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Planning Tire and Rim size

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rjkharry

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I have a 71 GMC Jimmy. I am rebuilding and want some help on tire and rim sizes. I use the truck for pulling a trailer of mine and wheeling and just looking AWESOME. I am thinking of running 35"-38" tires. I would like to know if anyone had any thoughts on those sizes.
Also what is the maximum rim size you would reccomend. Are Beadlocks necessary and do you have any favorite brands. I like the Goodyear Kevlars probably the best.
I know my lift will dictate the tire size but for now I just want to know thoughts on sizes.
 
Just my opinion, but 35 to 37s are what look best on blazers. i have a 89 so mine is a little bit different body style though. i have 8 inches of lift with mickey thompson baja claws that are 37x13.50x15 (which they dont make it in that size any more) and it looks great. Personally, if u drive it daily, tow, camp, moderate wheel, etc etc 35-37s are just about right. Not too big to tear stuff up TOO bad:D. As i am sure others will tell u, it depends on what axles u have as well. 37s is pushin it with stock 10 bolts or a 12 bolt.

No matter if u run a 33, 35, or even 37-38, ive personally always liked the look of a 12.50 or 13.50 width wise. It all really depends on your preference. Alot of folks around here seem to have 4 inch lifts with 35x12.50x15 thick mud tires.

Another thing to consider when getting rims and tires is wheel size. some 15s wont fit a 14 bolt rear (i may be wrong) but alot of guys run 16s or 17s if uprading axles
 
35x12.5 tire on an 8" wide wheel.:D

4" lift

if ya like them to stick out past the fenders just a tad, run about a 3.75" or 3.5" backspacing.
 
I like 17" wheels - lots of tire choices and not "too big" looking.

I've heard that a good rule of thumb is wheel width should be 2-4.5" less than tire section width... though this is dependent on a number of factors including sidewall height... and variation in this "width ratio" will cause a tire to look/crown differently when mounted. In general, larger difference in width holds the tire bead better and yields a more crowned tread while smaller difference in width yields a straighter sidewall/less tread "crown"... But doesn't hold a bead as well. I like about a 3-3.5" difference between wheel and tire width on these big truck tires.

Another thing to consider is that the accuracy of vendor advertised tire diameter varies TONS from vendor to vendor. My "37inch" BFG's are actually 35.5" mounted.

If you're towing, go radial, and the wheels/tires have to be rated appropriately for your cargo of course.
 
X2 on the 17" rims. 33" and 4" lift= no cutting front fenders. 35" and 4"= cutting front fenders. Re-center the rear diff back 1" + to get it centered with the rear wheel opening ,on the rear panel. If you are going to use it for true offroading, the rear needs to be mini tubbed. I found out the hard way on that. 37"= 6" lift and more cutting both front and rear fenders.

Good luck.
 
I'm going 37s on a 4 with cutting. I've seen 42s on a 5 and that looked awesome, real low and looked mean. But personally 10 bolts 35s, 14/10 combo 37s. I like 37s and a 16.5 just cause cheap humvee take offs
 
The very first thing we need to know is are you keeping the 1/2 ton axles under the rig or are you planning to go 3/4 ton? This will usually dictate what rim diameter as a minimum you'll need.
 
17" rims are what I would do no matter what, so many more sizes available in a 17

You mention MTRs, they don't make a 37 in a 15" rim just in a 17 or bigger

Same with Goodyear KM2s


Seriously if you want the best selection of tires out there in anything 35 or bigger than a 17" rim is no question your best option.
 
I am leaning toward 37". I am running a dana 60 front and Corp. 14 rear so I have the axles to handle the tire size. If I don't want to cut what size lift would I have to go with. I know alot of guys on here like a minimal lift. Like 4-6". I currently have some 8" springs I was going to see if they would fit. They are brand new and I have had them a while. I haven't had time to go out and measure to see if they will sit under there. I would like to know what are teh pros and cons of going with a lesser or greater lift size. Also there are a million lift options out there. I would like ot know what you think on what lift to go with. Shackle flips, Body lift, blocks, add a leaf. Things like that. I will probably try to stick with a 17" rim. I have been looking on CL to see if I can find any and have found a few nice 18"s is it hard to find tires for those. I don't think I would go any bigger.
 
Since you have onetons already, I'd go with that 8 inch lift since you have it already as well. You could fit 40 inch tires good with a lil trimming nut I like that size lift with 38s. Would be a happy medium but a lil big for towing. I like my 5 inch lift with 35s and towing isn't bad with it. You would lose ground clearance with that small of a tire though so pick accordingly. I like to make rim width 3 to 4 inches thinner than the width of the tires. Protects rim better and just looks right to me.
 
Just as a sanity check..... you realize that everything you are considering will make the truck tow worse than stock, right?

How BIG is this trailer you want to pull? Is this a jet-ski trailer, boat trailer or a dual-axle car-hauling type deal? What sort of total weight will you be pulling (trailer and payload) :thinking:

The Blazer is a pretty short wheelbase to begin with (only 104" for a 1st Gen) so it's not a great tow rig to begin with... big tires and requisite lift are only going to make it worse.


-G
 
I'm not towing a lot. I will tow a trailer maybe once a month. I have a few. One is a 20' dual axle that I use to haul trash, construction debris, or anything really long. I also have a small 6'x10' that I haul whatever I need to haul. What is the issue with towing and lifts? I don't want to do something that is going to limit the look or wheeling capabilities to make it tow better. If need be down the road I'll buy another truck for towing. However, I still need it to tow from time to time now.
 
My Burb is riding with a 4" lift, 35" tires on 17" wheels. I have towed a lot with it in the past with no issues, rolls fine, pulls fine, no ill handling effects.

I personally wouldn't go with anything higher than 4" of lift, as it is, I was finding out that being a daily driver, I was getting a a little annoyed at times with getting in and out of the truck, always climbing in and falling out.

Some are going to say 4" isn't THAT tall, sorry, yes it is when you're in and out of your truck several times a day.

Also the 4" lift and 35" tires did require a tad bit of fender cutting, only in the lower rear section of the fender though during turn and stuff situations. This setup has gotten me to more places that I really SHOULDN'T have taken such a large vehicle. :doah:

You don't need to be the biggest dick in town with the 8" - 12" or 75" lift kit and 20ft tall tires, it has to be a comfortable ride for you to WANT to continue driving it throughout the day and also getting in and out of it comfortably as well.
 
4xcrazy said:
My Burb is riding with a 4" lift, 35" tires on 17" wheels. I have towed a lot with it in the past with no issues, rolls fine, pulls fine, no ill handling effects.
Click to expand...


Let's be careful here.... he's not talking about a 130" wheelbase Suburban, he's talking about a 104" Blazer. Big difference when it comes to towing.




-G
 
Greg72 said:
Let's be careful here.... he's not talking about a 130" wheelbase Suburban, he's talking about a 104" Blazer. Big difference when it comes to towing.




-G
Click to expand...

Exactly, wheelbase makes a HUGE difference when towing.

Also, the OP did not mention it in this thread but I'll assume he is talking about the Blazer in his other thread, which he stated is a K5 body on a cut down Dodge 3/4 ton first gen frame with a cummins in it.
 
jt512 said:
Exactly, wheelbase makes a HUGE difference when towing.

Also, the OP did not mention it in this thread but I'll assume he is talking about the Blazer in his other thread, which he stated is a K5 body on a cut down Dodge 3/4 ton first gen frame with a cummins in it.
Click to expand...

Well that changes alot right there.
 
well I have a 87 k5, 350,700r,208. with 4" lift and 35" Mudders, My fronts rub a little bit, smashed up my fenders on the bottom cabside. but after that, it hardly rubs now :haha:

my tires are 35/12.50/15. ProComp Xtreme Mud Terrain
 
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