Wider isnt always better

[spokanecj7]

Thought I would share my experience with getting a new set of tires for the CJ. I was running 33/13.5/15 Trxsus and wanted to go to a more aggressive tread pattern. I also wanted to go a little taller because...well because I could. Actually I put the 33s on a few years ago and have since increased the lift. Once I added a few more inches of lift the steering became considerably worse. I was pulling and shaking quite a bit.

I decided to go with the 35" KM2's but decided to downsize the width to 12.5 because I thought the narrower tires would make a difference. What a difference!! It feels like I am driving a completely different vehicle. I'm not kidding here, the difference between 13.5 and 12.5 has been absolutely incredible. Very little pulling and much better steering control. I know wider tires look cool but I wouldnt trade the improved handling for only an inch of width.

 

[CJ]

You make several very good points. I tried some 13.5's one time and took them right back. My CJ wandered all over the road and it was nightmare to drive. As soon as I went back to the 12.5's without changing anything - it drove so much nicer again. These were 33's not 35's. Never knew why the 1" made a difference though...

The other thing, is if you can. Always buy tires from a reputable company that will let you exchange them or test them for a bit. Sometimes that is not an option but with as much as a new set of good off-road rubber cost, it should be.

 

[coldwater]

When that much rubber is in contact with the road, it will just push a little light vehicle like a CJ where it wants to. Any slight mis alignment, or road imperfections will be pretty magnified by the tires. Not to mention that big ol meats like that on a set of stock Jeep axles and steering is getting pretty stressful!

 

[Ggg]

I would also say there is a huge difference between KM2's and Truxus M/T tires. This may account for most of the difference. If you were comparing two different sizes of the same tire that would make for a good comparison. I do agree the wider tire will exaggerate any steering play or road issues.

 

[kufd]

I totally agree on the narrow tire concept, I bought the jeep and it came with 35x16x15 boggers mounted to 15x10 wheels, it was so hard to control, I finally saved some money and took the 35s off and put 33x12.5 tsls and such a BIG diffrence. my future plans are to buy 15x7 wheels and go with 34x10.5 tires, then I will feel satisfied.

 

[dalefan88]

look at the old millitary jeep at the top. if it got the army everywhere that tells you something.

 

[Ggg]

TSL Boggers are terrible on the street, for one they are street legal paddle tires, two they are bias ply. They are fantastic in the mud. I have two sets of Boggers 33x14.5x15, and 38.5x 11.5x 16.5. Both sized suck on the street.

 

[dave pam]

I would have to agree with the 13.5" width although I am running 33x12.5x15's and when I did the 3" lift I did not exerience any Death Woble but the steering was all over, sawing the wheel left and right to stay in my lane, after an atempt to get it aligned I was told the steering box was shot and for $135.00 at AUTO ZONE with a life time warrentee I replaced it and it is 100% better. I have not tried a wider tire but I was always told to upgrade my steering shock with bigger & wider tires, thoes stock shocks just can't handle to load.

Dave

 

[ramblux1]

Did you also happen to change the wheels by any chance? I've had experiences where wheel offsets will also affect steering input and how much the road grabs the front tires. I've become accustomed to which sections of road to avoid depending on what wheels I am running, even when I'm using the same brand of tire.

 

[spokanecj7]

Hey guys, good responses. I did change the steering stabilizer which might have made a minor difference but not much. I didnt replace the steering box (but I probably should) and the wheels were not changed. The major steering issues came after I lifted it a few inches higher. The narrower tires basically seemed to neutralize the bad effects from the lift. It drives great now! (for a 33 year old CJ)

 

[nickgipe]

Wider tires would be better in the mud but on the road i would go with 12s. If you go too wide you could affect the steering or it could rub the fender. I have had that happen before and its not a good thing....

 

[TeamRush]

Some guys just have to experience 'Scrub Radius' for themselves to get it!

 

[coldwater]

Hey guys, good responses. I did change the steering stabilizer which might have made a minor difference but not much. I didnt replace the steering box (but I probably should) and the wheels were not changed. The major steering issues came after I lifted it a few inches higher. The narrower tires basically seemed to neutralize the bad effects from the lift. It drives great now! (for a 33 year old CJ)

Just curious. When you lifted, did you install a dropped pitman arm? Anything lifted over 3" is going to experience bump steer. It will wander all over, wobble, and dive to the side when you hit the brakes if you don't get the geometry back into place. Basically, the drag link should be as close to level as possible to the tie rod. Using a stabilizer to correct wonder or poor behavior is not what what it was designed to do. A stabilizers only job is to act like a shock absorber, for shock. When you off road and hit rocks or other obsticles with the tires, It will transfer all the shock load straight to the tie rod and drag link. A stabilizer absorbs that hit, and will add a great deal of life to your front end, but that's it. It is not to be used as a crutch to try and hide problems. Any way you can post a pik of your front end?

 

[surfbum]

I can attest to "wider is not always better" also. My 86 was lifted 8" and I put 38.5 x 15 TSL's on it. I had the dropped pitman arm and DUAL steering shocks. It was a bit squirrelly driving around town and then........ I tried to go up Rt 295. I thought I was going to die or kill someone. It must have been the grooves in the road from all the tractor trailers, but either way, she would hook one rut, then try to change lanes. I got off the highway, went home by the back roads, and put a set of 35 x 12.5 BFG's on the same rims. WHAT A DIFFERENCE !!! Just my $.02, but I will never go wider than a 12.5 on a jeep again if I do ANY highway driving. Save the big meats for the 1 ton.

 

[Ggg]

What coldwater said is very true.
I had a 77 CJ5 with 35x14.5 tires and it didn't "need" a steering stabilizer. I went to great lengths to get the steering geometry correct, and this paid off in very good driving manners and tire tread wear longevity. Could it have used one to absorb shock loads, yes but not due to poor driving manners or bad alignment. Like was said steering and suspension geometry is largely misunderstood and stabilizers are used as a crutch for poorly maintained or poorly executed steering/ suspension geometry. I will venture to say that if you can't safely drive your lifted vehicle without a steering stabilizer then you have some more suspension or steering work to do before driving it on the street.
Believe me I am not trying to offend anybody, and hope I have not done so. I would love to see every modified vehicle done properly and safely.

 

[McConell]

I had aggressive tread 30x8x15's on the 71 CJ5 , had them trued and those tires took me anywhere I wanted to go on or off road, mud, sand, river bottoms, rocks and the hwy with no problems. I installed 12" wide tires and just slid all over on gravel and wet roads- went back to the skinnier tires. I never had steering issues except for that darn steering box which had a bushing instead of bearings and I replaced that bushing every year all the time I owned it.
Of course we never ventured into mud bogs or anything the jeep wasn't designed for to stay out of trouble. We were just trying to find a good camping area in the middle of nowhere.