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Sarge

Well-known member
Sorry, I was referring to the particular 18" wheels that come with the Off Road Group on the Overland. I've heard both the eLSD and the 18" wheels were supply-constrained. I'm not sure what some of the lower trims have.
 

Sarge

Well-known member
Just thought I'd throw this in the SR mods thread: It turns out the only AT tires you can get for the 21" SR wheels are the General Grabber AT3 (stock size), which are only available in Europe for some reason. I know 21" wheels aren't good for serious off roading, but for forest service roads, and non-rock-crawling use they still add a lot of tractive capability on slippery surfaces. They also have the 'severe winter service' emblem, which is required to proceed in the winter in a lot of places.

They are stamped with the DOT stamp, which should mean they can be imported to the US without any trouble at US Customs. I found an image on UK ebay that shows the stamp on the right side of this photo:

s-l1600.jpg



Here's a photoshop of roughly what they would look like on the 21" wheels (Photoshop mashup from the configurator, using the Off Road Group tires from the Overland:

Screen Shot 2022-06-10 at 1.38.59 PM.png

Screen Shot 2022-06-10 at 11.45.16 PM.png
 
Here are photos of new shoes on my 2021 SR. Went with 265/65R Falken Wildpeak AT3s on 18x9 KMC Technic cast aluminum wheels with +18mm offset. Note the +38mm offset difference that pushes the tire away from the suspension. The knuckle is still there but not hovering so much over the treads. Tire diameter is just under 32". Don't see any way that you could get 33s on the SR but some folks in the forum are talking about it.
Thank you for sharing these specs and pics! I've been trying to figure out how to replace my SR 21" wheels for 18" to get a smoother ride. Do you attribute the stiffer ride to the off road tires? (I assumed that going with 18" wheels and all-seasons would give me a much smoother ride on our rugged Illinois roads)
I installed the OEM mud flaps, but still have quite a bit of splash-up. With the wider offset, do you notice any more "splash-up" than before?
Finally, since your slightly taller tires are now running at 17revs/mile less, have you had any issues with your speedometer (or anything else electrical?)
Thanks!!
 

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Sarge

Well-known member
Any time you make the sidewalls taller, if you use the same load rating, you should expect a softer ride. If you 'upgrade' to D or E range tires instead of XL rated, that also results in stiffer, heavier tires. With respect to on road performance, lighter tires will result in better acceleration, handling, fuel economy, bump rebound control, and braking (depends also on the tread compound and pattern). Lighter is better, unless you need heavier duty D or E tires with stronger sidewalls for off road or heavy towing use (XL should still be fine for the latter WRT factory tow ratings).

AT or MT tires get worse fuel economy and generally have worse lateral grip than a comparably-priced highway tire. Read the reviews for whatever tire you're looking at on www.tirerack.com. They will even sort by vehicle type, make, model etc with reviews. Choose the right type of tire for your use case.

IMO, 20" is a good size for on-road use in most places for this vehicle. I haven't driven one with 21's, but mine has 20's. I wouldn't probably go to 18 unless cloud like smoothness were my goal (you trade off some turn-in feel, etc, but not that much, and 18's look sort of small on the WL to my, but that's a personal aesthetic preference).

If you go with wider offset, a little won't matter (1/4" or so), but if they stick out past the fenders, they'll sling more road debris, dirt and mud onto the body, no question. In some states you can get ticketed for it, but it's rare to get a ticket from the looks of things. Given the problems a lot of people are having with paint chips, I wouldn't recommend that route, though.
 

Sarge

Well-known member
18's definitely look best in black on this car; The wheel size is harder to differentiate against the black tire.
 
Any time you make the sidewalls taller, if you use the same load rating, you should expect a softer ride. If you 'upgrade' to D or E range tires instead of XL rated, that also results in stiffer, heavier tires. With respect to on road performance, lighter tires will result in better acceleration, handling, fuel economy, bump rebound control, and braking (depends also on the tread compound and pattern). Lighter is better, unless you need heavier duty D or E tires with stronger sidewalls for off road or heavy towing use (XL should still be fine for the latter WRT factory tow ratings).

AT or MT tires get worse fuel economy and generally have worse lateral grip than a comparably-priced highway tire. Read the reviews for whatever tire you're looking at on www.tirerack.com. They will even sort by vehicle type, make, model etc with reviews. Choose the right type of tire for your use case.

IMO, 20" is a good size for on-road use in most places for this vehicle. I haven't driven one with 21's, but mine has 20's. I wouldn't probably go to 18 unless cloud like smoothness were my goal (you trade off some turn-in feel, etc, but not that much, and 18's look sort of small on the WL to my, but that's a personal aesthetic preference).

If you go with wider offset, a little won't matter (1/4" or so), but if they stick out past the fenders, they'll sling more road debris, dirt and mud onto the body, no question. In some states you can get ticketed for it, but it's rare to get a ticket from the looks of things. Given the problems a lot of people are having with paint chips, I wouldn't recommend that route, though.
Awesome information. I can only assume you must do this every day, or you have done waaaaaay more research than anyone else here.
I'm 100% going for the cloud-like ride (frustrating back pain issue), so I just ordered the same black KMC wheels in the 18x9 with the +18mm offset, along with a set of Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure w/ Kevlar (have put these on every SUV/truck I've had over the past decade and love them). I'm really hoping that this smooths out the ride enough for me to keep this thing. (I certainly agree that the aesthetic of 18" compared to 20"/21" is undersized, but in the search for comfort I have given up on the appearance.)
I was planning on getting some rock chip protection wraps on the vehicle later this summer, so hopefully that helps protect from any excess chipping...

Thanks again for all of the great information! I really appreciate it!
 

Sarge

Well-known member
Awesome information. I can only assume you must do this every day, or you have done waaaaaay more research than anyone else here.
I'm 100% going for the cloud-like ride (frustrating back pain issue), so I just ordered the same black KMC wheels in the 18x9 with the +18mm offset, along with a set of Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure w/ Kevlar (have put these on every SUV/truck I've had over the past decade and love them). I'm really hoping that this smooths out the ride enough for me to keep this thing. (I certainly agree that the aesthetic of 18" compared to 20"/21" is undersized, but in the search for comfort I have given up on the appearance.)
I was planning on getting some rock chip protection wraps on the vehicle later this summer, so hopefully that helps protect from any excess chipping...

Thanks again for all of the great information! I really appreciate it!
I'm a lifelong car guy, and have tracked cars, modified cars, etc for decades, so this is all just rote info for me. Sidewalls are rubber and absorb some impact, where larger wheels with smaller sidewalls remove some of that cushioning.

If I were you, I'd look at tire rack reviews for tires with maximum ride comfort and low noise (Michelin is usually a top performer in those regards), and probably add a memory foam seat cushion to your drivers seat bottom (just an aftermarket one on top of the actual seat). With tires oriented for comfort (noise can also add stress) and extra seat cushioning, that's about all you can do. The air suspension is also a bit softer than the coil suspension with regard to soaking up bumps.
 
Here are photos of new shoes on my 2021 SR. Went with 265/65R Falken Wildpeak AT3s on 18x9 KMC Technic cast aluminum wheels with +18mm offset. Note the +38mm offset difference that pushes the tire away from the suspension. The knuckle is still there but not hovering so much over the treads. Tire diameter is just under 32". Don't see any way that you could get 33s on the SR but some folks in the forum are talking about it.
New wheels/tires installed. Thanks for doing all of the research on this!
-18x9 KMC Tecnhic w/ +18mm offset
-265/65R-18 Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure w/ Kevlar
-Debadged hood/sides (also debadged rear and covered JEEP with matte black vinyl lettering)
-Removed factory running boards and replaced with OEM black plastic molding
-Installed OEM mud flaps

The ride is noticeably smoother, which was the main reason for the swap away from the 21" wheels. It's also a huge head-turner. I had 4 different people come up to look at it when I was fueling the same day they were installed. No rubbing at full crank in either direction, even in "park suspension" mode.

I cannot wait to take her on some old mining roads and logging trails in the UP next month...
 

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Vontes_vibe

Well-known member
New wheels/tires installed. Thanks for doing all of the research on this!
-18x9 KMC Tecnhic w/ +18mm offset
-265/65R-18 Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure w/ Kevlar
-Debadged hood/sides (also debadged rear and covered JEEP with matte black vinyl lettering)
-Removed factory running boards and replaced with OEM black plastic molding
-Installed OEM mud flaps

The ride is noticeably smoother, which was the main reason for the swap away from the 21" wheels. It's also a huge head-turner. I had 4 different people come up to look at it when I was fueling the same day they were installed. No rubbing at full crank in either direction, even in "park suspension" mode.

I cannot wait to take her on some old mining roads and logging trails in the UP next month...
how much do they poke out ? did you half to cut anything or trim?
 
how much do they poke out ? did you half to cut anything or trim?
Fortunately, the leg work on this was done by another member. There was no trimming of modifying of any kind required. My tire shop installed the wheels/tires with no issues, but did have to order Jeep/Mopar factory pressure sensors to install in the wheels. (the universal aftermarket ones they stocked did not program, and the company said they're not compatible until there is some sort of software update in the future)
I have only experienced the front tires rubbing twice, but I could only hear a very faint scraping/rubbing. It was while I had the wheels turned hard right/left and was backing up quickly. I inspected the inside of the wheel well and back of the tire, and there is no sign of anything touching. While on my back under the car with the wheels turned all the way, the sidewalls are far away from anything. I believe what they may have been rubbing was a piece of plastic shielding in the wheel well, but not enough to even make a mark of any kind.
*There is no rubbing when the Jeep lowers at highway speeds, nor is there any rubbing in park mode. Also, the increase in comfort going from 21" wheels to 18" is incredible. A solid 40%-50% smoother ride.
Here is the best photo I can get showing how far they stick out. It's very noticeable, and I have not filled up at the pump ONCE without someone coming up and complimenting how cool/aggressive it looks.
 

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Vontes_vibe

Well-known member
Fortunately, the leg work on this was done by another member. There was no trimming of modifying of any kind required. My tire shop installed the wheels/tires with no issues, but did have to order Jeep/Mopar factory pressure sensors to install in the wheels. (the universal aftermarket ones they stocked did not program, and the company said they're not compatible until there is some sort of software update in the future)
I have only experienced the front tires rubbing twice, but I could only hear a very faint scraping/rubbing. It was while I had the wheels turned hard right/left and was backing up quickly. I inspected the inside of the wheel well and back of the tire, and there is no sign of anything touching. While on my back under the car with the wheels turned all the way, the sidewalls are far away from anything. I believe what they may have been rubbing was a piece of plastic shielding in the wheel well, but not enough to even make a mark of any kind.
*There is no rubbing when the Jeep lowers at highway speeds, nor is there any rubbing in park mode. Also, the increase in comfort going from 21" wheels to 18" is incredible. A solid 40%-50% smoother ride.
Here is the best photo I can get showing how far they stick out. It's very noticeable, and I have not filled up at the pump ONCE without someone coming up and complimenting how cool/aggressive it looks.
thanks for the reply! I went ahead and purchased a set of wheels. thank you for your help. it looks really good
 
FINAL FINAL.jpgWrap First Run.jpg
wrap summit reserve1.jpgwrap summit reserve 2.jpg
Did Variant 20x10 radon satin bronze wheels, 275/55R20 BFG KO2s, wrapped roof rails, top window/mirror trim in black, bottom molding in bronze and designed a graphic. First image I did on paint3D, the second pic is the actual wrap completed + a couple close-ups.
 
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