32" or 33" on 3.73 D30/D44 with 4" lift?

**iser** · 08-04-2012, 08:32 PM

i searched but couldn't find a satisfactory answer. and also, i asked this earlier but everyone ignored me =(

so i was gonna go with 33" but a friend of mine who has a zj with 33" is advising me against it. he says that d30 won't be able to handle it and i will have constant ring/pinion problems.

also, this is the most important part: he says my off-road performance will be better with 32" due to less strain on the axle and the ability to flex more. and he says he was pushing over 5-6000rpm going up steep hills on 33s.

i mean, looks are cool too but off-road performance is more important to me. i need a reliable trail vehicle that i can use to explore alaska. is 32 the way to go?

also, anyone know anything about duratrac? thinking about getting those.

PolkaPower · 08-04-2012, 08:41 PM

I would go 33's but that's what I like. The only draw back would be that the 32's would give you a tiny bit more articulation but the 33's would give you a larger footprint. I would trim the fenders though. The d30 can handle them fine and the 44a can handle it great too. I had 3.73's with 33's and although it wasn't bad with the v8, 4.56 would have been so much better. I never had any ring and pinion issues with 33's and I also had the d35c in the rear. The weight difference between the two tires is so close either one would be fine. Over all the 32's would be less stress. You should check out www.treadwright.com. I have the 31" guard dogs and they are awesome. For better economy, less stress, and closer to stock gearing the 32's would be a slightly better choice if you don't plan to re gear.

Some tires are smaller than advertised but the treadwrights are true to the advertised size. Here are some pics of the treadwright tires.
You can request what brand tire you want. I didn't and just happened to get the Goodyears.

**WhiteOut** · 08-04-2012, 08:49 PM

33" tires on that setup are 100% fine. Nothing he brought up as a concern is anywhere close to valid.

As for 5000-6000 RPM, he needs to learn how to drive.

I would look at something other than Duratracs for an offroad tire, I would want something with better sidewalls. If you were getting tires for more on-road they would be good.

**iser** · 08-04-2012, 08:55 PM

well i'm not gonna put too much more into improving the lift. i'm gonna run this lift for maybe a year or two until i have enough saved up for a proper long-arm kit that can run 35/37s. then i'm gonna upgrade my axles and re-gear. that's a lot of money and time i'm gonna need. so until then, i'm not gonna re-gear the axles that i know i'm gonna replace later.

btw, the size i'm looking at are 285/75R16 (32.8"x11.2") or 285/70R16 (31.7"x11.2").

**WhiteOut** · 08-04-2012, 08:57 PM

Either size will be fine.

**iser** · 08-04-2012, 09:12 PM

btw i'm installing a lift kit right now. i waited from 930 until the lift bay opened up at 2pm. the shop closed at 530. so only got the coils in just now. tomorrow morning, gonna put the new shocks in, attach the control arms and i should be done with the front.

also, the shipping for treadwright to alaska is $730 =D

here are the tires that i am looking at.

Nitto Trail Grappler
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac

Goodyear Wrangler MT/R
Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ Radial
BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2
Hankook DynaPro MT
Firestone DESTINATION MT

PolkaPower · 08-04-2012, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iser

btw i'm installing a lift kit right now. i waited from 930 until the lift bay opened up at 2pm. the shop closed at 530. so only got the coils in just now. tomorrow morning, gonna put the new shocks in, attach the control arms and i should be done with the front.

also, the shipping for treadwright to alaska is $730 =D

Yea, screw that lol. Try to find a good set of General Grabbers. they are good tires and a bit less expensive.

**iser** · 08-04-2012, 09:40 PM

ugh, i hate the red lettering. they don't have the black ones here. are there any tire paints? lol.

PolkaPower · 08-04-2012, 09:46 PM

Just put them letter in.

**iser** · 08-04-2012, 09:57 PM

btw, i'm still have not fully decided on at vs mt. this is my dd so i don't want it to be too aggressive but i still need it to perform. that's why something in-between like nitto trail grappler and goodyear duratac are appealing to me.

PolkaPower · 08-04-2012, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iser

btw, i'm still have not fully decided on at vs mt. this is my dd so i don't want it to be too aggressive but i still need it to perform. that's why something in-between like nitto trail grappler and goodyear duratac are appealing to me.

Don't get the BF goodrich at's. They turn to racing slicks in the mud and they are not so good in the rain. In fact, most at's are going to be sub par in the mud but I have experience with the BF's. Never again.

My other choice before I found the TW' were the Cooper Discovers STT's. They are awesome. http://www.summitracing.com/search/B...FUEGRQodxxEAuA

**Texas ZJ1** · 08-04-2012, 10:21 PM

33s.

Hunter

**iser** · 08-05-2012, 01:37 AM

33 it is.

speedbucket · 08-05-2012, 07:55 AM

Km2 or mtr ftw.
Km2s are amazingly quiet on the road as well
Cant go wrong with mtrs either
I would stay away from the duratracs imo
They do well off road but i question their sidewalls
They can sell them that much cheaper for a reason

Edit: and your friend should take some tums for diaharrea of the mouth. He has no clue what hes talking about.

**iser** · 08-05-2012, 12:20 PM

most likely, i will be taking it out off-road about 2-3 times a month and less once winter hits. i don't do crazy wheeling; i just want to explore places. i think i'm gonna lean towards duratracs. from what i read, they are okay off-road and great on-road.

also, there is a good deal on mickey mtz right now. how is their on-road perf esp in snow/ice and treadwear?

so the list is narrowed down to:
mickey thompson mtz ($250)
goodyear duratrac ($280)
hankook dynapro mt ($220)

btw, regarding my friend, i think it's because he's running 6.5in lift on short arms. he's a mechanic and i just started getting into jeeps about two months ago, so it's hard to assert myself by saying "oh, well i read on the internet...." especially when he has a zj completely covered in mud parked right outside so i know he wheels it. but he has a 6.5in lift with adj short arms. i'm guessing that's why he's having a lot of ring/pinion problems. and he also has a 4.0l; maybe that's why he is struggling uphill?