Largest Tire on JLU Sahara - Stock Rims & no lift

[BGJLU]

Great question.

DuraTracs - they were great for me, but I wanted to try something new this time around. They’re snowflake rated which means they do great in the snow. I didn’t hear any road noise at all with these. I noticed bumps a bit more I’d say, but nothing that would really deter me from them again. Some of people say these tires are old news now and that some of the options below have replaced these as the leader in this category.

KO2 - also snowflake rated. Can be had in “C load” which means a softer ride. Very practical choice for on road use! But, I’m not a big fan of the sidewall pattern. My vanity got in the way of my logic here

Wildpeaks - IIRC, these are also snowflake rated (confirm to be sure, if you care). Newer tire - and getting good reviews from people here so far. My vanity got in the way again, though. Nothing wrong with them, I just don’t love the sidewall pattern.

Ridge Grapplers - note, Nitto uses “Grappler” in a bunch of their tire lines - so be sure you look at which grappler (Terra, Ridge, Trail, Mud - in order from least aggressive to most). There are some other options like Dune, but I don’t remember them all. These are also newer tires, and are getting great reviews. They are not snowflake rated which is a bummer for me, though some people are indicating that they could be snowflake rated based on performance, but Nitto just didn’t go through the paperwork to get the official approval. Who knows. I went with these to try something new and because I like the aggressive looking sidewall pattern. People are loving this tire in the 285/75r17 size (34”) with no lift needed AND available in a load C, to boot! These would have been a great choice for me over the 35s in load E, but I’m illogical and vain with tires, I’m learning I really want to try 35s (for no logical reason - other than they look cool).

I had the opportunity to test drive the KO2s in load D (315s) and load E (35s) and could not tell a difference between the load ranges on the road. I had an opportunity to drive the Nitto RGs in 35 as well, and they seemed a bit stiffer, perhaps.

At the end of the day, I went with the RGs because they look awesome, lol. They do meet my other requirements besides the load range (E is more strength than I need, and less comfortable of a ride), and my biggest concern is how comfortable they’ll ride. If we end up thinking they’re too harsh, we’ll swap them out at Discount Tire (100% refund available within 30 days, no questions asked).

Lastly - I also considered Nitto Trail Grapplers, Cooper STT Pros, and Yokohama Geolander G003s - which are all more aggressive but supposedly not as tame on the road.

Awesome. Thanks again. It would have taken me several hours to learn all that!

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[rep23jr]

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Looking for some advice. Same situation as the OP. JLUS on order and looking for feedback on best tire options for stock wheel and no lift. Mine is coming with the Bridgestone Duelers, which I haven’t seen in person. In pictures, they appear a little pedestrian. I am wanting a tire with a “meatier” look.

Am I off base on the Duelers? What is the tire/size you guys recommend? Another option is to live with the stock tires for a while and then upgrade the wheels and tires. One advantage to doing it now is a local shop giving me 50% trade credit on Duelers.

Thanks for your feedback.

I just put 285/65/18 BFG KO2’s E load on 18x9 ATX Lege Rims. The tires are considerably more aggressive looking than stock and no rubbing issues at all. I cannot tell the difference in ride quality so no downside there. Here’s a few pics for your research. Good luck!

 

[rcgait1]

KMC XD Monster 2's with Nitto Ridge Grappler 285/75R17's. Absolutely no rub, C-rated rubber, and with the pressure down to 35 they ride just like the stock wheels.

How is the factory tailgate holding up? Do you know the weight of the wheel setup?

 

[BGJLU]

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I just put 285/65/18 BFG KO2’s E load on 18x9 ATX Lege Rims. The tires are considerably more aggressive looking than stock and no rubbing issues at all. I cannot tell the difference in ride quality so no downside there. Here’s a few pics for your research. Good luck!

That looks outstanding! Thanks for the pics. What kind of wheels are those?

 

[rep23jr]

That looks outstanding! Thanks for the pics. What kind of wheels are those?

ATX Ledge Rims 18x9 - 0 offset / 5.5 BS
BF Goodrich KO2 A/T Tires 288/65/18 E load

 

[passingnotes]

KMC XD Monster 2's with Nitto Ridge Grappler 285/75R17's. Absolutely no rub, C-rated rubber, and with the pressure down to 35 they ride just like the stock wheels.

did you need a relo bracket for the spare on the 285/75/17 ridge grapplers?

 

[DelNinja]

Following. New to the forum.

 

[Atomic Anvil]

How is the factory tailgate holding up? Do you know the weight of the wheel setup?

The tires are 65lbs and the wheels are 31lbs. I took the Jeep to Fortec here in Marietta, and they guys all said the gate will be fine for on road, as it is actually much stronger than the JK gate. I have had no problems at all so far, and the gate is still pristine with about 2000 miles on it.

 

[Atomic Anvil]

did you need a relo bracket for the spare on the 285/75/17 ridge grapplers?

No relocation bracket needed. The tire fits perfectly.

 

[CashMonkey]

KMC XD Monster 2's with Nitto Ridge Grappler 285/75R17's. Absolutely no rub, C-rated rubber, and with the pressure down to 35 they ride just like the stock wheels.

Whats your offset on these?

 

[Atomic Anvil]

Whats your offset on these?

The offset is -12mm. I will say they could probably be tucked in further, but I like the wider stance.

 

[Gaxmode]

I thought negative offsets put it inside the fender?

 

[Atomic Anvil]

I thought negative offsets put it inside the fender?

It does; however, with the additional width of the wheel and tire (9” wheel and 11.5” tire) it sill ends up about about 1.5”-2.0” beyond the fender.

 

[White Butte]

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I just put 285/65/18 BFG KO2’s E load on 18x9 ATX Lege Rims. The tires are considerably more aggressive looking than stock and no rubbing issues at all. I cannot tell the difference in ride quality so no downside there. Here’s a few pics for your research. Good luck!

65? What factors came into play with this decision? Look? Speedo? Just curious.
They look great!

 

[halw9000]

I thought negative offsets put it inside the fender?

It does; however, with the additional width of the wheel and tire (9” wheel and 11.5” tire) it sill ends up about about 1.5”-2.0” beyond the fender.

Negative offset actually pushed the tire towards the outside of the fender. This link is helpful to visualize: https://www.rimsntires.com/specspro.jsp

Positive = wheel mounts closer to the front face. The stock Sahara wheels are +44 offset--that's why they look a little more tucked in. Atomic Anvil is correct to point out that the wheel width impacts this as well.

I'm no expert--just trying to help! I've been learning more about this lately as well as I'm getting ready for my Sahara. I've driven a JKU for 10 years and just sold it last week. I bought it in '08 used with some sweet wheels on it already, so I never had to shop for them previously!

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