Tire Clearance

[Dirty_Jeeper]

This is a concern that hopefully someone here can set aside for me. My 1997 XJ has 33 12.50 15's on her. The 8 by 15 alloy wheels, the second set, are pretty chewed up from kissing rocks. I want to go back to stock 7 by 15 steel XJ wheels for several reasons. My spare is currently mounted on one.

The concern is clearance tolerance between inner sidewall and rear leaf spring with the tires on the stock steel wheels. The alloys with their offset I have an inch and a half or two inches clearance from sidewall to leaf spring. When I mount the stock steel wheel with the 12.50 on the rear I have about half an inch of clearance between sidewall and rear leaf.

It stuffs well into my trimmed wells front and rear when flexed. Is my concern about the close fit to the leaf spring unwarranted?

 

[idaxj97]

if your talking about putting a 12.50 wide tire on a 7 wide rim I think that it will put a lot of stress on the bead expecially if/when you air down. I have a 10.50" wide tire on a 7" wide rim and i think that is the widest tire i would want to put on a 7" wide rim. hope that helps.

edit: i just thought about it if you wanna keep the 33's which i think you wanna do look into 33x10.50x15 tire.

 

[Hill Bill E.]

Having a 1/2" clearance is pretty tight.

I'd be more worried about the front though, the tires are going to scrub pretty good when at full turn.

2 ways to adress both issues:

Wheel spacers- these would bring the stock wheels out 1 1/4"-giving you about the same back space as your alloy wheels do.

After market steel wheels, with the same back spacing as the alloy ones you have.

I agree with idaXJ97 on the width, a 12.5 should be on an 8" wide wheel minimum for safety purposes.

 

[lil_red_wagon]

i have ran them on both a 7" wide wheel and a 8" wide wheel. If you want to run them on a 7" wheel you have to run lower pressure so the top of the tire don't crown and you don't wear out center of the tire. With a 33" tire on a 15" rim you have enough side wall not to put to much pressure on the bead. Also you have the advantage of with the narrower rim it holds a bead better on lower air pressure. If you will get a set of TJ steel wheels they will clear better they have a different offset. I ended up running a set of them with 33's for a long time no problems at all. With my stock XJ wheels i was rubbing the leaf springs and with the TJ i could stick 2-3 fingers between the leafs and the tire. they also let me turn sharper due to the fact the wheel would turn sharper. if you rub the LCA's i would adjust the steering stop to keep you from doing it. It don't cause to much problems turning and going forward. It's backing up and turning with stock control arms will shave the inside of the tire.

 

[Dirty_Jeeper]

Lots of interesting points. I put my TJ's stock alloy wheels with 31's on the XJ and they fit fine but would grab the LCA at full turn. A simple adjustment I know, yet my 33's on the alloys cleared.

I put my one 33 on the stock XJ steel up front and it clears in all directions. on the rear the inner sidewall is just one fingers distance from the leaf springs. Is there any situation that would make them come in contact with each other? The rear Rancho spring pack is pretty stiff.

I want to run the stock steel wheels because the tuck nicely into my trimmed flareless fenders both front and rear. I'm thinking I may have to go to 11.50's if there is any type of contact issue with the rear leafs.

 

[lil_red_wagon]

just keep a eye on the side wall. at lower pressures it may contact or if there develops a slight bulge in the side wall it will hit. also keep a eye on the springs pack and make sure it don't twist.

 

[Black Dog]

Having a 1/2" clearance is pretty tight.

The only way you'd get away with that is if you never left the mall parking lot.

 

[jh504]

I ran 305s on stock wheels and never had an issue with the leaf spring clearance. It was close on mine too but they never contacted. I think you'll be fine.

 

[Dirty_Jeeper]

The only way you'd get away with that is if you never left the mall parking lot.

Since I hate malls and my XJ never sees one......

I'm still wondering when or how the tire would ever make contact with the leaf springs? When or how would it ever twist enough to do that with normal wheeling? I can't see it twisting sideways to make contact? Am I missing something here?

 

[Black Dog]

I think since you are wanting to go back to stock back spacing and then add a wider tire, that is going to bring it closer from the gitgo. But then if you air down and are side hilling or something then the position of the vehicle might smoosh over a smidge and make contact. Personally I think that those tires are waaay to wide for that narrow of a wheel, and even for an 8 inch wheel. If it were me I'd go with a 10 inch wide wheel or else get skinnier tires.

 

[jh504]

Heres a pic of mine with 8" rubicon wheels. Not a great picture but you can kind of see how close it is. This truck saw a lot of action and never noticed a problem with the tire striking the leafs.

 

[Dirty_Jeeper]

I ran that exact tire wheel combo for a long time, but never thought to check the clearance. I think a 1/4 inch spacer and I'm good to go.

 

[XJCamper]

I have run 33x10.50's on factory wheels with no rubbin on the rear leafs. My rear leafs are Rubicons. It should not be an issue at all. I have never had an issue. Now, with the 12.50's it might be really close.

 

[zjsheller]

I ran that exact tire wheel combo for a long time, but never thought to check the clearance. I think a 1/4 inch spacer and I'm good to go.

Some kind of spacer would be a good idea. I have seen the top spring slip out its spring pack and just about cut a 33 in tire in half. I'd imagine it would be fine as long as you were diligent about checking under there.

 

[Stumpalump]

I allways remove the spring clips that stop the leafs from fanning out. This helps droop and frees up the leaf aiding in flex. The problem is a leaf may fan out and hit your tire. Make sure these clips are in place and the u-bolts are tight so a leaf won't cut a tire.
OT but speaking of rear flex that XJ owners complain about. The rear springs are not the problem. The problem is a front thats too soft to force the rear to give. Deaver coils are the way to fix that. Any other coil except a cut down skyjacker 8" is the wrong spring rate on an XJ. The most important aspect of any suspension is rate and it's never metioned. Sad.