Help me decide between 33’s or 35’s

[SMG]

It’s finally time for me to purchase some tires for my 76 FJ40 SOA. I am really struggling with the decision because I am hoping it will fit under my garage door without airing down and not cutting my rear fender openings. I don’t want it to look goofy with too small of tires being that it’s SOA and the front has a shackle reversal mod with a 3” stretch.

I’ve read a lot of threads were people say you shouldn’t run any tire below 35” on a SOA, but my shackles mounts have been customized to protrude through the frame to help keep the height down. Even though my rig has been highly modified, I’m just not sure I want to cut the rear fenders on my rust free tub.

So what’s everyone’s opinion? Do I suck it up and get out the die grinder and run 35”x12.5’s, or do I run 33”x10.5’s without cutting the rear fenders.

Here is a picture of my rig sitting on 33x10.5’s before I owned it and before the 3” stretch. To me the rears look fine, but the front gap between the fender and the tire looks too big.

Thoughts?

Here it is during my build after the 3” stretched front sitting on 29” shop wheels.

Please help me make the right decision!

 

[StaleAle]

Based on the mods you've described I assume you intend to wheel it fairly seriously. In that case I think you will eventually wish you had 35's on it.

To my eye, 33's might look odd in front with the 3" stretch AND SOA. Are those 30-31" tires on it now?

 

[4x4veteran]

I am far from being a purist but I would avoid cutting the fenders.

 

[SMG]

Thanks for your reply. Yeah I think your right. I’m leaning more on the 35 side

The shop tires that are on there measure around 29”. The ones in the first picture are 33x10.5.

 

[Pierps]

What is the source of your hesitation to cut the fenders? Looks? Hurting its value by deviating from stock?

If it's your concern about deviating from stock, I think that ship has already sailed, my friend. If it's looks, I think you can probably get creative. Spend some time in Sketchup or another software playing with the shape of the opening. You might be able to just scale up the shape of the oem opening. Then print out/cut a full sized template and use it to lay out your cut line... and cut very carefully, grinding the curved corners with a die grinder to the line, etc.

If you really want to get anal, you can weld on a lip to give it a more stock look, and to give the quarter panel some strength. My cut fenders were super flappy and weak. That would be a lot of welding and grinding though.

35's will fit your rig much better, tbh.

 

[carreta]

35

 

[GRM]

Split the difference and run a 34x10.5x17

 

[Varty Yo]

1st are those OEM fenders or aftermarket ones? If after then cut away!!! haha

33's will look silly with that much lift go 35's. 37's on SOA look pretty sweet also

 

[65swb45]

Never seen an SOA look alright with anything less than
35s. Beyond aesthetics I think @StaleAle nailed it.

 

[White Stripe]

I get all my tires used because on a 40 there is no way I will wear them bald, I use them until I get bored. Then get something else. Getting used tires I usually get tires for about half of the cost of new and can usually get close to my money back by reselling them. I would recommend getting some tires used, and try them out, if you end up not caring for the size sell and get something else. From what I recall what you want to do with your rig, I would go with the tall skinny look to start-especially since it sounds like u don't want to cut your fenders. Use the wheels you have now to start. They are a little on the narrow side as far as rim width but you'll just get me tread wear in the center of the tire and less on the sides. Get some skinny 35s or 36s and see what you think. It will be a little tippy on the trail but will squeeze through tight stuff nicely and will look very classic like. If you go wide you will have to either cut the quarters, or lower bump stops. 33s will look pretty small on soa. Try looking at Google images for soa fj40 to find what combo you like

 

[White Stripe]

Super swamper 35-12.5 -15 5 of them

 

[POTATO LAUNCHER]

Go with 35s and move your rear axle back a little to fit the stock opening better. You can redrill the spring perches pretty easily to accomidate a little more room in the front of the opening. 1.5" will make quite a difference IMHO.

 

[MOTOV8R]

I ran 305/70r16 (33x12.5) for quite a while on my soa. Similar setup to yours. SR with flipped springs and shackle through the frame. Rear 55 springs. I could rub the front fenders, you'll need to drop the bump stops. I didn't mind the 33's, 36's did look better though.

The near white 40 was on 4" lift springs with 35s, mine was behind it soa on 33's.

 

[jim land]

Q78 with stock steelies if you don't want to cut the rear opennig

 

[Downey]

Here's my old guy "gee whiz" information on the subject- - - In 1970 when I bought my first of many FJ40's, big tires were 31X10:50's, and know body was rock crawling (we use to drive around them, not over them). Boy, did I get the merry-ha-ha when I showed up at a monthly 4WD club meeting running 33's. Even worse, my rig was now more gutless, harder to steer, and big loss in braking- - -so perhaps my club members knew this all along. Then we started learning that 30% bigger tire needed 30% lower gearing to buy back the loss. Then we started learning that you had to add the two 30%'s together to find out how much weaker your rig now is (more leverage on weaker gears). Then we started seeing the guys with 33's were going everywhere that guys with 35's were going. Fast forward to the 1990's, we quickly learned that know body cares about all the above information, so I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut about all of the above since today guys are supporting their 35's with V8 power, 4 way disc brakes, and power steering .

 

[pbgbottle]

I think you will be happier with the 35’s also
My front is set up like yours also only thing slightly different is that I
drilled a new hole in the spring perch and moved my axle rearward an inch
Or so I didn’t like the look of my front axle that far forward
I did cut my rear fender openings though . I’m also running 37’s and love it.
And like potato launcher said you can move rear axle back a bit further
By Drilling a new hole to try and keep the tire from rubbing the front edge of the opening. I did this on my rear end also. Moved axle rearward an inch or so.
Do the the 35’s. You will want them eventually I went up to 38’s before my 37’s
And loved the 38’s more than the 37’s. Big tires roll over the obstacles with a lot less effort. Smoother ride. My little 33’s. Used to beat the crap out of me on the bumpy trails

 

[brew8]

I run 37's on my fj40 but I have tube fenders, I run 35's on the 45 work better with stock front fenders, you will not like the lack of clearance with the 33's, you think an inch doesn't matter but it does, check the actual dimensions of the tires get some that are actually 35" tall, Larry

 

[pbgbottle]

Haha to funny I was one of the early adopters of the 33’s in my area and everybody
Thought I was nuts. Hahaha. I did run your dissy ,tri-y Header and the Holley 350 2 barrel. I love that truck. It worked great. Love your products Jim. The good old days

Here's my old guy "gee whiz" information on the subject- - - In 1970 when I bought my first of many FJ40's, big tires were 31X10:50's, and know body was rock crawling (we use to drive around them, not over them). Boy, did I get the merry-ha-ha when I showed up at a monthly 4WD club meeting running 33's. Even worse, my rig was now more gutless, harder to steer, and big loss in braking- - -so perhaps my club members knew this all along. Then we started learning that 30% bigger tire needed 30% lower gearing to buy back the loss. Then we started learning that you had to add the two 30%'s together to find out how much weaker your rig now is (more leverage on weaker gears). Then we started seeing the guys with 33's were going everywhere that guys with 35's were going. Fast forward to the 1990's, we quickly learned that know body cares about all the above information, so I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut about all of the above since today guys are supporting their 35's with V8 power, 4 way disc brakes, and power steering .

 

[workingdog]

I agree about the 35's, but also every thing Downey said. I'm running a 6.0 V8 and power steering. My rig is still SUA, we just flopped the rear springs to get the axle back father, this is on 33's. I'm going to 35's. You can see how much I'm going to have to trim - even the 33's rub like hell. But my rear quarter panels are all f*cked up, so I don't care. But, running Rubicon and Foredyce, I can tell you the difference between 33's and 35's on the rocks is HUGE.

 

[SMG]

Gents,

Thanks for everyone’s responses. I agree 35 plus is the way to go. My biggest hang-up with the tires was fitting under my garage door. I guess there was a lot of wishful thinking going on.....

I’ll have to get used to airing down or swapping to shop tires before I enter my garage. This won’t be my daily driver so hopefully it won’t be such a big deal.

Overall, I would hate to spend the cash on 33’s and not be happy with them.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas to everyone!