FJC 33" Tire Rub?

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S

Spektrum

Joined
Aug 27, 2007
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Tulsa, OK
I recently purchased an '07 FJC and am looking to add a 3" lift to it and upgrade the tires. When I was talking to some people at Toyota about tires for the FJ, they told me that the 33/12.5/17 Nitto Mud Grapplers that I was looking at getting would rub against the frame (even with a 3" lift). Has anyone heard of this? I can't imagine ANY 33" tire not fitting on an FJ after a lift without having to shave the frame down. Was I misinformed or will I have to shave some of the frame down to clear a 33" tire? Mind you, the fenders aren't the problem. The "frame" part in question is located at the rear of the wheel well and sticks out about 3-4" from the well. I was told that people had shaved this down before to accomodate these tires, but it sacrificed the structural integrity of the vehicle.

So, can Nitto Mud Grapplers cleanly fit on a FJ with a 3" lift? And if not, how much impact does the frame "shaving" actually have on the vehicle?

PS... the only tire he said he could get to fit on a 3" lift was the MT ATZ radial in a 305/60/18 size. Seems a bit screwy to me with all the pics i've seen of other peoples' rigs with lots of different tires on them...
 
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"Slee told me so" ...

I'm not an expert, but I wanted the 3" OME lift on my FJ. I asked the folks at Slee Offroad, "What is the maximum tire I can fit on an FJ with this lift?" They said a 285/70/R17 unless I wanted to get into trimming the body.

FWIW, here's their website (with contact information):

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/
 
I recently had the OME suspension put on (Hvy fronty/Med rear) with the
295/70/R17 Toyo open country M/T and I have had no issues whatsoever. Man do I love this tire, quiet on the road for a m/t, and great in the mud. Hope this helps.
 
The eternal "tire fit on an FJC" question. The issue relates to the definition of "fit": fit in a straight line, fit turning, fit at full tuck, and fit under any conceivable wheeling scenario. In general, the largest tire that will "fit" in the last sense is something like a 31-32". Anything bigger for complete fit needs a body mount chop and then progressively more wheel well / trim mods. Even with everything done, the largest tire that will fit in the fullest meaning of the word is a 33". That said, if you are willing to accept progressively more contact, tires all the way up to 37" will "fit" in some senses. As far as I know, chopping the body mount does not significantly effect the frame (the part chopped is on a bulge away from the frame). But it is fundamentally the frame in the area of the wheel well that limits accommodation. The "what tire fits?" question is almost a cliche over on the blue forum. Check it out for more info, opinion, noise, etc. on tire fitting than you ever thought possible :)
 
I would recommend the body mount chop. If this is done right it has absolutely no impact on the frame strength. You can probable run the 33/12.5/17 Nitto Mud Grapplers on the road with the right offset rim with out cutting the body mounts, but any extreme angles or sharp turns will definitely rub. I am currently running 305/70/17(34x12) maxxis bighorns on the stock rims with 1 inch wheel spaces with the body mount chop, and I have never rubbed. Even with the wheels pressed up into the fenders on some extreme angles. I did the chop myself with a friend that had a welder, but I've seen a lot of people getting it done at local garages for between $100 to $200. I would highly recommend doing it.
 
I am running GY 285/70R17 on the factory rims with an OME 3" lift with no rub and no body mod. In checking with the crew at Toyota of Dallas who sells the OME kit the issue is more about the width of the tire and not strictly the diameter. If you want to run the factory rims then the 285/70R17 is about as big as you can get without potential issues. If you get aftermarket rims or use backspacing then you can go bigger. The other problem with the width is that a much wider tire on the factory rims starts to rub the upper control arm.
 
Wow, thanks for all the quick responses. I'll check out some of the things you guys suggested and will get this figured out. Much appreciated.
 
The rub isn't just about the height of the tire, its the width. Most of the rub people speak of is when you are turning lock to lock. And it's the inner part of the tire on the front body mount. If you want big fat tires, either chop the mount or put on spacers to give more room when you turn. BMT hiker runs 34: LTBs with no issue...but they are really skinny. Love pizza cutters on FJCs!
 
k9crazy said:
The rub isn't just about the height of the tire, its the width. Most of the rub people speak of is when you are turning lock to lock. And it's the inner part of the tire on the front body mount. If you want big fat tires, either chop the mount or put on spacers to give more room when you turn. BMT hiker runs 34: LTBs with no issue...but they are really skinny. Love pizza cutters on FJCs!
Click to expand...

Yeah, the width (and/or small backspacing on the wheel) is a huge issue in most circumstances. It ends up being the limiter for the plastic fender trim, for the body mount and for aspects of the wheel well. But that said, the front frame near the doors ultimately provides a limit for fit. By that I mean that even the 34" LTB will hit the frame (and thus not truly "fit") for some extreme stuff / turn / body role scenarios.
 
Actually, the 34" LTBs do not hit the frame. He's had that thing all over Tellico and other great places in the SE and I don't think he's had any rub. I may be wrong, but I don't think so.
 
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I'm running 305/70 R16's (Yokohama Geolander MT+s) on mine. That's basically a 33 x 12. No rub even at full lock and as much articulation as I've been able to muster.

FJ-Tire.jpg
 
If width is a real issue, then a 33 x 11.5 should clear just fine with the proper offset wouldn't you think? Does anyone know what a good offset for wheels is for the FJ? I have heard that a positive offset is better to allow for little or no rubbing on the frame with 33s and a 3" lift.
 
305-65-17

Just got a set of 305-65-17 BF Goodrich KM2 Muds on my steel wheels and they fit awesome! Ro rubbing and they look terrific. They are actually the same heigth as my BF All Terrain 285-75-16 tires on the factory wheels but they look a lot bigger on due to the way more aggressive tread pattern.
Highly recommended!
 
If you do option to trim the body mount, I suggest welding in a thick piece of plate steel over the opening created by the cut out piece. There's a link to the whole process somewhere here.
 
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