Would Sahara wheels improve the street driveability of my Rubicon?

[Edslittleworld]

Somebody in my area is selling some "new" Sahara wheels/tires for a reasonable price and I'm wondering if having them as a second set would increase the streetability of my 2-Door Rubicon as I only off-road 2-3 times a month. I own both a garage and two floor jacks, so I can probably change them all out in less than an hour if need be. Would installing them give me NOTICEABLY better mpg's, handling, ride and acceleration...plus save my meatier treads for true off-roading?

Sponsored

 

[Tushar]

Would definitely be a lot quieter not sure about better mpg. What setup are you currently running ?

 

[The Last Cowboy]

If you have the Falken MTs, probably. The BFG KO2s ride pretty nice and are relatively quiet. Usually a 20” wheel with the lower profile tire will ride worse though.

You would be better off finding some stock take off wheels, then putting an SL/XL rated tire on them like a Michelin Defender or similar all season tire. You will want to keep the diameter close to the 32.6” of your current tire unless you want to reprogram the speedometer. A few tenths in either direction won’t matter.

 

[Kreepin1]

Not apples to apples, but I borrowed a set of 17" street tires off a JK when I had my Jeep dyno'd. There was a VERY noticeable improvement in ride, braking and acceleration compared to the 35x11.5 Nittos... Can't speak to mpgs though.

 

[OBD]

I am thinking the same thing.....following this thread.

 

[bestert]

If you have the Falken MTs, probably. The BFG KO2s ride pretty nice and are relatively quiet. Usually a 20” wheel with the lower profile tire will ride worse though.

You would be better off finding some stock take off wheels, then putting an SL/XL rated tire on them like a Michelin Defender or similar all season tire. You will want to keep the diameter close to the 32.6” of your current tire unless you want to reprogram the speedometer. A few tenths in either direction won’t matter.

Thanks for the advice!!!

 

[five9dak]

Ask the seller to try them to see if they meet your expectations. Leave a big deposit or take him for a ride.

 

[rcadden]

Recently went from Sahara stock 32" Dueler A/Ts on 18" wheels to Rubicon take-offs 33" KO2's on 17" wheels.

TBH, the Rubi take-offs ride waaay better. I gave up ~1-2 MPG but the extra ~1" of sidewall made a noticeable difference - the ride is much, much softer.

 

[Echo4papa]

The gearing on the Sahara is the biggest advantage in terms of MPG, not the stock wheels. I went from the stock Sahara wheels & tires to stock 392 Rubi takeoffs and haven't noticed a significant change in mpg. That includes road trip from FL to MD (once on each set).

 

[kiddy2fan]

Recently went from Sahara stock 32" Dueler A/Ts on 18" wheels to Rubicon take-offs 33" KO2's on 17" wheels.

TBH, the Rubi take-offs ride waaay better. I gave up ~1-2 MPG but the extra ~1" of sidewall made a noticeable difference - the ride is much, much softer.

Interesting, I just replaced the 32" Dueler H/T 18s on my sport Altitude for BFG K02s with the E rating and ride is just as good and feels more connected to the road.

Sponsored