- Location
- Terra Firma
Depending on year and model the "stock" tire size has ranged from P195/75R15 up to 225/75R15, and a few years/models have offered 225/70R16 as "stock."
In general, based on my calculations and field testing, the jump from 215/75R15s to 30x9.50R15s is about 6%, and from the 215s to 31x10.50s is about 10%. 235s are just slightly smaller than 30s, and obviously 225s are slightly larger than 215s. So you're looking at a difference of probably 2%, maybe 3% at most. That's 1-1/2 MPH at 50 MPH -- it'll probably just make your speedo more accurate (they all seem to read high from the factory).
IMHO 235/75R15 is what should have come on the XJ. You can run them with no lift, they visually fill out the wheelwells nicely without looking like there's too much tire stuck in there, and they don't adversely affect performance.
P-rated tires have softer, flexier sidewalls than LT-rated tires. Personally, if I had a choice I would take the LTs every time because to me a stronger tire is a more durable tire. Some people might think the LTs ride harsher, others would never notice the difference. I like a firm ride, so for me that one's a non-issue.
In general, based on my calculations and field testing, the jump from 215/75R15s to 30x9.50R15s is about 6%, and from the 215s to 31x10.50s is about 10%. 235s are just slightly smaller than 30s, and obviously 225s are slightly larger than 215s. So you're looking at a difference of probably 2%, maybe 3% at most. That's 1-1/2 MPH at 50 MPH -- it'll probably just make your speedo more accurate (they all seem to read high from the factory).
IMHO 235/75R15 is what should have come on the XJ. You can run them with no lift, they visually fill out the wheelwells nicely without looking like there's too much tire stuck in there, and they don't adversely affect performance.
P-rated tires have softer, flexier sidewalls than LT-rated tires. Personally, if I had a choice I would take the LTs every time because to me a stronger tire is a more durable tire. Some people might think the LTs ride harsher, others would never notice the difference. I like a firm ride, so for me that one's a non-issue.
