rubicon rims / bf goodrich t/a's on the liberty

[knotwerk]

Hey guys....I know this topic has been beaten to death but I'm sick of searching for the exact answers to my question....

I have a 2004 liberty limited. And I hate the tires i'm currently running. (almost got stuck in a sand driveway in 4wheel drive the other day) Ideally I'd like to get a set of rubicon rims and put some smaller bfgoodrich ta's on them, for a wider stance and some traction. But I guess I'd like to at least get some traction on these stock rims.

using a tire with thread like this what size can i use on my stock rims. and if i move up to rubicon rims what size can i get then.

I know someone out there can answer this in two seconds...thanks in advance!

Mike

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Rims makes no difference. If you're not lifted, the max tire size is P245/70R16 (30").

... I will admit, the Rubicon rims look way better on the Liberty than they do on the Wrangler Rubicon itself.

 

[knotwerk]

Thanks!

 

[Lizards of Oz]

Will those 16x8 Rubicon rims with P245/70R16 tires fit right onto a stock Liberty without a lift? If so I'm thinking about going with a set of these. Is there a particluar model year to look for or are they all the same? Thanks.
Matt

 

[MoladoGuy]

Will those 16x8 Rubicon rims with P245/70R16 tires fit right onto a stock Liberty without a lift? If so I'm thinking about going with a set of these. Is there a particluar model year to look for or are they all the same? Thanks.
Matt

My 245/70/16 tires on stock KJ had a slight rub when only reversing and in full turn. The 245/70/16 is also the largest tire to fit while stock. I'm assuming that you may have some slight rubbing near the fog light area since the 16x8 has a BS of 5. Again, I'm only thinking this would be the case unless you stick with 235/70 tires??

I do wish I had a set of Rubi Rims though!!
idea.gif

 

[CRD4Liberty]

If you aired down you should have had no problem with the stockers in the sand, mine worked fine on a CRD which is heavier. I run 245/70X16 Nokian Vatiivas now on stock wheels and they are far better in the sand or anywhere else. No rubbing. That size should also work with the Rubis. Trim, bend, heat gun and move, etc to stop the rubbing.

 

[Cloak]

This seems as good a place as any to ask. How much of a difference is there between a 245/70/16 and a 235/70/16. How much more smooth is the ride, better/worse for offroading and what impact does the extra tire weight have on MPG?

 

[nfmisso]

This seems as good a place as any to ask. How much of a difference is there between a 245/70/16 and a 235/70/16. How much more smooth is the ride, better/worse for offroading and what impact does the extra tire weight have on MPG?

There is nominally a 10mm difference in width, but in reality there is about a ± 5mm tolerance on tire width, so a "wide" 235 could be the same width as a "narrow" 245.

Same for overall diameter.

Tire weight varies by manufacturer, and within the same size tire from different manufacturers can vary by many pounds.

The larger the diameter the tire, the smoother the ride. The heavier the tire the worse the ride. The stiffer the sidewalls, the worse the ride.

Offroading - depends on the terrain. In sand, a narrow tall tire that is air'd way down will perform better than a wider tire. The narrow tire becomes more like tank treads.

Fuel economy; increasing tire wieght reduces fuel economy in two distinct ways. First is the added wieght, and second, more importantly is the added rotating inertia - which only comes into play when accelerating. (it also has major negative impact on braking performance). Rotating inertia is mass times distance squared (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_inertia ). This is where your fuel economy and performance feeling of the vehicle is killed with larger tires. If you drive at a constant speed (no one does), this effect is practically non-existant. And then there is the increased aerodynamic drag.

For ride and fuel economy, a 225/75R16 will beat both the 235/70 and 245/70. With appropriate air pressure management, the differences between the three are practically non-existent.

You have to justify the wider tires on appearance, and slightly higher dry road cornering performance - ONLY. In all other aspects, there are no real advantages, and most cases disadvantages.