265/75/16

[geneelder]

Does anyone know if a 265/75/16 will fit on the TB? I will soon be installing 1.25"/1.5" spacers, as well as 1.25" wheel spacers and are looking for a 31x10.50 to fit the TB. The 265/75/16 is 31.6X10.4 so i am wanting to know if anyone knows if it will fit. I have also thought about going with a 235/85/16 which is 31.7X9.25. Tall but not too wide. Most of my offroading is on beautiful South Padre Island, Texas so its all sand and some mud. I am leaning more toward the 265/75/16 due to the wider tires. Roadie, your opinion is greatly needed.

[the roadie]

Does anyone know if a 265/75/16 will fit on the TB? I will soon be installing 1.25"/1.5" spacers, as well as 1.25" wheel spacers and are looking for a 31x10.50 to fit the TB. The 265/75/16 is 31.6X10.4 so i am wanting to know if anyone knows if it will fit. I have also thought about going with a 235/85/16 which is 31.7X9.25. Tall but not too wide. Most of my offroading is on beautiful South Padre Island, Texas so its all sand and some mud. I am leaning more toward the 265/75/16 due to the wider tires. Roadie, your opinion is greatly needed.

You rang? :laugh:

I use LT265/70R17 Wrangler SilentArmors which are a little over the standard size for that spec tire. 31 3/4" diameter - 10 3/4" tread width plus the tread is not very rounded at the edges at all (like a crewcut) so it tries to get close to the upper control arm but I have good clearance.

With 1.5" wheel spacers moving the tires out, they sweep a larger area with their inboard edge, and I ended up needing over 3/4" trim on the rear edge of the bumper. Just get out the Sawzall or a jig saw. The rear edge of the wheel well liner was also getting scraped - no damage except scrubbing and noise, but it wasn't right. The rear part of the wheel well liner is fastened to a bracket that responds positively to a 3-pound persuader. I think I motivated mine to move about 1/2" back.

SuspensionMAXX spacers get you more ground clearance at rest, but the bump stop on the front shock (separate bump stop over the axle on the rear) controls the compression limit. SuspensionMAXX spacers will not stop the tire from hitting the top of the wheel well liner, but I usually don't go over humps and bottom out the suspension to test it.

Since then I've taken off the front bumper, so its rear edge is not an issue, but I understand not every owner wants to run around this way. I'm learning fiberglassing from my brother now, with an eye to recreating the look of the upper half of the original bumper, which never hits rocks, while replacing the lower part with decent skid plate metal.

I predict you'll like the flotation on sand you get with better tread width, depending on the tread pattern you pick. Consider airing down to 15-18 PSI if you need more traction, and carry a good compressor.

[geneelder]

My big question is will the 265/75/16 hit the upper control arm? I think with the combination of spacers, they should fit without any problem but just asking before i jump into it. Also, are you saying with the larger tires, i run into a possible issue of hitting the top of the wheel well over bumps?

[the roadie]

My big question is will the 265/75/16 hit the upper control arm? I think with the combination of spacers, they should fit without any problem but just asking before i jump into it.

I guarantee you won't hit the upper control arm with 1 1/4" wheel spacers. You might even get away with the 5/16" shim spacers that use the existing studs, but I couldn't guarantee that. Watch out for the existing studs hitting the back of the new wheel spacer and preventing you from tightening the new lug nuts properly. That's the reason most spacers are 1.5" instead of 1.25", and there are no spacers of the 3/4"-1" thickness. Hard to deal with the existing studs unless the spacers are of a sufficient thickness to hide them.

Also, are you saying with the larger tires, i run into a possible issue of hitting the top of the wheel well over bumps?

Very slight chance if you are in the habit of jumping sand ramps like the prerunners with 15" of suspension travel. I just went out and looked at my wheel well liners, and there is some very slight scrapage, but I've gone over some rocks at 2MPH that I should have taken at a crawl, and bottomed out the suspension a few times accidentally. For normal careful driving, you'll never bottom them out.

[geneelder]

I am still planning on using the 1.25" just to give a nice flush look, but i will be grinding down the existing studs to clear the tightening problem. Thanks for all the info roadie

[paul2005TB]

Im interested in this same issue,

question for roadie: How large a diameter tire can I go to with just the suspension max 1.25/1.5 lift and a smaller (25mm) offset wheel. I dont think
Id want to go with the wheel spacers.

many thanks.

Paul

[the roadie]

question for roadie: How large a diameter tire can I go to with just the suspension max 1.25/1.5 lift and a smaller (25mm) offset wheel. I dont think
Id want to go with the wheel spacers.

I haven't done any calculations with different offset rims, but you should be able to do the numbers yourself. But you really need to measure the offset of your current rims, and the clearance (distance and a guess at the angle of closest approach) you have to the upper control arm from the edge of the current tire.

Just draw it on graph paper. Then in a different color, draw where the new rim will be with the new offset. Assuming you have 40mm offset now (I don't know the real number, unfortunately), the new rim will be 15mm further out, and hopefully the same width (9"?)

Then take the dimensions of a proposed new tire to a calculator like http://gs.tolan-hoechst.com/tirecalc.htm and get an idea where the inner corner will be. If your upper control arm is currently 1/2" away at an angle of 45 degrees, you know your new tire can't grow to the point of hitting.

I might have time Sunday to measure a current rim and get a good idea of the dimensions involved - been real busy lately with non-Envoy projects. :worried:

[paul2005TB]

Roadie, Many thanks.. that hoechst site is very informative. Ive been looking for a site that can tell me the offset on my 17" OE rims ... I may have to just take off a wheel and rub the metal and find the numbers. ...

replaceing the rims with lower offset rims seems like a good way to go. no extra mods and gear but just a bit more in the way of $$s. Id really like to go to either 255/75/17 or at the least 265/70/17.


Just adjusted the lumbar support in my seat!.. man nothing beats the ride and comfort of a Trailblazer. With that little extra air from a bigger wheel
Ill be floating on a cloud.


Paul

[geneelder]

Roadie already runs 265/70/17 on his Rig. He does have 1.5" spacers though. It would be more cost efficient to do the same on yours instead of replacing the rims.

[FattyTBEXT]

You can't run 265/70R17 without wheel spacers. I run 265/70R17 Firestones on my stock rims with 1" wheel spacers in the front and 1.5" in the rear. Makes the track even and still clears the UCA. :m2:

[paul2005TB]

Thanks TBEXT,

But shouldnt I be able to get the offset with the right rim rather than installing the wheel spacers ?.. remember 20mm is nearly an inch.

As for the wheel well clearance needed.. I dont know if that is the real problem, Im not installing 295/75..

[the roadie]

But shouldnt I be able to get the offset with the right rim rather than installing the wheel spacers ?.. remember 20mm is nearly an inch.

Yes, but - the same market forces that conspire to give us very few choices in rims because of the 6X127mm lug pattern also give us minuscule choices of offset.

As for the wheel well clearance needed.. I dont know if that is the real problem, Im not installing 295/75..

Oh, thank goodness for that. Anybody who got 295/75-17s would find me out getting quotes for custom fabricated control arms and 30 degree CV shafts to see how I could fit 35"X12.5 MTRs. :rolleyes: And that's an arms race. :weird:

[paul2005TB]

Thank you so much... Looks like the wheel spacers are a good choice.

[zackatt86]

Where can i find wheel spacers

[the roadie]

Where can i find wheel spacers

Where would you find ANYTHING on the Internet? :duh:

Start with Ebay. Search with Google and Yahoo. Search the forums here for recommended vendors.

Note: These are not stock items anywhere - they'll be custom made. Quality costs. As much as $50-75 each. You don't want a wheel falling off at high speed, or even at low speed if it will send you down a 2000 foot canyon without guard rails.

[lumberjackqc]

http://www.jimmorock.com/

Send mail. This person make wheel spacer and is a very good stock.