One really good source for all things Jeep is Jeepforum.com. Nice bunch of people too. Very helpful.
I bought a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited Sport in April of this year. Did a lot of reading and asking about rims, tires and lifts. When it comes to tires there is a difference as to whether or not you use stock or aftermarket rims. Stock rims don’t have much offset so as to keep the tire tucked well inside the fender. If you use stock rims you are limited to a 32” tire that is about 9.5” to 10” in width. Which by the way is what comes stock on most Sahara’s and Rubicons. So if you want a 33” tire, they mostly run about 10.5” to 12” in width. If you are using a stock rim they will rub unless you use what’s called spacers. They are installed between the rim and the hub and act to push the wheel out and inch or so. Or you can do like I did and by aftermarket rims. If you do make sure they have what’s called “zero offset”. Rims for JK Jeeps almost always have zero offset.
OK, so what do I have? I went with 16” Goodyear Duratracs in size 285/75R16. That equates to a 33”x 11.25” tire. I put them on 16” Gear Alloy brand Blackjack rims. They have zero offset so I didn’t need spacers. They worked 99% of the time on paved roads and rough dirt roads. The only rubbing I got was with the steering at full lock to the right and going backwards. Especially if I was slightly bouncing down out of my driveway. Loosen up on the steering wheel a quarter turn and the rubbing stops. Another easy fix is to install a couple washers in the steering stops up front. It’s a matter of backing out 2 bolts, put one or two washers on the bolts and screwing them back in. But the real solution for me was a lift.
If you think picking tires/rims is an adventure, just wait till you start looking at lifts. Wow. I went with a Teraflex brand 1.5 Performance Coil Leveling kit. This raises the front 2 inches and the rear 1 inch. You can go cheaper and have spring spacers install on top of the coils instead. I have not heard that they improve the ride. Quite the opposite in fact. I went with the coil leveling kit which replaces the stock coils. MUCH improved ride on the road, feels more in control during turns and lane changes and significantly cuts down the side to side rocking when going over rough terrain. In my opinion, the coil kit was well worth the money for the improved ride and handling even if it didn’t provide the added lift. And with the added lift it 100% eliminated any rubbing. My Jeep now looks a lot better than stock too. When you get in and out of the Jeep you can certainly tell it’s taller, but it’s not a pain from being too tall. Total gain in lift is a little over 3” as measures at the bottom of the passenger’s side window.
FYI on a front bumper. The stock one is about 26 pounds and mostly plastic. Most aftermarket ones run from around 40 to 50 pounds for a stubby and 100 to 125 pounds (some even more) for a full width. Add steel rock rails or side steps and you’ll start to work the stock suspension. Another reason I replaced the coils. Part of the end game for me is a mid-width bumper, winch and steel side step/rail.
I bought a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited Sport in April of this year. Did a lot of reading and asking about rims, tires and lifts. When it comes to tires there is a difference as to whether or not you use stock or aftermarket rims. Stock rims don’t have much offset so as to keep the tire tucked well inside the fender. If you use stock rims you are limited to a 32” tire that is about 9.5” to 10” in width. Which by the way is what comes stock on most Sahara’s and Rubicons. So if you want a 33” tire, they mostly run about 10.5” to 12” in width. If you are using a stock rim they will rub unless you use what’s called spacers. They are installed between the rim and the hub and act to push the wheel out and inch or so. Or you can do like I did and by aftermarket rims. If you do make sure they have what’s called “zero offset”. Rims for JK Jeeps almost always have zero offset.
OK, so what do I have? I went with 16” Goodyear Duratracs in size 285/75R16. That equates to a 33”x 11.25” tire. I put them on 16” Gear Alloy brand Blackjack rims. They have zero offset so I didn’t need spacers. They worked 99% of the time on paved roads and rough dirt roads. The only rubbing I got was with the steering at full lock to the right and going backwards. Especially if I was slightly bouncing down out of my driveway. Loosen up on the steering wheel a quarter turn and the rubbing stops. Another easy fix is to install a couple washers in the steering stops up front. It’s a matter of backing out 2 bolts, put one or two washers on the bolts and screwing them back in. But the real solution for me was a lift.
If you think picking tires/rims is an adventure, just wait till you start looking at lifts. Wow. I went with a Teraflex brand 1.5 Performance Coil Leveling kit. This raises the front 2 inches and the rear 1 inch. You can go cheaper and have spring spacers install on top of the coils instead. I have not heard that they improve the ride. Quite the opposite in fact. I went with the coil leveling kit which replaces the stock coils. MUCH improved ride on the road, feels more in control during turns and lane changes and significantly cuts down the side to side rocking when going over rough terrain. In my opinion, the coil kit was well worth the money for the improved ride and handling even if it didn’t provide the added lift. And with the added lift it 100% eliminated any rubbing. My Jeep now looks a lot better than stock too. When you get in and out of the Jeep you can certainly tell it’s taller, but it’s not a pain from being too tall. Total gain in lift is a little over 3” as measures at the bottom of the passenger’s side window.
FYI on a front bumper. The stock one is about 26 pounds and mostly plastic. Most aftermarket ones run from around 40 to 50 pounds for a stubby and 100 to 125 pounds (some even more) for a full width. Add steel rock rails or side steps and you’ll start to work the stock suspension. Another reason I replaced the coils. Part of the end game for me is a mid-width bumper, winch and steel side step/rail.
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