35 inch tires on stock factory wheels for Rubicon?

[JayV]

Jeep keeps saying the Rubicon can run 35's with no modifications required. Does that mean we can put 35's on the stock wheels? I know there is some disagreement about if you should put 315/70/r17 BFG's on 7.5" wheels. Sounds like some shops will do it, others won't. But will the back spacing on the stock wheels be sufficient to run a 12.5" tire anyhow? Maybe this is where the wider Rubi axles come into play?

Sponsored

 

[008]

I’ve also wondered which 35s work on a 7.5” rim.

 

[AZCrawl]

Jeep keeps saying the Rubicon can run 35's with no modifications required. Does that mean we can put 35's on the stock wheels? I know there is some disagreement about if you should put 315/70/r17 BFG's on 7.5" wheels. Sounds like some shops will do it, others won't. But will the back spacing on the stock wheels be sufficient to run a 12.5" tire anyhow? Maybe this is where the wider Rubi axles come into play?

This guy runs 37's on stock JK Rubicon wheels...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOVxMM0Ove3VnC0sJSRt80g

So did this guy until he switched to beadlocks...

https://www.youtube.com/user/autoedit/featured

 

[TroyBoy]

Lots of guys run 35s on 7.5" wheels even though the tire manufacturer says a range that doesn't include that width. My concern is if the 7.5" wide wheels have the correct backspace. The rubicon axles are longer but only 3/4" longer on each wheel. That's 1.5" longer per axle.
I suspect the bs is the same as the stock jk wheels.

The jeeps we saw at the LA auto show with 35s looked to have mopar wheels with 12mm bs.

 

[ModdedJK]

Lots of guys run 35s on 7.5" wheels even though the tire manufacturer says a range that doesn't include that width. My concern is if the 7.5" wide wheels have the correct backspace. The rubicon axles are longer but only 3/4" longer on each wheel. That's 1.5" longer per axle.
I suspect the bs is the same as the stock jk wheels.

The jeeps we saw at the LA auto show with 35s looked to have mopar wheels with 12mm bs.

Really wish someone would measure the backspace on the Rubicon wheels. Guess we'll have that measurement soon once these hit owners and shops hands.

 

[Ghagen1]

These work 35x11.5r 17 Nitto Trail Grapplers load range C

 

[008]

These work 35x11.5r 17 Nitto Trail Grapplers load range C

Those look awesome! How do you like them? exactly what I’m planning if mine ever shows up.

 

[Ghagen1]

Those look awesome! How do you like them? exactly what I’m planning if mine ever shows up.

Thanks, great so far I think the fit is perfect but just had them installed 2 days ago. Hope you get yours soon worth the wait.

 

[PaPasJP]

No problems here.

 

[Mantacon]

35's with Mopar lift. Doesn't rub, even without the lift.

 

[crushinit]

Talked to a pretty knowledgeable Jeep guy at DT today and while he would technically put the 315/70/17 BFG's on the stock Rubicon rims w/ no lift, he said there's no way he would put them on his own Jeep based on width. I was ready to pull the trigger but now I'm not so sure. Don't really want to drop the money on new rims too even I could recoup some of it.

 

[DanW]

Talked to a pretty knowledgeable Jeep guy at DT today and while he would technically put the 315/70/17 BFG's on the stock Rubicon rims w/ no lift, he said there's no way he would put them on his own Jeep based on width. I was ready to pull the trigger but now I'm not so sure. Don't really want to drop the money on new rims too even I could recoup some of it.

I'd like to hear his reasoning. They work fine and actually the narrower stock rim holds the bead better at lower pressures than wider rims. In the hard core rock crawling world, they call that setup the "poor man's bead lock." I'm running 315's on stock Rubi rims and the ride/handling and stability are excellent. No issues. There are folks around here with 37's on stock rims, doing just fine, too.

 

[HighDeaf1080p]

My understanding of the manufacturer recommended rim widths, is that they have to do with uneven wear on the tire if fully inflated. I don't believe it is a safety issue of the bead breaking loose. If the owner is running at a lower tire pressure so the contact patch stays flat to the road surface, I am not sure what other issues would arise from this that would make this knowledgeable Jeep guy so worried.

Overheating of the sidewall maybe from too much flex at highway speeds? I dunno.

 

[DanW]

My understanding of the manufacturer recommended rim widths, is that they have to do with uneven wear on the tire if fully inflated. I don't believe it is a safety issue of the bead breaking loose. If the owner is running at a lower tire pressure so the contact patch stays flat to the road surface, I am not sure what other issues would arise from this that would make this knowledgeable Jeep guy so worried.

Overheating of the sidewall maybe from too much flex at highway speeds? I dunno.

Overheating would only occur if the weight on the tire is at or over the limit, a la Ford Explorer/Firestone. I'm pretty sure I'm nowhere near that limit. I run 30lbs, cold for exactly the reason you gave. 30 is not low pressure. It is lower than the fuel saving pressures automakers like to specify, but certainly well within safety limits. I'd love to hear a tire engineer's thoughts, unfiltered by their company's legal department. I do know this. Thousands, probably tens of thousands, of JK owners have been running 35's on 7.5 inch wide stock rims for a little over a decade now. I haven't seen or heard of a story where that caused an issue, including premature wear. Just remember, the tire pressure the factory recommends is not just driven by even wear. CAFE has more influence than ever on those numbers, thus we've seen a rise in typical pressures recommended by automakers in recent years, sometimes at the expense of even wear.

 

[crushinit]

His other reasoning was rubbing at almost full to full flex. For those on the BFG’s can you confirm little to no rubbing?

Sponsored