Question for those on 35's

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rick1024

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I am considering going with 35's when I lift my hoe (2015) in a few months. I wanted to know for those of you who are running 35's, did you change your gearing? What wheels are you using and did you have any issues with fitment? also what kind of mpg's are you getting? I am going with a rough country 6"
 

randeez

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what trans?
8sp i probably wouldnt worry about it
6l80 with (im not even sure if they still do) 3.08 gears i definitely would say yea. with the 3.42s it would give it some more pep but not so noticeable, just make sure the trans tuning is good it still has some pretty short 1-2 gears
 

olyelr

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It would certainly be beneficial to regear. Not needed or necessary persay, but would get it back to optimal gearing. Would also be better for the trans. Lugging bigger/heavier tires around with overall higher gearing is not desirable for them.
 

Oh Kee Pah

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@rick1024 - I'm guessing not too many replies yet because there just aren't that many people running 35s out there. Pretty much requires a 6"+ lift...

From my experience; I would agree with @olyelr regarding the bigger/heavier tires with the 6L80 trans.
I would say that 3:42 gearing is certainly preferable with the 35s. The 6.2L engine would probably help as well, but I'm guessing yours is 5.3.

If you look at a gear ratio and tire size it's pretty easy to answer the question.

gear-ratio-1.jpg

MY 2015 Tahoe LTZ has the 6L80 trans (rebuilt at 109k miles, fried torque converter) and 3.42 gearing. I also use a Diablo Predator 2 tuning device. This allows for gearing, tire size, engine & trans tuning to several set programs, etc. I've messed around with a couple of the tunes and can tell a difference. I can ALWAYS tell a difference in power AND shifting when I'm running stock vs ANY of the tunes I choose. Tunes are always better feeling. Also noticed a difference and believe that a "performance" tune does not really like weather below 20 degrees.
35x12.5s are certainly heavier than what I've run (34s) so I would suggest looking into how you can possibly boost engine and trans performance with the lift and new tires.

I've only run OE spec wheels on my Tahoe; stock, leveled and lifted...18s and 20s
Do you have a tire picked out? That can certainly change a few things in terms of weight and overall performance. What are you looking for? Off-road capabilities or general aggressive good looks?
 
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rick1024

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@rick1024 - I'm guessing not too many replies yet because there just aren't that many people running 35s out there. Pretty much requires a 6"+ lift...

From my experience; I would agree with @olyelr regarding the bigger/heavier tires with the 6L80 trans.
I would say that 3:42 gearing is certainly preferable with the 35s. The 6.2L engine would probably help as well, but I'm guessing yours is 5.3.

If you look at a gear ratio and tire size it's pretty easy to answer the question.

View attachment 415991

MY 2015 Tahoe LTZ has the 6L80 trans (rebuilt at 109k miles, fried torque converter) and 3.42 gearing. I also use a Diablo Predator 2 tuning device. This allows for gearing, tire size, engine & trans tuning to several set programs, etc. I've messed around with a couple of the tunes and can tell a difference. I can ALWAYS tell a difference in power AND shifting when I'm running stock vs ANY of the tunes I choose. Tunes are always better feeling. Also noticed a difference and believe that a "performance" tune does not really like weather below 20 degrees.
35x12.5s are certainly heavier than what I've run (34s) so I would suggest looking into how you can possibly boost engine and trans performance with the lift and new tires.

I've only run OE spec wheels on my Tahoe; stock, leveled and lifted...18s and 20s
Do you have a tire picked out? That can certainly change a few things in terms of weight and overall performance. What are you looking for? Off-road capabilities or general aggressive good looks?
Im the kind of guy that likes a 4x4 to be able to go places, whether its jumping the curb on the freeway and driving to a frontage road to avoid traffic, plowng through mud or just going for a slow drive on an easy trail. I also like an aggressive look but it has to be functional. I am starting to lean more towards grabbing 33"s, but I wanted to know about the 35"s, because of the extra clearance
 

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