17" or 18" wheels with 35s?

JprestonR

JprestonR

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Oct 23, 2020
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St Johns FL
I toyed with the idea of leveling my stock JKUS (18"stock wheel) so I could put 33s but I've decided have her lifted 2.5" with .75" puck to level the front and going with 35x12.5s. I'm using a reputable local Jeep shop to do all the suspension and steering work. I need help choosing between 17 or 18" wheels. It's my DD (lots of highway) and any off roading around here is either the beach or sandy/muddy trails. I'm avoiding E load range tires all together which seriously limits my 35" options. I found 35x12.5x17 and 35x12.5x18 both in D load range (Dick Cepek Trail Country EXP). My question is will there be any difference in ride or off road capability from one to the other?
Thanks
 
Absolutely choose a 17" over and 18". The tire selection for 18" wheels is terrible compared to the selection of tires for 17" wheels.

I wouldn't even consider an 18", that's for sure.
 
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I`m running Dick CPek Fun Country 315/70r/17 they measure out to 35 x 12.50, Acutely a pretty decent tire and tread, smooth and quite ride

IMG_3608.JPG
 
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Chris said:
Absolutely choose a 17" over and 18". The tire selection for 18" wheels is terrible compared to the selection of tires for 17" wheels.

I wouldn't even consider an 18", that's for sure.
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Well like I said, the tire I plan to get is available in both 17 and 18 so tire selection is not an issue. I'm really trying to find out from experienced jeepers if there are any real performance differences
 
mrjp said:
I`m running Dick CPek Fun Country 315/70r/17 they measure out to 35 x 12.50, Acutely a pretty decent tire and tread, smooth and quite ride

View attachment 117270
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Good to know. That looks great. What lift do you have?
Also, have you run a same sized different tire in the past? if so how do the DCs compare?

Looks like you live in jeeper heaven. I don't think I need that aggressive of a tire in FL but I've read good things about the Fun Country so I feel like the Trail Country will be good too. Maybe even less highway noise. Thanks for the reply. This will be my first time moving up from a stock ride so all advice and pics are appreciated.
 
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I have Toyo Open Country M/T 35s on my 18s with a 2" lift. Thankfully, they're going to be replaced in the next couple months. Don't get me wrong, it's a great looking tire and they have about 65k miles on them with what looks to be another 5-8k worth of tread on them. But they're an M/T and the tire/wheel combination is about 115lbs each, the tires are not practical for daily driving with that beefy sidewall and they're about $320 each.
I'm changing them out, likely for the newer Toyo Open Country A/T III, for what will hopefully be a little smoother ride with a little less noise. Not a lot of cost difference, but I've replaced the shocks and will be adding a hard top insulator and bed rugs to improve the ride noise.

Jeep 1.jpg
 
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JprestonR said:
Well like I said, the tire I plan to get is available in both 17 and 18 so tire selection is not an issue. I'm really trying to find out from experienced jeepers if there are any real performance differences
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Well the only really performance difference will come down to the weight of the two wheels, the backspacing of the two wheels, and the sidewall being bigger on the 17" wheel.
 
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Chris said:
Well the only really performance difference will come down to the weight of the two wheels, the backspacing of the two wheels, and the sidewall being bigger on the 17" wheel.
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Thanks. Thats really all I knew of. Didn't know if I was missing something.
 
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Have you taken into consideration the M/T versus an A/T, the associated ride, road noise and weight of each? For what it's worth, there's a pretty significant difference in them depending on your driving habits.
The M/Ts on my JKU were there when I bought it, I had no choice. But the thicker, stiffer sidewall makes for a much heavier tire, less forgiving ride on the road, more noise, but a great off-road tire.
It's why I'm switching to an A/T- less weight, less noise, little more forgiving ride.
 
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Anybodyhome said:
Have you taken into consideration the M/T versus an A/T, the associated ride, road noise and weight of each? For what it's worth, there's a pretty significant difference in them depending on your driving habits.
The M/Ts on my JKU were there when I bought it, I had no choice. But the thicker, stiffer sidewall makes for a much heavier tire, less forgiving ride on the road, more noise, but a great off-road tire.
It's why I'm switching to an A/T- less weight, less noise, little more forgiving ride.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. Thanks. My biggest priority is avoiding E load rating in a 35 and I don't want an MT. I have only been searching AT tires. I found Dick Cepek Trail Country EXP and Mackey Thompson ATZ P3 both in 35x12.5x17 D load. They advertise them as hybrid tires so I'm hoping the highway noise will still be okay. My next choice would be Open Country AT III or Ridge Grappler in 285/75/17 (33.8x11.3) which come in C load and are obviously lighter too.
 
I appreciate the feedback from the community. I've decided to go with 17" rims. While avoiding E load limits the choices, I found the Dick Cepek Trail Country EXP and Mickey Thompson ATZ P3 both D load in 35x12.5x17. I also found the Ridge Grappler and Open Country AT III both C load in 285/75/17 (33.8x11.3). I would rather have the C but also would rather have the bigger tire. Does anyone know how much different the ride is between C and D?
 
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Don’t choose depending on this set of tires. You may want a different type/style for your next set. Look at every tire option out there.
I found even C rated ride rough unless aired down to around 28 psi with 285/70R17.
For what you state the most use will be, my opinion is to go with 17” because you can find more passenger rated tires.
 
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