Goodbye 35’s!

[Brian_B]

I'm about halfway on the life of my current tires, and have to admit, I'm torn.

I'm currently running 35s with 4.46 gearing. I don't really have any complaints - it will get up and go if I hit the skinny pedal, but on the freeway 6th gear is useless and if there's a stiff headwind I'll have to downshift to 4th. Offroad, I haven't had any issues but I don't do too extreme of stuff with it either - Trails rated at 6 or under are no problem, I've done a couple of 7s and questioned my sanity though.

The lure of 37's is there, for sure - but I'm sure that would entail another slew of upgrades (which is both a reason for and against). But almost equally so is dropping back down to 33's and picking some of that highway capability back up. Or just stick with 35's which haven't been a bad size this entire time too.

Decisions, Decisions....

I think if I can find a set of local takeoffs I'll jump on that for daily driving, @mpeugeot has a good idea there.

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[Lcubed]

I'm about halfway on the life of my current tires, and have to admit, I'm torn.

I'm currently running 35s with 4.46 gearing. I don't really have any complaints - it will get up and go if I hit the skinny pedal, but on the freeway 6th gear is useless and if there's a stiff headwind I'll have to downshift to 4th. Offroad, I haven't had any issues but I don't do too extreme of stuff with it either - Trails rated at 6 or under are no problem, I've done a couple of 7s and questioned my sanity though.

The lure of 37's is there, for sure - but I'm sure that would entail another slew of upgrades (which is both a reason for and against). But almost equally so is dropping back down to 33's and picking some of that highway capability back up. Or just stick with 35's which haven't been a bad size this entire time too.

Decisions, Decisions....

I think if I can find a set of local takeoffs I'll jump on that for daily driving, @mpeugeot has a good idea there.

if you have a large surplus of $$$, 74weld portals can solve the lift, suspension geometry and gearing problems all at the same time.

 

[hemiblas]

32s and 33s are ideal for everyday driving, especially with the right tread pattern. I like 35s, but agreed, usually I reserve them for offroading. I got the SAS 2 door, but pretty sure if I put 33s I'd like the drive better around town.

 

[Owl]

Kind of what I did... only with a 2Dr Base and the 2.7/auto combo. I put on OBX rims/tires, and am getting 24 MPG. I would have liked to have gone with the Big Bend, 4.27 and an eLocker, but I decided that for how much off-road I do (which is nothing at this point)... I would be best suited with the Base 3.73.

I figure 24 MPG on a Bronco... is a bit of alright.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Decisions, Decisions....

Oh man, I hear ya!!

The AMB base Base looks soo good with 35's , but the gearing feels like it would be PERFECT with an actual 33" tire.

But as you said, it's not bad with the 35s either.

My experience has been the same as yours.
6th gear is unusable, unless you want to watch your mpg drop from 21 to 15 on the highway.

Next set will probably 285/75-17 ... 33.8" as I recall.

Current 35's were 34.6", per Toyo.

 

[Mortonm]

I'm about halfway on the life of my current tires, and have to admit, I'm torn.

I'm currently running 35s with 4.46 gearing. I don't really have any complaints - it will get up and go if I hit the skinny pedal, but on the freeway 6th gear is useless and if there's a stiff headwind I'll have to downshift to 4th. Offroad, I haven't had any issues but I don't do too extreme of stuff with it either - Trails rated at 6 or under are no problem, I've done a couple of 7s and questioned my sanity though.

The lure of 37's is there, for sure - but I'm sure that would entail another slew of upgrades (which is both a reason for and against). But almost equally so is dropping back down to 33's and picking some of that highway capability back up. Or just stick with 35's which haven't been a bad size this entire time too.

Decisions, Decisions....

I think if I can find a set of local takeoffs I'll jump on that for daily driving, @mpeugeot has a good idea there.

There is a middle ground, something like the 285 75 R17, narrower and lighter but not giving up a lot in terms of height

 

[hemiblas]

There is a middle ground, something like the 285 75 R17, narrower and lighter but not giving up a lot in terms of height

If you arent offroading a lower height might be better anyway. Easier to see around the vehicle, easier to park, a taller rig makes me think I'm going slower than I really am.

 

[mpeugeot]

There is a middle ground, something like the 285 75 R17, narrower and lighter but not giving up a lot in terms of height

It’s not just height, my E load off-roading tires are way tougher and rock resistant. However, you do have the right approach depending on the type of off-roading you do. When I eventually replace the OBX tires, I will probably get the tallest and lightest 18" tires I can find (like a 285/75)... Keeping the weight and rolling resistance down will reward you with better gas mileage.

 

[Brian_B]

if you have a large surplus of $$$, 74weld portals can solve the lift, suspension geometry and gearing problems all at the same time.

No doubt they can - but they way outside of my price range.

 

[mpeugeot]

No doubt they can - but they way outside of my price range.

That all depends on how long you can afford to wait... I am sure that if I keep my Bronco as long as I plan to, I will probably afford portals sometime in 2027.

 

[Brian_B]

That all depends on how long you can afford to wait...

Hmm. That's an interesting perspective.

I don't think ~not~ having them is costing me anything financially. So, the cost in waiting, I guess, is when I think I'll be too old to enjoy them or within the useful lifespan of the Bronco, whichever may come first.

I've got a lot of lower hanging fruit upgrades I should do before I would jump to portals as well. Like the HD Steering Rack, m210 front, skid plates, etc. The cost of portals may help offset some of the suspension issues, but there are a lot of basic things I'm still lacking. I got a long way to go to catch up to some of you guys.

 

[MDH]

I built my ‘23 Big Bend to be as cost effective as possible and only opted for the Mid Package and entry door keypad. I didn’t have any big off roading plans, I just loved the look of these new broncos and wanted one the day Ford said they would be bringing them back.

The day it came in I had a set of all black first edition wheels ready to put on it. I am new to the off-roading world and it wasn’t until I did any research that I realized how your transmissions “gearing” affected driving with larger tires.

After having those on for 11 months (with stock suspension) and seeing my gas mileage top out at 17.5 mpg I put on a set of black diamond steelies (the best-looking wheels in my opinion) with the stock general grabbers and I noticed an immediate difference in how it drives. I commute roughly 35 miles a day and do a bulk of that driving on the highway. It feels like I’m in a Miata. It rides so much smoother, shifts smoother, and I’m getting a combined 21 mpg. I loved the look of my Bronco with the bigger wheels and tires but I absolutely love the way it drives now.

i know this is old news to those who have had lifted trucks/jeeps in the past but I wanted to post this in case others wanted to weigh the pros and cons of switching out to larger tires with an automatic transmission, 3.73 gearing and the 2.3 liter engine.

Looks great. I have same set up as yours. Are your new tires 285/70 17? Also, are your steelies 7.5 or 8 inches wide?

 

[mpeugeot]

Hmm. That's an interesting perspective.

I don't think ~not~ having them is costing me anything financially. So, the cost in waiting, I guess, is when I think I'll be too old to enjoy them or within the useful lifespan of the Bronco, whichever may come first.

I've got a lot of lower hanging fruit upgrades I should do before I would jump to portals as well. Like the HD Steering Rack, m210 front, skid plates, etc. The cost of portals may help offset some of the suspension issues, but there are a lot of basic things I'm still lacking. I got a long way to go to catch up to some of you guys.

Likewise, I have a whole list of low hanging fruit upgrades to complete before I get to the point where portals will make much sense.

Mind you, it will probably happen before 2027, but I am likely going to put another 50k miles on it before I swap to a set of portals... I won't be worried about breaking a 5+ year old Bronco at that point.

 

[huntski54]

@JakeL - yes. That was another part of it. Speedo was roughly 4-5 mph off at highway speeds. This was another deciding factor in switching back to smaller wheels.

I know forscan an “easy” thing to do but I’m weird and don’t want to go in and change anything with my CPU as I don’t want to give Ford a reason for denying any future warranty claims.

 

[huntski54]

Looks great. I have same set up as yours. Are your new tires 285/70 17? Also, are your steelies 7.5 or 8 inches wide?

they are the stock Black diamond wheels and OEM tires. 32” tires and I believe tge wheel width is 7 inches, not 7.5 but I could be wrong.

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