I'm having a 2.5" AEV lift installed on my 2009 Wrangler JK and I picked up a set of AEV Salta wheels with a 5.2" backspacing. Now it's time to select tires. The JK will be used 95% for road/highway and I hope to get in some occasional trail rides at places like Rausch. I've narrowed my tire selection down to BFG KO2 and Falken Wildpeak AT3W, but I have some questions in narrowing it down further. I would love to hear your thoughts.
- Do I go with BFG Ko2 or Falken Wildpeak AT3W's? Advantages and disadvantages?
- Do I go with 285/75r17 or 285/70r17? The 285/75 is about 3/4" to 1" larger diameter, so more clearance, but it comes at a weight penalty (in the Falken, the difference between the two sizes in E rating is almost 7 pounds and the BFG looks to be 10 pounds heavier). I know that the AEV lift will probably give a bit more than 2.5" lift (especially since I'm running stock bumpers), so the little extra diameter will fill out the wheel wells a bit better.
- Do I go with C or E rated sidewalls? I know that the C will give a better road ride, but the E will be more durable on the trails. Are the C's good to go on trails, if I'm not doing rock crawling?
- Are the BFG's really that much lighter than the Falkens? Looking at the manufacturer websites, for the comparable E-rated 285/75r17, the BFG's are 4 pounds lighter. In comparable 285/70r17, the BFG is 7 pounds lighter.
