Though I’ve certainly got no wings and less than a prayer.
Buddy’s back (click for super size)
Before
After
Before
After
Once again, I put this Rubicon Express 3.5in Super Ride kit in. My extended slip yoke is on backorder, but it should be in within the next couple weeks or so. Hopefully. Cause I’ve got a semi-mean vibration at the 35-45mph that it should get rid of.
And when/if it does, we’re moving on to tires next.
The 235/70-16 rubber currently on there looks a bit shrunken and while I hate to give up the 2mpg, I think I’ll put up with it for a little extra width and some extra height.
Get yer calculators out: The 235 gets divided by 25.4 to get your inches in width. That number gets rounded at the hundredth and then multiplied by .70 (the 70) to get your tire wall height. That number gets doubled and added to your rim size to find your total tire height.
That just one example of how the euros screwed us over with the metric system.
Anyway, Buddy’s tires are currently at 28.94 inches tall. They’re 50% gone and a bit too narrow, so I’m going to up them in the not too distant future, provided I don’t have to purchase and install a CV Driveshaft.
I have these on my F-150 in a 255/70-16 and they are one hell of an All-Terrain tire. They excelled in last year’s wind/snowstorm and have taken everything I’ve driven them over with nary a nick.
However, these look like a nice fit and worth trying
But I’m not sure if my tire guy can get his hands on four of them. I’ll hopefully know sooner than later.
Before I saw the finished product, I was just going to for width and snatch up some of the Yokohamas in 255/65-16 size, which when compared to what I have on there now, would be nearly the same height at 29.06 inches.
That’s out the window now though. I’m going for the psuedo-mondo 265/70-16. over an inch wider than the 235’s and nearly a half an inch wider than the 255’s and tops up at 30.7. Which is nice, because I can run the Yokos daily and then switch out to a set of these in a 31×10.5-15 which, after the squat a vehicle puts on them, are actually only 30.7 inches tall and not have to worry about speedometer troubles.
If you’ve had any experience with the Khumos or the M/T-R’s, please let me know in the comments. Also, any ego stroking about the lift will be welcomed as well.
I might have missed a post, but does buddy still have the stock rear differential? I thought I had heard the lifespan on those is not so great with 30″+ tires.
For where you are, wider is not necessarily better. Think about it, for how much heavier it is the F-150 on 255’s is about the same as your Jeep on 235’s. The idea is to dig down to where the traction is, floatation is not desired. Also, 70 series is the lowest profile I would take off road and 75 would be better.
Keith
Absolutely badass!
Not sure which diff your model has, but I’ve got a Dana 44 in the rear on mine and it’s stock with 295,000 mi on 31″ tires and still going strong. If that tow-package on Buddy is factory, then there is a good chance you have a Dana 44, which is considered one of the stronger differentials.
Looks like the lift improved your rear ramp breakover angle 10-12 degrees, and in the woods (or the rocks), that’s where it’s at.
Second the Wildman on the tires. You DO NOT want more flotation for mud or snow, only for sand and you ain’t a dune runner. I don’t like those tire numbers, think you would be better with a 75-series, and you can get rock service tires all the way up to 85s.
It’s your ass, not mine, and your bolt tightening schedule, not mine, but I’d go for some 6 or 8 ply rock service all terrain in 75 series, a good compromise, give you another inch and a half or so and they are a hell of a tough tire. Dono who’s making them anymore, the last ones I saw were BF Goodrich. With them, you can pretty much forget about a spare tire (well, carry one spare anyway, but most serious jeepers take two into the mountains if they’re cruising serious rock roads in the Cascades of OR.
Why am I serious about Rock Service tires? In my Dad’s old jeep, a ’65 CJ5, we blew 2 HD Firestone M&S on the Bakeoven Road along the Deschutes River one fine day hunting. The Bakeoven was blasted out of basalt cliffs for a railroad that never got built, so it was never graded, just by dynamite. Natch, we only had one spare…
The M/T-R’s came stock on my Rubicon and I’ve got to say they are awesome. Hardly any road noise even with the soft-top on. There are only two problems that I have with them. First, the soft tire compound that makes them so quiet and such great climbers (did this in my “stock” Rubicon) also means they wear out fairly quick. Second, they tend to be a bit pricey. The solution to those problems, more money.
If you ever happen to be in the area, I’d be happy to take up the Holy Cross Trail. Happy 4x4ing.
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