Smallest Tire for a Lifted XJ?

[Mudderoy]

I recently bought a 1999 XJ for my wife. I have most of the parts to do a 4.5" lift on it. Her response was, oh it's so quite now I don't want it to be noisy like yours. I told her mine was noisy because of the tires.

Her next question was "Won't it look funny with regular tires?" I thought, what a good question.

I don't want to lose gas mileage on her 99 but I would like to have a more aggressive look and more body road clearance for high water.

So I guess I have two questions.

What is the largest sized tire you can put on a 97+ without a lift or fender trimming?

What is the smallest sized tire you can put on a 97+ that has a 4.5" lift that won't look ridiculous?

[rguignard]

lift = bad gas mileage....... thats all there is to it tony. on patricks jeep it looked ok with 30's on 4.5 but it still got shity gas mileage

[OrangeXJ]

Mine started out with 30 x 9.5 and 4.5 and did not look bad.

[LizardRunner]

I believe 30" is the largest with no rubbing for a stocker and 32" for a 4.5" lift with no trimming. I have that puny 1.5" factory lift and run 31" street tread tires right now with no loss of gas mileage. When I go up in the air with the 4.5" lift and start running 32" tires I expect to loose a bit of gas mileage. If I wanted more gas savings, I'd lower it for jeepspeed so there wasn't so much air flowing under the xj.

[4.3LXJ]

Tony, that depends on how you bump stop and what you use for wheels. If you use stock wheels, 31X10.50 will stuff with very minimal rubbing at the rear of the rear flare. I ran these on a 3" lift for years. But as soon as you get an aftermarket wheel and move it out a couple of inches, then that changes the ball game if you wheel. Then you have to stick with the 30" tires.

[jccatt]

Yip my 31 rubbed at the rear.30 at tyres are nice to drive and would be my pick.3" lift and no other mods. Happy days daily driver.

[Weldmen]

Ya I would say 30s would be fine. And I have stock gears. 3.55's And my 30's only cost me $92 bucks each with free shipping. And they are really quiet.
So thats my 2 cents :D

[4x4Dalton]

Hey Tony,at 4.5 my 31's are doin good havent seen any signs of rubbin from them.

[xj4life2]

1st question 30's
2nd question 32's

[Mudderoy]

Ya I would say 30s would be fine. And I have stock gears. 3.55's And my 30's only cost me $92 bucks each with free shipping. And they are really quiet.
So thats my 2 cents :D

Were they new? If so what company did you get them from for free shipping?

[Firemanray]

Tony- Here's a picture of mine when I bought it. 4.5" lift with 31" BFG A/T's on wheels with factory back spacing. Worked great, quiet too!!
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/firemanray21/0531101039.jpg


Be carefull though it will morph on you!
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/firemanray21/IMG_3596.jpg

[Mudderoy]

Tony- Here's a picture of mine when I bought it. 4.5" lift with 31" BFG A/T's on wheels with factory back spacing. Worked great, quiet too!!
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/firemanray21/0531101039.jpg


Be carefull though it will morph on you!
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/firemanray21/IMG_3596.jpg

Yeah I know how sluggish it can get with too big a tire and no axle gear change. I was hoping 30" and 3.55 wouldn't be a bad combo. 32" and 3.55 is pretty bad.

[OrangeXJ]

I had no issues with 30's and 3.55

[jeepxj95]

i dont do to bad with 31's and 3.55's

[Weldmen]

Were they new? If so what company did you get them from for free shipping?

I got them from this place.... http://www.tirebuyer.com/tirebuyerwicket/home/

But they dont carry the ones I bought anymore. 30 9.50 15 Riken ATs

[oderdene]

mine is 31", AT tread, ~3"-3.5" lift, rubbing LCA

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KR9PFg_gnxg/Tb-HSUpXQVI/AAAAAAAABnQ/7yICj_eWlcE/s320/aIMG_0453.jpg

[Mudderoy]

I picked up the 7x15 Jeep wheels last night. These are the Grizzlies(?). I was pricing tires and there isn't that much price difference between the stock tires and some BFG ATs 30x9.5x15. What I need to be CERTAIN of is that they will fit and work on the 99 with a stock lift.

Anyone got pictures, or you're sure? :pray:

[msmoorenburg]

Have a look at Patrick's Jeep he ran 30x9's before the lift

[x-jah]

30 inch is a decent starting size.

[Mudderoy]

30 inch is a decent starting size.

Yep. Now I'm trying to decide between BFG 30x9.5x15 ATs or Coopers, same size.

[prcjeep]

I ran the 30x9.50 on mine stock... Only rubbing I had was when the wheel was turned all the way left or right and it was on my skid plate. I put a couple washers on the steering stops an no rubbing after that. Those bfg at's I had did great even with open diff's.

[prcjeep]

I tried 31's on mine when i first got it and the rubbed the rear fender flares and body. Went down to 30's and no problem... I think 31's would look okay with 4.5 lift... my 30's on it with my 4.5 lift looked a little odd but it still wheeled pretty well considering i don't have lockers

[Mudderoy]

So the 30x9.5x15 are great. No rubbing and from what checking I've done with the GPS no speedo correction needed, which I find strange.

The BFG AT's are a little louder than the crap tires that were on the Jeep when we got it as reported by my wife.

All in all I'm very happy with the tires and of course the look.

What really amazes me is how little size difference there is between these 30x9.5x15 and the 32x11.5x15 on my 1998. That's measured size, but visibly the 32" MTs are HUGE in comparison!

Keep that in mind when you are trying to decide between 33" and 35" tires. This now makes me understand that when I went wheeling with a buddy and he was running the new KM2's I thought they were 35's, nope just 33's but they looked a lot bigger than my 32's.

[Paddletrucker]

Mudderoy,

Could we see pictures? I'm trying to decide what to do with mine. Right now, I'm trying to decide between a 2" or 3" lift and 30" or 31" tires.

I'd like to have a gigantic mean looking Jeep, but realistically, it'll be on the road way more than off and I need to take that into consideration.

Deciding is TOUGH!!!!:bang::bang:

[Mudderoy]

Mudderoy,

Could we see pictures? I'm trying to decide what to do with mine. Right now, I'm trying to decide between a 2" or 3" lift and 30" or 31" tires.

I'd like to have a gigantic mean looking Jeep, but realistically, it'll be on the road way more than off and I need to take that into consideration.

Deciding is TOUGH!!!!:bang::bang:


No lift 30x9.5x15 tires.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l8hCfPG2PNM/Tg5OalZNRLI/AAAAAAAAA-E/V2hA1sDFhLg/s800/2011-07-01%25252017.41.43.jpg

4.5" lift 32x11.5x15 tires.
http://www.xjtalk.com/images/special/jeep_lift17.jpg http://www.xjtalk.com/images/special/jeep_lift18.jpg

[XJ4IV]

I was able to swing 31's on my first XJ with no lift and the trimming I did make did not show up unless you were peeking UNDER the jeep or deep in the wheel wells, if your interested in doing this I can give you a detailed description of how but from the outside you cannot tell anything was done... HOWEVER in order to run 31x10.50 on the jeep and not rub control arms on full turn you really need a certain type of OE wheel, the Canyons and the Ravines are a little more offset and give you a better clearance. I had the laredos and they made the tires rub on the arms pretty badly until I got canyons.

[jeepxj95]

what do they look like???

[Paddletrucker]

WOW! Those tires and that lift really made that thing look awesome!!

[XJ4IV]

those were two different jeeps FYI notice one is RED and the other... is ALMOST red

[Paddletrucker]

those were two different jeeps FYI notice one is RED and the other... is ALMOST red

Yup, I first posted while wearing my glasses, which I don't see too good out of. Now that I'm wearing my contacts, I see that.

Thanks, Mudderoy, for posting that. That REALLY gives me something to think about. I'm thinking I'll probably only go three inches and maybe 31's that aren't quite as wide. Even though it does look pretty choice, I gotta think about the practicality of it for me.

[nota944mechanic]

Wow, your red XJ is beautiful!

[Mudderoy]

Wow, your red XJ is beautiful!

Thanks. The "green" Jeepers will moan loud and long when they read this post. :sad0147: :smiley-laughing021:

[saar]

Those tires will look good with 2" lift and it won't hurt your road drive quality.
Your XJs look great.
Saar.