Had 4.56 gears in my XJ with manual transmission, first with 33s, then 35s after the 33s wore out. (Tires were mud terrains.) I drove it everyday and everywhere, including many trips to other states. For awhile, I was commuting between the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles every other weekend so my boys could visit their mother in California. 33s are a great size and had better acceleration on the highway, on the flats and inclines. The larger rolling radius of the 35s were an advantage on the trail. Both sizes are great choices. Because of their performance on the trail, once I went with 35s, I’ve never gone back to 33s.
Currently drive a 2012 Rubicon with 6 speed on 35s with 4.10 gears. She had 33s when I bought her three months ago. If highway performance was the most important thing to me, I’d run 33s. 33s still have good trail performance. The 35s give up a bit on the highway, but make up for it on the trail.
The practical thing to do is run the 33s until they wear out. Save yourself money. Borrow a set of 35s and drive them for a few days. Then you’ll know which size suits your purposes better.
If you’re wondering, my Jeep currently runs LT315R70/17 BF Goodrich KM3 mud terrains. Far out performs BFGs of the past!
