Cherokee tire sizes

I've gotten my moneys worth (and a bit) from the tires on my Cherokee and when one went flat today decided rather than put a plug in it I'd go ahead and get new tire$.

BJ's generally has pretty good prices on tires and they are on the way home so I stopped there. Told the kid behind the counter what I had and what size tire I wanted and he showed me his list of what they had in stock in the size i wanted (235x70x15).

He started writing it up and then grabbed a book and started looking the Jeep up, the asked me if was a Sport, an SE, or a Grand... It's not any of those, it's just a basic real Cherokee. So then he tells me the biggest tire they can put on it is a 225x70x15).

Never mind that every tire that's been on that thing except the factory ones, for the last 250,000 miles or so, have been 235's, he said they couldn't put on anything bigger than what his silly book said.

I'm not a kid any more, and I wouldn't accept his answer... my money, my Jeep, so I asked to speak with his boss. He got an older guy and we went back and fourth a bit, finally telling him I've got over a quarter million miles on that Jeep with that size tire and I wasn't changing now. He finally told the kid the size I wanted was OK, and I got my new

235x70x15 Michelins. Sometimes stubbornness pays off .

This is a 2 wheel drive (I know, don't say it!), basic 2 door six cylinder 5 speed Cherokee, what size tires would you guys (or gals) run on it? Being a 2 wheel drive obviously it spends its time on the street, and a lot of highway miles.

What it lacks in off road prowess it makes up for in reliability and the ability to surprise stupid kids in Mustangs and rice burners... shortly after I got the thing it dawned on me that if I was to order a Jeep to be as fast as possible it would be my little Cherokee!

Jeff DeWitt

Reply to
Jeffrey DeWitt
Loading thread data ...

If I was going for mostly highway miles and I didn't care about looks, I'd stick with what it came with from the factory. It's surprising how much gas big tires can eat up.

My YJ rolled out of the factory with 205s or 215s I believe. The original owner kept 225s on it because a Jeep just doesn't look right with small tires like that. Then I bought it and put 30" all-terrains on it. I figure, If I was going for good gas mileage I wouldn't drive a Jeep.

Reply to
Micah

I like the look of the bigger tires, (sort of like a puppy with big feet )plus they last a bit longer and give a bit better traction... and it's not like the huge tires some people put on their Jeeps.

Jeff DeWitt

Micah wrote:

Reply to
Jeffrey DeWitt

I would stick with the factory size. I think it's 215's. With the 3.07 gearing, the 215's are a good size.

Carl

Reply to
Carl

We were 'extremely' disappointed in the 'loss' of traction when we changed from a 225 AT tire to a 235 AT tire on our Cherokee. The wider tire sucks the big one in snow and ice, let alone off road compared to the narrower 225.

We also lost top end on the highway in snow. The wider tires start to float at a lower speed than the narrow ones by about 10 mph. It is really hard to keep up with the transport trucks now... A lot more 'white knuckle' driving than before.

When we buy tires again, we will go back to the 'stock' maximum called for which is the 225's.

The 235's also tag at full turn on the steering.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

Interesting, I've never had any interference at full turn (maybe because my Jeep is 2wd), but it really does suck in the snow. I attributed that to it being essentially a small station wagon with a big engine and an open rear end, but maybe the tires do have something to do with it.

Something to think about next time I buy tires... in another 60,000 miles or so!

Jeff DeWitt

Mike Roma> We were 'extremely' disappointed in the 'loss' of traction when we

Reply to
Jeffrey DeWitt

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.