275's on stockies

[morziac]

Hey guys ive got a 03 limited Ex which ive just put 275/65's on the standard 17" limited rims. they look sweet however the inside of the tire is almost touching on the top of the control arm , and at full lock it actually does touch.
Now the tires i got were real cheap off a mate so if i cant make em fit then fine, but wat r my options here , im thinking maybe a 1" spacer? wat r ur thoughts with this? has anyone actually run a spacer around that size that actually has had dramas with them?
or how about grinding a bit off the side of the control arm? they look fairly solid and i figure a few millimetres off wont hurt.

cheers

Dan

 

[techboj]

There's been a couple of discussions regarding that on this forum.

The best and most logical solution is a proper wheel -- one with a different offset so it moves the tire out further. This would of course be more expensive but you also have to make sure that it's going to clear. Some wheels would move the entire assembly out about half an inch. Verify if this half inch is enough.

How bad is it touching the control arm? I probably would not alter or grind it in any way.

Spacers have long been debated on this site. Some say ok, some say no. I've used 2 inch spacers on another vehicle (off road only), but not on my explorers. If you really intend to use 1 inch spacers, I would suggest getting ones similar to the ones you will find at www.spidertrax.com. There are plenty of generic ones at a much reduced price. Those bolt onto the hub face as opposed to just being "sandwiched" by the wheel. If you use 1 inch regular spacers you will not have enough tread on the lug bolt - which makes for an unsecure connection.

 

[thepotroast]

I would stay clear of grinding the upper arm, because the area you're referring to is where the upper ball joint is pressed in, and there isn't really a lot of "meat" there. Doesn't help that the control arm metal is only about as thick as a CD...lol

I would advise some new wheels with a negative offset.

 

[morziac]

cheers for the help, yeh those r the type of spacers i was talkin about. definately not the sandwich type ones. i think i might give them a go, cos buying new wheels is definately not on the cards , here in australia they're not exactly cheap.

 

[morziac]

There's been a couple of discussions regarding that on this forum.



How bad is it touching the control arm? I probably would not alter or grind it in any way.
.

its only just barely touchin it on fuul steering lock , otherwise it doesnt touch it at all, but obviously i wont be able to let my tires down if i go 4wding

 

[zackbest]

do you have any pics? id like to see how it looks without a lift.

 

[morziac]

First pic is with stock 245's
next 3 pics r with 275's
last pic is clearance to the control arm with 275's

 

[gotDIRT??]

I have 1,5" hubcentric spacers on my X for over a year, 40K ++ on them......

so far no problems.... gave me planty of room with 275's and upper control arm...

 

[morziac]

I have 1,5" hubcentric spacers on my X for over a year, 40K ++ on them......

so far no problems.... gave me planty of room with 275's and upper control arm...

cheers mate, thats exactly wat i was after, someone that actually has experience with them, not just hearsay

looks like im gettin a set of 20's of my missus skyline now anyway, still might need spacers though depending on the offset of them

 

[sami]

Just today I've replaced placid stock BFG Rugged T/A 245/65/17 from my '07 X - Edidie Bauer with Yokohama Geolandar G051-265/65/17. First impression: Whoa!!! absolutely no road noise. Excellent cushioning, lots of grip and superb steerig response.

Its a pretty ceap solution without having to alter anything at all.
Sami