I am running a 265/75R16 tire now. Using the tire size calculator at Tire Size Calculator it seems that my tire is 31.6", and a 285/75R16 is a 32.8". I know the numbers are all approximate and differ from one make/model to the next.

My truck is not a DD, but I do drive it on the street mostly. I want it to be a little more off-road-capable (snow & trails), by mounting up some 33s in the future. Additionally, I want to keep the truck looking reasonable (i.e. not outrageously lifted) and I want to keep the center of gravity low. Therefore, I am looking for the very minimum lift to clear 33s (full-turn and full-compression, ideally). If I must, I will do a slight amount of pounding and cutting. I'm thinking a 1" SL and a 1" BL? Will that get me the clearance that I want? Would you recommend doing MORE than that, and why?

P.S. I am considering doing a swap with '99 springs/shocks (on my '97) and then a cheap 1" BL.

You're gonna need a 3inch lift unless you want to do A LOT of cutting. @the kid ran 285/70's (I think) with no lift. He might chime in or you can pm him, or check out his build. why are you against lifting it so much? a 3 inch lift isn't as much as you might think. search for 4runners on 33's and most of them have a 3 inch lift. I've got 285/75 with trd tundra springs and a 1.5" spacer and i'm looking into getting a .5 BL so I can flex more. You won't have a lot of flex without hitting the wheelwells if you don't have enough lift.

Does this like outrageously lifted? That's my 3"-4" lift fitting 285/75's

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with 285s you will not realistically be able to run chains on the front without seriously F-n up your front end. The clearance will simply be far to tight and the chains will hit which will be metal hitting metal == bad.

Therefore be sure to only buy one set and put it on the rear.

depending on the wheel and trim options on your 4runner you can run a 285 on a stock truck but be aware that it will rub at full lock and full stuff -to me that was acceptable because the truck only ever saw those conditions at slow speeds -you dont turn the wheel to full lock at 30mph do you? you dont fully stuff the tires at 30mph do you?... i was also running a 17" tundra wheel with that setup. i think that might have had something to do with how well the tire cleared the UCA -as soon as i lifted past the 2" mark i needed a wheel spacers as the UCA and tire would make contact and rub, and that is not acceptable. i went with G2 hub centric wheel spacers at 1.25". it works great as i and completely clear of the UCA, now if i wanted to run chains up front id either have to go to a after market UCA or go to the 1.5" wheel spacers, but i dont want to do that.

if you want just a mild lift, id look into the TRD coils up front and the OME 906s(?) in the rear. that should put you about level and give you about 2" of lift, id still recommend a bolt on hub centric wheel spacer for use with that, if using OE factory toyota wheels of any type, but depending on the backspacing and offset of aftermarket wheels that might be a better option.

Sorry but this is wrong. Unless you don't wheel at all, a suspension lift won't help you clear tires because the suspension will flex to the same spots. That's why the kid was able to run 33" with no lift, just like someone with a 3" lift.

The only way to truly prevent rubbing is by extending the bump stops or with a body lift. You will need to move the suspension to full compression and then turn the wheels to figure out what trimming/pounding you need to do to not have rubbing anywhere within the suspensions area of motion.

Correct. If you have a suspension that will flex to the bumpstops (stock or lifted) a larger tire will rub in the same spots. Granted with a suspension lift, it will rub less often. Also, 33s or bigger will usually rub on the top of the fenders when fully stuffed to the bumpstops. I am a firm believer in NOT lowering the bumpstops. I want all the wheel travel I can get. If you plan on 33s, I would suggest a 1" body lift (more if you plan on bigger tires). Also, most of the time, 33s (285s) on stock wheels are extremely close or will be rubbing on the upper control arms in front. Wheel spacers will give you the clearance needed but spacers increase the wheel arc when turning which can increase rubbing on the front wheelwells. My 32s started rubbing when I added wheel spacers.

I would suggest:
3" suspension lift
1" body lift
1.25" hub centric wheel spacers.
Some cutting and pounding on the pinchwelds on the firewall/wheelwells

No, not really. Looks pretty nice!!

Definitely a fair point. I was kinda hoping I could get enough lift that I could fit chains only for on-road driving - mostly in a straight line and very little compression. Yes? No?

I agree with this. At full compression, it doesn't matter how much suspension lift you have, your wheel will be at a stock "location" in its movement. With a larger than stock wheel, it is likely to rub unless the body is moved up.

I'd go up to 3" of total lift (2" SL and 1" BL) but I want to avoid going higher than that.

So I'm running a 2.5" lift with 0 offset wheels and 285/75/16.
I did space my bumpstop 1/4" for now.
I have the limited so I've trimmed the flares, front bumper, rear bottom pinch weld. But when it's stuffed, the tire can't turn much or it'll rub against.... just about everything.... Should I bother pealing the fender liner off and work at it with a hammer or is it hopeless and that I absolutely need a body lift?

Are you absolutely sure you want to run 33's? Have you regeared your truck yet? If not, 33's on stock gearing is a dog to drive. Have you done a brake upgrade yet? If not, stopping the 33's takes a lot more power to stop, resulting in very quick brake fade. You'll need a 2-3" body lift and at least a 1" body lift. A 3" lift requires it's own laundry list of modifications. Finally, 285's usually only come in load rating E, which rides like a brick shithouse.

Not to discourage, but just to set realistic expectations. If you do at least 75% on road driving, I'd recommend a beefy set of 265/75/16 mud terrains or all terrains. Treadwright's Guard Dogs, Goodyear Duratracs, Nitto Trail Grapplers -- all some of my favorites! I just recently made the switch from 33's to 32's and I couldn't be happier. It drives better in every possible way.

Another alternative is a 255/75/17, they weigh the same as a 265/75/16 tire, they're available in a C load range, and the best part is they are right inbetween a 32" and 33" tire height wise. 31.6" and 32.8", the 255/75/17 is 32.2". This is what I'm running on my stock 2001 4Runner, and they fit with very little trimming. Nothing serious at all. Just my aftermarket mudflaps and a little off the front flare, it's so little nobody can even notice. They look great on there I think.

The truck is a little slower maybe, but nothing bad. Braking might require a little more too, but this too is nothing bad at all. I came from a set of P rated 265/70/16's too though to a 255/75/17 C Load M/T so it was a pretty good change.

I am looking to increase my lift from 2" to 3" so i can add 33s and tundra front brakes. I have spec'ed what tires I want just yet. I have a 2" Suspension lift and was planing on adding a 1" spacer BL to obtain the required lift. What else should I look at upgrading when I do this mod? are there any thing im not considering?

the tundra brakes can be added anytime, no lift needed.
you'll need at least 16" wheels to accommodate the 199mm calipers. if you decide to go the 13WL caliper route, make sure that your wheels will clear the 13WL calipers.

I fit 285/70/17 on my ‘99 Sr5 with only a 1” body lift and just had to trim a small piece of the plastic fender.

Replacing your body mounts can gain you some height


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