245/75/16 vs 245/70/16 on 1.5" -2" lift. Tire choices

Havok · **Joined:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:06 am **Posts:** 32

I'm going to put a =- 1.5" -2" BDS/Bilstein lift in my 2004 KJ.

I'm stuck with a decision. The KJ is also my daily driver and I use it offroad maybe 30% / 40% of the time.
I decided to go with an A/T tire. At the moment I'm running the standard Goodyear's 235/70/16's

I don't want to regear.
Do I go with the 245/70/16's or do I go with 245/75/16's? I can do the pinchwelds etc but my concern is the regearing. I don't want to do that.
I kinda think I should just go with the 245/70/16 as I also have more tyre options - with the 75's the only one I really like is the Maxxis 753 mt.

Tyre options I have narrowed it down to for the 245/70/16's:

General Grabber AT2
Maxxis Bravo 700
Yokohama Geolander At
Dunlop SP Trakgrip

Why no BFG AT? well... I have heard and seen them de-bead quite a lot on sand. More than any other tyre. the M/T's are not prone to this but I don't want M/T's

Can anyone recommend any of the listed tires?
I drive a lot of hard dirt (/some rocks) and sand when I do go offroad.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Pippobug · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:59 am

Havok,

First you won't need to re-gear if you pick 245/70 or 245/75 tyres as you have 3.7L it has enough power to deal with the tyres, any bigger might be a problem.
Second, tyre choice is really down to you and your needs & conditions of road you drive in RSA. You have listed all good tyres in AT, best go with local advise for the conditions you drive one. I have just bought General Gabbers AT (not AT2) they are are a new model might not be available yet in RSA and I really enjoy them but at the moment I haven't had a chance to used them al lot offroad.
Third your lift 1.5 / 2 inc, personally I think, your max tyre size you can fit should be 245/75 with no rubbing, you will need extra bumpstops at the back & front to avoid damage in the wheel arches.

Fil.

Havok · **Joined:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:06 am **Posts:** 32

Thanks Pippo.

I rate it will just be less hassle to go for the 245/70's maybe. Although the 245/75's will give even more clearance. :-/ less tire choices though.

All3Sports · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:23 pm

I just did my OME lift and I'm currently running on 245/75/16 General Grabber AT2 with minimal to no rubbing. The only rubbing I get is on the pinch weld at full turn.

I'll probably start more rubbing once the springs settle but if you do go for 245/75/16 make sure to get a wheel with 4 inch of back spacing.

Edit: If you want I can go out an snap a couple of pics of the amount of clearance I have with them on.

Havok · **Joined:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:06 am **Posts:** 32

All3Sports wrote:

I just did my OME lift and I'm currently running on 245/75/16 General Grabber AT2 with minimal to no rubbing. The only rubbing I get is on the pinch weld at full turn.

I'll probably start more rubbing once the springs settle but if you do go for 245/75/16 make sure to get a wheel with 4 inch of back spacing.

Edit: If you want I can go out an snap a couple of pics of the amount of clearance I have with them on.

That will be a great help thanks!

I would like to see guys who have a +- 2" lift that has 245/70/16's as well. if anyone has them. it will help me gauge the difference.
It seems most people in the lift thread has the 245/75/16's on.

I don't really want to change the wheels. I have the stock renegade rims on mine.

Would that do?

TAHOE · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 1:17 pm

Just for reference, I run 245/70 on Stock wheels with no lift on my wife's '05, no rubbing.
I say throw 245/75's on there and be done with it :mrgreen:

All3Sports · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:03 pm

Ehhhh stock wheel's will cause massive rubbing unless you toss some spidertrax wheel spacers on them.

Either change the wheels or put spacers on, those are really the only 2 options.

oh and pics:

Front:

Rear:

Space between wheel and pinch weld:

That was an OME Lift with 927/928 springs and a 1/4 top plate from jeepinbyal. I was debating doing a clevis but really wasn't necessary.

Edit: I can fit 3 fingers between the wheel and pinch weld.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:25 pm

Ah
You can run stock wheels lifted and 245-75-16s seen it done
it does help to have the right wheels / backspacing
Wait until you settle in also

All3Sports · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:28 pm

Already prepping to nuke my pinch welds. :lol:

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:32 pm

heres are some I have lifted and also BugginKJs with 245-70-16s and OME 927s top plate and clevis on them
opelboys with 235-70-16s right after lift

Buggins

potes again 245-70-16s

silver one is renegademarines 245-70-16 stock wheels

iMTB · **Joined:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:27 pm **Posts:** 273

215/85 are the height of 245/75. I had them on with no lift and now with a lift. They work great.

Sukpad89 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:43 pm

I have 245/70r16 on the Daystar 2.5 and 1.5 spacers on the stock wheels. Without the spacers the tires sidewall rubbed really bad on the swaybar, with the spacers I then got some slight rub on the pinch weld and major rub on the front bumper/wheel well (trimed alot) and the tire comes close to the spray bottle. I will try 'n get pics when the sum is up tomorrow. I wish I kept the 31x10.5s off my old wrangler and put em' on some soft 8s. Just do it right the first time and be happy or you will end up like me wondering what to do next.

If I could do it all again if my pockets were deeper, I would definetly try to make the BDS/Daystar combo lift up front and same in back with an extra insulator up top. I have seen Libbys on 35/13.5r15 and no rub doing this with the proper backspacing, tj style front bumpers, pounded welds w/ inside fender removed, Als Arms, extended swaybar links... and who knows what else, but the results are awesome!

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:24 pm

No you can't use a BDS and Daystar lift together, too much lift
and a KJ with 35s that way :ROTFL:

not with the front diff we have etc
Pics cause everyone I have seen that tried ended up on a trailer

iMTB · **Joined:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:27 pm **Posts:** 273

tommudd wrote:

No you can't use a BDS and Daystar lift together, too much lift
and a KJ with 35s that way :ROTFL:

not with the front diff we have etc
Pics cause everyone I have seen that tried ended up on a trailer

Guessing that guy from Jeepforum. The one who bedlined it, then painted it camo.

215/85 btw:

I think I need to add an extra iso to the rear.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:30 pm

More than likely it was :roll:

Havok · **Joined:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:06 am **Posts:** 32

Gee... if anything this thread made the decision MORE difficult! :dizzy:

those 245/70/16's don't look too bad actually. More choice again.

245/75' ads quite a nice bit of height though.............

Decisions decisions :juggle:

bwtucker · **Posted:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:24 pm

you've had plenty of response already but I'll chime in anyway. I'm running an OME lift with 245/75s on MOABs with no problems. The bump stop advice is good, I bottomed my wheels out a couple times before I got them. I ended up doing the hockey puck thing in the back.

bigjimslade · **Joined:** Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:37 pm **Posts:** 100

Here's mine with 3-3.5" lift with 245/70's. I just bought the tires a couple months before I decided to lift it. I wished I had waited and done 245/75's for that extra inch or so of tire height. Just think it would look nicer...of course 245/75's on Moabs would look even better.

bunkermonkeycw · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 5:37 pm

Stock wheels? 245/75 is fine.

Aftermarket or plan to widen her before these tires are trash? 245/70 is definitely a better choice.

Personal and recent experience warrants this.

Havok · **Joined:** Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:06 am **Posts:** 32

Well with lots of deliberation and back and forth :dizzy:

I have decided to go from the stock wIdth 235/70/16 to 245/70/16.
I reckon it will look good and won't be rubbing too bad. The pics you guys posted helped as even though the /75's look better and you get some extra lift, the 70's look good and they are the more readily available size. I'm going to be doing the fitment before the lift, I hope they don't rub too much, cause it will be a week or two before my BDS coils and Bilstein shocks are here.

I ended up going for the Velocity Raptor AT tyre. Very similar to the General Grabber AT2 Will post some pics later.

245/75/16 vs 245/70/16 on 1.5" -2" lift. Tire choices

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