2022 AEV Gladiator Rubicon build

[Flyin6]

How did your tires fall off??!! Never had that happen on a Jeep before.

It's even crazier than that. I am only going to run three wheels on this new Hemi Jeep of mine. Have the first tricycle Gladiator out there. I was thinking of how many thousands of times I slid onto a runway with only three points of contact. Worked there, oughta work with the Jeep. ;-)

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[Flyin6]

I think I am no longer going to run a spare.

I have never busted a sidewall on a Jeep or recreational off-road vehicle. I have, however, torn up a couple of tractor tire sidewalls...

In the past, we never had these new sidewall repair kits, which I now own, for trail repairs. That gives me a degree of comfort about surviving most of my off-road adventures. I do admit, my off-roading experience in the western states is limited, so there's that...

I am thinking of losing the spare because 1. I have never used it. 2. This 40" spare is 129 pounds vs 117 for the 37" sizing. With all tires increasing to the 40" size, the weight increase is substantial. 3. There is the previously discussed problem with where/how to carry that monster spare.4. Finally, with ditching the spare, I will improve ground clearance, unclutter the underside, possibly freeing up room for an aft-mounted aux fuel tank, and the truck will realize a net loss of 69 pounds even with the larger tires.

Where my head is at for now...

 

[RudeJeepin]

@Flyin6 As to no spare, no you can use that underneath space for something else.
You could still take the spare along on longer trips and leave it at basecamp. I didn't run a spare on my old CJ5 for years. There were times I was hours of hwy away from a spare. But I never wheeled it in really rocky places.
Or just for more head scratching, what is the lightest, skinniest, 37" setup you could tuck under there? I mean a 37 would be better than nothing. If with running 40s.

 

[Flyin6]

@Flyin6 As to no spare, no you can use that underneath space for something else.
You could still take the spare along on longer trips and leave it at basecamp. I didn't run a spare on my old CJ5 for years. There were times I was hours of hwy away from a spare. But I never wheeled it in really rocky places.
Or just for more head scratching, what is the lightest, skinniest, 37" setup you could tuck under there? I mean a 37 would be better than nothing. If with running 40s.

Well, I already have a 37" spare, and I thought of just using it. I'm leaning toward no spare for the moment.
Caveat: When I eventually head out to the Rubicon, I'll carry a spare.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Reasoning seems sound. Probably not as much of a concern with 40”s. Those of us on 38” and down probably still want to run the spare. 40”s just seem to be a much tougher tire. I’d caution to take the trail you intend on running into account. Moderate to difficult you’ll probably be fine but get into a Johnston valley type situation and you may want to drag it along.

 

[Flyin6]

I'm going to buy the Harbor Freight tire changer, then upgrade it with the Lucid Works "Duck-Head" piece. Plan on doing all my own tire changes in the future. The last time I had tires (35") installed on my dually, they dinged up the powder-coated wheels...
Broader note: Labor these days is unreliable and untrustworthy.
I had one oil change done on my Gladiator, and I needed a 1/2" breaker bar to remove the drain plug, which I had to replace.
My daughter had her Yukon Denali serviced for a stumble. They charged her to replace a coil pack and a spark plug. It happened again. This time she took it to the GMC dealership. He replaced all the coil packs. He said the ones on the truck were original factory units!
Overall, the auto service industry just cannot be trusted in my view.

 

[Flyin6]

Reasoning seems sound. Probably not as much of a concern with 40”s. Those of us on 38” and down probably still want to run the spare. 40”s just seem to be a much tougher tire. I’d caution to take the trail you intend on running into account. Moderate to difficult you’ll probably be fine but get into a Johnston valley type situation and you may want to drag it along.

Looking at the actual tire sizes, the KM3's are 35.6" tall, whereas the 40" Coopers are 39.7. That's 3.2" difference and 1.6" more space to everything on the underside. Wow...
All of that and only 12-15 pounds per tire more. (12-15, depending on which source you are referencing...)

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I'm going to buy the Harbor Freight tire changer, then upgrade it with the Lucid Works "Duck-Head" piece. Plan on doing all my own tire changes in the future. The last time I had tires (35") installed on my dually, they dinged up the powder-coated wheels...
Broader note: Labor these days is unreliable and untrustworthy.

Definitely keep us up to date on that. I’ve been looking that way for a while. I figure a tire changer and some of those CounterAct bead packs could make tire changes an easier process than waiting for a slot at the tire shop. Not sure if you have a preference on balance beads but those seem to have a lot of research behind them.

 

[Flyin6]

Definitely keep us up to date on that. I’ve been looking that way for a while. I figure a tire changer and some of those CounterAct bead packs could make tire changes an easier process than waiting for a slot at the tire shop. Not sure if you have a preference on balance beads but those seem to have a lot of research behind them.

I have only used balance beads for nearly 20 years. No weights ever touch my wheels. Even in the wife's Caddy...

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