Can I Put 285 70 R17 On Stock 2012 Rubicon Rims

The Jeep Wrangler Sport offers a great mix of power, comfort, and affordability. While it may not be as adept for off-road driving as the Rubicon, it still allows you to venture beyond the pavement improve than other SUVs. You can make the Sport better for rugged terrain past installing larger tires.

Can you turn you Wrangler Sport into a Rubicon?

Can I Put Rubicon Tires And Rims On A Sport Wrangler?

Yes, you tin put Rubicon tires on a Wrangler Sport. The stock tires of a Rubicon are 285/70-17 while those of a Sport are 245/75-17. The difference between the two tires is only 0.25 inches, with the Rubicon beingness taller.

The divergence in width is not much either, and without measuring the tires, you lot may not discover the difference between them. Wheels on the Rubicon and the Sport have a different pattern, only their sizes are almost similar – both are 17×seven.5 inches.

After fitting the Rubicon tires on the Sport, you volition get a ground clearance of simply 0.175 inches, which you may not even discover. However, the Rubicon tires have an ambitious tread pattern that allows you to venture off the road.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was engineered for heavy duty off-road application. Its fender flares and pause setup allow it to take larger tires without major system modifications. If you demand larger tires for your Sport, you might need to modify some parts to ensure at that place is no rubbing of parts when you lot drive.

Tin Y'all Fit Even Bigger Tires on the Wrangler Sport?

The Rubicon fits 35-inch tires without rubbing or the need for whatsoever modifications. Some models can even take 35-inch tires with no needed modification. If yous need larger, say 37-inch tires, you might have to perform a couple of modifications to brand the tires operate swiftly.

The Wrangler Sport tin can take 33-inch tires without rubbing even when yous drive off the road. However, if you experience slight rubbing bug, you can perform simple modifications on the fender flares.

Larger tires will enhance the artful appeal of your SUV and allow y'all to bulldoze on rugged terrain. The easiest way to fit these larger tires is to use a lift kit to increase the footing clearance of your Sport and ensure there is no rubbing.

What Else Can You Fit from a Wrangler Rubicon to a Sport?

The Rubicon is off-route focused. It is one of the nigh capable Wrangler models you can buy, and it comes at a college cost. The Sport also offers sufficient capability for light off-roading, and it comes at a much lower cost.

With a few modifications, the Sport tin perform almost as good as the Rubicon. You can buy a Rubicon and enjoy all its off-route capability, or you lot can buy a Sport and build it up to a Rubicon. Some of the upgrades that will make the Sport better, except the wheels and tire upgrades, include:

Suspension Upgrades

The suspension organization of the Rubicon is engineered to handle off-route driving. If you fit the Sport with the same size tires every bit a Rubicon, the Rubicon will still perform better, thanks to its advanced suspension system.

For starters, you demand to upgrade the shocks and springs to brand the SUV better absorber you against the bumps in off-route driving. You need to go for the factory Rubicon shocks and springs or other shocks and springs with the aforementioned capability.

Advanced shocks and springs raise your ride quality when you drive off the road.

Sway Bar

The sway bar on the Rubicon is special in that you can disconnect it. You can upgrade with a disconnectable or static sway bar to enhance articulation when you handle steep terrain. When shopping, choose models designed for the Rubicon as they are better for treatment off the route driving.

Lift Kit

A lift kit comes in handy when y'all demand to fit larger tires. The Rubicon has 1.one inches more than ground clearance compared to the Sport. You tin increase the ground clearance of your Sport by plumbing equipment a lift kit.

The kit will bring your Sport closer to the height of the Rubicon and allow you to add tires larger than 33 inches. When well-installed, the lift kit will help you avoid hit the rear and front of your SUV.

A lift kit enhances the approach and departure angles. These are of import when yous are navigating obstacles such as boulders. The arroyo angle determines how steep you lot can climb while the departure bending determines how well you lot can descend a hill.

If you install a ii-inch lift kit, you can have up to 2.5 inches lift for better ground clearance.

Axles and Drivetrain

Dana 44 axles make the Rubicon unique. The robust design of the axles makes them ideal when you are driving off the road. With these upgrades, your Sport will perform better in low speed crawling when yous drive on crude terrain.

For starters, you can upgrade the locking axles. Y'all can add the Dana 44 Tru-Lock axles on the front end rear. The Sport comes with Dana 30 on its forepart and Dana 35 on its rear if you practise not opt for the rear axle differential.

The Dana 44 Tru-Lock axles will permit yous to crawl as a Rubicon crawls. Locking the axles allows you to place maximum traction on the ground when you drive on glace terrain.

There are even special off-road axle assemblies. These larger axles and lower gear ratios allow you to crawl on rocks. If your Wrangler Sport has bigger tires and a lift, y'all can add a front-finish stabilizer for enhanced off-road optimization.

Once yous upgrade the axle, you need to upgrade the transfer case as well. You can go for a four:1 transfer example that offers depression gearing, allowing y'all to crawl with ease. The Control-Trac NV241 that comes standard with the Sport is not ideal when yous venture off the road.

A transfer case upgrade ensures that you go more power when you bulldoze at low speeds and this allows you to drive upwardly a steep climb with ease.

Armor

Considering the Rubicon is engineered for off-route driving, it comes with rock runway and door sill that protect it from stones and other items when driving off the route. If you plan to bulldoze off the route frequently, plumbing fixtures bigger tires may not cover it.

Stone rails and door sills may add weight to your Jeep, merely they ensure you never have to re-pigment the Jeep every few months. The Rubicon sports a steel front sideslip plate while the Sport has a plastic skid plate. Upgrading the plastic skid plate ensures your Sport has more protection.

You lot can likewise go with Rubicon bumpers, which add style and capability. Your Sport will await tough, and if you have the other upgrades, it will perform tough too. If you want your Sport to look as close to the Rubicon equally possible, you can get with the manufacturing plant'south carmine hooks.

If the manufacturing plant bumpers are not bachelor, you tin can go with aftermarket bumpers that add clearance and heighten the approach angle. In that location are some aftermarket bumpers that tin can perform better than the Rubicon factory bumpers.

Interior and Exterior Styling

The above upgrades give your Sport the off-route capability of a Rubicon. If y'all want the wait and feel of the Rubicon in your Sport, you might need to upgrade the Sport'south styling.

The styling starts with the bumper higher up. If you lot do not get the bumper, you can add crimson D-rings to complete the await. You can farther add together a Rubicon decal to your Sport'south outside – this is a small touch, but information technology makes your Sport look more similar the Rubicon.

From the exterior, yous can add together the distinct crimson dashboard present in the Rubicon. This dashboard makes the Rubicon stand out, and it tin make your Sport await the role as well. Instead of replacing the dashboard, you can paint the muted gray dash in your Sport.

The door sill guards add together to the beauty of the Rubicon, and y'all can add together them to your Sport too. These guards make the Rubicon wait upmarket, and they also forbid scratches and scuffs.

Should You Buy a Rubicon or Upgrade a Sport Into a Rubicon?

If you want the adequacy of a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, you lot are meliorate off ownership one. If you lot want an affordable off-road Jeep to take on calorie-free off-roading trips, the Sport with larger wheels volition work perfectly. The best part most plumbing fixtures Rubicon tires to the Sport is that there are no major modifications.

Can I Put Rubicon Tires And Rims On A Sport Wrangler? — Tin can I Put Rubicon Tires And Rims On A Sport Wrangler? three

If you already have a Sport, and you want to make it drive through shallow water and modest rocks, the larger tires and the more aggressive tread pattern volition help. If you want more capability, you tin upgrade your Sport to friction match the capability of your Rubicon or even offering more power.

The challenge with the upgrades is that you volition void your warranty with every small modification you make. Once again, these upgrades do non come inexpensive and the cost of all the upgrades above may come close to that of a new Rubicon.

The Sport is an ideal SUV when you need a car stripped downwards to bare bones and meets virtually of your off-roading needs. Upgrading a Sport gives you the freedom to choose the mods y'all want – if you do it correct, your Sport might even perform better than an original Rubicon.

Closing Thoughts

Installing larger tires with no modifications should exist unproblematic if yous have the tools and the technical know-how. Installing the Rubicon tires on the Sport doesn't crave you to practice much. If you have never inverse tires before, take your Sport to a mechanic to assistance you do the upgrades.

If you demand to exercise other upgrades to make your Sport even amend for off-road driving, y'all need to take information technology to a professional. This is a requirement if you need to keep the warranty of the aftermarket parts alive.

What practice yous get with larger tires? You enjoy more basis clearance to drive through shallow waters and over small rocks. You may need to tweak the Jeep's reckoner to coordinate the sensor readings from the larger wheels.