jeeps for more power. Dont you accomplish the same thing for less money by going to a smaller tire?

 

[entropy]

Here's a few pics of the 2 door on 31.5 inch tires and rubicon suspension:

and here's the same jeep on 33 falkens on Gold Mountain

 

[Zandcwhite]

Thats a really tough trail. On my bucket list. I am pretty what OP is experiencing is loss of traction. Anyone who has actually done hard trails know 100% how bigger tires improve a Jeep capabilities. There is just no question about it.

It's long and rough the entire way. You feel like you have shaken baby syndrome after 3 days on that trail. Nothing overly challenging as far as huge obstacles, just a constant beating. I'd say you get used to the sound of rocks dragging on the frame, sliders, and skids, but you really don't. Its the only trail we've run where we have no desire to do it again.

 

[entropy]

People regear all the time, buy 2.0L or 392 Jeeps for more power. Dont you accomplish the same thing for less money by going to a smaller tire?

People buy the 392 because it makes a lot of noise. The 2.0L because it is $1,000 cheaper or so or because they like the low rpm torque better. People re-gear because they go to bigger tires and feel like they need a bit more pep that is lost with bigger tires (usually on the road). I went from 31.5 to 33s and re-programmed the auto tranny. I don't feel any loss in performance offroad and I only have 3.45 gears and the sport transfer case. You have 4.10 gears and the rubicon t-case. You dont need more torque.

Your Jeep on 33s has PLENTY of torque. it wont hold you back.

a stock Rubicon can do exactly the same a stock 392 can. Maybe the 392 suspension adds some more capability having the belly a bit higher and maybe some more flex. But I don't think the torque is going to really make a difference unless youre doing some really nuts stuff.

When people want to increase offroad capability they usually think about lockers, lift and tires, winch, etc... adding a V8 is a niche thing. And going smaller tires is gonna make you lose more than you gain. They will make you a bit faster on the road if that's what you care about.

 

[AcesandEights]

Now you guys and gals have me wondering what's more ridiculous for a trail like the Rubicon, 31" tires on a Jeep Rubicon or 40" tires and all the suspension and drivetrain mods necessary for that. Makes you wonder what's really necessary to wheel 95% or more of the trails.

Thanks.

 

[omnitonic]

People have been running trails for decades with 31" - 33" tires and I'm not sure 35" - 37" - 40" tires really provide a benefit, do they in a real practical sense? Really? What trails can a person not do with 31" tires? Aren't the skid plates there for a reason, in the off chance you scrape?

If you didn't live on the other side of the country, I'd let you try the 32" wheels and tires I pulled off my Willys. Most Jeeps come with either highway tires or all terrains, while this one came with Firestone Destination M/T2s. They were really great tires for muddy trails, though I have yet to do any real rock crawling as such.

Why did I pull them off if I was so happy with them? I have a Hauk MULE skid plate under my Jeep with an air tank and compressor. This thing is by definition a skid plate. I hit the leading edge of it about 1" from the bottom, and I did major damage to the skid plate, and moderate damage to the Jeep itself.

I didn't want to risk that happening again. If the leading edge was 1" higher off the ground when I ran over whatever that was, it wouldn't have happened. So that's when I put a 2.5" lift and 35s on. Nothing has ever hit that skid plate since, and the Jeep just feels next level on the trail. I have no interest in going back to the stock size.

At the same time, I don't think you're an idiot for looking at 31s. Jeeps ran them for years. People wheel in vintage Jeeps with little tiny skinny tires. For that matter, I wish there was a market for my 32s. They're just rotting in my shed. Everybody who has ever expressed interest in them asks me if I'm sure they're not really 33s. Everybody wants bigger tires, and I installed bigger tires myself, so it is what it is.

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