Let's Talk Tires. 35's, to Be Specific

[DanW]

I'm 100% sure now, after seeing the JLUR today at the Indy Auto Show, that I'm going to upgrade to 35's. I'm looking at 3 tires, and the favorites are in this order, with pros/cons:

1. BFG KO2 315/70/17 Load Range C....Pros: price (256), weight (64 or 65 pounds), Cons: 15/32 tread depth (Not bad, but not as deep as Duratracs, C range should ride nice, but are the sidewalls as tough as the E rated BFG's? If so, then it is a pro.

2. BFG KO2 315/70/17 Load Range E...Pros: price (276), weight (64 or 65 pounds), tough side wall, Cons : 15/32 tread depth, maybe a little stiffer ride than the C's (better handling though?)

3. Goodyear Duratrac 315/70/17 Load Range D...Pros: load range D is a good compromise, weight (63 pounds) 18/32 tread depth, more open tread, almost like a mild mud-terrain, Cons: price (309 ouch!), Some say weak sidewall is more prone to cuts than BFG KO2, said to get noisy with wear, and sipes disappear sooner than KO2, supposedly.

Here's the great news: I'm taking the 285 KO2's off my JLUR and putting them on my JKUR, which happens to need tires! I'm ordering some Quadratec Hard Rock wheels, black with polished lip. They should fit the 285's better than the stock Jeep Moab wheels on it now. It already has a 2" lift, so it should look and perform well with these new shoes!

I looked closely at the standard plastic rear bumper on the JLUR today. It looks like it has room to clear the 35's, but it will be tight.

Which of these would you choose? What tire are you looking to get, if up sizing? Pros? Cons? Other tires I considered were KM2's, Nitto Trail Grapplers, and General Grabber XT's. I just have a hard time getting away from BFG, since they have served me so well, so long, especially off road.

Sponsored

 

[JayV]

I'm 100% sure now, after seeing the JLUR today at the Indy Auto Show, that I'm going to upgrade to 35's. I'm looking at 3 tires, and the favorites are in this order, with pros/cons:

1. BFG KO2 315/70/17 Load Range C....Pros: price (256), weight (64 or 65 pounds), Cons: 15/32 tread depth (Not bad, but not as deep as Duratracs, C range should ride nice, but are the sidewalls as tough as the E rated BFG's? If so, then it is a pro.

2. BFG KO2 315/70/17 Load Range E...Pros: price (276), weight (64 or 65 pounds), tough side wall, Cons : 15/32 tread depth, maybe a little stiffer ride than the C's (better handling though?)

3. Goodyear Duratrac 315/70/17 Load Range D...Pros: load range D is a good compromise, weight (63 pounds) 18/32 tread depth, more open tread, almost like a mild mud-terrain, Cons: price (309 ouch!), Some say weak sidewall is more prone to cuts than BFG KO2, said to get noisy with wear, and sipes disappear sooner than KO2, supposedly.

Here's the great news: I'm taking the 285 KO2's off my JLUR and putting them on my JKUR, which happens to need tires! I'm ordering some Quadratec Hard Rock wheels, black with polished lip. They should fit the 285's better than the stock Jeep Moab wheels on it now. It already has a 2" lift, so it should look and perform well with these new shoes!

I looked closely at the standard plastic rear bumper on the JLUR today. It looks like it has room to clear the 35's, but it will be tight.

Which of these would you choose? What tire are you looking to get, if up sizing? Pros? Cons? Other tires I considered were KM2's, Nitto Trail Grapplers, and General Grabber XT's. I just have a hard time getting away from BFG, since they have served me so well, so long, especially off road.

Pretty sure I'm gonna go with what's behind door number 1.

That's assuming I can get Discount Tire to mount that tire on the stock 7.5" wheel.

And I'm hoping one of my jlwranglerforums.com brothers or sisters in Houston who ordered a sport is gonna want my stock Rubi 33" take-offs for a reasonable price.

 

[DanW]

Pretty sure I'm gonna go with what's behind door number 1.

That's assuming I can get Discount Tire to mount that tire on the stock 7.5" wheel.

And I'm hoping one of my jlwranglerforums.com brothers or sisters in Houston who ordered a sport is gonna want my stock Rubi 33" take-offs for a reasonable price.

Discount Tire Direct shows ok for 7.5" rim width. In fact, they show all 3 of the above choices available for stock rim width. Good news!

 

[PavementWarrior]

I'm 100% sure now, after seeing the JLUR today at the Indy Auto Show, that I'm going to upgrade to 35's. I'm looking at 3 tires, and the favorites are in this order, with pros/cons:

1. BFG KO2 315/70/17 Load Range C....Pros: price (256), weight (64 or 65 pounds), Cons: 15/32 tread depth (Not bad, but not as deep as Duratracs, C range should ride nice, but are the sidewalls as tough as the E rated BFG's? If so, then it is a pro.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...hite-jl-wrangler-sport-with-mopar-parts.2093/
.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...hite-jl-wrangler-sport-with-mopar-parts.2093/
looks like Jeep picked option 1

 

[Mac]

I would go with Toyo Open Country AT 2s, I have had several sets and they are great tires, they require very little weight to balance, I have a friend with Duratracs and he has had a hard time getting them balanced and they need a lot of weight. BFGs are decent tires but also require a lot of weight and wear fast.

 

[Mattyp1214]

I’d look into ridge grappler reviews. After doing extensive research it seems like the best of both words of AT and MT and performs better in snow than all your choices (not sure if that matters where you are). Expensive but every 4wd or off-road review raves about them on and off road. Same with other forums.
I researched for awhile and that’s what I’ve settled on

 

[FCrackerJLRubi]

Can dealers refuse any drivetrain warranty related items if we throw on 35s? I mean Jeep has been saying this whole time....."The Rubicon allows for 35s".

The thing to keep in mind about running 35x12.50s on a 7.5" rim is you are going to have minor balooning and a lot of sidewall flex. This likely will result in degraded road manners....I mean its worth it to me, but im just putting that out there. And be careful on how far you air down....or carry a can of hairspray and a lighter and get use to redneck bead setting!

 

[Rubi]

I’d look into ridge grappler reviews. After doing extensive research it seems like the best of both words of AT and MT and performs better in snow than all your choices (not sure if that matters where you are). Expensive but every 4wd or off-road review raves about them on and off road. Same with other forums.
I researched for awhile and that’s what I’ve settled on

I’m leaning towards Rugged Ridge XHD wheels immediately after I order my JLR with a remounting of the OEM K02’s. Once they wear out; 35” Ridge Grapplers for me as well. Yes, reviewers are raving about these Nitto’s with exceptional performance in the snow, superior off-road capability, with exceptional durability.

 

[008]

Pretty sure I'm gonna go with what's behind door number 1.

That's assuming I can get Discount Tire to mount that tire on the stock 7.5" wheel.

And I'm hoping one of my jlwranglerforums.com brothers or sisters in Houston who ordered a sport is gonna want my stock Rubi 33" take-offs for a reasonable price.

I’m in Houston as well. My dealer said they may give me a credit and put the 35s on before delivery. They’re waiting on confirmation that the Rubicon can handle it without a lift.

 

[DanW]

I would go with Toyo Open Country AT 2s, I have had several sets and they are great tires, they require very little weight to balance, I have a friend with Duratracs and he has had a hard time getting them balanced and they need a lot of weight. BFGs are decent tires but also require a lot of weight and wear fast.

Those look great, but are a bit heavy, for my preference. (70lbs) The Ridge Grapplers are 71lbs, so same deal. My brother runs their road tires on his Silverado and is a huge Nitto fan, btw. He's gotten good wear and says snow traction is outstanding.

 

[DanW]

What are some mud treads you guys like? I've been running KM2's on my JK for about 60k miles now, and love them. They handled Moab with aplomb, and off road in any conditions, from deep mud to rocks to sand, they have been amazing. They are not great in snow, unless it is at least a few inches deep, but that's not a huge deal. What I've not liked is the noise and stiff ride, although the noise is probably not bad for an MT. The ride isn't terrible, either, but I'd still like it to be a little softer. The side walls are tough as iron.

The Firestone Destination MT2 looks interesting. I wonder how the noise is? They have some siping, too.

 

[AZCrawl]

What are some mud treads you guys like? I've been running KM2's on my JK for about 60k miles now, and love them. They handled Moab with aplomb, and off road in any conditions, from deep mud to rocks to sand, they have been amazing. They are not great in snow, unless it is at least a few inches deep, but that's not a huge deal. What I've not liked is the noise and stiff ride, although the noise is probably not bad for an MT. The ride isn't terrible, either, but I'd still like it to be a little softer. The side walls are tough as iron.

The Firestone Destination MT2 looks interesting. I wonder how the noise is? They have some siping, too.

For mud terrains, look at the Cooper STT Pro's. I ran KM2's as well, I prefer the Cooper's, they are good in snow too.

 

[DanW]

For mud terrains, look at the Cooper STT Pro's. I ran KM2's as well, I prefer the Cooper's, they are good in snow too.

Those look nice. They are ok in the weight department, too, at 67lbs.

 

[RonH]

Those look nice. They are ok in the weight department, too, at 67lbs.

Except that they don't make 'em in a true 35" tire for a 17" rim. Closest they have is 315/70/17. It's a tiny amount, I know, so...maybe...lol Still looking at the General Grabber X3, but not a ton of reviews out there...

 

[AZCrawl]

Those look nice. They are ok in the weight department, too, at 67lbs.

I found this very informative about the engineering that went into the design of these tires. Start at 1:37.

Sponsored