"Readily available" tire size question

[michaels]

don't get me wrong, the clearance is great! but let me ask you this ... is your rig locked front and rear? after seeing what my jeep was capable of locked front and rear with a 73:1 crawl, 4" less ground clearance, and 2" less tire I was shocked. Keeping the tire size down sure helps on fuel mileage, and I don't know of any rover sitting on 35's that I'd want to spend much time inside of on the highway. Depends on your goal for the truck. If it's a short commute to work and weekend trail work, sure. If you're planning on logging serious miles I think it's more of a hindrance than a help.

food for thought!

cheers
-ike

it's about to undergo surgery to have a hybrid toyota/rover axle assembly. i've been working with keith over the past two months to get the DII yota conversion production ready. i've been gathering clients for him. it'll be locked in the rear by the end of this school semester, and regeared to 4.10s. uses 30 spline inner axles and 24 spline outers, a rear V6 toyota diff, and FJ80 HP diff in the front. she's as high as she will ever get with a 3" lift.

35s won't be in the budget for another year or so.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Ike, so what's the story about why the JK is gone? Just curious.

 

[SeaRubi]

Ike, so what's the story about why the JK is gone? Just curious.

It's a long, sordid tale ... but here's a condensed version:

After ** insert much drama not suitable for public forum **, narrowly escaping divorce, bankruptcy and, for legal reasons, I'll have to be brief in saying that between 15 and 20k in bonuses just didn't happen. F-U NY. After relocating to SF Bay in September and slow job searches, I decided to cut bait and let it go back to the bank.

So, there you have it! It was a good rig, but I'm not really missing it too much, to be honest. Another rangie will suit me just fine and, for 6 mos of payments going into parts it'll have all the goodies I can practically put to use.

cheers
-ike

 

[SeaRubi]

it's about to undergo surgery to have a hybrid toyota/rover axle assembly. i've been working with keith over the past two months to get the DII yota conversion production ready. i've been gathering clients for him. it'll be locked in the rear by the end of this school semester, and regeared to 4.10s. uses 30 spline inner axles and 24 spline outers, a rear V6 toyota diff, and FJ80 HP diff in the front. she's as high as she will ever get with a 3" lift.

35s won't be in the budget for another year or so.

I would implore you to lock up the front axle with a selectable before moving to 35's. You might find that they're not necessary. YMMV.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Oh, ok, so nothing to do with the truck itself. Was just wondering. I really like the JK's, just can't get my head around that motor. Well, I swore off any Chrysler products after working with them, but I'd have made an exception for a JK Unlimited Rubicon... if it weren't for the minivan motor.

 

[SeaRubi]

Oh, ok, so nothing to do with the truck itself. Was just wondering. I really like the JK's, just can't get my head around that motor. Well, I swore off any Chrysler products after working with them, but I'd have made an exception for a JK Unlimited Rubicon... if it weren't for the minivan motor.

It's a good truck. Personally I liked the little V6. I had the last year of the 4.0L straight six in my 2006 Rubi and given the choice again I'd take the V6. It had adequate power, ran a lot smoother, shifted smoother, and I could pull 21~23mpg on the highway. My '08 JK had a few rubi parts on it from the factory- the rear locker, electronically disconnecting sway-bar, 32's, and the rubi suspension. Mine was a 6-speed. The only thing missing was the front D44 and the 4:1 t-case.

For "overland" type use I thought the 2.72:1 t-case was a much better choice. Certainly it was much nicer to drive on pavement than the Rubicon. a bit less gearing in the diffs and all-terrains made for a very street friendly rig. The 4:1 in the Rubi is too low for a mild-to-moderate vehicle. When loaded down and facing a grade in soft sandy roads, it would just bog down in high-range. But dropping to low-range made your top speed, even in 6th, something like 15mph. In the JK I could cruise along very well on rough, sandy, or lightly muddy roads while in low-range using 4th-6th gear. In fact, the gearing with 3.73's is very close to factory rover and reminded me a lot of the rangies. The traction control system works extremely well in the JK, too. It's not as good as a front locker, but it sure made quick work out of a lot of difficult trails. I was able to run the blacks during January at rausch creek with street tires and no chains, and about 2 feet of ice and snow on the ground. It was about 12 degrees all day. I aired down to something around 11psi and hit it. Other guys were there in Rubicon's all decked out with 35's and lots of bling. With stickier tires I'd have been perfectly happy with no other mods.

You can pick up 2007's now for pretty decent money. I got reamed buying one of the first shipments of 2008 models in yuppie-ville. If the soft-top doesn't appeal to you, you'll miss your Disco. The factory hardtops aren't as quiet, they don't retain heat, and the fiberglass damages very easily in the trees. They also get creaky too because of body flex while off-road. I ditched the hardtops on both my wranglers and just ran without a top while offroad, or with it down whenever possible.

 

[michaels]

I would implore you to lock up the front axle with a selectable before moving to 35's. You might find that they're not necessary. YMMV.

did you just read what i said? locking it at the same time as the yota stuff goes in.... probably gonna throw an aussie in the rear and call it done.

 

[SeaRubi]

did you just read what i said? locking it at the same time as the yota stuff goes in.... probably gonna throw an aussie in the rear and call it done.

i sure did, sparky

"toyota/rover axle assembly. i've been working with keith over the past two months to get the DII yota conversion production ready. i've been gathering clients for him. it'll be locked in the rear by the end of this school semester, and regeared to 4.10s. uses 30 spline inner axles and 24 spline outers, a rear V6 toyota diff, and FJ80 HP diff in the front. she's as high as she will ever get with a 3" lift."


You clearly state locked in the rear and FJ80 HP diff in front. Not all FJ80's came optioned with the front selectable locker.

 

[michaels]

i sure did, sparky

"toyota/rover axle assembly. i've been working with keith over the past two months to get the DII yota conversion production ready. i've been gathering clients for him. it'll be locked in the rear by the end of this school semester, and regeared to 4.10s. uses 30 spline inner axles and 24 spline outers, a rear V6 toyota diff, and FJ80 HP diff in the front. she's as high as she will ever get with a 3" lift."


You clearly state locked in the rear and FJ80 HP diff in front. Not all FJ80's came optioned with the front selectable locker.

right. a rear locker will take me many places. everyone i wheel with rarely engage their front lockers. the HP FJ80 diff is the only one that will work with the conversion.

i thought you assumed i was staying open/open.

 

[SeaRubi]

i thought you assumed i was staying open/open.

incorrect. i heard you the first time :ylsmoke:

right. a rear locker will take me many places. everyone i wheel with rarely engage their front lockers. the HP FJ80 diff is the only one that will work with the conversion.

what I'm saying is - decide for yourself before making the jump to 35's. You may find that the 33's are wholly adequate when locked front and rear. I think it's a lot of work to make 35's work on a rover. and when I say work, I mean that the truck brakes, steers, and handles over the highway something that resembles stock.

 

[michaels]

incorrect. i heard you the first time :ylsmoke:



what I'm saying is - decide for yourself before making the jump to 35's. You may find that the 33's are wholly adequate when locked front and rear. I think it's a lot of work to make 35's work on a rover. and when I say work, I mean that the truck brakes, steers, and handles over the highway something that resembles stock.

brakes are the main concern. hydro assist would definitely help the 35s. don't worry i'm not rushing into anything. i plan to always stick to 33s for street. 35s would be off road only: to and from trails.

i am aware of everything that needs to be done. i ain't a newb.

 

[Yorker]

...I think it's a lot of work to make 35's work on a rover...

Maybe for you coiler guys...

 

[SeaRubi]

Maybe for you coiler guys...

wise guy :elkgrin:

 

[SeaRubi]

brakes are the main concern. hydro assist would definitely help the 35s. don't worry i'm not rushing into anything. i plan to always stick to 33s for street. 35s would be off road only: to and from trails.

i am aware of everything that needs to be done. i ain't a newb.

ok ok :elkgrin: I wasn't trying to call you out as a n00b .. I just quickly fell out of love with the idea of 35's when I saw how much hacking was going to be required to make them work. I drank a lot of beers pondering how in the hell I was going to wedge those bastards onto my rangie and not look like complete bootyfab. Then I started accumulating all kinds of weird GM brake parts and other stuff I never used. brings back painful memories :snorkel:

 

[michaels]

ok ok :elkgrin: I wasn't trying to call you out as a n00b .. I just quickly fell out of love with the idea of 35's when I saw how much hacking was going to be required to make them work. I drank a lot of beers pondering how in the hell I was going to wedge those bastards onto my rangie and not look like complete bootyfab. Then I started accumulating all kinds of weird GM brake parts and other stuff I never used. brings back painful memories :snorkel:

DII's have wider wheel well openings, so less "hacking" is needed. they will definitely need to be trimmed to fit though.