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ORA II advice for purchase

8K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  RDE_ 
#1 ·
After much research and extracting loads of helpful information from this forum, I'm close to a decision on a 2016 Overland in Light Brownstone Pearl. That color doesn't go into production until April so I still have some time to fine tune my decision.

My quandary is about the ORA II package. I do travel on some unpaved/gravel forest service roads in our North Carolina mountains while flyfishing. My present 4WD vehicle with just over 8" of ground clearance has never hit bottom, but I've come very close navigating around obstacles. I have skid plates on my present SUV. Most of the time I am on highways and well maintained roads.

So my question is whether Quadra-Lift and 20" tires would suffice, or do I go for skid plates and 18" tires?

I'm interested in the experience of those who have the off road package. The skid plates seem like a no brainer and I guess any dealer could install those later. I just don't have enough information regarding 18" vs 20" tires to know the pros and cons.

Thanks again to the forum for those of us new to the Jeep brand.
 
#2 ·
Re: ORA II advice

The 18" will allow you to have some more tire meat, I would be nervous going down a gravel road with larger rocks with the 20" wheels. You risk a rock coming up and scratching the wheels.

My Jeep came with ORII, so 18" wheels. I use those in the summer, then got a set of the 20" off Craigslist that I have my winter tires mounted to.
 
#3 ·
Re: ORA II advice

If you're on the same western NC forest roads I'm on, I wouldn't want to take 20" wheels there. I'm going for ORA-II on my '17.
 
#4 ·
Re: ORA II advice

Why so unsure? The 18 inch rims with more tire will allow the car to better absorb the road (or lack of) imperfections, stones, ruts etch. Plus it will allow you to air down safely. Tires are cheaper for when you decide to upgrade.

Besides, the ORA-2 package adds one or two other things even to an Overland, besides tires and skids - which you want. All for a modest uncharged. Besides, adding skid plates later sill always be a more costly affair, both in price and labor. Others have talked about the dealership installation experience here.
 
#5 ·
I went with the 18s and have thought about switching to 17s. There is a better tire selection for the smaller wheel size and I almost always air down when leaving the pavement.

Around here the dirt and gravel roads are rough.
 
#16 ·
I don't think 17's will fit around the brakes on your diesel--it and the hemi require 18s unless you want to get into adapters, etc.

I'd go with the OR-II for the OP... better selection of tires, a tad better ability to deal with rougher trails, and more likely the skid plates will be installed properly.
 
#6 ·
+1 for ORA2

IIRC All the available tires/rims have the same outside tire diameters, so you don't gain/lose anything clearance-wise by fiddling with that.

The 18's give you much better rock/pothole/curb protection, potentially at the cost of handling at speed. You gotta make that tradeoff for yourself.

...tom
 
#8 · (Edited)
18" vs 20" was my biggest dilemma before signing the papers. My Overland came with 20s but the salesman said if I really wanted 18s then he'd swap them on the spot. 18s and more sidewall and more air down ability? Or 20s that look nicer (to me) and have better turn in and handling?

I bought it with the 20s. Skid plates were part of the deal, installed 3 days after buying. I've done a fair amount of off-roading and have done some great obstacles at my local Jeep Park. On the stock /50 rubber I did scratch my wheels a little. But now with oversize 275/55-20 AT tires there is plenty of rubber for me and my needs and I love the look.

I'm glad I kept the 20s. YMMV.

Edited to add two posts with pictures of the 20" wheels with the new rubber -- some mud on my rig since I just got back from that nearby Jeep Park:

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f109/duratrac-wrangler-275-55-20-a-81517-2.html#post1250531

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f109/duratrac-wrangler-275-55-20-a-81517-2.html#post1250864
 
#9 ·
18" vs 20" was my biggest dilemma before signing the papers. My Overland came with 20s but the salesman said if I really wanted 18s then he'd swap them on the spot. 18s and more sidewall and more air down ability? Or 20s that look nicer (to me) and have better turn in and handling?

I bought it with the 20s. Skid plates were part of the deal, installed 3 days after buying. I've done a fair amount of off-roading and have done some great obstacles at my local Jeep Park. On the stock /50 rubber I did scratch my wheels a little. But now with oversize 275/55-20 AT tires there is plenty of rubber for me and my needs and I love the look.

I'm glad I kept the 20s. YMMV.

Edited to add two posts with pictures of the 20" wheels with the new rubber -- some mud on my rig since I just got back from that nearby Jeep Park:

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f109/duratrac-wrangler-275-55-20-a-81517-2.html#post1250531

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f109/duratrac-wrangler-275-55-20-a-81517-2.html#post1250864

This was really helpful, thanks for the pics. I totally agree that the 20 inch wheels have more attitude.
 
#10 ·
The 20's look better than the 18's, however 18's will perform better off road. There isn't a lot of sidewall with the 20's and those sidewalls are extremely important for traction in deep snow mud or sand. That and you can't air down 20's properly.

Get the ORA2 with the 18's and you also get that extra skid protection. You won't regret it!
 
#11 ·
No doubt 18s will have taller sidewalls than 20s, but, with 275/55-20 rubber there is plenty of sidewall height and air down capacity. Plenty enough for me. It's a personal choice, weighing all the variables.

I've hit the sand, rock and mud trails at my local Jeep park, and also the dunes at Pismo Beach, and I am very happy with my 20s.

YMMV.
 
#12 ·
Another plus for QL that I've seen a lot lately since I've been hitting the trails 1-3x a week (like today) is the cleanup. I take my rig to a self-wash car wash, the kind where you drop in quarters and there's a spray wand and a wash brush, after hitting the trails.

I put my rig at the highest ride height and that gives easy access to clean the wheels and the wheel wells. It's very handy.
 
#13 · (Edited)
But maybe the OP is not looking to replacing his OEM tires (crappy as they are for off-road duties) right away. The 20" may work for you E7T because you run oversized tires whereas a regularly sized 20 inch tire cannot be aired down to be of any use on the trail.

The other - often neglected - aspect is that of handling, fuel economy and acceleration. Running oversized tires will kill acceleration. But let's dwell on handling and acceleration for a second.

A virtual shopping spree on TireRack.com for wheels and tires for a Grand Cherokee Overland, shows that the 18" rims are generally lighter than the 20" (in O.E. width of 8" or 8.5", respectively). I did not check for every wheel out there, only for those wheels styles that were offered in both sizes, e.g.:
American Racing AR890 - 4 lbs
Enkey Performance SVX - 5 lbs
Platinum Allure - 5 lbs

then i looked up my favorite tires: Continental and a few others and looked up their weights. as a side note, there were no On-/Off-Road All Terrain Tires for the 20" rims. It turns out that a 265/50/R20 may be one or two pounds lighter than P265/60R18, but it also varies among manufacturers.

Bridgestone Dueler H/P92A - 5 lbs (20" is heavier)
Firestone Destination LE 2 - 3 lbs (18" is heavier)
General Grabber HTS - 2 lbs (18" is heavier)
GoodYear Wrangler SRA - 1 lbs (20" is heavier)
Michelin Defender LTX M/S - 0 lbs

All in all, the 20" wheel and tire combo is more likely to produce more unsprung weight - a rotating mass 2-3 lbs per corner higher than the same 18" wheel-tire combo. And if you get a tire that is actually lighter in 18" size, that difference will favor even more the 18". So while looking good in the hood, you probably also think you get better handling and driving dynamics from a package....that is actually heavier and negatively affects the handling and the fuel efficiency of the car (not only is the 20" wheel tire combo heavier, it also has a larger contact area with the road).

Me ? - I would just crank up the PSI in the 18 inch tires to stiffen the sidewall a bit more for asphalt duties rather than spin around a heavier mass.
 
#14 ·
You raise many good points, f1anatic. I agree with much of what you say. Regarding two things, I will add:

The 20" may work for you E7T because you run oversized tires whereas a regularly sized 20 inch tire cannot be aired down to be of any use on the trail.
I have taken my rig with the stock tires on the trail a few times. The stock rubber on a stock JGC suspension is nicely capable off road. Some of my experience is in these threads, for the OP or anyone else looking to see what stock WK2s can do off road.

Mainly this one: http://www.jeepgarage.org/f117/hollister-hills-esprit-de-four-safety-clinic-73629.html#post1026323 (2014 off road clinic)

But also these: http://www.jeepgarage.org/f73/hdc-hill-descent-control-is-great-85209.html

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f73/fun-o...each-and-front-skid-plate-thrashed-88020.html

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f42/hollister-hills-esprit-de-four-safety-clinic-85549.html (2015 off road clinic)

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f180/airing-down-with-low-profile-tires-to-go-wheeling-74984.html

f1anatic, you've done some wheeling too. Here's one of your threads, with some good pics. http://www.jeepgarage.org/f73/the-2014-grand-cherokee-is-quite-capable-off-road-65194.html

Our rigs are not garage queens. They are capable off road while also giving a luxurious ride. I love this rig.

And then with this:
as a side note, there were no On-/Off-Road All Terrain Tires for the 20" rims
Several of us here on JG have 275/55-20 all-terrain rubber. There are several good options. I started with the Duratracs after the stock Forteras wore out, and after one month am happy so far.
 
#15 ·
I'm waiting for pricing back on a '16 Limited or the 75th anniversary edition, both with ORA-II. I have a '14 Limited with ORA-I currently and though I don't take it off road too often, there's been times I've been thankful for the plates simply when something on the road bangs into the bottom of the car. I've heard a nice ring a few times. Other reason I want ORA is I don't particularly like the 20" tire choices, and I don't want to change the size. I run the Goodyear AT Adventures, and want to stick with them. Also want the Quadralift this time around, so we'll see.
 
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