Aftermarket wheels=better handling?

[Eurobro]

I have a 98 X with 2'' lift + 31x10.50x15's on the stock wheels. On the highway it seems rather tippy. Was wondering if I were to buy some rock crawler wheels with the 3.75 backspacing if it will help out with the "tippyness" feeling I get when on the highway changing lanes or if a big truck passes by. Thanks in advance! -Derek-

 

[slravene]

how fast are you changing lanes and driving on the hwy....ive got TT/AAL/ and shackles w/ 31s on 3.73 wheels and im not tippy at all. I run mine with no rear swaybar too and its still not tippy at 75mph. Im not so sure that the 3.73 wheels would make THAT much of a difference as they are only .25 inches wider out than the stock wheels in a 15x7 and .75 inches wider out in a 15x8 (what i have).

 

[IZwack]

I have a 98 X with 2'' lift + 31x10.50x15's on the stock wheels. On the highway it seems rather tippy. Was wondering if I were to buy some rock crawler wheels with the 3.75 backspacing if it will help out with the "tippyness" feeling I get when on the highway changing lanes or if a big truck passes by. Thanks in advance! -Derek-

as stated, the 3.75 backspacing wouldnt make that much difference as the stock one is close to that value (i forget exactly what the stock value is!). one of the reasons why ur vehicle is more "tippy" is the fact that there is more rubber to compress (larger tires have a greater sidewall height if the wheel diameter is kept the same) . if you wanted a "better" ride, maybe you should look into some low profile tires (which in general means a larger wheel diameter to offset the thin sidewalls) and a stiffer anti-sway bar.

plus when ppl do a lift, u expect a crappy ride.. thats just how it is. i mean you dont see GT cars racing on 32" muds. the added height creates a longer "moment arm" during a turn- which, in general, means more "tippy" and a greater chance of rolling over.

 

[hiridin]

when i first got mine it was a bit scary tippy like... add-a-leafs and shocks fixed that. wider wheels and tires do help though. but if yer shocks are worn or too soft or the suspension is in a sense too soft (add-a-leafs ) spacing out the wheels won't make it feel better though it would actually be a little more stable.

 

[DeRocha]

When you lift your X and keep keep the same wheel track the ride will feel more tippy. To counter act this you can make sure your front and rear sway bars are in good condition.. Worn sway bar bushings will compound the effects of the X being 2" taller. Running widers tires will help the most as they will stabilize the vehicle by spreading the vehicle forces over a larger area. As slravene has indicated a 10.5" wide tire will increase the track width to 1.5" (.75" per side). The following diagram compares a stock tire with a 33x12.5 mounted on 15x8 and 15x10 rims.

 

[hiridin]

what kind of shocks do u have? stock? offroad? did u use add-a-leafs or shackles? or both? cuz like i said shocks and add-a-leafs made a huge difference in the way mine handled back when i was fairly stock

 

[Eurobro]

I did the TT, AAL + Shackles. Yeah I understand about the more tire to compress which makes it more "tippy" feeling.

About how fast I am going changing lanes anywhere from 70 - 85 mph. Mainly where I noticed it is when I was heading somewhere on the interstate and my buddy was behind me and said I was swerving like crazy (without me even noticing) and NO, i was not drinking.

Shocks are stock

Never checked the sway bar bushings.

Thanks for the diagram, that helps.

Sounds like I have a lot I need to check. Its just that explorers already have a narrow stance and when lifted its like a house on stilts on the beach when on I-95. Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Over the last couple years I've done several things to improve the handling on my Sport. First was an EE rear sway bar. Then a set of Mazda rims and 255x70 tires (gave about 3/4" more track). Next was a set of Rancho shocks, followed up with poly sway bar bushings in the front. Each one of these individual changes gave a slight improvement in handling, but taken together they give a tremendous handling improvement.

The EE rear sway bar gave the biggest improvement in handling. I'd recommend it as a first step.....

ROE

 

[Jason94sport]

Swapping to 8" rims with 3.75" BS will make the X more stable. You are moving the wheels further out increasing the track width. Your shocks would be the 2nd issue. Some stiffer ones would help a great deal. I would do shocks first since it's cheaper.

 

[351wExplorer]

i have cheapo shocks, because thats all i could afford at the time, but i run 75ish on the highway, about 3100-3300 in 3rd, but what im getting at is it isnt tippy at all. and i dont even have sway bars, so what im saying is wider is better... the fullwidth really make you fell safe, so i guess, using this in an exagerated example, yes, wider will help you feel more stable

 

[Eurobro]

Swapping to 8" rims with 3.75" BS will make the X more stable. You are moving the wheels further out increasing the track width. Your shocks would be the 2nd issue. Some stiffer ones would help a great deal. I would do shocks first since it's cheaper.

This is what I probably will be ending up doing seeing how I cant stand the stockers anyhow. And is the 3.75 BS the norm for aftermarket wheels for exploderz?

 

[Jason94sport]

3.75 BS is the norm. You can go lower, but the lower you go the further they stick out.

 

[FROADER]

I would say if a 2" lift with 31s and sway bars feels tippy, there is something wrong.

 

[hiridin]

I would say if a 2" lift with 31s and sway bars feels tippy, there is something wrong.

i agree, i really think shocks is yer problem