35 inch tires are the golden standard for off road enthusiasts or those who crave a more aggressive look for their Jeep. Many Jeep owners are curious about what kind of tires they can fit on their Jeep Wrangler JK without forking out the cash for a lift. As it turns out, you can fit some pretty aggressive tires on a stock Jeep JK. It is a common misconception that a lift is required for anything more than stock tires.
Do you need a lift to fit 35 inch tires on a Jeep JK?
If you have dreamed of installing 35 inch tires on your Jeep JK but have been turned off due to the price of a lift on top of the tires themselves, I have some good news. It is possible to fit 35 inch tires on a Jeep Wrangler JK and a Jeep Wrangler JK Unlimited without a lift kit. Yes the cost of 35 inch tires will slightly hurt the pocket. However, you will not have to worry about taking your Jeep to the shop or installing a lift on your own.
Will 35 inch tires rub on a stock Jeep Wrangler JK?
So we now know that 35 inch tires will fit on a stock Jeep Wrangler JK without a lift kit. The question now is will the tires rub when turning? When we installed 35 inch tires on our stock 2 door Jeep Wrangler JK there was some rubbing on the air dam below the bumper. To solve the rubbing problem we simply removed the plastic air dam. Once the air dam was removed we have experienced no rubbing and the 35 inch tires fit like a glove. The tire does not rub the wheel well or the frame when turning. It does appear to be a tight squeeze but overall it looks healthy.
There is not much extra room when you put 35 inch tires on a Jeep Wrangler JK with no lift. I would not recommend doing any serious off-roading without a lift kit. When you flex the suspension, the 35 inch tires will make contact with stock fender flares. You can combat this by removing the fender flares. Comment below if you have any questions about fitting 35 inch tires on a stock Jeep Wrangler JK without a lift.