36" IROKs w/ SOA only - wheels and backspacing options?

[Wilsmick]

okay, just a couple of real dumb questions here. people talk about using different backspacing to fit tires correctly.

Q #1) Is backspacing really an "option"?

everyone i call says that backspacing is fixed for a given wheel size. like 15x10 rims come with 3 5/8 BS. what if i only want 3 1/4 or 3 1/2?

i wanna fit some 36" IROK's on my 89 waggy.
just SOA (with high steering if that matters) and RB's shackle flippin kit. i also moved the rear axle back a couple of inches. i figured it'd be better for departure angle and hopefully the trimmin will go a bit smoother too.

i'm plannin to make a mock-up of the tire/wheel with adjustable backspacing and see how it fits and try to figure out the BS and all that and make sure that the 36's are reasonable.

so what's involved in changing the backspacing?
do i have to use those spacers? how else is it changed?

Q #2) does it matter if i get 15" 16" or 16.5" wheels? is it just personal pref?

-mike

[mikeythefireman]

Backspacing is not a given for a specific size. You can gets lots of variety, you just might end up paying more for a custom job. Most sizes/brands will have several choices for bs.

Changing bs could be easy or hard depending on the wheels you have/want. If you already own the wheels and you're dead set on keeping them it would depend on the wheels themselves. Sometimes you can recenter them, sometimes you can't. If you don't have the wheels yet, base your decision not on how pretty the wheels are but on bs and size. As far as spacers go, I've never used cheap ones, and I've never had them break. But the general rule is that cheap spacers break and quality ones are fine. Again, thats gonna be personal preference as well. At 36" with any kind of power I'd probably just get new wheels or have the old ones recentered.

Tire size is personal preference and wheel availability a lot of the time. Price and availability of tire might also come into play.

[Brad W.]

16.5's do not have a saftey bead. this means that beads blow more easily when you air down. i would stay away from 16.5's unless they are beadlocks.

[River Beast]

you are still gonna need a 3" bodlift on top of SOA or equivilent in springs to clear 36's on your 89....

I would personally stick with the 3 58" BS so they dont stick out too far and crush your fenders on articulation...

[River Beast]

oh... anything more than 3 5/8" BS.. the rim will contact the tierod ends.. BADD JUJU!!

now if you want to fit the 36's in the wheel wells you will want to stick with 3 5/8" BS and 15x8's... they are 13.50 wide... your gonna need more clearance than just SOA

and yeah.. different rims sometimes come with different offsets.. like 2.75" and 3"

[ September 23, 2004, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: River Beast ]

[Wilsmick]

do i REALLY need the 3" body lift?
what if i do some "extra" trimmin?
(the 36" Iroks are actually 36.8" OD)
i REALLY want those iroks though

anyone in the southeastern mass area wanna maybe lend me a knobby or two for a trial fit? the only people i know with 35's are way out in western mass. i don't have time to go all the way out there just to size up a tire, i need to finish this thing before a wheelin trip on columbus day weekend, plus i just started my grad classes too. the pressure's on!

i don't think my mock-up idea is gonna work very well. i don't think i'll be able to really stuff the wheel and turn it very good. a real tire would be much better anyway. somethin around 35 would be sweet.

there could be free beer involved?

mmmmm... beer.........

[Poley]

I've got 35"x12.5's and the rub on the drivers frame on hardleft turns, backspacing is the culprate...