JL Wranglers (2018+) are on 17s or 18s, but he’s referencing the Grand Cherokee, which is much more equivalent to the new Defender. Even back in 2011 when we last had one they came with 19s or 20s. 20” is probably the smallest option now, but I’m not sure about that.

 

Our 2012 WK2 GC Limited came on 18"s but you got me looking. And this OEM tire size listing website tells an interesting story of trends in tire sizes from the 90's (15" & 16" wheels) to today (largely 20" wheels) at least in the GC lineup.

https://tiresize.com/tires/Jeep/Grand-Cherokee/

At least the JL Wrangler is largely 17" or 18" but even on them there's now a couple of models with 20" wheels. Sad really.

 

Hi insider,

Sorry to ask this stupid question.....

We have a 2020 Defender X
We are learning to drive off-road and have done Moab twice this summer and all the other Utah national parks and Sedona. We are having a blast but we are running 22" stock wheels and we had stock tires. I changed them to Goodrich Trail Terrains 275 and they are 100% better off-road of course. I also added a winch and carry shovels and watch YouTube videos for off-road techniques etc. After this last trip that ended today we just can't believe how rough the ride is on the rocky offroads. Other Jeeps seem to be much more comfortable than us and they don't seem to get jolted like we do. I thought that reducing air would help which is how I found this thread and forum. Now it appears I just need smaller wheels and bigger tires and that will help with less "feels of the terrain". Can you confirm this? I am sure you are all laughing that I am doing 30 mile days on tough terrain with 22's but someone help me understand how to get a "gentler" ride.
PS. We expect off-road to be slow and rough. I ride KTM dirt bikes so no stranger to the terrain. Meaning we aren't sissies looking for an easy soft ride but what we are feeling seems way to rough?
Thanks
Randy Park City

 

You kind of answered your own question, but yes, smaller wheels bigger tires will help. I wouldn’t air down much unless you do the brake conversion and go to 18’s. Airing down 20’s or 22’s especially on rocky terrain is asking for trouble. Ditching the 22’s is obviously a good idea. You might also try leaving the suspension in normal height as off road height stiffens the ride and decreases flex, and just use off road height when really needed. No matter what you do, I doubt those people in Jeeps were getting a smooth ride. That doesn’t happen in any Jeep I’ve ever driven, even the brand new ones. Worst riding vehicles ever.

 

Not sure what was done to the Jeeps you’ve ridden in, nor what sort of terrain you encountered, but I’d have to say my experience differs. I had a 14 JK 2-door and when you ran the air at 10-12 pounds and disconnected the front swaybar it felt like it was just floating over talus and scree. If you look at this picture of it you can see how much deformation of the right front tire there is. In fact, if you look at the left front tire there is a good size rock beside it and you can see from the right front that if the left had gone over the rock it would have completely absorbed it, not even troubling the springs and shocks to do anything at all. This was a wonderful feeling ride on sub-basketball-sized rock. (Note: I posted this photo in this thread a year ago but we can all be forgiven for forgetting after that long!)




Most of the people in Jeeps you see in Moab are running 14-15 psi and have disconnectable anti-sway bars, either because they’re in a Rubicon which comes with electric disconnects or they’ve made the cheap and simple mod of replacing the factory swaybar end links with an aftermarket manual quick-disconnect version.

 

Hi Randy,

While we offer 22" wheels on the Defender- it's not a size I generally recommend for what you're describing. The tyre sidewall is very short and you don't have a lot of room for flex. The added wheel weight also can work against ride and acceleration. The 22" is really intended to maximize on-road performance and appearance rather than off-road capability.

Off-roading means different things to different people depending where on the globe you reside. Some of our customers think of muddy fields and deep water as their definition of off-roading while others may only ever encounter endless sand dunes. For these folks an off-road tyre fitted to a 22" wheel will usually suffice.

If you're going to be rock crawling and frequently encountering rough terrain in a P400 I'd suggest moving to a 19" or 20" wheel and running your pressure on the comfort settings. I'd also suggest not using the air suspension in the highest setting unless you require it. The ride will always be smoothest in the normal height mode. However, if you are encountering large rocks and obstacles at low speed feel free to engage the highest setting. I find that customers feel they need to raise their vehicles when traveling on dirt roads or minor obstacles and it's not necessary.

Hope this helps!