35’s on a non Sasquatch Bronco - ride quality and performance?

[billyum]

hey everyone, just wanted to ask what peoples ride quality and performance was like after upping their tire size. I have a 2024 2dr big bend nonSasquatch with 4.46 gearing. I want to put 35 inch tires on my bronco, but I’m worried that I might lose a lot of performance. I do have a manual transmission, and I’m not too worried about clearance as I’m planning on doing a coilover lift and swapping the wheels

Thanks

Big Bend non sas
7 speed
2 dr
4.46 gear ratio
stock suspension
stock wheels/tires

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[userdude]

You'll be fine with the 4.46 performance-wise. Of course it won't move them as well as what you had, but it's good enough for 35's. Ride quality is more to do with the tire details and how much you air up, as well as the unsprung weight. Since they'll be heavier, you'll feel it a bit more like it's more on the ground maybe. The Hitachis probably won't work out great, though, but you say you're upgrading that, too.

 

[Offroadalliance]

hey everyone, just wanted to ask what peoples ride quality and performance was like after upping their tire size. I have a 2024 2dr big bend nonSasquatch with 4.46 gearing. I want to put 35 inch tires on my bronco, but I’m worried that I might lose a lot of performance. I do have a manual transmission, and I’m not too worried about clearance as I’m planning on doing a coilover lift and swapping the wheels

Thanks

Big Bend non sas
7 speed
2 dr
4.46 gear ratio
stock suspension
stock wheels/tires

Regeared you will be plenty fine with "performance" on 35s, 4.46 should turn 35s similar to how the 3.73s turn 32's. What is the type of driving that you do that youre worried about the loss of performance?

 

[billyum]

Well this is my daily driver and I’ve never played around with tire sizes. I’ve been told that the vehicle will drive “sluggish” when you up the tire size. I don’t think that going from the 32 in tires to 35 in tires will make a whole lot of difference (especially with the manual transmission) but I wasn’t sure how “sluggish” it might be, as I would opt not to go to 35s if it meant the 6th gear would be unusable

Plus regearing on the manual is ridiculous, just to rerear you have to replace the entire axle bc it’s welded, not to mention you have to replace the other axle too. That’s near $6000. I’d rather spend towards accessories and upgrades.

 

[FoxFour281]

I though the only on the 3.37's had the gear welded?

My BD has 4.46's and I put on sasquatch take-offs recently and performance is not effected all that much. Can't speak to 6th gear as mine's an auto, but still with the 2.3. You'll probably notice it more on braking.

Ride is about the same. Some of the larger pot marks on my route are a little less noticeable, the tire really soaks up the imperfections.

If you have not, play around with forscan. You will need to recalibrate the speedo. it was reading 2-6 mph slower than GPS speed. There is a thread floating around here that breaks down the changes pretty easy.

 

[Mike leggiero]

You be fine I have a base 7 speed on 35s no lift

 

[kojack19]

I have a two door with the 2.7 with 4.46. Bronco has plenty of pep. Go with RTR wheels or something similar weight as it def matters. Dont remember exactly but think the RTRs are +/- 12 lbs lighter a corner. Same with tires BFG Load C 315s are light-not as light as stock sas Goodyears but they are a much better tire.

 

[indio22]

I've got Sas Territory 315/70R17 tires (35"~) on my base 2-door manual with 4.46 diffs. With 26lbs Ranger wheels. No other changes yet, have a small puck lift waiting for good weather to install (level front and overall 3/4 lift)

The 4.46 diffs were a bit steep for the stock 30" tires, and my Bronco first gear actually feels better with the 35" tires. 6th gear is less useful though. In fact I drove several hours to watch the eclipse totality yesterday, and mostly used 5th gear on the expressway. I'd say my Bronco was better geared for expressway driving with the stock 30" tires.

Also I find Sport mode gives a significantly peppier performance feel for my Bronco. I'd probably like something around the 5.13 diff range to get best use out of 6th gear, although that would make my first gear feel short again.

 

[Fordified1]

There’s a ton of Jeeps running around on 35’s with 3.70 gears. And an anemic 3.6 v6.

Yes you will use high gear less but you have 5 other gears so…
I put 35’s on mine that has the 2.3 and 4.46 gears (and 10-speed) the first week of ownership, so I can’t comment on the performance difference, but did take a mpg hit. It has plenty of power though. And the tradeoff is well worth it for just the looks alone, not to mention the extra ground clearance.
It also rides better now than with the 32’s, but that’s because of the new coilovers I installed right after the tires and I lowered my air pressure to 35. (Could still go lower)

 

[billyum]

I've got Sas Territory 315/70R17 tires (35"~) on my base 2-door manual with 4.46 diffs. With 26lbs Ranger wheels. No other changes yet, have a small puck lift waiting for good weather to install (level front and overall 3/4 lift)

The 4.46 diffs were a bit steep for the stock 30" tires, and my Bronco first gear actually feels better with the 35" tires. 6th gear is less useful though. In fact I drove several hours to watch the eclipse totality yesterday, and mostly used 5th gear on the expressway. I'd say my Bronco was better geared for expressway driving with the stock 30" tires.

Also I find Sport mode gives a significantly peppier performance feel for my Bronco. I'd probably like something around the 5.13 diff range to get best use out of 6th gear, although that would make my first gear feel short again.

Is 6th gear at all usable? Like is it completely unusable or is it just only when you get to highway speeds. The first gear improving is actually surprising to me and I didn’t even think about the upsides to that. I think I’m going to up to 35s anyway, but I wanted to know what I should expect after making the change

 

[Fordified1]

Is 6th gear at all usable? Like is it completely unusable or is it just only when you get to highway speeds. The first gear improving is actually surprising to me and I didn’t even think about the upsides to that. I think I’m going to up to 35s anyway, but I wanted to know what I should expect after making the change

My transmission stays in 10’th at 70-75mph unless fighting a headwind or a hill. You are the gear changer so…. I’d say 6th is usable.

 

[Brian_B]

Is 6th gear at all usable? Like is it completely unusable or is it just only when you get to highway speeds. The first gear improving is actually surprising to me and I didn’t even think about the upsides to that. I think I’m going to up to 35s anyway, but I wanted to know what I should expect after making the change

I have 4.46 on 35” with 7Mt

6th gear works - it will ride down the highway just fine. It lacks passing power - you can do it but it won’t be in a hurry.

The problem with 6th - you generally are only going to be using it at 60+ MPH, and at those speeds the wind resistance starts to pick up. So you either sit in 5th gear at 2.5-2.7k rpm and 0 boost, or you sit in 6th gear at 2-1-2.3k rpm but a constant 1-4 PSI boost - and the boost kills any MPG benefit you would have got.

If you can catch a good tailwind or downhill, 6th is great. It doesn’t not work, it just doesn’t save you anything most of the time either (at least at that tire size and gear ratio)

 

[Amcole1984]

hey everyone, just wanted to ask what peoples ride quality and performance was like after upping their tire size. I have a 2024 2dr big bend nonSasquatch with 4.46 gearing. I want to put 35 inch tires on my bronco, but I’m worried that I might lose a lot of performance. I do have a manual transmission, and I’m not too worried about clearance as I’m planning on doing a coilover lift and swapping the wheels

Thanks

Big Bend non sas
7 speed
2 dr
4.46 gear ratio
stock suspension
stock wheels/tires

I have the exact same build. MT as well. I switched to Toyo AT open country tires a couple of years ago and did not notice any differences. I did have to add a 2 inch body lift/level kit and added 1.5 in spacers because I was getting rub at full lock.

 

[HPNQ420]

hey everyone, just wanted to ask what peoples ride quality and performance was like after upping their tire size. I have a 2024 2dr big bend nonSasquatch with 4.46 gearing. I want to put 35 inch tires on my bronco, but I’m worried that I might lose a lot of performance. I do have a manual transmission, and I’m not too worried about clearance as I’m planning on doing a coilover lift and swapping the wheels

Thanks

Big Bend non sas
7 speed
2 dr
4.46 gear ratio
stock suspension
stock wheels/tires

I just switched to 33's on my 7MT BD, 4.46 gears. The 33's pair pretty nicely with the gearing. Out and out acceleration has suffered a tiny bit even though the gear spacing feels better. I am running 1" of lift on 5100's and the difference between these shocks and the Hitachis is huge. 6th gear becomes a good choice after about 65 instead of 60.

As I need to drive on the tollway in Chicagoland once per week I wasn't willing to take the hit in handling/braking on any larger tire or greater lift. I did some pretty hard trails with WC4WD last year at the Bronco Supercelebration in WI and pretty much calculated that 1.5" of extra clearance to the belly would avoid the skid plate hits I was taking and allow me to get over one obstacle I high centered on (a turn right after a steep climb -- I didn't want to carry momentum because there was a cliff on the other side).

Long term I might go to true 34's. If I do that it will be M210 time and regear to 4.70. If I wanted true 35's I'd be thinking 4.88's. As you go to bigger tires there is not only a change in the relative gearing, you are also dealing with increased rotational inertia due to both weight and diameter. This inertia scales with the square of diameter.

Anyways, what this long-winded post is that for me, 33's are the limit for 4.46. If I go bigger there will be a gear change. But this does NOT mean you wouldn't be perfectly happy with 35's and 4.46. Really, no one can tell you "It is fine." or "It won't be fine." as this is completely subjective. (I would say off-road you will be more than fine gearing wise, especially with the crawler gear.)

 

[LarryBirdsFace]

I have a non-sas Black Diamond with the 4.46 and 315/70/17 KO2's. I don't have a manual but do have a 2" RTR lift and installed the Ford Performance tune. I can get up and go, when I need to and the "feel" of the drive actually seems better, although my MPG has taken a hit. I had 33" KO2's and was getting about 20 on the nose, now with the lfit and 35's I'm down to to 18.1 and I drive in sport mode pretty much exclusively.

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