jywolfe
Active Member
- First Name
- Jon
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2023
- Threads
- 11
- Messages
- 36
- Reaction score
- 63
- Location
- Western North Carolina
- Vehicle(s)
- 2023 Mojave/2021 JLUR
- Occupation
- Self
- Thread starter
- #1
I had 37" tires installed on my JT Willys Ecodiesel last week. I was concerned about fitment, fuel economy and overall driving experience. Below is a summation of all three and the bottom line upfront is all three improved, and in a dramatic way.
Fitment: I have a 2" Mopar lift with one inch pucks upfront to improve rake. I also have adjustable front and rear track bars, and a metal cloak rear track bar relocation bracket. I have the RockJock carrier bearing spacer (1 inch) and Bilstein shocks that come with Mopar lift kit. I used Mopar Beadlock capable 8.5x17 with +12mm offset wheels and the tires measure 35.25 laden under the weight of the vehicle (at 28 psi) and I set my ECU at 36.25 and GPS matches speedo perfectly. All four corners have adequate clearance and I am able to articulate up to the 2" bump stops without going full compressed without rubbing. The spare tire is also mounted on the same wheel and it fits inflated to 35 psi with 1/16" clearance. The factory hitch mount is the closest point of contact, and the heat sheild on one side. Plenty of clearance for the rear track bar.
Fuel Economy and driving characteristics: I was very pleasantly surprised here. So much so that I am going to do another run to verify my results. Yesterday I drove 162 mile loop up to Max Patch which was at 4600 feet in elevation. I drove I-40 there averaging 68 MPH and then drove 20 miles of gravel and dirt roads and another 20 miles of paved mountain roads with lots of twisties. The drive home was via I-26 averaging 70 MPH. The computer average for this trip was 26.4 MPG, hand calculated came out to 27.2 MPG. My observations are the Ecodiesel performed significantly better with the gearing ratio that the 37s created. I stayed in 8th gear when driving above 65 with plenty of torque to keep speed in all but the steepest sections. On flat and rolling terrain, the torque at low RPM was extremely pleasant and reminded me of driving my 3.0 twin turbo BMW, which never downshifts and has lots of low end grunt. The bottom line, it is my belief now after experiencing the significant change in behavior and fuel economy that the Ecodiesel is right at home with 37" and 3.73 factory gearing. My Gladiator has never driven as good as it did yesterday and I experienced some very diverse terrain on the trip. Also of note, going to the C rated BFG KO2s was much more bump compliant. Win Win. My plan is to do a strictly highway run, which will happen this Thursday. I report back the results.
Fitment: I have a 2" Mopar lift with one inch pucks upfront to improve rake. I also have adjustable front and rear track bars, and a metal cloak rear track bar relocation bracket. I have the RockJock carrier bearing spacer (1 inch) and Bilstein shocks that come with Mopar lift kit. I used Mopar Beadlock capable 8.5x17 with +12mm offset wheels and the tires measure 35.25 laden under the weight of the vehicle (at 28 psi) and I set my ECU at 36.25 and GPS matches speedo perfectly. All four corners have adequate clearance and I am able to articulate up to the 2" bump stops without going full compressed without rubbing. The spare tire is also mounted on the same wheel and it fits inflated to 35 psi with 1/16" clearance. The factory hitch mount is the closest point of contact, and the heat sheild on one side. Plenty of clearance for the rear track bar.
Fuel Economy and driving characteristics: I was very pleasantly surprised here. So much so that I am going to do another run to verify my results. Yesterday I drove 162 mile loop up to Max Patch which was at 4600 feet in elevation. I drove I-40 there averaging 68 MPH and then drove 20 miles of gravel and dirt roads and another 20 miles of paved mountain roads with lots of twisties. The drive home was via I-26 averaging 70 MPH. The computer average for this trip was 26.4 MPG, hand calculated came out to 27.2 MPG. My observations are the Ecodiesel performed significantly better with the gearing ratio that the 37s created. I stayed in 8th gear when driving above 65 with plenty of torque to keep speed in all but the steepest sections. On flat and rolling terrain, the torque at low RPM was extremely pleasant and reminded me of driving my 3.0 twin turbo BMW, which never downshifts and has lots of low end grunt. The bottom line, it is my belief now after experiencing the significant change in behavior and fuel economy that the Ecodiesel is right at home with 37" and 3.73 factory gearing. My Gladiator has never driven as good as it did yesterday and I experienced some very diverse terrain on the trip. Also of note, going to the C rated BFG KO2s was much more bump compliant. Win Win. My plan is to do a strictly highway run, which will happen this Thursday. I report back the results.
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