aaronmeyer10

Hi guys,



Brand new here! My wife just got a new-to-us 2015 Sport Unlimited that we love. The problem is, it came with pretty flashy 20” wheels that she’s not crazy about having on her daily driver. They’re currently wrapped in 35” Falken Wildpeak AT3W and it looks pretty awesome. It appears to have some sort of lift, but having never lifted anything I don’t know how to tell what it is. Wheels and tires appear to be brand new, so previous owner dropped some coin on this set up. All that said, we jacked it up and spun the wheels to figure out gear ratio and it looks like we’re sitting on 3.21 gears which wasn’t surprising give the need to stand on the skinny pedal. We’re planning on getting some 17” Icon Compression wheels to replace the 20s, but I’m having a hard time deciding whether to run 33s or 35s on them. It’s going to be the wife’s dd, but we live on a fairly rough gravel road and would like to do some mild overlanding/camping with it on the weekend. I’m new to this stuff as we’ve just run stock 4runners and tundras in the past. Should we plan to regear with either of the tire sizes? If that’s the case, any reason to not just stick with 35s? Any recommendations on gearing for either set up? Anything else I should know or consider? Any other details needed? I’m all ears on tire recommendations as well although I know that’s a hotly debated topic. I was considering some Nitto Ridge Grapplers, but I’ve had good luck with Coopers on my Yotas. Sorry, I know this is a lot, but after searching forums I think I’m more confused than ever! I appreciate any feedback/advice and look forward to learning more about this endless world of Jeep mods 😂

Happy wife

resharp001

Welcome to JKF! Good lookin JK there......with the typical mirror dimple on the cowl. That was such a terrible design.....I hope someone was fired over it. Anyhow, those 3.21 gears are just too high for anyhing over a stock tire size IMO. If you plan on having that jeep for some time the money spent on a regear would be worthwhile. For the 3.6L with 35s the sweet spot is 4.56 gears. 17x9 wheels with 4.5" BS are going to be the best thing to wrap 35s around. If you take some pictures of the underside of the jeep we can help identify what it does or does not have. Quick google search will bring up some pictures of where to measure by the front shock tower to help determine what actual lift height you're sitting at currently. Hopefully the jeep has some sort of caster correction by means of adjustable control arms or control arm brackets. Look for cam bolts in the front axle LCA brackets while you're taking pictures.

aaronmeyer10

Thanks for the feedback! Well, I did some googling and after measuring (and finding a new sticker on one of the coils) it looks like we’re riding at stock height with a 1” teraflex coil spacer. I guess that and the rough country inner fenders made enough room for the 20s and 35” tires. I’m leaning toward going with 4.56 gears and 35s. I noticed you mentioned that 4.5 BS is ideal and after looking at the icon compressions it looks like they’re a 17x8.5 with a -6 offset. Is that a problem? Should we head back to the drawing board on wheel selection? Like I said, I’m new to non-stock vehicles, so sorry if these questions are obviously basic! Looking at wheels is a bit overwhelming! Thanks again for your help! Here are a few pics I snapped of the suspension.


Front with teraflex spacer

Rear with teraflex spacer

resharp001

so with an 8.5" wheel, that -6 offset is ~4.5" BS. Most of us go with a 9" wide wheel, but if the tire you want is happy with an 8.5" wheel it's fine. The tire manufacturers will recommend an acceptable wheel width, so as long as you're in that range. There's a ton of wheels out there though.

As far as the spacer lift, there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, you're probably better off. Most people lifting these things don't do it very well....and the higher you go the more issues you have to address. Lift to accommodate tire size, not looks.......and from that perspective it seems you are good with the little boost and flat fenders.

Couple things to keep in mind with your new jeep. Factory ball joints are a very common issue when going to larger tires due to added stress, and a big source of wobbles. Just keep an upgrade in mind. It isn't a terrible idea to check those every oil change using the quick shovel under the tire method. Also, our radiators and batteries last a few years and are not uncommon issues. On the 3.6L, you can read ad nauseam about the oil cooler and o-rings failing.....that's a fun one.

I'm not sure where Lawrence is. I'm in Texas and Nittos/Toyos are extremely popular down here. I know a lot of folks running the Ridge Grappler and love it. It seems that for people in more wintery climates Toyos and Nittos usually aren't the top choice.

rob_engineer

If it were me, I'd get a set of take-off wheels & tires from a rubicon or willys.

chiapeteater

I have the Ridge Grapplers (305/70/17) on mine currently and run them up in Ohio and West Virginia during the winters and they are not bad. Not great, but not bad either. They did awesome in Moab and do real well on the muddy, rutted trails in W.V.. So far they have worn pretty evenly but I also do a five tire rotation with every oil change. I have about 30K on them and they are starting to very slowly get a bit louder as the miles wear on. Just my observations so far.

TheDirtman

You have a simple teraflex 2" spacer lift. Looks like the factory shocks with not extensions on it. 35's with 4.56 gears should work out fine. Consider adding lockers since you have to buy new carriers for the gears. I would recommend the Eaton E locker. Look for tires with a C or D range and try to avoid E rated tires as they are too stiff for a Jeep. 17" wheels with 4.5" of backspacing. 9" is better than 8.5" on width but either will work. If you are going to keep the spacer lift I would at least find some longer shocks because right now you have about 6" of up travel and 2" of down. There are no bump stop extensions either and your tires will likely rub the fenders hard off road. You also should install some longer sway bar links. I would estimate around $6k for everything you should be doing to it adding the new wheels, tires, gears, lockers, and missing suspension components.

aaronmeyer10

Thanks for all of the feedback and suggestions guys! I definitely have a lot to dig into here. Btw, Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas right between Topeka and Kansas City. I really appreciate everyone’s help!