Suggestions, please.

[bundy34]

Greetings. I am a new member of the forum and have recently purchased a 1997 Eddie Bauer in ok condition.

In the short time I have owned it I have blacked out the tan, installed a muffler from a straight pipe so it would pass VA safety inspection, had an axle seal and CV axle replaced, did the Gotts mod, and tortured myself with the nightmare of an exhaust manifold to JBA header swap.

Next I would like to do the 3/2 lift and may end up with either the Daystar kit or the one on Ebay that I have read others used. I will also need rims, as I currently have 265/70/17's on the factory teardrop looking rims.

I have been following the thread from SkyJumper, as I have found it very informative and think his vehicle looks great, somewhat modelling what I would like to do after his.

I guess my question would be in regards to rims and tires. I plan to buy the same as SkyJumper (Pro Comp Series 98 Xtreme Black Rims). The ones he purchased were 16x10 and rubbed his calipers, requiring spacers, which I would like to avoid.

Would I be better sticking with 17 inch rims or going down to 16's? I want the tires to stick out a little bit, at least to the edge of the fenders, so what width rims would be good for that ? So basically, I want it to look like SkyJumpers (sorry for copying your ideas, but I am ignorant to such matters) but with the tires in a little more and without the need for spacers.

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated as I start trying to figure out tire size, what rubs, backspace and offset and it makes my head hurt.

Thanks.

 

[ZuluBravoTango]

I'm with you Bundy, I am looking to put 16" rims from Discount Tire on my 2000, and would really rather not have to use a spacer. I will have to go check out Skyjacker's setup.

 

[Thermo]

bundy, i am just north of you in the southern tip of Maryland (almost due east of Richmond). I have lifted my truck (4" Rancho) and am running 37x12.5's on my truck. Yes, they fit just fine with some modifications. So, with the 3/2 lift, you can fit 34x12.5's on the truck no problems if......

1) you need a rim with 4.5" of backspacing. If you get more backspacing than this, you can run into clearance issues with the calipers. Go less than 4.25" and you can have issus with the front wheel bearings wearing faster than you would like.

2) stick with an 8" wide rim. Going with a wider rim is going to cause the tread of the tire to sit further out, leading to more rubbing issues than with a narrower rim.

3) it doesn't matter if you go with 16's, 17's, or 20's, the big thing is not to go less than 16's and keep the 4.5" of backspacing. I personally like the "half tire" look. The rim size is half of the tire diameter. So, a 34x12.5 would use a 17" rim. 33's can use either 16's or 17's. But, to each their own. My main motivation for this is ensuring you have sufficient rubber to allow the rim clearance to not get damaged when out 4x4ing, but not having so much rubber than you get lots of sidewall flex. I also find it rather silly looking (personally preference here) to have 22" rims with rubberband 4x4 tires.

If you have any questions, let me know. What part of VA are you in? I used to live in Norfolk and there are a few guys down there that know my truck really well. It was easy to spot. It was the only Expy running around on 37's down there.

 

[bundy34]

Thanks for the replies.

If I stick with an 8" rim, and put either 285's or 305's on it, will the truck still have a proportionate look? I would like it to push the tires out a little to give it a nice aggressive look, but nothing crazy.

I am right outside Yorktown, so about halfway between Richmond and Norfolk.

 

[Thermo]

ubndy, if you go with the 305's, that will push the wheels right out to the edge of the truck like you are wanting. with the 8" rims.

 

[bundy34]

what about 16x10 wheels with 4 inch backspacing. going to rub anything?

How are Aries or Hunter brush guards?

 

[Thermo]

Bundy, under hard twisting of the truck, you might get some at the top of the rear wheel wells. Granted, your bigger issue is going to be on the front wheel wells. At a minimum you are going to have rubbing on the back of the front wheel well liner and more than likely rubbing into the metal part of the bumper. There are fixes for this, but are you willing to take a 3 pound hammer to the body of the truck?

 

[bundy34]

Not really interested in hammering anything just yet.

I have also decided to get a 3" body lift prior to purchasing the new tires and rims, hoping to be able to run 35's. Will this body lift change my wheel options or am I better off with the 8 inch still?

Also, I just changed my oil for the first time and gave it a seafoaming. It seems to be running worse now than before now.

Used to be be pretty smooth, now idles a little rougher and all the little knocks and what not are a little louder. In particular the one that sounds rhytmic in the area of the drivers side cat. Kind of a hollow, quiet, knocking...

I use the recommended 5w-30. Is there a better weight I should be using for a 97 5.4 with 185,000?