Repost from thread "Help me decide: do I need just tires or wheels and tires"
Fritz,
Everyone has to follow their own idea of what works for their rig. Your build deserves your own touch, given your own desires and budget. However the more feedback provided, the easier it is to help you visualize what you're after. Good luck and have fun with this.
Word of warning; this may not be easy because there are so many way cool wheel / tire / lift combinations that it may just seem overwhelming.
I just recently completed my lift / wheel / tire build. I decided up-front to do what would give me the greatest on/off-road capability for my Sport S. If I was wealthy enough to have purchased a Rubi, I may have done something different (but most probably not, I'd have done the exact same thing). However, since my rig only has the M186 / M210 open diffs with a 3.45 gear ratio, 35's are the biggest tire I'd consider. So I went with an All Terrain 35" tire. My JL is after all my everyday driver. Unfortunately the width of the tire required a wider 9" wheel.
My build (so far):
1. Mopar 2.5" lift. Decided on this lift to steer well clear of warranty concerns (pun intended).
2. Fuel Ammo Anthracite 17x9 (-12mm offset) wheels.
3. Goodyear 35x12.5x17 Duratrac Wrangler All-Terrains. This was my only real tough decision. But very glad I did. I'm really liking this rubber.
4. Mopar Tailgate Large Tire Carrier. This was a necessity.
<More detail added from original post.>
The selection of a wheel / tire combo was both the hardest yet easiest decision. Hardest from the standpoint of getting started. Easiest when after doing my homework, I pretty much just 'knew' what I liked.
WHEELS:
Just fell in love with the Fuel Ammo Anthracite 17x9" (-12mm offset) with black ring offering the first time I saw them. Searched about a dozen wheel manufacturers web-sites, and everything was either too plain, too common, too black, too chrome or just too damn over-the-top (non-Jeep) ugly. This will be a difficult choice but don't let anyone tell you what's best for your rig (including me). You'll just 'know' what's right for yourself after doing your homework. Be patient.
I went with the -12mm offset to slightly widen my rig's stance. Granted this is rather controversial for some, because the tires stick out a little beyond the fender flairs, but for me this helped lower my center of gravity due to the almost 4.5" lift (after installing the 35" tires). Truthfully, I love the bad-ass look it provides.
TIRES:
This (by far) was the most difficult decision. There are just way too many really cool tires. What led me to the Duratracs was essentially the following:
a. One of the lightest weight tire for it's size.
b. It has the 3 Mountain Peak (3MP) snow rating. I live in Colorado.
c. It's quiet on-road. This is not a major factor, but a nicety.
d. Rated as All-Terrain. This is very important since Snoopy (the wife named him) is indeed my everyday driver.
e. Has an 'E' load rating. While this is not beneficial for the stiffer 35psi on-road feel, it is a good plus for when I air them down to 15psi off-road. This certainly makes them more durable and trail-hazard friendly.
f. Price. It didn't hurt that I found a great deal with a buy four get the fifth free discount. This didn't sway me, but hey I'll take it.
I also explicitly choose the 17" tire for the bigger sidewall size. This is a real advantage off-road where the extra rubber gives better trail handling performance.
Also, research this forum for other Jeeples ratings on tire choices. Refer to @Shots et., al., and all their very fine tire comparison posts.
Have fun deciding your own preferences. Here are the results of my choices:
Starting with stock, followed by my current (well liked) setup. Hope your Jeep ends up giving you as big a smile.
<Also added some off-road pics, since my original post, these are from a recent trip up to Argentine Pass and the abandoned Santiago Mine near Georgetown CO. Wanted to show that doing my homework certainly payed off with dividends. I get to see a lot more of my state. Only high clearance OHV vehicles could possibly even attempt this destination.>
Jay
Thank you for the input. I will go off-road in parks but not anything wild. I had enough of that in the Army with the ultimate rig my M 1
