Which tires for the JK?

which tires on the JK

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mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
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A.F.
I am looking to put some new meats on the JK. I have it narrowed down to 3 sizes in two tires. I am looking at the Maxxis trepador and the MTR kevlar. IF I do the MTR is will be in the 38x14.50x17 size nothing else. The trepadors will either be in the 37x12.50x17 size or 40x13.50x17 size.

My axles will handle it so don't worry about that. I am currently running 37 inch BFG muds. The rig is my daily driver, but my commute is only a couple miles. I do drive this rig all over the place camping with my family. It is more of a trail rig than a hard core crawler, but I am not afraid to wheel it. I will do all of the Moab trails, not counting buggy only type trails in BFE. I am worried the 40s will stink on the highway. I put a lot of back country miles on the JK during the summer months.

Let me be perfectly honest. I am leaning toward the 37s because they make the most sense, but I am kinda bored with 37s. I want 40s because I think it will be awesome not because I think I need them. I know I don't need them:p. I am looking at the 38s because they seem to be a good middle ground. I have to buy new tires right now for my JK so I am not super concerned about the cost difference. A few hundred bucks either way won't make the decision.

Here are the specs on the rig
2007 4 door JK rubicon
stock 3.8 engine
4 inch teraflex LCG kit soon to be swapped out for a 6 inch
stock flares
Trail-gear creeper locks
5.38 gears

I know I will have to do some work on the flares to make it work and I am okay with that. If I go with the 40s it will be quite a can of worms. I will need a new front bumper, probably hydro assist on the steering, pound down some seems, etc.

Give me the pros and cons. If you are running 40s on your JK how do you like them?
 
As a board monkey here are my thoughts.... While i do agree that 40's would look SICK, I would shy away from them for a daily driver as I think it would be a pig on the highway. And like you mentioned above hydro-assist would probably be a must for 40's. The 38's would be a great compromise and easier on your drivetrain. Also keep in mind that MTR's usually run true to size and will still look way bigger than the bfgs you have been running. (Which tend to run smaller from what I've been told,never ran them personally).
With some flat fenders you could even run the 38's on the 4" lift you have now, but if you are planning on 6" of lift I think you will be fine with stock fender flares. Just my opinion. Either way looking forward to seeing some pics :thumbs:
 
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The treps are a much beefier tire. The mtrs aren't weak, but the treps are Beefcakes. Probably not needed for the type of Wheeling you do, but at koh there were a lot more punctured mtrs than treps. I want treps really bad for the added peace of mind in the backcountry, but they are a heavy tire. I don't know if my engine can turn them well enough, and I'm not sure what my mpg would be. With your rig, in sure you could turn either tire just fine.
 
For a DD and what your intended uses are I would vote #1 the 38 Goodyears and #2 the 37 Maxxis.

As previously stated the JK would look killer on 40's but to much for a DD. I loved my Trepps but holy hell they are heavy, the 38 Goodyears are probably the same weight as 37's or lighter. I loved my old style MTR's but have no experience with the new ones.
 
Never driving that rig with other tires I couldn't tell you. That being said when we put the tires I bought from you on my ladies rig you can feel the extra rolling mass as her previously "just good enough" brakes have a hard time stopping now. Also my back very much could feel a difference when moving them around.
 
I'm in the same boat. My 35's are about done and my JK is not a daily driver as of now. Mostly family style wheeling. I'm looking pretty hard at the 38 inch Geolanders. At around $330 they are pretty cheap and I have been hearing some pretty good things about them. I know they are not on your list, but maybe give them a look.
 
I voted for the skinniest of the 3 tires. 14.5" wide is...wide. Please don't automatically associate my taste in tires for my taste in women...:D
 
According to four wheeler magazine the treps, Mtrs, and geolanders all weighed the same in a 37" tire. Interesting.
 
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mesha said:
According to four wheeler magazine the treps, Mtrs, and geolanders all weighed the same in a 37" tire. Interesting.
Click to expand...

hm... that's interesting. I heard the MTRs were pretty light. I do know my old 35" treps were heavier than my 35" KM2/wheel combo (as Tyler can verify, he helped me load them)
 
I might have to change my opinion to the 37 treps, I didn't realize the width on the MTR's that might kill your around town maneuverability
 
Something to consider IMO, the Kevlar MTR's run LARGE... they measure out to their true size, when most other tires measure out a few inches less than claimed. So a 40" Trepador will probably be pretty close in height to the 38" MTR.
 
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