1.5 - 2.5 inch lift questions for tire rubbing
#1
JK Freak
Thread Starter
1.5 - 2.5 inch lift questions for tire rubbing
Hey all.
Looks like I opened up the entire can of worms with my new tires.
I recently got Copper Discoverer AT3 tires for my '15 JKU in 265/70R18 mounted on stock Sahara type wheels. I had previously installed a 3/4" front spacer "lift" to level the Jeep and I am also running steel bumpers at both ends but no winch.
The tires rub very slightly on the sway bar at full lock, on both sides but more on the left.
I understand the potential solutions to my problem are:
1. add washers to the steering lock stop bolt so it locks sooner.
2. wheel spacers.
3. lift.
1 and 2 are not really good options for me, so I have elected to try #3. I ordered a set of coil spacers, 1.5" rear and 2.5" front.
Questions:
1. Will I need longer sway bar end links on the rear with only a 1.5" lift?
2. Will a 2.5" front lift be sufficient to eliminate this rubbing without adding an adjustable track bar? Seems to me the lift will move the left tire closer to the sway bar and make it more likely to rub, not less likely.
Thanks-
Looks like I opened up the entire can of worms with my new tires.
I recently got Copper Discoverer AT3 tires for my '15 JKU in 265/70R18 mounted on stock Sahara type wheels. I had previously installed a 3/4" front spacer "lift" to level the Jeep and I am also running steel bumpers at both ends but no winch.
The tires rub very slightly on the sway bar at full lock, on both sides but more on the left.
I understand the potential solutions to my problem are:
1. add washers to the steering lock stop bolt so it locks sooner.
2. wheel spacers.
3. lift.
1 and 2 are not really good options for me, so I have elected to try #3. I ordered a set of coil spacers, 1.5" rear and 2.5" front.
Questions:
1. Will I need longer sway bar end links on the rear with only a 1.5" lift?
2. Will a 2.5" front lift be sufficient to eliminate this rubbing without adding an adjustable track bar? Seems to me the lift will move the left tire closer to the sway bar and make it more likely to rub, not less likely.
Thanks-
#2
JK Jedi
LOL, this is always the issue with mods. You're not alone in that regard.
Why are a few washers in the steering stop not acceptable to you? It doesn't eat up you're turning radius really....not that noticeable.
Questions:
1. Will I need longer sway bar end links on the rear with only a 1.5" lift?
2. Will a 2.5" front lift be sufficient to eliminate this rubbing without adding an adjustable track bar? Seems to me the lift will move the left tire closer to the sway bar and make it more likely to rub, not less likely.
1) you're sway bar links are going to shrink by another .75" in the rear it looks like, and even more up front. Ideally you'd want those sway parallel to just just a bit. certainly won't be the end of the world, but not perfect.
2) I think you've answered your question. the 2.5" puck will shift the axle just a tad to the driver's side without an adjustable TB, reducing the clearance between your tire and the sway bar. I think you'll still have a clearance issue that is brought on by the wheels having too much back spacing.
Unfortunately, the real solution is properly back spaced wheels.....or run spacers. It's understandable why you don't want the spacers, but there are some quality ones out there. I'd stick with brand name Spidertrax if you had to go that route. Even if you added an adjustable TB, you might still have a clearance issue.
Why are a few washers in the steering stop not acceptable to you? It doesn't eat up you're turning radius really....not that noticeable.
Questions:
1. Will I need longer sway bar end links on the rear with only a 1.5" lift?
2. Will a 2.5" front lift be sufficient to eliminate this rubbing without adding an adjustable track bar? Seems to me the lift will move the left tire closer to the sway bar and make it more likely to rub, not less likely.
2) I think you've answered your question. the 2.5" puck will shift the axle just a tad to the driver's side without an adjustable TB, reducing the clearance between your tire and the sway bar. I think you'll still have a clearance issue that is brought on by the wheels having too much back spacing.
Unfortunately, the real solution is properly back spaced wheels.....or run spacers. It's understandable why you don't want the spacers, but there are some quality ones out there. I'd stick with brand name Spidertrax if you had to go that route. Even if you added an adjustable TB, you might still have a clearance issue.
#3
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Why are a few washers in the steering stop not acceptable to you? It doesn't eat up you're turning radius really....not that noticeable.
2) I think you've answered your question. the 2.5" puck will shift the axle just a tad to the driver's side without an adjustable TB, reducing the clearance between your tire and the sway bar. I think you'll still have a clearance issue that is brought on by the wheels having too much back spacing.
Unfortunately, the real solution is properly back spaced wheels.....or run spacers.
It's understandable why you don't want the spacers, but there are some quality ones out there.
Anyway, maybe a temporary solution will be to use washers in the steering stops until I can get an adjustable track bar.
That brings up the next question:
With the front axle centered (adjustable track bar), will these tires rub the sway bars with 2.5" pucks?
I'm just trying to work out the conflicting information. Most reports are that "33s" (which is what these tires are) don't rub, or if they do at stock ride height, they don't rub at 2.5" lift. But there's no information about exactly what all ancillary mods have to be done to prevent rubbing at 2.5" lift.
#4
JK Jedi
That brings up the next question:
With the front axle centered (adjustable track bar), will these tires rub the sway bars with 2.5" pucks?
I'm just trying to work out the conflicting information. Most reports are that "33s" (which is what these tires are) don't rub, or if they do at stock ride height, they don't rub at 2.5" lift. But there's no information about exactly what all ancillary mods have to be done to prevent rubbing at 2.5" lift.
With the front axle centered (adjustable track bar), will these tires rub the sway bars with 2.5" pucks?
I'm just trying to work out the conflicting information. Most reports are that "33s" (which is what these tires are) don't rub, or if they do at stock ride height, they don't rub at 2.5" lift. But there's no information about exactly what all ancillary mods have to be done to prevent rubbing at 2.5" lift.
#6
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Are you saying more lift will not help at all?
#7
JK Freak
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#9
Yep, this is a wheel backspace/spacer issue. The factory wheels are properly backspaced for factory tires. They are not properly backspaced for larger tires.
Lift won't change anything, and if you do lift without using an adjustable trackbar then it will only make it worse.
That all said, it doesn't take much of a change in backspacing to eliminate the rubbing with that size tire. You don't have to go all the way to 4.5" or less if you don't plan on an even bigger tire down the road.
Lift won't change anything, and if you do lift without using an adjustable trackbar then it will only make it worse.
That all said, it doesn't take much of a change in backspacing to eliminate the rubbing with that size tire. You don't have to go all the way to 4.5" or less if you don't plan on an even bigger tire down the road.
#10
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Lift won't change anything, and if you do lift without using an adjustable trackbar then it will only make it worse.
That all said, it doesn't take much of a change in backspacing to eliminate the rubbing with that size tire. You don't have to go all the way to 4.5" or less
If I could get a 10mm spacer potentially with longer studs I'd do that. But I'm not changing wheels.
We'll see what happens with the lift. All I have to deal with is slight rubbing at full lock so I can adjust the steering stop if I have to.
Still I have never heard of any car with so little tolerance in tire clearance that it won't handle +10mm. Insane. Jeep could solve this problem easily with slightly different bending of the sway bar.
It's a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand. Because it's also idiotic.