KrazyItch

How would a 35" tire benefit him more than a 33" regarding the snow? No one has mentioned gearing.... Running a 35" tire will drastically kill your power, and add driving in the mountains you'll have even more loss of power.

Im asking because i to am sorta in the same boat. Looking to replace my tires on my 08 Rubicon. Even with the 410 gearing i am still moving towards the 33" version. Unless someone can convince otherwise. This is also my Daily driver, and right now 16-17mpg is not the best. But then again on my LJ i managed to handle 13-14mpg for 7 years lol.

Chadam

is the drastic power loss only on the 3.8? I have a 6sp 3.6 with 3:73 and don't have any power issues with 35s

PG-JKU

I run 33x12.5x15 Duratracs year-round. If I had my choice I would run 33s but narrower than 12.5 inches in a Duratrac if they were available, to be able to cut through the top layer of the snow a bit better when on the icy roads. Maybe even stud them. Take a look at what the rally drivers have for ice and snow. That would mean a bit of sacrifice for when I am wheeling in the winter in deeper snow and aired down, but 95% of the winter I am on the road. A 33x10.5x15 or even 9.5 would be great on the winter.

nthinuf

Gearing was mentioned back in post 4. But, until we get some actual feedback from the OP on his wants/needs/opinions, any comments on tire size and gearing are just speculation.


Yes... Especially for an automatic at altitude pulling hills all the time.

Mark Doiron

The very European approach to answer that question is to have a narrow, larger tire. The longer footprint does a better job of getting one through slippery places than a wider footprint. Look at the tires on a typical Land Rover Defender: Not the big fat things Americans opt for, but rather something tall and skinny by comparison. Want the American "evidence" of that thinking? Take a look at tractor tires.

spicoli

I used to live in Colorado and I did a run up Middle St. Vrain / Coney Flats with a guy in a stock Unlimited, which is accurately rated 5/10 for difficulty. It was getting close to the limit of what a stock Wrangler JK could do. You can do a lot with stock suspension. He did have good D rated off road tires though. Protection like rock sliders is a good thing to get, I like Shrockworks a lot, but they are slow.

For snow, get sipes tires, whether you have tires siped or buy tires with siping in the tread already, like Duratracs. Also, stiff suspension doesn't help you in the snow. I lived in denver for 30+ years and only time I needed chains was when I had a RWD ford ranger, and I am an avid snowboarder. I was up in the mountains multiple days a week. I had been over passes that closed minutes after I started up them and by driving smart with properly equipped vehicle (good tires and proper tire inflation) I had no problems getting anywhere I desired. You don't need chains. Duratracs don't last that long, but are a great all around tire. If you need more than that then you are driving too fast for the conditions.

Jeepstin12

Mild trails and no crawling? All you need are good tires (plenty of sipes) and lockers. Traction is key more than clearance for your intentions. If you want peace of mind, a 2" budget lift, but 2" isn't going to make a differ eve on clearance when you hit a boulder end trail. Invest in skids if you don't lift. Other than that? A winch. I always see guys and pulling guys out who try the mountains in snow and aren't properly equipped. With a winch, consider a d-ring hitch set up. I've had to anchor my rig with a tree strap just to pull out another guy over an embankment. I was sliding and had to anchor to something. Physics are always a good lesson, particularly in winter.

AYFreeReef

Thanks this post has helped me out a lot! Tires sound like a great investment. I'm using this as a daily driver, getting 20 mpg right now with my 6 speed manual transmission. How much mpg will I lose with the 2.5in tf bb lift and 33in tires? Doesn't matter too much, just curious.

Jeepstin12

to be honest, I don't know precisely. I will say I went from an avg of 18mpg to 14-14.3mpg with 3" and nitto trail grapplers. I'm actually changing to nitto terra grapplers as a mud terrain isn't critics here in Colorado. I'd rather have the all terrain tread. Better wet & snow traction, equivalent on rock, quieter on road... You get the point. A good all terrain tire will suit your needs well.

robsjeep9

As I mentioned in my post I switch to Duratracs come winter .... The only experience I have with the MTR's on snow and ice was coming back from Moab this past May and hit a snowstorm in Colorado I did not like the feeling.