Looking for a smoother riding tire

[Watchtower02]

I currently have Nitto Ridge Grapples 35x12.50R18LT load rated F on my 2018 JLU Sahara.

I have it lifted 2.5” on BDS Fox Shocks. I also regeared too and also have a programmer that I believe is a Pulsar.

when I drive over bumps on the road the Jeep shakes enough to where it has worn on me over the last 1.5 years.

I think I went with too stiff of a tire…

Will a 33” tire provide a smoother ride on pavement than a 35” tire?

Does tire width play a factor in smoothness of ride?

or is the smoothness of ride all about the correct load rating??

When I say smoothness…I’m talking about how much of a bump in the road do you feel when driving over it.

I like to some off-roading but it’s occasional. Here in WI it’s mostly dirt rails - no rock crawling.

just looking to make my Jeep ride better on pavement. What to do??

Thanks for the help.

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[blnewt]

F-load rating is better suited for heavier trucks, you could lower the tire pressure if it's on the high side but not much else you can do while running that current set. I'd look into a D-rated, a good compromise for on road comfort and decent protection form road hazards w/ the thicker overall tire vs. a C-rated. Having 18" wheels makes it a bit tougher to find as many tire options. Mickey Thompson ATs and Cooper AT tires are good choices and should be available in 18s.

 

[gsbrockman]

What inflation pressures are you running?

Granted some flotation type tires are of a fairly highly load range......but LRF is so overkill for a Jeep with your curb weight.

 

[jhackathorne]

It is almost certainly your load rating and possibly tire pressure. Lower that and keep going till it feels more comfortable. Unless you’re wanting/ready to buy new tires. Then like @blnewt said… look at D or maybe even C load.

 

[Watchtower02]

I’m running 36 psi. How significant would a C rated load tire be if I switched to that? I can’t find any with 18 inch rims…
Would a D rated tire be noticeable vs what I have now?

I feel like I should have gone with a 17” rim and C rated from the get go…but wasn’t well advised by my Offroad shop - my fault. Still. Ugh.

I guess I could always sell my rims and do 17’s with a c rated…but I already have $10k into the Jeep on mods and not really interested in doing a new wheel tire combo that would likely run me thousands for an outcome I’m not sure of.

on the other hand if I couldput on new tires for say under $1,500 I’d be willing to try that.

As a side note I doubt there is much of a market for the Nitto ridge grapples I have now that have roughly 12k miles on the - correct?

thanks for the guidance.

 

[jhackathorne]

Is 36 psi your cold number or after you’ve been driving a bit? If cold your prob about 40 when warmed up. I’d drop to 28-30 and see how that drives. You could prob list them on Facebook market place and sell them. D rates will be a noticeable difference as well.

 

[AlanD]

Well guess, I'm not the only one to make that mistake.... Try and lower your tire pressure to 25 or 26 PSI on the street. Drive it careful for a couple days to get use to it. Mine handles fine, even around the local roundabouts. It helps with the stiffness, but will not cure it... Mine still handles fine with those really stiff side walls. On the lighter side I taken a couple big nails out that didn't puncture the tire.

 

[Fsttanks]

I currently have Nitto Ridge Grapples 35x12.50R18LT load rated F on my 2018 JLU Sahara.

I have it lifted 2.5” on BDS Fox Shocks. I also regeared too and also have a programmer that I believe is a Pulsar.

when I drive over bumps on the road the Jeep shakes enough to where it has worn on me over the last 1.5 years.

I think I went with too stiff of a tire…

Will a 33” tire provide a smoother ride on pavement than a 35” tire?

Does tire width play a factor in smoothness of ride?

or is the smoothness of ride all about the correct load rating??

When I say smoothness…I’m talking about how much of a bump in the road do you feel when driving over it.

I like to some off-roading but it’s occasional. Here in WI it’s mostly dirt rails - no rock crawling.

just looking to make my Jeep ride better on pavement. What to do??

Thanks for the help.

MickeyThompson Baja Boss AT tires in 35x12.5x17 in “D” load range set at 30 psi cold. MickeyThompson is made by Cooper and is their premium off road brand. It is a US made tire.

The Boss AT is more of a hybrid MT/AT so it has an aggressive tread design looking more MT then AT but rides and handles on road like an AT. Definitely not loud like an MT but not quite as quite as a pure AT.

They are not cheap but you get what you pay for which is a “Top Shelf” off road tire.

 

[gsbrockman]

I’m running 36 psi. How significant would a C rated load tire be if I switched to that? I can’t find any with 18 inch rims…
Would a D rated tire be noticeable vs what I have now?

I feel like I should have gone with a 17” rim and C rated from the get go…but wasn’t well advised by my Offroad shop - my fault. Still. Ugh.

I guess I could always sell my rims and do 17’s with a c rated…but I already have $10k into the Jeep on mods and not really interested in doing a new wheel tire combo that would likely run me thousands for an outcome I’m not sure of.

on the other hand if I couldput on new tires for say under $1,500 I’d be willing to try that.

As a side note I doubt there is much of a market for the Nitto ridge grapples I have now that have roughly 12k miles on the - correct?

thanks for the guidance.

As others have already stated.....look into dropping the pressure.

The load and inflation tables give what each tire‘s load capacity is at various inflation pressures.

 

[Jhawth]

Load rating of the tire is giving you that stiff feeling. Even at a lower psi it will feel stiff, albeit slightly better. You can lower your psi, but do a chalk test to make sure youre still riding on the correct portion of the tread.

Heck, could run a lower psi where it feels softer, disregard the whole tread bit, and move on to the next set of tires quicker

 

[jellis4148]

Shit man, lower the tire pressure. Not only is that making it ride rough the tires surely have a crown to them and will start to cup and wear uneven. I keep mine at about 26 psi cold.

 

[CMTAZ]

I have 285/75 17 Toyo open country, c rated and I have been very happy with them.

 

[wthayer69]

These would probably be smoother for you!
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...5R8OCAT3&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

 

[blnewt]

35s that are available in a D rated 18"
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT
Mickey Thompson Baja Boss MT
Toyo Open Country AT3


The Mickeys would get my vote as they have quite a bit deeper tread and much deeper sidebiters on the sidewalls, and Mickeys are about the best you can buy for off road toughness.
If you're wanting a more civilized ride the ATs would be my choice, if you want a badass Mud tire and are willing to sacrifice a bit regarding road noise and comfort the MTs get the nod.

 

[Watchtower02]

You guys are awesome and thanks for the advice.

how much better/smoother on road ride would a C rated tire feel compared to a D?

one of you said that the D would be a significanty better ride than my current F. Is the C a significant better ride than the D or is it a marginally smoother ride?

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