[elks96]

OK guys I am going from a 2.5 RE XD to a 4.5. I am currently Running a 34x9.50 Tire. The rim does not have much off set. So as of right now The lugs on the tires are inside Flares.

My buddy claims that if i go to the 4.5 lift that I will start being too top heavy and risk a roll over issues. He claims that I need to go to a 35X12.50 Tire.

Do you agree? Will My 4.5 RE XD and 1.25 body lift and 9.5 wide tires be an issue?

If so what can I do to fix it for cheap? Wheel Spacers?

[Totallymetal]

Originally Posted by elks96

The lugs on the tires are inside Flares.

Not sure what that means?

I have 4" spring and 1" body and I am very stable with 35 x 12.5 x 15... but I am light on top with fiberglass. Also 10" rims with 4" backspace.

[PavementPounder]

So you're saying you have somewhat high backspacing for the width of the wheel and they are tucked inside the flare?

Whenever you lift, you should technically increase track to compensate for the additional height. Generally speaking, you don't have a lot of lift compared to many Jeeps. Yes, spacers could be a solution if you don't like the new handling characteristics after you lift it further. I'd wait and see how it feels after you do it. Its not like the wind is going to blow it over.

[elks96]

Yeah I mean the tires are tucked completely in the wheel flares. It is awesome for flex cause they go all the way up in my wells and fo not rub at all now. That means ful flex no rubs.

I am thinking it will not be too bad. I mean I see jeeps with 6+ lifts and stock width. Of course they are runn 38s.

[deadeye]

You might want to ditch the body lift if you think its unstable that will put you back to almost where you are now.

[BriansCJ]

Yea definately go wider. When i lift my 5 i am making the axles 5 inches wider and wheels with 3.75 BS.

[Happy Joe]

I would also loose the body lift.
I don't see rollover as being a huge issue (I use 12.50 x 35s on narrow track axles without any problems), just drive carefully.

Even with the body lift I don't see much issue as you have the wide track axles, if they are still stock. After all is said and done; its the driver that has the biggest influence on rollover potential.

Enjoy!

[4x42]

A general rule is match the lift to width. ie: 1" taller = 1" wider.

[JoonHoss]

Originally Posted by elks96

Yeah I mean the tires are tucked completely in the wheel flares. It is awesome for flex cause they go all the way up in my wells and fo not rub at all now. That means ful flex no rubs....

so if you can do that now, why switch to a different (bigger) lift kit?

Hoss

[Mike Romain]

Why would you want to go illegal? In most places it is illegal to run with tires sticking out foolishly wide, they are supposed to be under your fender flares. This is for safety of you and the person behind you, tires toss rocks and water.

The wider tire will just drop your traction down radically without making very much difference in your center of gravity.

[26679cj5]

my tires stick out just slightly past the flares and i have lost paint here and there from the occasional rock or gravel. if thats somethin that concerns you, i recommend getting wider flares. i have a fuberglass tub so it isnt a huge issue since i dont have to worry about rust forming.

[Happy Joe]

The wider tire will just drop your traction down radically

Not true... I have tried both wide and narrow and prefer the wide because they give me the better traction for my use (ignore all terrain tires they have little traction in either configuration) (I actually went to a narrower, 12.50, mud tire because it gives me less traction and helps keep me from breaking axles). Tire width is like the old Chevy vs. Ford argument it comes down to individual preference.

Narrow tires driven aggressively can damage the trails by creating trenches (one of my friends used to think it was cute to do this). In vehicle to vehicle friendly competition this same vehicle (narrow swampers) in 2wd could not make it to the obstacle that several vehicles with wider mud tires were able to drive up to and over in 2wd (all vehicles with lockers). This is just one example; I have also seen narrow swampers on rocks do well by catching the knobs on projections that the wider knob-less tires had problems with (more an issue of tread pattern than wide/narrow).

For equal tire construction (pressures, rubber compounds and sidewall stiffness, etc.) both wide and narrow tires will have equal area contact patches (but they will be different shapes). Some will argue this but their understanding is flawed.

Wide tires are known for being able to achieve flotation in deep mud and snow (given enough horsepower and RPM), the narrow tires will dig down until they are stuck or reach bottom.

Enjoy!

[Ford_Prefect]

Originally Posted by PavementPounder

Whenever you lift, you should technically increase track to compensate for the additional height.

I disagree. I do not think that you need to have the thing wider for every lift you go up. VERY rarely do you see people actually do this.

It is blatantly obvious that if you lift a vehicle it will also raise the COG (center of gravity) so in that sense your friend is right, but to me it is a bit naive of him to say that.

Now, MY question would be WHY would you ever want to go higher if not for tire size? The only reason to lift a vehicle, in my opinion, is to get the bigger tires. The tire size is what gives you the clearance on the trail. If you lift your jeep but do not lift your axles with bigger tires then you really do not change your clearance much at all.

Consider that before you lift your jeep.

I personally feel, as do competition rock crawlers and rock racers, that bigger tires with as little lift as possible is the best route. Keeps your COG as low as possible, and still gives you as much axle clearance as possible.

That's my two bits

Good luck.

[elks96]

Why would I lift with out going to bigger tires? Because I have only about 400 milews on the tires I have now. The idea behind this lift is to gain a little better appraoch angles and give room for a bigger tire someday. Also the other reason is I just installed a 21 gallon poly tanks which dropped my rear clearance about 4 inches. So lifting will help on the departure angle as well.

In all honesty I too believe that on lighter vehicles a narrow tire is better for traction. At some point I am gonna get a set of big wide tires, but only run them for deeper snow where I want to float.

[Mike Romain]

Originally Posted by Happy Joe

(I actually went to a narrower, 12.50, mud tire because it gives me less traction and helps keep me from breaking axles).

My CJ7 is my daily driver...

Nothing 'narrow' about a 12.5" tire on a CJ7 in my mind, that is wide enough to totally blow the traction on the bush trails and snowy streets I drive on. They spin and dig holes way too easy.

Tall skinny tires don't spin up so I snap old frames and tear and literally shatter engine mounts from the torque. I didn't have those issues with the wide tire that spins out all the time.

We have had a winter 'shootout' at the sand pits and a fully locked and sway bar disconnected TJ with 33x12.5 muds can 'just' keep up to a CJ7 with open diffs, sway bars connected and 33x9.5 muds. We were a tie on all the runs.

When I went from a 10.5" tread to a 7.5" tread (33x9.5" tire), my traction increased radically!

On the highway in the snow with the 10.5's, I lost traction at about 45 mph, it started to float and lose steering. It is a real drag when you can't keep up to the transport trucks in a snow storm. When I went to the narrower tire, I have full control in the snow up to 60 mph and maybe even faster, but for sure can keep up with the big rigs.

Off road, the folks with fat tires laugh at my tall skinnies, Once... Then they spend the rest of the day "trying" to follow me... I walk up the sand put walls leaving a tread mark, then I sit up top taking photos of all the folks with fat tires making rooster tails until they dig holes and then try again and again and... (see my photo albums in my links)

Same for mud, the tall skinnies just don't spin up, I drive right on through. it almost makes mud running no fun because I have to clean it all under and have no mud up top to show for it.

Now if I want, I 'can' make them spin up to find bottom to dig me though, but I never seem to need to.

If you want to get into a flotation tire, you need to go really wide, but that is a different thing.

Just look at the tires the folks that work out in the bush use, you won't see any balloon tires on their trucks.

But as you say, tire preference is a personal thing, to each their own...