Backspacing Concerns

I'll soon be in the market for some new tires and wheels, so I'm doing the preliminary research on my options. I've got an '03 with the 2.5" OME lift kit and I'm looking to move up to 33x10.50R15 BFG All-Terrains. My concern is that I've just gotten the stock tires to stop rubbing with the new lift kit, and I'd hate to have that problem again with the increase in tire diameter.

So here are my questions: When I buy the new wheels do I order them with a little more backspacing to push the wheels out a bit farther? Is it wise to mess with such things as far as the longevity of the CV joints? And lastly, are there any other concerns that I may want to consider before making this decision?

P.S. I suppose this thread should technically be in another part of the forum, but upon realizing the vast majority of members outside this division are Gen 2 owners, I hoped you all might be better suited to answering this question.

 

hmmmmm

 

with 33s and 2.5" lift, you will likely still get some rub at full articulation...

im running 285-75-16 Cooper STT's on 3" coilover lift with fiberglass fenders and still get some rub at full lock and articulation...

your tolerance for that is subjective, but it can be done...

as for the backspace, with that big a tire, you will want to stick to a 4" or 3.75" backspace to keep the tire away from the UCA, however the 2.5" lift may not keep them far enough away from the pinch weld or stock fenders...

what helps is during alignment, is to request the technician to keep your caster at 1.5 to 2 degrees forward...

good luck...

 

Thanks for the advice, man. Now I have some notion of my options.

 

toy4life has 33x10.50 bfgs on 15x8 cragar 397's with 4" backspacing...and they look like they fit spot on

 

This may seem like a stupid question, but when we're talking about 4" versus 3.75" we're talking about a DECREASE in backspacing, meaning the wheels are pushed in toward the centerline of the car, right?

 

right 3.75 backspacing would sit each wheel out .25 farther making truck's track .50 wider over all when compared to 4" backspacing.. not bad to a point but once you get the tires too far from the center line of the knuckle they pivot on you get tire scrub,wheel bearing wear and a bigger turning radius

 

Dustin, I'm running (like Zilla said)33/10.5/15 bfgs on 15x8 Cragar's. The tires are nowhere near the UCAs and only rubbed the front mudflaps and the plastic over the pinch weld. The wheels I got required 1/4" spacers up front to clear the brake calipers. Your brake calipers will be your biggest issue.

 

So you have pretty much exactly the same setup I want to run. Sounds like I should order the wheels with 3.75" or 3.5" backspacing. Will that work or is the caliper clearance issue as such that the spacer is the only way to go?

 

It depends on the wheel. Different back spacing might address caliper clearance, but I'm not sure. In PA, where I live, vehicles need annual inspections and the tires/wheels cannot stick out past the fender. I had to be very cautious about the wheels to be sure that wouldn't be a problem. Check out .
The wheels they sell are reasonably priced and spacers aren't necessary.

 

actually backspacing wont get the wheel hub surface any farther away from caliper face... no matter what spacing you go with the wheel center bolts directly to the hub surface on rotor... only way to change is to add a spacer like toy4life or grind off the ridge on front of calipers (easy IMHO)... but also different wheels may or may not fit without spacers... I have 15x8.5 old school american racing AR-23's and somehow due to their design they fit...no spacers...its like the wheel spokes lean forward enough to clear caliper...where a flat center wheel would hit....make sense? I hope so lol

 

for wheels that should be a direct fit......check wheelers and look at the wheels they have.....may be just what you are looking for.

 

Hmm... Well I appreciate all the advice; it'll definitely come in handy. I think I'm going with 16x8 Cragars with the typical 4" backspacing. I'll just have to make sure I like the way it works out before I mount the tires. Summit Racing is really good about taking returns as long as nothing is damaged.

 

what are their prices on those wheels?? just asking because the 15x8 steelies that wheelers has, with 4 inches back spacing, are really a reasonable price, and they are guaranteed to fit.

 

At summit the 15x8 are $47.95 each.

http://store.summitracing.com/partd...art=CRR-3975160&N=700+400292+115&autoview=sku

I've never actually heard of "wheelers;" what's their URL?

 

here is the link to wheelers....awesome place man!!! i just recently got a good bit of stuff from them....customer service is a1.....they are great to deal with, and the prices are very nice!

 

That is sweet site. More food for thought... I never would have imagined picking wheels would be this difficult.

 

it can be a fun filled,hair pulling adventure!!! wheelers is awesome tho........and jason perry, one of the salesman there is an awesome dude to do business with!!

 

I was in the same boat as you 6 months ago. Finding the right wheels can be a real bitch, but once you finally get them, it's all worthwhile. The guys at Wheelers are definately good. The only reason I got the Cragars over the Wheelers, was I could drive to Summit for the Cragars. To ship wheels from Oregon to PA was going to cost me significantly and would've destroyed the budget I was working with. Here's my truck with 15" Cragars.

 

God that looks good!

I gotta say I like the looks of the Cragars more with the eight stampings over the seven. I'm still building the budget right now though, so I have a bit of time yet to torture myself over the final decision.