Do I need 35" tires?

[steelynorm]

I have a bone stock 85 runner.
Have been debating for years on what to do with her.
95% of the time it is going to be either on the streets or fire roads.
However, once or maybe twice a year it is going to go to through the Rubicon.

Do I build it to take 35" plus tires, can i get through the con without too much damage to my undersides with 33" tires?

Will my on road comfort, performance and safety be compromised due to running a lift that can accommodate 35" tires versus  a suspension that runs 33" tires.

My runner is in pretty good shape, and I would prefer not to cut up her sheet metal.

Wanted you all to weigh in to help me make a decision here.

I have been a passenger through parts of the rubicon, but I have never been a driver through that type of terrain.

thanks

[jimbo74]

learn how to wheel first, that will be the biggest improvement anyone can make



35s are pretty much the normal on the small side these days, but it really depends how you use it... for me, i spend most of my time on road, so 35s would be impractical.....

some DD 35s and thats fine, i jsut couldnt justify spending the $ on it if i wasnt going to be wheeling it all the time

[79coyotefrg]

get sliders  and bumpers  that help with approach and departure angles, and run the 33's with a rear locker

dual cases would help FAR better than 35's and yes a lift to run the 35's will affect your road manners but  not "that" bad

[BLACKDOG]

I have a bone stock 85 runner.
Have been debating for years on what to do with her.
95% of the time it is going to be either on the streets or fire roads.
However, once or maybe twice a year it is going to go to through the Rubicon.

Do I build it to take 35" plus tires, can i get through the con without too much damage to my undersides with 33" tires?
You can do the 'con on 33"s, 35"s will just make it easier (a bit)

Will my on road comfort, performance and safety be compromised due to running a lift that can accommodate 35" tires versus  a suspension that runs 33" tires.

Not really, a lift to clear 33"s is not going to be much different than a lift to clear 35"s anyway.

My runner is in pretty good shape, and I would prefer not to cut up her sheet metal.

Wanted you all to weigh in to help me make a decision here.

I have been a passenger through parts of the rubicon, but I have never been a driver through that type of terrain.

thanks

get sliders  and bumpers  that help with approach and departure angles, and run the 33's with a rear locker

dual cases would help FAR better than 35's

[sweet85]

I've been through many of the hard trails in Tellico and my truck does great. My runner is my daily driver so I like having a little smaller lift and 33's. Plus it helps me to keep descent gas mileage. When it comes to keeping your rig looking descent, a good spotter, sliders and not being afraid to use a winch will make a big difference. Oh, and experience!!! My 

[steelynorm]

So if i was to run 33s what set up would you guys recommend?

Sweet 85 nice rig what have you done to her?

Norm

[slabcs]

Yes, you need at least 35's.

[sweet85]

So if i was to run 33s what set up would you guys recommend?

Sweet 85 nice rig what have you done to her?

Norm

I put a 3.5 inch lift on it. Yokohama 33in m/t. MC third members with 4.88's/lockers. All Pro front bumper with milemarker winch and MC rear bumper. I have MC sliders but I dont know how to weld and I'm still trying to find someone trustworthy to weld them on. The top is new from Softopper. Well worth the money. I wish I could put MC springs/highsteer on but since I cant weld and there is no one around here that is repreable, its not really possible right now. But for as much wheeling that I get to do it does great.

[BLACKDOG]

So if i was to run 33s what set up would you guys recommend?

Sweet 85 nice rig what have you done to her?

Norm

Rears up front for the lift, chevy springs in the rear (you may have to mix and match some spring packs to get the right lift)  4.56 or 4.88 gears with lockers, sliders, front and rear bumpers, and duals.

[79coyotefrg]

I put a 3.5 inch lift on it. Yokohama 33in m/t. MC third members with 4.88's/lockers. All Pro front bumper with milemarker winch and MC rear bumper. I have MC sliders but I dont know how to weld and I'm still trying to find someone trustworthy to weld them on. The top is new from Softopper. Well worth the money. I wish I could put MC springs/highsteer on but since I cant weld and there is no one around here that is repreable, its not really possible right now. But for as much wheeling that I get to do it does great.

well where are you??  if your in Arkansas, east texas or eastern OK  then pm me

[Rocksurfer]

I run 33's all the time on the 'con, in fact I've run 31's (on a Samurai) and have had "0" damage. It all depends on what you try to climb. Almost all of the really hard sections have a bypass. That's not saying you will miss out there are plenty of challenges to do there. As posted before gearing is a biggie as is lockers.

[sweet85]

well where are you??  if your in Arkansas, east texas or eastern OK  then pm me

Nah, I'm in Maryland/DC. I'm from Roanoke Va so I go home and wheel in the apalachian mountains. Most buddies back home all run TJ's and XJ's. But there is not really any places that I know of that could do the work and know what they are doing. I wish I could do it myself.

[LOckEdSolidTOy]

Nah, I'm in Maryland/DC. I'm from Roanoke Va so I go home and wheel in the apalachian mountains. Most buddies back home all run TJ's and XJ's. But there is not really any places that I know of that could do the work and know what they are doing. I wish I could do it myself.

Well I'm in Annapolis going to the academy. i can weld but i don't have a welder, let me know. I have also already done the hightsteer set up on my 85 if your interested in that.  just pm me

[sweet85]

Thats cool. I'm active duty Air Force. I work at Andrews AFB. How much longer do you have in the academy? Do you have your 4runner in town with you?

[red]

do you have a welding shop on base? many bases do its worth checking out

[Volcom]

40's are the "new" 35's 

[46&2]

I have a bone stock 85 runner.
Have been debating for years on what to do with her.
95% of the time it is going to be either on the streets or fire roads.
However, once or maybe twice a year it is going to go to through the Rubicon.

Do I build it to take 35" plus tires, can i get through the con without too much damage to my undersides with 33" tires?

Will my on road comfort, performance and safety be compromised due to running a lift that can accommodate 35" tires versus  a suspension that runs 33" tires.

My runner is in pretty good shape, and I would prefer not to cut up her sheet metal.

Wanted you all to weigh in to help me make a decision here.

I have been a passenger through parts of the rubicon, but I have never been a driver through that type of terrain.

thanks

Gears are going to help you more than just tire size. 35s are definitely recommended but not necessary to run Rubicon. There are bypasses for almost every obstacle so you don't have to go big every time. Like Glen said, dual cases would be the number one item. My front tires are damn near bald and I still crawled every obstacle I tried, because I had the right gears. The problem with duals is that they cost a lot of money. You have to figure in the cost of a second case, the adapter, 4.7 gears (not necessary though) and new drivelines. That adds up quick, and for someone who only plans to do hardcore wheeling once or twice a year, that expense might not be worth it to you.

I have been so happy with my dual cases that I can't believe I didn't install them sooner. But I did wheel my truck for 2 years with 32s, a 2" lift, a limited slip and Marlin 4.7s. A lot of people argue that with a single case and 4.7s, its way too low. I don't think so. I wheeled with a single geared case for 3 years before going duals. Yes, it was pretty low but in low range, 4.10 axle gears, 32s, and 5th gear, I could go up to 45 MPH. And I could still crawl right along side my friends with dual cases. Once I went 5.29s, 35s with the single case then I could only go about 25 mph in 5th gear. Then I went duals.

Thats why I think for someone like you, maybe going 33s, locker in the rear, and a single case with 4.7s would be a great option. If you stick with stock axle gears you might be a little sluggish on the road but be perfect off the road, fire roads or Rubicon. Also sliders and ground clearance saving bumpers are must haves if you want to keep it clean.

Its hard to say though. I had a hell of a time figuring out how to set my truck up in the beginning. A lot of ways to go about it. If you can afford duals and everything it entails, by all means DO IT. You will not regret it. If you have the time read through my build up. I was in a very similar situation as you are 4 years ago and you can see how my truck evolved and what worked for me and what didnt. My truck is my DD so a comfortable, safe ride on the street was my #1 priority. I think I was able to accomplish exactly what I wanted, which was a very capable wheeler that can still commute 100 miles to school each day. Also keep in mind you can save a lot of money by doing the work yourself and using junkyard springs for lift (chevy 63s, F150s, waggoneers, etc).

Before I built my truck I read through probably 300 build ups on here, and on Pirate. That way I was able to find people who had similar goals and expectations as myself and see what worked for them. If you still aren't able to make up your mind, read some build ups. Definitely check mine out though because I was asking the same questions you just asked 4 years ago.

Here is my build and good luck!!

http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=30283.0

[DFWFO]

isnt anything bigger than 36in unnecessary? isnt that too top heavy

[jimbo74]

isnt anything bigger than 36in unnecessary? isnt that too top heavy

all depends.......


ive seen people run 35s with stock suspension, massive amounts of cutting, but they were still very low..... it all depends.... on what you need and want

[46&2]

isnt anything bigger than 36in unnecessary? isnt that too top heavy

Go big rubber with minimum lift. Keep it low and slow.

[ROCKO]

run 35's with the marlin crawler 4in. front 5in rear gears (529's) rear locker 4.7 and you will be happy. then up grade from there

[germ]

I wheeled for years on 33"s, and swore that if I couldn't get there on 33's I didn't need to get there. I'm now running 35" and have the same opinon. I've heard and seen that if you go much above 35's on stock running gear (no chromoly), you tend to break stuff more often.

I'd have to say that at least 90% of wheeling is the driver. I've seen guys take stock 1945 willy's with no lift and non-directional tires across the Rubicon and do it gracefully and without body damage or breakage. I've also seen guys with $100K rigs go out and break just past gatekeeper. it's all how you wheel it. Slow and steady does it, and if it's not working back out and try a different line.

as for the 33's, you'll essentially loose 5th gear if you don't re-gear the axles. If you know you're not going to go above a 35", 4.88's are adequate. If you want a little extra off the line, or think you may go bigger, save yourself the headache, and go to 5.29's right off the bat. While you've got it apart, drop in a locker. Lunch-box lockers (Aussie, Lock-right etc.) are cost effective and work well. If you've got the $$ I'd spring for a selectable (ARB or electric). You'll be able to go farther easier with the locker.

Erik

[Tallchevy]

I went through the Con last year with my 87 4Runner that had about 7" of lift & a 2" body lift, 5.29's, front axle locked 35's & stock gears in the t-case. I had the throttle more than my buddy that was locked front & rear with duals.

This year I went through the Con but I took the body lift off & did rears up front, dropped the front about 1", added a locker to the rear & 5.1's in the t-case. It made a big difference.

I have another friend that has done the Con numerous times with 33's & locked front & rear.

[LOckEdSolidTOy]

well technically i am just a freshmen here so i have four years left, but i already spent a year at a prep school before i came here so this is my secon year of college. no i wish, my yota is at home in norcal i don't think i ll bring it up cause my parents are buyin me a dodge/cummins my junior year when we are allowed to have cars but i might bring it up for my senior project in mechanical engineering

Thats cool. I'm active duty Air Force. I work at Andrews AFB. How much longer do you have in the academy? Do you have your 4runner in town with you?