Decent MT/Aggressive AT tyres for my My14 JKU on 18" rims - WHYSOHARD?!

[JKFTW]

First time poster long time lurker.

So this is much harder than I expected, as most Jeep recommended tyre shops I am calling cannot source tyres for my Jeep (go figure).

I bought a MY14 JKU Overland on the 18" rim option from factory, and it's original Dualer HT tyres are nearing wearing. 17" seems the norm, 18" is less common, I have enough off-road experience to know I want more mud capable tyres this time round (tired of slicks when mud fills the tread off-road!), road noise/rain stopping is important (baby on the way) but I also expect that things have advanced significantly in both safety and capability since 10+ years ago. I confess to only going off road a little, but when I do, it tends to be wet and sloppy. *ahem* but because it this usage pattern I don't reeeally want to change rims down to 17's, either.

This and other Jeep forums recommend no larger than 33" wheels to avoid tyre scrub, and I don't want to adjust speedo's (retain rolling diameter within legal reason) nor lift it (unless someone can advise a small lift/good tyres/almost no impacted row boat roll).

What shops in NSW seem to commonly have, combined with what I think are good from research (but have yet to find the correct 18" RD size) are:

Cooper Discoverer STT PRO (Better for mud, but not so much road?)
Cooper Discoverer STT Maxx (best mix usage that I can tell so far but don't look as aggressive, yes that is always a factor as I love the look of the jeep!)
Mickey Thompson Deegan38 (in stock nearby)
BF Goodrich KM2

There's definitely other options... but can some people who know, people who have been there, owned that, please tell me what they suggest? Am I looking at 6 and 1, half a dozen and the other? Or is the difference quite dramatic?

Please help... need tyres... not a conniption.

[LeighP]

STT Pro have a good "on road" reputation, even with their aggressive AT (almost MT) look. Comes from the tyre composition technology.
I've been looking at replacements for my GY AT Silent Armor 32" stockers, and I'm going with the STT Pro when its time to replace the GY's.
Any Bob Janes should be able to order the Coopers, or check with the Cooper's website for stockists.

[milky01]

Mate I think sticking with 18in rims will severely limit your choice of tyres and possibly have you paying more for the limited choice out there. Also the benefit of having a more common tyre size comes in play if you get more than 1 flat when touring.

Have you considered keeping your 18in for highway driving and getting a cheap set of 17in stockies shod with aggressive AT or MT for the weekend?
Will give you a lot more tyre choice and get more life from your tyres with aggressive treat.
Can even get an electric impact wrench to make changing wheels easier
Re changing tyre size in the JKs computer this is fairly quick and easy with a ProCal, just jot down the settings you need for changing up/down in size.

[dru]

The Coopers STT pro would be the my call on that list. Previous versions of the MTZ would have been my preference, but since they released the Deegan, MT have opened up the tread on the MTZ. They used to be fabulous on Road, I dont understand why people would complain. But now the Cooper is probably better.

To explain my predjudices, my last feet were (the older less open) MTZ - just excellent. I have now gone over to Claws, also I think great on the road but probably not what you are looking for.

Go Coopers STT.

[samft]

Originally Posted by milky01

Mate I think sticking with 18in rims will severely limit your choice of tyres and possibly have you paying more for the limited choice out there. Also the benefit of having a more common tyre size comes in play if you get more than 1 flat when touring.

Have you considered keeping your 18in for highway driving and getting a cheap set of 17in stockies shod with aggressive AT or MT for the weekend?
Will give you a lot more tyre choice and get more life from your tyres with aggressive treat.
Can even get an electric impact wrench to make changing wheels easier
Re changing tyre size in the JKs computer this is fairly quick and easy with a ProCal, just jot down the settings you need for changing up/down in size.

This.
There are so many stock 17 inch rims available

[JKFTW]

Thanks for the advice and guidance guys, I really am amazed how many helpful people are on here.

So this is really more about tyres for the 18" rims and the accompanying irony that shipped with my Jeep, and I do appreciate 17"s are easier but I'm not easy and don't want to downgrade. I will however follow your advice I think and get some 16" MT/rims or similar and impact wrench and trolley jack at some point as I really like that idea!

For now the budget from the CFO will cover new boots and not new feet.

I've been calling around and have found 2 potential options today at St George Tyres. 18" Mickey Thompson Deegan 38s, as well as Cooper STT Pros. Does anyone have experience with either or ideally both that would be able to comment on them? I found great reviews for the STT Pros but few to none for the DG38s.

[Cherokee30D]

Hi mate,
You should check these out http://www.hankooktire.com/au/passen...o-mt-rt03.html

They do them in an 18".

Had them on my WH Grand in 17's. Awesome tyre and get great reviews......and they aren't expensive.

Cheers, Craig