OME Lift & Tire Size

abhester3 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:57 am **Posts:** 39

OK, I'm sure all this has been gone over plenty but I can't seem to get much (or get too much) out of the search feature, flame away if you must...

I've ordered OME790 front springs, OME947 rears and shocks (as recommended by ARB) for my CRD w/ ARB bumper and winch. It seems there are more charts and debate out there about tire fit than real experience. Will 245/70/17 BFGoodrich KM2 tires fit without cutting/bashing? The charts says 30.8", I've read 245/75/16s (supposed to be 30.7" plus/minus according to brand) will fit this lift w/o issues. Is this correct? Any real experience out there?

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:26 pm

Well I'll tell you this much, most 245/75-16s are not 31.7" in real life. In fact, my Firestone spare in that size is the exact same height as my 255/70-16 Generals. On the Jeep, they measure much shorter than their listed height on paper.

You should be fine.

FastSRT8GC · **Joined:** Mon Jan 04, 2010 9:52 pm **Posts:** 55

I have 245/75-16 on Moab's. They rub a little. I have the daystar 1.5 spacer going in on WED and that should clear up the issue. I am also putting on General Grabbers

The fit should be fine with the lift. but if your worried and your going to be doing some serious off roading go down to a 70.

barley00 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:44 pm

I have the same lift with 245-75-16's and they rubbed a little until I recently installed some 1.5" spacers which alleviated the rub, plus it looks a bit better with the tires flush with the flares.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:27 pm

I have 235/85/R16 MT/R on stock wheels. I get rubbing on the sway bar at full turn. The MT/R is for serious enthusiasts so I understand if you want to go with a different brand.

abhester3 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:57 am **Posts:** 39

The wheels these tires are on have 4.5" backspace, I think they'll fill the wheelwells out yet not rub on suspension at full lock... I'll know soon enough!

kapalczynski · **Posted:** Tue Aug 17, 2010 1:11 am

I did the OME front and rear springs, OME front struts, rear extended length shocks, front strut spacers(http://www.rocky-road.com/kjtrimpacker.html), and rear 1/2 in poly spacers. you get an extra 1/2 inch of lift, and so far (a year and a half) have not had any issues whatsoever with the extra 1/2 in of lift. Vehicle performs wonderful.

- Mark

abhester3 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:57 am **Posts:** 39

The Verdict:

245/70R17 BF Goodrich KM2 tires on Helo 835 wheels are problematic with the above OME lift. The wheel-well liner and pinch-weld directly behind the front wheel is the problem. I cut the liner out and hammered the pinch-weld over (flat) but still get a pretty raucous rub when turning sharp and this is just in parking lots, off road will be really bad I'm afraid... I don't know what to try next, more bashing maybe, I don't think conduit nuts, etc will help but basically I made a bad choice in tires/rims.

kapalczynski · **Posted:** Sun Aug 22, 2010 5:18 pm

abhester3 wrote:

The Verdict:

245/70R17 BF Goodrich KM2 tires on Helo 835 wheels are problematic with the above OME lift. The wheel-well liner and pinch-weld directly behind the front wheel is the problem. I cut the liner out and hammered the pinch-weld over (flat) but still get a pretty raucous rub when turning sharp and this is just in parking lots, off road will be really bad I'm afraid... I don't know what to try next, more bashing maybe, I don't think conduit nuts, etc will help but basically I made a bad choice in tires/rims.

I was thinking of 245/75-16 which will be roughly the same size as yours:

My stock 225/75-16: 8.858" wide, 6.644" sidewall, 29.287" diameter
Your tire 245/70-17: 9.646" wide, 6.752" sidewall, 30.504" diameter
Tire size I was planning on: 245/75-16: 9.646" wide, 7.234" sidewall, 30.469" diameter

I might not be able to do that size then...

The big question is what offset did you get with your rims? Also did you do the spacers for the front strut and the extra 1/2 in rear spacers on top of lift or just the lift?

- Mark

abhester3 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:57 am **Posts:** 39

These rims are 4.5" backspace rims, basically the same as the other aftermarket wheels for the Liberty that I was able to find. No spacers, just the spring lift and appropriate shocks. I talked to ARB about the lift specs though they declined to suggest tire sizes. I've seen plenty of references to 245/75R16 fitting w/o rub but now I wonder...

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:46 pm

AHHHH... Ok. Makes sense now. Your wheels are 1" less backspacing so you are effectively pushing your tires 1" closer to the pinch weld while turning. That's going to obviously rub like crazy unless you do massive lift on a KJ. That's why most of us stick with OEM wheels.

abhester3 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:57 am **Posts:** 39

Well, that's exactly what I was asking about last week before buying these wheels and tires...

OK, I'm totally confused, Crager Soft 8 have even less backspace (4") than these wheels so are they for uber-lifts only? Or do you have to run 225 tires? What about the dreaded rubbing on the sway-bar, isn't that why folks use wheel spacers to get less backspace? If 30.5" 245/75-16s need a 1.5" spacer (see above) to reduce backspace to stop rubbing then what's up with a 30.8" 245/70-17 with basically the same backspace? :dizzy:

Anything vital behind the pinch-weld area? I got some big hammers....

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:56 am

Rubbing on the sway bar is not common. I don't rub there and I don't know anyone personally who does.

All I know is that with the max. lift that most of us go with (2.5 inches), you need to stay at 5.0" or more of backspacing. My wheels are 5.5" of backspacing, my lift measures 21" from center of wheel to lip of fender flare, and my tires are listed at 30.3" tall, and I rub on the front valance pretty bad when turning...but it's still very driveable. If I decreased the backspacing of my wheels AT ALL, my Jeep would require major trimming.

Again, that's why most people here stick with OEM wheels. The guys with aftermarket wheels usually end up doing trimming and hammering to make them work. The pinch weld is an important seam to the unibody, so if you hammer it, try not to crack and split it. Just fold it over.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:47 pm

I just moved up from Toyo HT 235/75/16s at 29.8" to some Hercules All Trac ATs 255/70/16s at 30.1"...they fit perfect with no issues. I also replaced both front hubs/wheel bearings (not cheap) and switched over to my Frozen Slotted Rotors with new pads...seems like a brand new vehicle again at 92,500 miles

abhester3 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:57 am **Posts:** 39

TRIM, BASH, TRIM, BASH!!! Finally got to the point where I don't get bewildered looks in parking lots. It'll rub if I'm turning sharp and really flex the suspension but them's the bitter ol' fruit of doin' it my way...

I'd post pics but can't seem to figure out how to do it...

kapalczynski · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:33 pm

KEEP IN MIND THEY MAKE SPACERS TO PUSH WHEELS OUT MORE FOR MORE CLEARANCE IF THE CURRENT OFFSET IS RUBBING ON PINCH WELD. <-- Yes that might be you abhester3

Hope your wheels/tires work out for you.

Good luck man!

- Mark

abhester3 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:57 am **Posts:** 39

But LibertyCRD says above that it's the 4.5" backspace pushing the wheels out that's the problem, MORE spacing would just be worst, right?

LibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:25 pm

With stock wheels, when I turn the tires I can watch as the tire comes ever so close to hitting the pinch weld. When I turn to full lock the other direction, the tire DOES hit the front liner behind the bumper. Now... imagine at that point where the tire is turned and has just a hair of room to spare... now push the tire outward another inch.

See what I mean? That's why less backspacing on your wheels causes massive problems. You are effectively causing the arc of travel to get larger as the tire turns in and out. This is why stock wheels are best. 5.5" of backspacing on a 16x7 wheel will keep you inward enough to prevent major rubbing, but outward enough to prevent contact with the ball joints, suspension, etc.

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:10 pm

I can tell you that Cragar soft 8s with 245/70 Grabber AT2s REALLY rub. I put some 245/75 Firestone snow tires on last winter and thay barely rubbed at max travel. That made me think that the 245/70s would be ok with the Cragars. I was wrong. Even with the pinch welds hammered over, they rub. As the stock springs get older and saggier, the rubbing gets worse. Four years ago I had some 245/70 Dakotas and they didn't rub at all, even before I hammered the pinch welds. I'm saving my pennies for a Frankenlift.

OME Lift & Tire Size

Who is online