Long 1st post from newbie

[Cappy_TX]

Howdy. Just bought a 2006 TJ Unlimited 4WD 6-speed in a hard top. It only had 10,500 miles on it and was garage kept the entire time. I'll be using it for transporting my dawgs around our properties for training and during duck season, usually with another hunter or two with me. I've removed the back seat and brackets and am converting the entire back area to open transport (covered in Mossy Oak Shadow Grass). :shock: The stock tires are in great shape, spare never on the ground. BFG Wranglers 30X9.5R15s.

We live 8 miles from town on a good paved road. Our 2nd property is our primary hunting spot and is 5 miles in the opposite direction on the same paved road. That's virtually all of the driving I'll be doing on pavement. The rest of the time it will be on a 700' long white rock driveway, dirt roads or pastures on both properties. Where we duck hunt gets pretty mushy during the fall and winter rains so driving to and from the blinds is the mud challenge.

Up until a week ago I was using a 4WD Kawasaki Mule to fulfill most of those needs but it wasn't legal to drive on the highway so it meant trailering it back and forth 3-4X a week. At 66 I'm just too durn old to be loading, unloading, reloading and unloading again (by myself usually) that Mule four times a week from a 16' car hauler to hunt the other property. So I sold it and bought the Jeep.

My dilema is this ... Marshy areas, rock driveway, paved road, pastures and 7-1/2 acres of lawn is where my Mule took me. I'll need better mud tires than the BFGs I have, but not so aggressive that I can't drive on the lawn or paved road. I'd prefer not to install a lift kit and am hoping that maybe I could increase tire size to 31-10 ATs or something similar. Some have even suggested just using the stock tires with the pressure down to 20 PSI. Help and old fella out with suggestions for me if you'd be so kind.

BTW ... I have a brand new soft top for that Jeep if anyone is looking for a bargain on one. Located in N TX 75 miles north of DFW.

Oppps ... I had posted pics of the Jeep and the soft top but got an error message saying I wasn't allowed to do so until I am a little older. :lol:

PM if you want to see pics of either.

 

[jfrabat]

Howdy. Just bought a 2006 TJ Unlimited 4WD 6-speed in a hard top.

Congrats, and welcome to the Z...

The stock tires are in great shape, spare never on the ground. BFG Wranglers 30X9.5R15s.

Wranglers are Goodyear, not BFG...

My dilema is this ... Marshy areas, rock driveway, paved road, pastures and 7-1/2 acres of lawn is where my Mule took me. I'll need better mud tires than the BFGs I have, but not so aggressive that I can't drive on the lawn or paved road. I'd prefer not to install a lift kit and am hoping that maybe I could increase tire size to 31-10 ATs or something similar. Some have even suggested just using the stock tires with the pressure down to 20 PSI. Help and old fella out with suggestions for me if you'd be so kind.

For both mud and rocks, BFG MT's do just fine, and a 31" tire should work fine if you are not encountering tough obstacles. If the mud holes are deep, or you encounter tall rocks, 33" may be abetter choice, though. I also hear that the BFG MT's are very civilized on pavement, so it is a good choice for mixed use. If these are still too loud for you, you may consider the BFG AT's; more civilized on the road, and should handle grass and gravel well. Not so good in mud, though...

 

[shotgun]

superswampers make a whole lot of different tires for all road conditions, also buckshot mud terrains are nice they can be found in many off road mags also good ole wall mart sells a very good mudterrain tire that is really quite on pavement and easy on the wallet they usally have to be ordered but they carry them all you have to remember is if there a radial they will be quiter than the others, if you want my opinion then I would stay far away from BFG's they are heavy on the wallet and they are not all of that anymore.you could also check out 4wd magazine, any of them they all post tire packages that are good deals plus there is a phone number there that you could call and someone there can answer all your questions... Shotgun..

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Welcome Cappy, now you said you wanted to be nice to the lawn and a more aggressive tire?
Well the two things dint get along. Anything good for gumbo mud will leave your patch of green with a zipper down the middle.

Try dropping your air pressure down first to 18 and see how you like it before spending the big bucks on a new pair a shoes. Even at 18 your can drive your jeep on the highway for a limited time going no faster than 45 and no Dukes of Hazard tricks.

 

[TerryMason]

Welcome to Jeepz.com. I say just run what you have and see how it does - most likely you'll be fine. Just make sure to have a highlift jack, shovel, and maybe some plywood in the back in case you get stuck.

 

[camarocal]

Hey Cappy
I live just north of you in Okieland. I have seen some of that black clay mush and red clay from the Red River and know what is like to be stuck on top of the ground from no traction. I run the Buckshot Maxxis Mudders and have found them to be great for this area. You don't have to spin them too hard to clean them out and they are pretty civilized on the highway. I personally like the 32x11.5x15 for myself. I have a 95 yj with them and use this jeep as my daily driver over 100 miles a day. I have had Cooper Discoverer, and the Goodyear Wranglers you now have and I personally can't tell much difference in the road noise. Hope this helps. If you run north of the river watch for a red yj with lots of shiny stuff and give a honk.