33'' or 35'' tires?

[Me+3]

I have a 1985 CJ7 with stock brakes. I am considering putting on a set of 35'' BFG A/T.

I'm not concerned about power due to the 4:56 gears i have on the rig. But i am concerned about braking. Can someone tell me if they are/or have run 35's, and how well can I expect my CJ to break with the bigger addition.

kina of a side ?, is it me or do 33'' TSL look as big as 35'' A/T tires.

[HillBillE]

....kina of a side ?, is it me or do 33'' TSL look as big as 35'' A/T tires.

Yep, they do! Very few tires are thier true measurements. I have a set of 35's that measure 33 1/2", and my 33x10.5 TSL's measured out at almost 34 when fully inflated.


Going to a 35 from a 33 (pretending the tires have true sizes here) you're only increasing the lift by 1". You are increasing the weight by a bit.

You will notice a slight difference in braking. Wether it's safe or not, that's subject to opinion.

The stock brakes on a CJ aren't that great to begin with, adding bigger tires doesn't help them any.

Driving style plays a big part also, as does the tranny. Having a manual tranny, and downshifting to help slow down, makes braking easier and the brakes last longer.

If you have an auto, and drive fast and brake at the last possible second, the brakes won't last long.


Would I do it? Heck yeah. But I would think about doing a brake upgrade down the road.

I put rear discs on my CJ, and it makes a big difference!!

[Me+3]

Thanks for the helpful info.

What kind of disc break conversion did you do? Or did you put on a complete new rear axel?

[HillBillE]

Thanks for the helpful info.

What kind of disc break conversion did you do? Or did you put on a complete new rear axel?

Both I installed a D44 out of a Scout II. It had some home fabbed disc brakes on it. They are cobbled from :

1: Homade brackets

2: Mid '80's Chev calipers (front, 2WD, 1/2T truck)

3: Early '80s Ford 1/2 T rotors

They work, but aren't set up the way I like it.

The calipers are to big (too much volume) and it takes 2 pumps to get a good pedal.

Once you get used to it, it's fine. But I do plan on redoing it.

[Sr. Beaver]

I can say 35's on stock brakes do work, but I also didn't wait till the last second. Definitely would recommend a disc conversion, which is what I have now and ran 36 TSL's and could stop on a dime (almost).