Mod suggestions?

[DadJokes]

Ok, so I’ve got a Sahara. Wish I had the money in late ‘19 to get the Rubicon but it didn’t make sense. Things are good now and I’ve actually been able to start to make some changes.

Right now it’s only got a Genright bumper, Warn, BD amber lights wired to the factory fog light switch, takeoff Rubicon suspension, and electric Ox locker, & some rear Maximus-3 recovery points installed.

I have a Tazer Lite and 3/4 spacers (to offset losses due to load) and have some 1” Bora wheel spacers for a little extra track width for stability since it’s a full tilt family vehicle too.

The plan is mild to moderate trails and lots of highway on an upcoming family vacation. We still have stock gears which I’m wanting to change. I’m thinking 285/75/17 KO2’s, Toyo AT3, or maybe the new MT AT tire coming if it’s available and using Rubi wheels. I do have Maxtrax I need to come up with an exterior mounting solution for. Same goes for if I can get a 4 gal, etc Rotopax. I think I’d like to reinforce the tailgate and get a tailgate table.

I have a very extensive recovery kit now so I’m good there. I plan on a pre packaged novice to advanced level First Aid kit as well.

So what other things would you look at? Things for convenience, storage, etc.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

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[The Last Cowboy]

You’ve thought this out and have done well so far. Many want to fully mod it out the first week they have it, not knowing how it does stock or how they will even use it.

I’m in the slow contemplation stage, as the Willys does everything I need it to do stock and does it surprisingly well.

Since it is a family ride, I recommend mild to medium ATs. I’m liking the BFG 34x10.50x17 right now. I like my tires inside the lines of the fender. If you drive with the doors off and go through any puddles or wet roads, you’ll know what I mean. Especially with kids in the back. Think about dust and gravel too. That tire is a out 33.5” tall which will allow you to get by until you get new gears. Another option would be Rubicon take offs. The 285/75/17s you want are taller than most 35s and with 3.45 gears will be kinda sluggish. That’s just my opinion though. You will need 4.10-4.30 gears to get your stock performance back with 35s.

 

[DadJokes]

You’ve thought this out and have done well so far. Many want to fully mod it out the first week they have it, not knowing how it does stock or how they will even use it.

I’m in the slow contemplation stage, as the Willys does everything I need it to do stock and does it surprisingly well.

Since it is a family ride, I recommend mild to medium ATs. I’m liking the BFG 34x10.50x17 right now. I like my tires inside the lines of the fender. If you drive with the doors off and go through any puddles or wet roads, you’ll know what I mean. Especially with kids in the back. Think about dust and gravel too. That tire is a out 33.5” tall which will allow you to get by until you get new gears. Another option would be Rubicon take offs. The 285/75/17s you want are taller than most 35s and with 3.45 gears will be kinda sluggish. That’s just my opinion though. You will need 4.10-4.30 gears to get your stock performance back with 35s.

My son and I went wheeling with it when the temp tags were still on and though it was kinda easy, we had fun and never had a problem on the 32” tires. Reading about trails we want to do out west, the mods are going to make some of them less rough.

I’m thinking 4.10’s and Rubi fenders too when they become available again.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Ok, so I’ve got a Sahara. Wish I had the money in late ‘19 to get the Rubicon but it didn’t make sense. Things are good now and I’ve actually been able to start to make some changes.
...

I have a Tazer Lite and 3/4 spacers (to offset losses due to load) and have some 1” Bora wheel spacers for a little extra track width for stability since it’s a full tilt family vehicle too.

The plan is mild to moderate trails and lots of highway on an upcoming family vacation. We still have stock gears which I’m wanting to change. I’m thinking 285/75/17 KO2’s, Toyo AT3, or maybe the new MT AT tire coming if it’s available and using Rubi wheels...

So what other things would you look at? Things for convenience, storage, etc.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

I like your thoughts on the tires. You might also just consider some Rubicon takeoffs, since they're plentiful and usually a pretty good deal. The BFG KO2 is decent for street noise and dirt trails and light rock work, but are not much good for mud, IMO. I think the Toyo OC AT3 will be about the same. I had a few sets of the AT1 on a truck years ago and they were quiet until they got worn slightly cupped. Then nothing is quiet when cupped.

If you don't mind more noise, I can recommend the Cooper STMaxx, which is a hybrid AT/mud tire. I've had a couple sets on my 4x4 truck and have had them in light mud and lots of dirt. They are a bit noisy once worn a bit, but they went 60,000 miles on my crewcab truck. ....and they are available in 285-75/17 (true 34") which will put you within a half inch of most "35s". https://us.coopertire.com/tires/discoverer-s-t-maxx

I'd plan to do the gears and the tires together or as close as possible.

I'd ditch the spacers.

You might consider a roof rack for extra storage for the needs of a family.

 

[DadJokes]

I like your thoughts on the tires. You might also just consider some Rubicon takeoffs, since they're plentiful and usually a pretty good deal. The BFG KO2 is decent for street noise and dirt trails and light rock work, but are not much good for mud, IMO. I think the Toyo OC AT3 will be about the same. I had a few sets of the AT1 on a truck years ago and they were quiet until they got worn slightly cupped. Then nothing is quiet when cupped.

If you don't mind more noise, I can recommend the Cooper STMaxx, which is a hybrid AT/mud tire. I've had a couple sets on my 4x4 truck and have had them in light mud and lots of dirt. They are a bit noisy once worn a bit, but they went 60,000 miles on my crewcab truck. ....and they are available in 285-75/17 (true 34") which will put you within a half inch of most "35s". https://us.coopertire.com/tires/discoverer-s-t-maxx

I'd plan to do the gears and the tires together or as close as possible.

I'd ditch the spacers.

You might consider a roof rack for extra storage for the needs of a family.

Thanks for the suggestions and I have heard that the Cooper is definitely a solid tire but it’s just so darn heavy. I don’t know, maybe.

As to the spacers I am looking at my jeep right now and it already looks like one of those expedition vehicles where is definitely is taller than it is wide. It seems that set up is more susceptible to rolling over easier as I have seen in a couple of videos. I wanted to do a small spacer so I called Bora and spoke with their tech. Supposedly the stock studs will only stick out past the spacer 3/8 of an inch. Well, the pockets on the Rubicon wheels I have are an easy 3/4” inch deep. If that is the case then the wheels will actually fit on there flush and be able to be torqued properly. As to the safety of the spacers, in case that is giving you concern, I was worried about that myself. I’ve done a lot of research on it and things can definitely go bad with them but it seems extremely rare and due to owner error. As a former aircraft mechanic I will be using blue Loctite on the threads and they will be torqued to spec and regularly inspected. Venture4WD has ran them for 4 years All over the country and put on at least 110,000 miles on his set which I believe are Teraflex. They are only 1” wide so, essentially, only a 1/4” wider track than a stock Rubicon will be achieved. That should be good to offset the unloaded stability loss and get us back near where we were stock. I’m not an engineer though but I do believe it has to be better than leaving it. With the Rubicon fenders, they should still be under them.

 

[roaniecowpony]

You may also look at GY Duratrac tires. I haven't looked to see if they have a 34", but they have a big following.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Just keep in mind, larger diameter, wider, and more aggressive tread starts pulling down acceleration and fuel economy. So, if you don't really need a particularly large, aggressive tire, think about what you need and how it affects how you use your Jeep, before you buy. Going from stock Sahara tires to a 33 or 34" will seem a big jump in capability (as well as adverse acceleration and fuel economy).

 

[aldo98229]

I took my sweet time modding my Sahara, too. And I’m glad I did. These Jeeps are so expensive now, I want to enjoy every minute of it. Even driving it in stock form.

Mine came with Selec-Trac and LSD. A year ago I added Katzkin leather seats and Mopar LEDs. Recently I added a Mopar steel bumper, Mopar front skid plate, Mopar 2-inch lift, tailgate reinforcement, Smittybilt oversized spare adapter, Quadratec CJ Retro alloy wheels and 35-inch Generals ATs.

I try to be deliberate with my mods; I am very happy with how it drives.

I’ll go looking for some snow this weekend to see how it does.

If I were in your shoes, I’d consider a lift, shed the spacers, keep the OE wheels and mount some 285/75R18 ATs on it. I love the look of “pizza cutters” on a Jeep.

This is what 285/75R18 ATs look like

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

Thanks for the suggestions and I have heard that the Cooper is definitely a solid tire but it’s just so darn heavy. I don’t know, maybe.

As to the spacers I am looking at my jeep right now and it already looks like one of those expedition vehicles where is definitely is taller than it is wide. It seems that set up is more susceptible to rolling over easier as I have seen in a couple of videos. I wanted to do a small spacer so I called Bora and spoke with their tech. Supposedly the stock studs will only stick out past the spacer 3/8 of an inch. Well, the pockets on the Rubicon wheels I have are an easy 3/4” inch deep. If that is the case then the wheels will actually fit on there flush and be able to be torqued properly. As to the safety of the spacers, in case that is giving you concern, I was worried about that myself. I’ve done a lot of research on it and things can definitely go bad with them but it seems extremely rare and due to owner error. As a former aircraft mechanic I will be using blue Loctite on the threads and they will be torqued to spec and regularly inspected. Venture4WD has ran them for 4 years All over the country and put on at least 110,000 miles on his set which I believe are Teraflex. They are only 1” wide so, essentially, only a 1/4” wider track than a stock Rubicon will be achieved. That should be good to offset the unloaded stability loss and get us back near where we were stock. I’m not an engineer though but I do believe it has to be better than leaving it. With the Rubicon fenders, they should still be under them.

I’m reviving this to see if you can clarify something for me regarding your spacers. I got confused from something your posts. I am considering Bora spacers too and want to keep them as small as possible to have my wheels clear the suspension components yet minimize poke. I have OEM Mopar wheels that have the “pockets” on the mounting faces that will allow the wheel studs to extend past the face of the spacer without interference. So my question is, are your Bora spacers 3/4” or 1”, and is my thinking correct that the Mopar wheel pockets accommodate the amount of stud that pokes past the wheel spacer face? Thanks!

 

[DadJokes]

I’m reviving this to see if you can clarify something for me regarding your spacers. I got confused from something your posts. I am considering Bora spacers too and want to keep them as small as possible to have my wheels clear the suspension components yet minimize poke. I have OEM Mopar wheels that have the “pockets” on the mounting faces that will allow the wheel studs to extend past the face of the spacer without interference. So my question is, are your Bora spacers 3/4” or 1”, and is my thinking correct that the Mopar wheel pockets accommodate the amount of stud that pokes past the wheel spacer face? Thanks!

My spacers are 1” and the pockets in the back of the wheel hub area are roughly .750” deep for my Rubicon upgrade wheels. These are factory spec studs according to the salesman so stacking them like this should be an accurate representation with just over .400” protrusion.

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

My spacers are 1” and the pockets in the back of the wheel hub area are roughly .750” deep for my Rubicon upgrade wheels. These are factory spec studs according to the salesman so stacking them like this should be an accurate representation with just over .400” protrusion.

Thank you. How do you asses the quality of the Bora spacers? I would like .75” spacers but I’m not sure I want to cut it so close, that would be about 5/8” protruding into a space of roughly 3/4”. I may have to opt for the same 1” ones you got to be safe. It’s only an extra 1/4”, right?

 

[DadJokes]

Thank you. How do you asses the quality of the Bora spacers? I would like .75” spacers but I’m not sure I want to cut it so close, that would be about 5/8” protruding into a space of roughly 3/4”. I may have to opt for the same 1” ones you got to be safe. It’s only an extra 1/4”, right?

That’s what I would do. Go with the 1” version. I didn’t have my dial caliper handy so the wheel pocket measurement was done “precisely” with a tape measure. lol The pocket is a little concave so there may be a bit more room considering the tape measure end is flat. I don’t think it’s worth chasing though.

This is my first set of hubcentric wheel spacers. So with that in mind, from my machining experience, I think they look great and are quality pieces. I also like that they aren’t some loud color that won’t match anything.

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

That’s what I would do. Go with the 1” version. I didn’t have my dial caliper handy so the wheel pocket measurement was done “precisely” with a tape measure. lol The pocket is a little concave so there may be a bit more room considering the tape measure end is flat. I don’t think it’s worth chasing though.

This is my first set of hubcentric wheel spacers. So with that in mind, from my machining experience, I think they look great and are quality pieces. I also like that they aren’t some loud color that won’t match anything.

Done. Thanks. Now I have to get rid of the set of 1.75” Synergy ones I just impulse purchased when I knew that’s not what I really wanted.

 

[SlickRickMotoADV]

Thanks again for the info. The JLUR wheels fit perfectly on these. Stupid close for sure, but they clear. They seem to come out further than .4" though.

Still no worries though because the po let's are about 3/4" like you said. Excusey crappy pic below

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