OK so far i basically have a pavement princess...

[Brad Hearing]

but im going to be upgrading the tires for this winter up in canada, eh?

to that end id like to tap anyone who went from a larger wheel like what the sahara has to a smaller one - does it really make the ride louder on the street? I like the look but with my bad hearing i dont need that constant din to make it worse. is the ride itself any different? should I just stay with the existing wheels and continue to be the poser that I fear I really am?

FWIW i have a situation where im often on a gradient of 11 degrees. interestingly when in 2H mode I cannot reverse out of it using the stock wheels if the ground is dry.

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[kah.mun.rah]

What size of wheel do you have an what size are you thinking about going down to? As far as sound, tire tread design has more impact on that than wheel size. A smaller wheel will allow you more sidewall to air down which can make the ride more comfortable, especially off-road. Another factor to consider is that tires of the same height for 17" wheels are less expensive than tires for 20" wheels.

 

[Brad Hearing]

What size of wheel do you have an what size are you thinking about going down to? As far as sound, tire tread design has more impact on that than wheel size. A smaller wheel will allow you more sidewall to air down which can make the ride more comfortable, especially off-road. Another factor to consider is that tires of the same height for 17" wheels are less expensive than tires for 20" wheels.

what about wheel wall size and its impact on sound?

 

[Ratbert]

You're just wanting better grip while still fundamentally having a pavement princess, right?

11 degrees is barely an incline. The street to my house in CO is steeper than that. Are your tires simply worn out?

You can easily get something with more grip on your existing wheels, but if yours are that bad / wimpy then yes, it'll be louder.

 

[Brad Hearing]

You're just wanting better grip while still fundamentally having a pavement princess, right?

11 degrees is barely an incline. The street to my house in CO is steeper than that. Are your tires simply worn out?

You can easily get something with more grip on your existing wheels, but if yours are that bad / wimpy then yes, it'll be louder.

jeep (and tires) are only months old. the incline is at a cabin on a dirt road. trying to reverse up the hill and i had to put it into 4H.

what i think i want is basically a really good snow tire, my question though is if keeping the same wheel size would result in a quieter ride than if I also got smaller wheels beacause of the side of the sidewall?

 

[Terrymo]

I would think a 17 inch wheel with a taller sidewall tire vs a 20 inch wheel with a shorter sidewall tire would have transmit less road noise into the cabin. I’ve never had 20s though.

 

[NWJeepr]

Yes, a taller sidewall should help with both noise and ride harshness. But, the tire will want to roll more in corners.

Two more confounding variables. With taller sidewalls or larger tires, most people also go with a more aggressive tread which can add noise compared to a highway tire with a typical touring style tread. And, if you're upgrading from a car (P) tire to a light truck tire (LT), you can get a little more harshness/stiffness because the sidewalls are typically much thicker.

I don't consider most All Terrains to be noisy (KO2/3, Duratrac, Grabber ATX, etc). Tire drone is more prevalent in the Mud Terrain styles as the lugs get bigger and chunkier.

 

[kah.mun.rah]

Noise comes from air pockets in the tread. With tire tread, the more space between the tread blocks, the more air is trapped and compressed, making a louder noise. Wheel size will impact comfort since the larger the wheel the more compressed/stiff the sidewall is but typically wheel size does not impact noise since the same tread pattern can be used on a small wheel or a larger wheel. If noise is a sensitive issue, the Wrangler might be the wrong vehicle since there is typically more noise generated from the top, windshield, and doors than the tires anyway.

 

[Punkn89]

Wait, wouldn't bad hearing make it harder to hear noise as opposed to good hearing where you can hear everything?

 

[Ratbert]

jeep (and tires) are only months old. the incline is at a cabin on a dirt road. trying to reverse up the hill and i had to put it into 4H.

what i think i want is basically a really good snow tire, my question though is if keeping the same wheel size would result in a quieter ride than if I also got smaller wheels beacause of the side of the sidewall?

The height of your sidewall shouldn't have a significant impact on sound. Going to a more aggressive tread pattern (what's needed), however, most likely will.

I'm guessing that the tires on there are basically street tires (that detail would help). Have you looked at the new KO3s? Most likely louder, but probably have the characteristics you're looking for.

 

[Mifsuud]

Road noise is a combination of tread design and materials. The synthetic rubbers used in tire manufacturing play a major role in road noise. That's Michelin's big claim for decades, smooth and quiet. Basically you have to determine the trade off between aggressive performance and comfort. Kinda like buying a Wrangler vs 4runner. Falcon Wildpeak tires have a very good reputation for snow performance.

See if you can find some Jeep 17" take offs in your area, they'll bolt on your Sahara. It's common to find a set with factory tires in good condition. You can compare and even have a summer/winter set as needed. I still have my factory wheels in storage.

 

[NWJeepr]

Wait, wouldn't bad hearing make it harder to hear noise as opposed to good hearing where you can hear everything?

I'm sure Brad Hearing can explain better, but I have a father (and have had grandparents) hard of hearing. It's the background noise that really messes with what hearing they have left. Things like a droning exhaust or big meaty mud terrains on pavement are a no-go.

 

[Brad Hearing]

I'm sure Brad Hearing can explain better, but I have a father (and have had grandparents) hard of hearing. It's the background noise that really messes with what hearing they have left. Things like a droning exhaust or big meaty mud terrains on pavement are a no-go.

100% but its worse for me -

I have nerve damage between the ear and brain which basically mitigates my entire mid-range hearing. as a result significant background noise of any kind basically makes it impossible for me to hear human voices. going to a busy restaurant is a real challenge.

the street tires are ok but i do want something i can rely on in the snow. since it sounds (pardon the pun) like the side wall size doesnt matter but the tread does i guess im going to just put proper winters on my existing wheels.

I was hoping that somehow the extra material in the tire wall would act to dampen the noise

 

[Ratbert]

i guess im going to just put proper winters on my existing wheels.

Just for winter, right? You don't want to be using winter tires year round.

 

[Terrymo]

I guess I’ll be the dissenting opinion. I believe a taller sidewall does a better job of absorbing and canceling out road bumps and noise. Does that make it worth buying new wheels. Probably not.

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