livdrty

Hey guys, so I've had my new 2012 Sahara unlimited for a few months now and I want to get the wheels and lift done in june (ish), so I'm doing all my research nice and early. I have already put on the rear bumper with tire carrier, front bumper, KC lights, and a few other little things . . . I also have the steel pipe style half doors (cant wait till summer!). So I have a few questions I'm hoping you guys can help with:
1. Options for nice black rims other than rockstars
2. Any reason for me to go 17" rims vs 18"?
3. I want to go 35" tires . . . what size lift should I get?
4. If I get a high enough lift, is there anything else I need to get or worry about upgrading if I go 35" tires? Will my axles be fine? I won't be doing hardcore rock crawling but I want to handle trails, lotsa mud and some light rocks with ease . .
5. I plan to go Toyo Open Country M/T's for tires at this point - anybody have any experiences or info, or even just opinion on looks to say that Nitto Trail Grapplers, ---- Cepek Mud Country, or Mickey MTZ's would be better?

Thanks for any and all help!!! :D

speed

Welcome to the forum

got myself a 13 rubicon 2 months ago. Love it. Im about to lift it also but I ll try to help you with the best of what I ve read and been told so far

1. Options for nice black rims other than rockstars. Im very conservative and I d go with Pro Comp or Mickey T

2. Any reason for me to go 17" rims vs 18"? I ll let somebody else take care of this one but I m pretty sure that going higher in wheel dia size gives you less tire side, with is not what you re looking for

3. I want to go 35" tires . . . what size lift should I get? Pretty sure you need at least 3 inchs lift, a procal, some track bar relocation bracket, sway bar link


4. If I get a high enough lift, is there anything else I need to get or worry about upgrading if I go 35" tires? Will my axles be fine? I won't be doing hardcore rock crawling but I want to handle trails, lotsa mud and some light rocks with ease. see #3 and also you ll need to relocate portion of your exhaust to avoid any contact between tranny/drive shaft boots and exhaust. You may also run out of gear if you have 3.73 and less ratio. Especially if youre doing some trails. 4.10 would be best but $$$$$
.
5. I plan to go Toyo Open Country M/T's for tires at this point - anybody have any experiences or info, or even just opinion on looks to say that Nitto Trail Grapplers, ---- Cepek Mud Country, or Mickey MTZ's would be better? If it s also your DD, you might want tires that will suit also your need during normal driving without being ultra loud and noisy. I think Toyo is the best choice over all

Let us know how it goes

I m about to get mine in the garage (mine) for a 2.5 lift from rough country, exhaust work and some Ace rock guard installation

livdrty

Thanks for the input! At this point I've also been told if I put on 35's and 3.5/4" lift as planned that I won't be able to use my stock wheels for winter, thus I'd also have to buy larger tires for winter . . . more $$$$ lol So i'm also now looking at the option of a 2.5" lift and 33's so that I don't have that issue . . . maybe I need a second Jeep? lol

disconnect

1. There is literally countless options for black rims, google is your friend for this one. Check out the KMC XD Series Rims or the Black Rock line.Prices varry from brand to brand, like anything else. There is a much larger forum than this one that has a thread for black rims that is hundereds of pages long. You should be able to find pictures of damn near every rim in there. I dont know the policy on linking to other forums though so I wont be linking to it, sorry.

2. Price.

3. 2.5 - 3.0

snakeyes76

hope this helps

evo1

1) Aluminum wheels would be best to cut down on weight.
2) 17 inch wheels are cheaper than 18 in and you have a better selection of tires to chose from.
3) Axles will hold up to moderate wheeling with 35's.
4) Shock extension's will limit wheel travel, longer shocks matched to the lift is best. Once you start playing in the more difficult terrain the front axle will suffer, keeping the diff open will help the front end.
5) My wife is running the Toyo's and loves them, quiet on the road for a mud terrain. Only draw back is they are heavy which affects power and mileage. Mickey's MTZ are a nice tire also.

JTPhoto JK

You have a great list of replies here and you will see they are most all in agreement..

My personal Fav for black wheels are the ProComp Xtreme Alloy 7089. I ran them for 3.5 years then traded up to Blackrock Vipers..
As everyone else has already mentioned you can buy a full set of 17" tires and rims for the price of just the 18" tires..

livdrty

Hey guys, so I've made the decision to go with the Toyo Open Country MT 35/12.5/17 tires (I looked it up and they are only 4 lbs more (each) compared to the nitto trail grapplers, which are my current 2nd choice) with BMF Novakane 5 Stealth OR Death Metal (undecided on the finish) black wheels.
I am still totally unsure what to do with the lift though. I am now leaning towards either Rock Krawler 2.5" max travel or 2.5 max travel pro lift, and then add my own shocks, Bilstein 5100??? or possibly the AEV 2.5" kit . . . Anyone know if these kits will be big enough with my 35" toyo's on 17's??? I have been told and read that the rock krawler kit actually gives more than 2.5" of lift? but then how much do I have to take into consideration the fact that I have added a heavier front bumper and rear bumper with tire carrier??? Will it work without changing my fenders? Thanks for the help so far, sooooo much to learn! lol :)

snakeyes76

2.5" lift with flat fenders and extended bump stops will definately work with 35's. Or you can go 3" and forget the flat fenders but you still need the bump stops. RKs and AEV lifts are both good. Depends on your budget i suppose. Bilsteins are great shocks but are better suited to warmer climates. You can also try Rubicon Express (not the entry level) shocks.

LawlessRebel

I have AEV 2.5 lift----no flat fenders----35-12.50X17 Toyo Open Country----4.6 Backspace Rims 9"X17 Rims----No problem----AEV says I could use Factory Wheels----2013 JKUR