86 toy and 33s

[Prospectors77]

What is the best way to tuck 33x9.5 tires with out destroying too much body. Would a 1" lift be enough or is there a better way?

[emsvitil]

I think they should fit with the stock rim offset (15mm) and 15x7 rims.

I want to get 33x10.50 tires next time with my 15x7 stock aluminum rims..........
(Rear doesn't look like a problem.   The front looks fine, but haven't tried full compression with turns lock-to-lock looking for problems yet)

[Prospectors77]

So is the small lift enough or is there another way or do i even need to lift? Id like to still be able to steer

[emsvitil]

I don't think you'd need a lift.

Should fit in the wheel wells because the tires are narrow (unless your existing rims stick out too far)

[Prospectors77]

Got 15x7 would they work with 15x8 if i got them

[emsvitil]

15x7 is good, 15x8 is too wide for 9.50

What's the wheel offset?

[Prospectors77]

Ill be buying a new set of wheels with the tires i think. What offset would be alright?

[Snowtoy]

Do you need/want the 9.50' widths, most go with that narrow of a tire so they could re-use the oem rim, otherwise they buy 12.50's and wider rims to help keep the center of gravity as close to stock as they can.  The general rule is to widen the track width 1.5" for every 1" you increase the height of the rig.  With a 2" body lift and a little massaging of the body seam along the firewall, you can fit a 33x12.50 on a 15x8 rim with 3.5" back spacing.  This is how this '86 was set-up.

[emsvitil]

With 15x7s you'd want 15mm offset to equal the stock 15x7 aluminum rims.     This is very close to 4.5" backspacing on 15x7 rims.


NOTE:   I haven't tried 33's on 15x7 rims yet.    SO MEASURE WHAT YOU HAVE CAREFULLY..........

[Prospectors77]

I dont need to have 33x9.5 but i like the tall skinny tire. Big balloon tires imo are complety useless with mud/snow/rivers and things like that. Id go with a 33x10.5 if i could find a tire i liked in that size

[Prospectors77]

Thanks for the offset/ backspacing info, and will do on making sure i got everything perfect

[emsvitil]

BFG has the 33 9.50 and 33 10.50  All Terrain and I think Mud Terrain.   10.50 slightly cheaper than 9.50

[Prospectors77]

Did not realize they had a 33x10.5 also. I was going with their 9.5. Thanks for that.

[emsvitil]

What do you have on it now?

[Prospectors77]

30x9.5 but on their last leg

[emsvitil]

Also with 33s you'll need 4.88 gears.......

[emsvitil]

A new 33 is about 32.7" in diameter

A new 30 is about 29.5" in diameter,  totally worn out, it will be about 28.5" in diameter (1/2" tread)

So wrap a 2" thick piece of foam around the tire 1" wider than your current tread width (about 8.5-9" ) and then see how close the foam comes to touching anything while turning, compressing, etc. the wheel.......

[Prospectors77]

I got lucky with my truck coming with factory 4.56s but i know ill have to go to 4.88s.

[Snowtoy]

I dont need to have 33x9.5 but i like the tall skinny tire. Big balloon tires imo are complety useless with mud/snow/rivers and things like that.

Wanted to make sure you needed the skinny tires for your style of wheeling, and not that you thought you were limited to a certain width. 

Id go with a 33x10.5 if i could find a tire i liked in that size

Don't forget you have metric size tires available as well, a 285/75-16 measures 32x11.2, just a little wider than the 10.50.

Big balloon tires imo are complety useless with mud/snow/rivers and things like that.

It all depends on the type of wheeling you do.  For rocks and deep snow wider tires tend to do better, they give you more grip on the rocks, and allow you to float on top of the snow when it becomes to deep to dig to solid ground.  Mud here in CA is rarely deep enough to prevent a wide tire from digging to solid ground, and I have never had an issue fording streams or even a river with a 12.50 tire