Need for upgraded front axle for 35" tires on a non-squatch?

[Paleos]

I've got a 4 door Outer Banks with the optional upgrade for the rear locking differential. In the future I think I may be interested in upgrading the coilovers, control arms, shocks, etc. for some additional off-road capability and to upgrade to 35" tires from the 32"+ that come standard. I didn't know if I'd need this capability and was happy getting my Bronco sooner and upgrading later than having to roll the dice on waiting for the additional squatch package last year.

Do I need to also upgrade the front axels to run 35s? I don't plan on installing a front locker, which I know would put more stress on the axle, but want to know if it's really that big a risk with the standard Dana 190 to do some moderate wheeling with the heavier tire. Thanks all!

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[RagnarKon]

You should be fine unless you are really beating it against the rocks. And to be honest the steering components will likely fail long before anything else fails up front.

If you start looking at 40” tires… then… yeah… may want to consider upgrading the half axles and some other components. (Steering upgrades basically become mandatory once you get above ~37”, in my opinion). But 35” tires should be no problem.

 

[Paleos]

You should be fine unless you are really beating it against the rocks. And to be honest the steering components will likely fail long before anything else fails up front.

If you start looking at 40” tires… then… yeah… may want to consider upgrading the half axles and some other components. (Steering upgrades basically become mandatory once you get above ~37”, in my opinion). But 35” tires should be no problem.

Thanks! That's what I was able to glean from here and the internet, but it's not always super clear. Having test-drove a wildtrak before getting my Bronco I think the 35s are the perfect marriage of beefy tires and highway drivability which is where I'll unfortunately be spending most of my drive time.

 

[RagnarKon]

Thanks! That's what I was able to glean from here and the internet, but it's not always super clear. Having test-drove a wildtrak before getting my Bronco I think the 35s are the perfect marriage of beefy tires and highway drivability which is where I'll unfortunately be spending most of my drive time.

I’m in the same boat. I will be off-roading a fair amount but this will be the family vacation vehicle… so most of the time it’ll be on the highway.

I don’t know if you have picked out your tire yet, but my brother recommended that I get the Nitto Recon Grapplers. It’s less aggressive than a mud-terrain off-road tire while still retaining that off-road-capable look. Which… in theory… should help with ride quality while on the road and fuel economy.

I personally probably am not going to go with the Nitto Recon Grapplers since they don’t come in the size I want for a 17” wheel. But they do have the correct size for an 18” wheel (LT295/70R18), which is standard on Outer Banks. So if you intend on sticking with the stock wheels or picking up another set of 18” wheels…. may be worth a look. 295 is also a narrow enough tire that you probably won’t even have to worry about decreasing your offset over the factory config (but I could be wrong).

 

[‘21OBX]

The few people I have spoken with say the recon grapplers are nice and not noisey when on road like some tires can get. When I need new tires unless a lot of negative reports come out I’ll probably go with them.

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