Stupid question about spacers

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tooleyondeck

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12.5’s fit on a 9” wide wheel. Ive ran them on 7” and 8” wide wheels many times with absolutely no issues.
12.5s are wider than my 305s and my wheels are 22x11, so that sounds wild to me. I had 35x12.5s on 20x10s on my Silverado though, but even those looked bubbly so I couldn't imagine going smaller. So you didn't have excessive center wear with the 7-8" wheels?
 

Oh Kee Pah

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planning to do a 6" rough country lift on my 2015 'hoe and rather than buy new wheels id rather use the oem wheels (20") and just slap some 33' tires on them and use some 2" spacers with them. i had rough country 2" spacers before on my avalanche and had no issues, just wanted to see if anyone has fitted 33x12.5's on oem wheels with spacers and a lift.
I would first suggest calling RC and speaking with a tech regarding the specs on the 6" lift; in particular, the new front knuckles. I'm fairly confident that most of the crossmember full lift kits increase the track width 1-2" mainly due to new knuckles. A clue to this could also be the tie rod ends that come with the kit. Are those longer than stock? If so, then track width has increased.

The 4" & 6" BDS Suspension lifts increase the track width, allowing for wider tires on stock wheels. I'm pretty certain the RC 6" lift is the same. So, YES, you will be able to run the 12.5s on your 20s.
I think most lifts are spec'd with 20" wheels, very common on lifted trucks. The REAR track width does NOT increase. If you want the front and rear to line up when viewed head-on, you'll probably at least need some wheel spacers in the back.

One thing to keep in mind, if the track width does increase and you run the wide tires on OE wheels, then you will certainly have outer edge of tires extending beyond the fender flare. That's illegal here in Maine, and could cause problems come inspection time. Not to mention all the debris getting slung up the side of the car, and junk getting thrown at others behind you on the road...unfortunately not too many options out there for our model years in the fender flare dept.

Also, with the 6" lift I would suggest 34-35" tires; a 2" level will allow 33s to fit. The lift and larger tires will certainly be a drag on your power. Not sure what gearing you have. I would suggest considering overall tire weight when making your final decision on which tires you ultimately purchase and install. Perhaps a 34x11.5 would be a good wheel to consider vs the 12.5?
 
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rick1024

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I would first suggest calling RC and speaking with a tech regarding the specs on the 6" lift; in particular, the new front knuckles. I'm fairly confident that most of the crossmember full lift kits increase the track width 1-2" mainly due to new knuckles. A clue to this could also be the tie rod ends that come with the kit. Are those longer than stock? If so, then track width has increased.

The 4" & 6" BDS Suspension lifts increase the track width, allowing for wider tires on stock wheels. I'm pretty certain the RC 6" lift is the same. So, YES, you will be able to run the 12.5s on your 20s.
I think most lifts are spec'd with 20" wheels, very common on lifted trucks. The REAR track width does NOT increase. If you want the front and rear to line up when viewed head-on, you'll probably at least need some wheel spacers in the back.

One thing to keep in mind, if the track width does increase and you run the wide tires on OE wheels, then you will certainly have outer edge of tires extending beyond the fender flare. That's illegal here in Maine, and could cause problems come inspection time. Not to mention all the debris getting slung up the side of the car, and junk getting thrown at others behind you on the road...unfortunately not too many options out there for our model years in the fender flare dept.

Also, with the 6" lift I would suggest 34-35" tires; a 2" level will allow 33s to fit. The lift and larger tires will certainly be a drag on your power. Not sure what gearing you have. I would suggest considering overall tire weight when making your final decision on which tires you ultimately purchase and install. Perhaps a 34x11.5 would be a good wheel to consider vs the 12.5?

well, my original plan was to get the 33x12.5's when i do the level kit and just keep them for the 6" lift. i had 33x12.5 on a 5.5" rough country lift on my avalanche and everything was fine.

i would gladly consider the 35's but from what i know i would have to re-gear my diff and they would kill any kind of mileage i could hope for
 

olyelr

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12.5s are wider than my 305s and my wheels are 22x11, so that sounds wild to me. I had 35x12.5s on 20x10s on my Silverado though, but even those looked bubbly so I couldn't imagine going smaller. So you didn't have excessive center wear with the 7-8" wheels?
Nopers. Just run proper pressures and all has been good.

This is my current set of 35x12.5’s on an 8” wide wheel. Might be a little too ballooned out for some…works fine for me.

IMG_6777.jpeg

IMG_6776.jpeg


This is when i took the last set off…over 60k miles, nice and even wear

IMG_6770.jpeg
 

tooleyondeck

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Nopers. Just run proper pressures and all has been good.

This is my current set of 35x12.5’s on an 8” wide wheel. Might be a little too ballooned out for some…works fine for me.

This is when i took the last set off…over 60k miles, nice and even wear

Those look pretty good, guess I learned something new. I guess bc AT tires have so much sidewall they can handle the width difference easier than street tires. Thanks
 

Oh Kee Pah

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well, my original plan was to get the 33x12.5's when i do the level kit and just keep them for the 6" lift. i had 33x12.5 on a 5.5" rough country lift on my avalanche and everything was fine.

i would gladly consider the 35's but from what i know i would have to re-gear my diff and they would kill any kind of mileage i could hope for
Forgot to mention the 6" BDS lift is spec'd for stock OE 20" wheels and 35x12.5s (some trimming may be required)
The BDS kit includes front wheel well trimming instructions, if you decide that is needed to fit the tire/wheel combo. These instructions are actually available on their website if you build a kit and then click on the link for install instructions. Very nice pdf there.

Secondly, forgot to ask what tire and/or brand of tire are you looking at purchasing...Toyo, Nitto, Goodyear, etc?
That could also make a bit of a difference on which tire size you ultimately go with.

Concur on the comment that spacers are okay, just use a reputable brand and HUB-CENTRIC
 
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rick1024

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Forgot to mention the 6" BDS lift is spec'd for stock OE 20" wheels and 35x12.5s (some trimming may be required)
The BDS kit includes front wheel well trimming instructions, if you decide that is needed to fit the tire/wheel combo. These instructions are actually available on their website if you build a kit and then click on the link for install instructions. Very nice pdf there.

Secondly, forgot to ask what tire and/or brand of tire are you looking at purchasing...Toyo, Nitto, Goodyear, etc?
That could also make a bit of a difference on which tire size you ultimately go with.

Concur on the comment that spacers are okay, just use a reputable brand and HUB-CENTRIC
either bf goodrich mud terrains or firestone destination
 

BlaineBug

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Remember - the taller you go and the bigger tires you mount DECREASES the comfort and daily-driveability of any vehicle out there. I made this mistake with a Jeep over a decade ago. Started off with a 3" lift on 30x10.50s - PERFECT! Then upgraded to 4.5" on 32x11.50s - still good! But when I went 7" on 33x12.50s, it sucked! Also you open a huge can of worms when you modify steering, control arms, drop brackets, springs, etcetera. Learn from MY mistakes!
 

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