How long do stock tires last on jeep wrangler?

Tire wear and tear is inevitable for all vehicles including jeep wrangler. It happens as a result of friction between the tires and the driving surface. But in here we’re going to see how long stock tires last on jeep wrangler based on terrain.

Though tire wear is not as immediate as it sounds, it takes a long time of driving for the tires to be deemed worn out depending on some factors as explained below.

Table of Contents

Stock Tire Setup On Jeep Wrangler

Stock wrangler tires are good for about 50,000 miles to 60,000 miles depending on how you use them. If you daily your wrangler, they might last longer or for a shorter period depending on the distance and driving conditions.

Stock jeep wrangler tires are not that good for off-roading and will wear out quicker when used for serious off-roading purposes.

Most wrangler owners upgrade to aftermarket tires suited for different purposes and mostly larger than stock tires. After-market tires are mostly found in three variants, all-terrain, mud terrain, and highway terrain. There are others such as performance tires and track tires but these are for performance vehicles. The most common tires are mentioned below.

All-terrain tires

These are tires that can be used in all driving conditions and can withstand constant driving in all driving conditions without the driver being worried about the inefficiency of the tires. Most all-terrain tires are good for about 20,000 miles to 45,000 miles. These are the best if you daily drive your jeep for long distances that are not fully covered by tarmac and you can use them to hit some off-road trails whenever you feel like.

Most all-terrain tires are good for about 20,000 miles to 45,000 miles. These are the best if you daily drive your jeep for long distances that are not fully covered by tarmac and you can use them to hit some off-road trails whenever you feel like it.

Mud terrain tires

These are specifically made to be used off-road. Most wrangler owners buy off-road tires and only put them on their wranglers when going off-roading as they are not suitable for on-road driving.

This is because the massive treads on the tires generate so much friction between the driving surface and the tire thus increasing rolling resistance which causes the tire to wear out quicker.

When used for off-roading driving and minimal on-road driving, mud terrain tires can last for about 35,000 to 50,000 miles depending on your off-road driving frequency.

Highway terrain tires

These are used only on paved surfaces and tarmacked roads as this is what they are made for. They are perfect for daily driving in urban areas as most roads are tarmacked or paved and for long-distance highway driving.

Due to the small treads that are on highway terrain tires, they cannot be used off-road and the best they can do is on gravel surfaces. Highway terrain tires can last for around 60,000 miles depending on how often you drive your wrangler and for what distance.

Factors affecting the Longevity of stock Tires on jeep wrangler

There are quite some factors that affect the longevity of the tires. These are the things, which you should be more careful about. We have listed some factors that affect a tire’s life. They are:

Weightage.
Driving Speeds.
Driving Habits.
Driving Axle.
Improper Tire Inflation.

Weightage

If you add weight to your wrangler then the tires will wear out quicker. Extra weight can be added to the wrangler permanently by installing upgrade mods such as lift kits, aftermarket bumpers and wheels, suspension upgrades, and roll cages. If you are towing or carrying something on your wrangler it also causes quicker wear and tear of the tires.

Extra weight increases the flexing of the rubber thus more heat is developed and tire wear increases as a result of this. When buying new tires for your wrangler it is always recommended to check the maximum weight that the tire can hold to prevent overloading.

It is also important to check the maximum weight and towing capacity of your wrangler before adding any extra weight to it.

Driving speeds

Different tires have a maximum speed at which they can withstand being driven at and excessive driving past these speeds will increase tire wear and tear. The stock maximum speed on stock wrangler tires is above the wrangler’s maximum speed.

The issue comes with after-market tires as these vary in maximum speed at which they can be used and it is recommended you check with the seller or manufacturer of the tires.

Driving habits

This refers to the driver’s braking habits and the wrangler’s braking efficiency. When braking instantly you’ll find your tires skidding which results in excess friction at the part of the tire which is in contact with the ground thus that part will wear out. When you look at your tires and see patches it is a result of friction due to instant braking.

Driving axle

This depends on whether your wrangler is a front-wheel drive, rear-wheel, drive, or all-wheel drive depending on the model and year of manufacture. In rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive wranglers, tire wear is almost uniform as you’ll find that you will need to change all tires at the same time.

In front-wheel-drive the front tires will get worn out quicker than rear tires, this is because of the steering forces that are exerted on the front axle.

When changing tires on front-wheel-drive wranglers it is recommended that you first use the tires that were on the rear and put them on the front and put new tires on the rear.

Improper tire inflation

Overinflating or under-inflating tires cause wearing out in either the middle of the tires or at the far edges of the tires. If you notice the tires wearing out on both edges, this is a sign of underinflation as the edges are pressed outwards and downwards and receive more pressure than the middle part of the tire. If the middle part is more worn out than the edge this is a sign of overinflation.

This is because the excess air in the tire concentrates in the middle of the tire. It is also important to note that overinflation causes bad fuel efficiency due to the extra rolling resistance. Overinflation causes lesser stability as there is less surface contact between the tire and the surface.

Different tires have the required amount of pressure embedded on the walls and you should always follow that amount when inflating the tires. If you feel that your tires are overinflated or underinflated you can use a tire pressure checker with inflating and deflating features to regulate the amount of pressure.

There are also mechanical issues that can lead to tires getting worn out quickly, these are ignored yet they play a major role in tire wearing out if not fixed. Such mechanical issues include the following

Camber angle

This is the difference between the vertical wheel alignment and the surface being driven on. The camber angle might be either at zero degrees, positive or negative.

The ideal camber angle is the one that allows the tire surface to sit flat on the road surface, which is the zero-degree camber angle. A positive camber angle pushes the top of the tire outwards thus the outer edge of the tire wears out quicker than the inner part.

A negative camber angle pushes the top of the tire inwards thus exposing the inner part of the tire to more friction than the outer part thus it wears out quicker.

Worn out ball joints

Ball joints connect the upper and lower arms that control the wheel hubs. When damaged they cause loss of grip in the wheel thus subjecting the tire to innerwear and tear.

Ball joints rarely sustain damage but they are prone to wearing out, especially when subjected to excessive use. You can look at the condition of your ball joints from under your wrangler or listen for weird sounds from your suspension, especially when going over bumps and driving through potholes.

Damaged springs

Springs are responsible for driving comfort by working together with the shock absorbers. However, they also wear out and this reduces their ability to keep your wrangler in constant contact with the road.

Constant mistouch between the wrangler and the road will affect the tires since they are the wrangler’s contact with the ground. This causes both inner and outerwear on the tire and in most cases it is uneven.

Toe settings

There are two forces that your tires experience at all times. One force pushed the tires to the inside and the other force pulled them to the inside. The function of the toe settings is to keep these forces balanced and if these settings go out of alignment, your tires point outward or inward depending on which force is biased.

If the tires are pointing outwards, it means that the forces pulling the tires to the outside are dominant thus this causes outer tire wear and if the tires are pointing inward this means that the forces pulling the tires to the inside are dominant thus the inner part wears out quicker than the outer part.

You should take your wrangler to an auto repair shop for wheel alignment and balancing as these are the only solutions and if your suspension components affecting tire wear are damaged you should get them replaced or repaired depending on the degree of damage sustained by any particular part

Conclusion

Tire wear and tear is inevitable and tire life can be increased or reduced depending on how the driver will handle the factors influencing tire wear. Driving with worn-out tires can be risky as the handling is greatly reduced which might lead to accidents.