Advice on tires & wheels needed from desert drivers

[Redx2]

I'm upgrading my stock 18" JLUS wheels to 17s w/ 33 or 34 tires & a budget lift but I'm having a hard time picking a tire. We live on a dirt road in the high desert & run a lot of trails (Burns Canyon, Hondo, Giant Rock, Johnson Valley + off road in Marble Mountains) so a tire that handles well in sand & sharp rocks is needed but I also drive round trip to LA weekly for work so decent wear on pavement is a plus. I don't mind a little road noise & am not overly concerned with stiffness but I do need a tire that does well at 75-80mph (hwy).

Love the look of Ridge Grapplers.
KO2s seem popular & potentially better on wet roads but I don't love the look as much.
A/T3W?

Anything in particular I need to be on the lookout for or should mark off the list? For wheels is there a finish that holds up better on dusty roads & getting scratched by creosotes?

My stock suspension & wheels have been more than capable thus far, I'm just 30k miles in & ready to go bigger.

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[whiteglad]

I like the 255-80-17 Falken AT3W E rated tires for desert and mountain trails. These tires are 33.1", 10" wide, 52.5 pounds. They don't offer quite the same thing in 18".

 

[Redx2]

I like the 255-80-17 Falken AT3W E rated tires for desert and mountain trails. These tires are 33.1", 10" wide, 52.5 pounds. They don't offer quite the same thing in 18".

Thank you! So helpful. I'm getting 17s so I could do those.

 

[whiteglad]

If you don't have wheels yet, the Sport S JT aluminum wheels are often available inexpensively as take-offs. Here is my setup:

 

[blnewt]

Might check the new Toyo ATIII tires, have a 50k mileage warranty and a good all around AT tread, also a snow-rated tire (should you ever have the need)
Here's a member that just picked them up in a good size 285/75/17 (about 34" tall)
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/285-75-r17-on-stock-jl-sport.9439/page-9#post-1179997

 

[whiteglad]

For comparison, the 285-75-17 size from Toyo or Falken will be 33.86-33.9", 11.1" wide, and 60-65.5 lb. Both are available in E, the Toyo also in C. They will run about $40-60 more each than the 255-80-17 Falkens. While JT Rubicon Falkens weigh 62.8 lb, I prefer to keep tire weight down for life of steering etc. components, steering feel, etc. As they say, ymmv--everyone has personal preference. The AT3W tires are also mountain-snowflake rated like the Toyo AT3. I was very happy with the Falkens on my JKU Recon so got that model tire for my JT.

 

[Lapis]

I live down in the Coachella Valley, I have the stock Rubicon 285/70R17 BFG KO2's and they do very well in loose sand.

Any good A/T tire will do well in desert as long as you air down. Stay away from MT tires as they will try to dig into looser sand and you don't want that. The trick is to try to "float" on top of it. A wider tire (like a 285-315) and dropping your air pressure will give you more contact patch.

 

[Redx2]

Thanks much everyone.
I hadn't heard much buzz about the Toyo tires so I hadn't really looked into them but I do like the looks & stats so A/T III are getting added to the list. Seeing them in that thread I think I've officially reached the "but maybe I should go bigger" portion of my tire search.

Sidewall height obviously changes the look of a tire but is sidewall roundness a thing? The KO2s I see always look more rounded on the sides & other tires (like RGs) seem sit more rigid/squared off.

For wheels I've always had a soft spot for the old school 8-hole polished wheels. I don't think I mind the upkeep of polished unless there's another terrain-related reason I should avoid? Also really into the Fuel Beast & Fuel Vapor.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

The best desert tires I ever had were the old Yokohama Super Diggers. They were damn near puncture proof. Too bad they didn't keep evolving it.

BFG AT KO2 is the next best that I've had. I know you don't care for them, and they are everywhere, but there's a reason for that.

I had Toyo Open Country AT Extremes on my F150 not too long ago. I was unimpressed after the new wore off. They punctured easier than I would have thought. They balanced great though.

The Firestones Destination MT2s that came on my JL show some promise, but I haven't been in sharp rocks or mesquite with them yet. There is a less aggressive version called the Destination XT, but there isn't a big selection of sizes and most are load range E.

The Falken AT3Ws are nice tires on the road, had them on my XJ for a few months before it was totaled, so I have no idea how they behave in rough terrain.

I have no experience with Goodyear Wrangler Dura Tracs, but I've heard a lot of good things about them.

 

[Redx2]

The best desert tires I ever had were the old Yokohama Super Diggers. They were damn near puncture proof. Too bad they didn't keep evolving it.

BFG AT KO2 is the next best that I've had. I know you don't care for them, and they are everywhere, but there's a reason for that.

Thank you - so helpful! I think all signs point to KO2. I'm going with the KO2s in LT315/70R17 - C rated & lighter than so many others, should be good on my off road adventures, unexpected desert snow & rain, and speedy highway trips.

My back and forth on the stupid wheels & tires has been 2 years and a lengthy spreadsheet in the making - I'm ordering the lift today & giving myself a 24 hour deadline to pick a wheel and be done.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Yep, I get caught up on that stuff too. Spend way to much time deciding. I think the 315/70/17 C AT KO2 is the best almost 35" (34.3) tire for Jeeps right now. Most 35s are 34.5" anyway, so the look is the same.

 

[blnewt]

Can't go wrong w/ BFGs

 

[jadewolf]

Another vote for the KO2s. I've been driving those around SoCal's deserts for about nine years and love them. Good on road and off, not too noisy, durable as all get out. You can't go wrong with them!

If you decide to go with the 8-hole polished wheels, PLEASE post some pics! I'm eyeballing those for my blue JL Rubicon, which should be here in the next couple weeks, but can't make up my mind. I'm a sucker for that vintage look, though. I run them in matte black on my current JK, but I feel like polished would really pop on a bright colored Jeep.

 

[Redx2]

I got the 315/70/17 KO2s (C) & ended up getting Warn "Jackhammer" wheels. I love em both. The wheels were backordered so I just got everything on a month ago. Already put 3k miles on them between the highway & desert trails - couldn't ask for better performance in either situation.

 

[jadewolf]

Aaaand... I just realized how tremendously old this thread was, whoops. My bad for resurrecting it, lol. But glad you found some you liked, sounds like a great combo!

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