QUESTION: I am a 07 JK owner. The factory manual states that you cannot use tire chains on a rubicon. I would like to know why. I called a local dealer and they don’t have a clue. Is this to do with the ESP control? Any help will be very much appreciated. Ralph
ANSWER: I think the main reasons are for possibly 2 things.
Tire clearance: The wider/larger tires on the Rubicon may cause the chains to make contact with the rear suspension and/or the rear part of the rock rails. The excessive backspacing on the JK causes the tires to get very close to the rear suspension arms and sway bar.
Lockers: Personally, I wouldn’t think it’s a problem if you did use the locker while running chains at low speeds and for a limited time. Another fact that the JK lockers are only usable in low-range and under 18 mph.
I probably would avoid them since if something happens you may be at fault and your warranty may be cover it.