backspacing

[gettinbetterXJ]

I did the required thread search first and just want to make sure I got this figured out.....
I have a 99XJ sport I am looking at 33X12.50 tires on the stock rims. I recently purchased the RE 4.5 lift kit, which comes with the round control arms vice stock. I intend to cut the fenders and replace the flares. I think I figured out reading all the old posts that I will be ok with this set up with no rubbing the control arms and no rubbing the fenders since I plan on trimming them. Am I right?

 

[shimmy]

you should really look into buying some 15x8 rims. this will not only fit the tire better, but will also help widen the stance of your xj. plus it looks way cooler than tires that are sucked in on a huge lift. IMO

brandon

 

[gettinbetterXJ]

I agree it looks cooler, on my 88 Xj I have 15x8 with 3.75 backspacing and 31X10.50 tires. Looks cool and the TJ flares I have on cover the tire completely with no rubbing, however on the new build money is tight looking at around 1200 bucks for the tires and wheels..ouch! I know I know what a lot of you are thinking..but money NOW is a factor not moeny later. I don't want to drive around with the detroit in the rear on 4.56 gears with stock tires I will smoke them to death just because I can! :dunce:

 

[shimmy]

I agree it looks cooler, on my 88 Xj I have 15x8 with 3.75 backspacing and 31X10.50 tires. Looks cool and the TJ flares I have on cover the tire completely with no rubbing, however on the new build money is tight looking at around 1200 bucks for the tires and wheels..ouch! I know I know what a lot of you are thinking..but money NOW is a factor not moeny later. I don't want to drive around with the detroit in the rear on 4.56 gears with stock tires I will smoke them to death just because I can! :dunce:

ahhh, i see.

 

[SOOLONG]

Just my opinion. I have never seen a 33x12.5 tire approved for a 7in. wide rim.
I understand about budgets but your contact patch is going to be worthless not to mention that you are going to ware the tire out on the center portion of the tread. The manufactures of tires put approved rim widths on tires for a reason. I am not bashing you here I just think that if you are trying to stay on a budget buying 33 in tires just to have them wear out quickly because they were mounted on the wrong size rim makes less sense then buying the right size rims or the right size tires. Not to mention that a tire company will not warranty a tire if it has been mounted on an unapproved rim width. BFG does make 33x10.5x15 mud terrain tires as well as 33x9.5x15 all terrain. I can understand if this was a couple of week thing till you got new rims but it is not something I would do for an extended period of time. Two sets of 33's are more expensive then a good set of rock crawler rims.

Joe

 

[xj92]

My dad's been running 12.5 inch tires on 7-inch rims for about 8 years now and he routinely gets 40K out of his tires. I agree that it's preferable to go with the 8-inch rim, that's why I'm running an 11.5 inch wide tire on an 8-inch rim, but I don't think it's that bad or that big a deal to run the 33x12.5 on the 7-inch rim. $1200 is plenty to get a good tire/wheel combo with 33's though.