buying new wheels.....

[baja1]

the recent thread about adding wheel spacers got me thinking.....here's my deal, I just acquired a nice 97 limited. I installed a SS 1.2 and I need tires.
the car came with brand new yokohama street tires. my plan is to buy rims and offroad tires just to put on for offroading,no need to wear em out back and forth to the grocery store.
so how do I figure what backspacing I need so as not to rub? (265/75/16)
gracias!

 

[BrianSD_42]

With aftermarket wheels & 265s you do not need wheel spacers, even for looks.

The aftermarket wheels almost all have an extra 1" to 1.5" backspacing added over stock. This means the wheels will stick out a bit more towards the curb over stock. If you go ahead and add spacers (say 1.25") then the wheels will stick out even further with some downsides.

I'd advise to buy the wheels you want and the tires FIRST then after getting them installed and driving around decide if you still want to move the wheels out further.

Also spacers cause rubbing on the pinch welds to be worse. Not that many here talk about it but it is true. While wheel spacers can solve upper control arm wheel rubbing in some cases they make the rubbing on the pinch welds worse. Since I doubt you are even rubbing on your UCAs (most don't unless they have 285 and remove the sway bar) then there is little benefit to adding wheel spacers.