Suburban 35's on Stock Wheels

[aglinks]

Hey all,

Getting my 1991 suburban lifted with a full spring replacement kit and I'm looking at tires. Can I run a 35x12.50r15 on the factory wheels without spacers? The guy at the off-road shop said there wasn't enough back spacing but I think there is. Let me know if you can shed some light on the subject.

Thanks,

 

[aglinks]

To clarify, I have the rally style wheels and I really like the way they look so I dont really want to get different ones.

 

[skysurfer]

Can't answer the backspacing question but I'm wondering what the width is on your stock rims? Recommended range for a 12.50" tire is 8.5"-11.0".

 

[aglinks]

Can't answer the backspacing question but I'm wondering what the width is on your stock rims? Recommended range for a 12.50" tire is 8.5"-11.0".

I believe they are 15x8's. The truck had 32x11.50's on it when I got it so I know those fit nicely. Just wasn't sure about that extra inch.

 

[skysurfer]

When you said rallys I was picturing the 70's era rallys that were on Corvettes, Monte Carlos, Camaros, etc. The Corvettes had 8" rims (which would work) but the Monte Carlo rims I put on my '64 El Camino were something closer to 6.5"

 

[aglinks]

It has the factory wheels, I checked the code in the glove box it says they are rally wheels but it doesn't list the width. I'll upload a picture of them.

 

[skysurfer]

Those are 15 x 8 (rpo code n67) so the width is ok for a 12.50" tire. Typical aftermarket rims (Eagle 058) that size have 3.250" backspace so you can take one of yours off and measure for comparison. The part of your first post about the guy saying "there wasn't enough backspacing" is a little confusing since more backspace means less clearance between the wheel and the suspension components. Maybe he was talking about having enough negative offset?

 

[aglinks]

Those are 15 x 8 (rpo code n67) so the width is ok for a 12.50" tire. Typical aftermarket rims (Eagle 058) that size have 3.250" backspace so you can take one of yours off and measure for comparison. The part of your first post about the guy saying "there wasn't enough backspacing" is a little confusing since more backspace means less clearance between the wheel and the suspension components. Maybe he was talking about having enough negative offset?

I know he said backspacing and that was part of my confusion. I understood backspacing to be what you have just described and thus assumed he was just trying to sell me wheels. Thanks for the information! I knew it was n67 but couldn't find a source that listed the dimensions for that wheel.

 

[theblindchicken]

Im running a set of 35x12.50R15 with about a 4" backspacing on my 74 k10.

Only at ~5" of lift and it clears pretty well besides hitting a steep driveway at lock going pretty quick.

When i had 2" spacers (effective backspacing of 2-2.5") they rubbed left and right, front to back, day or night, hot or cold. But it was always on the fenders not the inner wheel wells or the frame or anything.

Hope that helps give a frame of reference.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

[aglinks]

All of the information I have found online says these stock 15x8 Rally Wheels have 4" of backspacing. Does that sound right?

 

[theblindchicken]

Sounds about right in my book. I believe these trucks came with about 4-4.5" of backspacing.

 

[glockholiday]

If you do end up needing spacers try a set of these first. They sell them at Autozone around here for like $20 a pair. They are usually 1/4" to 3/8" thick. If your lug studs are long enough.

http://img.apwcontent.com/sites/apw-migration/design/seo/articles/wheel_spacer-bg.jpg

 

[aglinks]

Got the lift and tires done. Had to remove the factory running boards but it clears just fine and works great on the rally wheels.

 

[skysurfer]

Had to remove the factory running boards...

It's possible to keep the running boards on there if you want to. I used a straight edge to follow the line of the wheel well down and traced the angle across the steps with a sharpie. Took the boards off and trimmed them on a table saw using an abrasive blade tilted to the traced line. A rubber mallet was used to flatten the vertical mud flap part of the steps so they would reach back and attach to the leading edge of the step.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[theblindchicken]

Got the lift and tires done. Had to remove the factory running boards but it clears just fine and works great on the rally wheels.

How much of a lift did you end up going for?