Do you run a 33x9.5x15 on your FJ40? (1 Viewer)

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Romer

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I am looking at switching to the BF Goodrich AT KO 33 9.5 tire. Be interested in anyone's good and bad experiances with this tire. I have a 2 inch lift, with the fenders cut out for bushwackers and no power steering. The lack of power steering is why I am picking the 9.5. Can't afford that option right now and it takes away some of the "Charm" of the FJ40.

What I am looking to do is have a good hiway ride, while still being able to do low to med 4 wheeling.

I am most concerned about how they respond to slick or icy pavement.

Any other options besides this, the Kelly Springfield out there?

Thanks in advance
 
I run 33x12.50's on 8" rims with manual steering and it really isn't too bad. I would imagine 9.50's to be even easier, especially if your front end is in good shape. I ran the BFG A/T's on my 62. Good offroad tire, but I really didn't like them on the highway. Ended up using Dunlop Rover's, nice highway tire, ok in sand and wet roads.
 
i have only heard good things about that tire but i think a 10.5 will be fine also.
 
That brings up a good question 9.5 or 10.5?

A search of this forum showed that 9.5 was good for highway and WITHOUT power steering. I got the impression it was comparing them to 12.5's

Opinions?
 
I have had 2 stock 40's on 33 950 15's one my daughter drove 4 yrs. no PS, Love them
She commuted 400 miles a couple of times a year in hers....until we got her something newer.
We have 2 rigs in LSLC with them
If you can get them the Wild Country TXR is a very good choice

http://www.multimiletires.com/about/index.html

Butch
 
The 9.50's handl;e much better than the fatties. Especially without PS. I run tall and narrow on my J**P, they work great, and it handles much better than it did with gumball tires. Running on 7" rims.

Just put 31X105's GY MT/Rs on my FJ60 and it is a huge improvement over the crappy Costco AT's the PO had mounted. Smoother, rides better, handles better. I considered 33X9.50's but they are just too tall for my applications.

Mike S
 
Ran BFG 9.5 in past w/o PS. Good tire. Good handler. Great snow performance and siping made 'em even better (lived at ski resort). Nothing works good on ice just some are more tolerable than others. Now have PS and 35s for rocks. These 12.50s with auto-lockers really suck in snow. Can you say SQUIRRELLY!
 
I run 33x9.5 BFG AT's on both my OME'd 82 fj40(w/PS) and the stock 82 w/o PS I like em plenty, don't know about snow or ice. Also run the same tire on the stock 90 fj62, and again very happy.

John H
 
romerk,I am in the same predicament as yourself and have studied this subject extensively for my application. I have an FJ40 with manual steering. My fellow club members keep bugging me that "I gotta get a power steering" but get this. 2 of the members hauled their rigs ( CJ-5 & Toyota p/u) from Florida to Tellico and were side-lined THE FIRST DAY by power steering failures!!! Like yourself,I'm more the "dependability" person.
I recall that all the rigs I drove in the military had manual steering until you get to the 5 ton truck.Think about that! and what kind of tires do most of them run? 9.00x16 militaries, a 34x9.50 tread.
Lightweight rigs here in Florida run the 34x9.50 Swamper tire on ALOT of rigs. 90% of the hunters use 9.00x16 directional tread on their fullsizes. They do okay in the Florida sand but they're much better suited for mud,street,etc. The lighter rigs seem to have less problems in the sand than the full-sizes with tool box,dog box ,etc.
I'm considering the B.F.G 34x10.50 or the Swamper LTB (larger lugs)on my application.I understand B.F.G quit making the taller 9.50 and went with the 10.50.That's even better.
I called JT Outfitters(Specialize in FJ's) in North Carolina and asked them how the tall and narrows worked up there.He said that the narrow tires tend to roll off the rim easier. So don't bag them too low.
One thing I didn't like is on a club members Toyota truck as a spare. The 34x9.50 swamper had one of the large lugs completely torn off from wheelin'. There's still ALOT of trucks running them around here in Ocala Nat'l Forest. Toyotas,Nissans,Jeeps and such.
In my off-road experience (23 years),the 33-35"x12.50's are a better off-road tire but I'd hate to be steering it on the out-of-state rides I've been on in Monteagle,Tenn. and Tellico (Murphy,N.C) WITHOUT power steering.You know 36x12.50's may be a worthy consideration.I don't think the tread surface is as wide as it's shorter brethren. At least it doesn't look as wide on my buddies CJ-5.
Here's a rig that I really like(second link). He's doing level 4's with the thin swampers. The first link can get you to alot of pics.Click on the FJ40 box and it tells how his rig (pictured) is set up.:
http://home.off-road.com/~landcruiser/index2.html
FJ454.JPG


I've seen too many people run them to say they don't work well. In the Superlift challenge they held in Ocala a couple of years ago one of the main contenders was a Jeep running a stock 6 cylinder and running 34x9.50 Swampers with a locker(s).I'd rather run a thinner tire w/o power steering than create a week link WITH power steering. When you consider some of the most sought after Saginaw boxes are off a pre-68 vehicle it stands to reason it may be wore out when you get it. IMHO
 
Well I bought the BFG AT KO 33 x 9.5 x 15's at Big O tire for $120 each. That included mounting and balancing. That look and feel great so far.
 
That's a good wearing tire. I have them on my FJ40,as my signature shows.
 
Hey Pig! You copped by sig photo!! What's up with that?

Mike S
 

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