235/75/15 Duratrac & 15" Ravine Wheels

[Sandstone]

Well, we got them on, and put a few miles on them. Overall I'm impressed.

Looks-wise, the aggressive tread and wider stance IMO make a huge difference.












Clearance-wise there's a gain of about 1/2" over stock. Not huge, but I'll gladly take it.
There's no evidence of rubbing or rim/caliper contact, and we haven't used any spacers.

Weight-wise, Ravine rims are 18 lbs and each Duratrac is 35lbs (I weighed each) for a combined total of 53 lbs. This is about 3 lbs more per wheel over stock for a modest increase of 12 lbs in un-sprung weight. No drop in acceleration was noticed.
For more info on the Ravine rims w/pics go here: http://www.jeeppatriot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94871

The ride quality on the road is similar to the SRA in firmness, and it seems to take bumps and potholes perhaps a bit better. Steering is responsive, with very little drift or wander. I did experience the "squishy-ness" that others have mentioned, but it's hardly there at all. At this point I don't see it as a problem, it's just be something that takes a little getting used to.

I expected diminished cornering capability due to the tread design and taller sidewall, but so far this hasn't been the case. Negotiating tight curves on mountain highways is solid; I drove them as I would the SRA's and they held firm.

Road noise is higher than the SRA's, but not enough to be a problem for us. Conversations can be had a normal levels, and one more notch on the radio is usually enough to cover it. You tend to hear it the most on deceleration, and when going through a tunnel while the sunroof and windows are open.

On our way back into town, we hit a downpour on the Interstate. The handling was very good; no hydroplaning, solid when changing lanes, and good stopping power.

Off-road performance was very impressive; the traction is excellent. We ran into deep, ice crusted snow to the point where we were starting to high center. Where the SRA's would have broke traction and spun, the Duratrac's kept digging and pulled us through. We tried a rocky section of trail with much the same results.

Mileage-wise so far seems normal. Our 100+ mile trip of mixed up/down hill interstate and low range off-roading averaged about 21 MPG.

The Duratrac's look like they'll be a very good all-around performer, the only tradeoff so far being a little extra tire noise.

[mrg455]

I really like how aggressive they look. good luck with them!

[MrJeepR44]

Whoa, what's up with those wheels?? Did I miss a post somewhere about 15" wheels that actually work? Did I already comment on it and forgot? Please share the link for that post, or give some detail on the wheels!

EDIT:
I found the post

[MKP12]

Originally Posted by mrJeepr44

Whoa, what's up with those wheels?? Did I miss a post somewhere about 15" wheels that actually work? Did I already comment on it and forgot? Please share the link for that post, or give some detail on the wheels!

EDIT:
I found the post

I'm gonna take a guess and say that just like us Jeep WJ owners a 15" wheel will not fit unless it has at least 4"s of back spacing to clear the calipers. In most cases this means using steel wheels, although there have been reports of other non steel wheels working as long as the back spacing is right.

EDIT: just noticed your edit, lol but I'll leave my post anyway.

[FailWheelDrive]

Very cool wheel/tire combo! Those are my fav factory Jeep wheels, if I find a set locally for cheap I'll scoop them up.