2 Questions???

[jhigareda]

My VX is still sporting stock height and stock 16's. I have obtained a set of 285-75-16 Bridgestone Dueller APT III and they are huge and 10 ply. Before I mount them I was not able to find a thread that anyone has tried this size. Will they fit or should i just sell and get closer to stock tires??

2nd question. I saw a VX on Ebay that was listed and had a switch next to the winter button that made the truck run 4X2. It looked like a factory option. Has anyone ever seen this a after market mod for gas savings?

Thanks:yesy:

[VX KAT]

JDMs can select between running in 2wd or 4wd, but not the ones imported to the U.S.
Don't know where the JDM 2wd switch is located though. Some of our Aussie and Brit members will know for sure.

Do you have a link to the ebay listing?

[RickOKC]

Hey jhigareda... Try your search again and use slashes instead of dashes. :)

[PK]

The 2wd High range is selected using the transfer case shifter, and can be shifted on the go.
We have 3 positions for that gear selector, whereas you only have 2 positions.

I believe the electronic switch to select 2wd is an after market item that a few people have attempted to make. Not sure if anyone succeeded.

PK

[jhigareda]

Unfortunately I did not copy and paste or save the ebay listed VX with the cool switch, but since it was in the US I thought it was a dealer installed option. We may never know.... its my fault for not inputing this on the spot.

Anyhow does anyone know if these massive 285/75/16 will fit stock height??

[vt_maverick]

You might take a look at lfranz166's set-up. Looks like he's running your tire size with a 2" lift. From his pics it seems doubtful that you can stuff those tires in at stock height.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/2/medium/IMG_01332.JPG

[JoFotoz]

They will fit....


My VX is still sporting stock height and stock 16's. I have obtained a set of 285-75-16 Bridgestone Dueller APT III and they are huge and 10 ply. Before I mount them I was not able to find a thread that anyone has tried this size. Will they fit or should i just sell and get closer to stock tires??


..if you change out the rear springs and crank the torsion bars.
(see 'LIFT' threads )

You are talking about tires that are about 32.8x 8.5.

Lots of people running that or bigger...

...disclaimer...some trimming of front cladding required.

But not enough trimming to worry about....

Go for it!

jo

[etlsport]

You are talking about tires that are about 32.8x 8.5.



Erm.. I think they are 11.5" wide

[vt_maverick]

Erm.. I think they are 11.5" wide

... which will significantly impact the swing arc, which is probably what necessitates the lift and (potentially) more significant cutting.

[jhigareda]

Thanks Guys for the input. I checked with Calmini and the 3 inch lift is less than $600 so i may go that way before I start cutting and cranking. Or maybe just wait and buy new wheels and tires.. Christmas has put a dent in my play money..

[Marlin]

I disagree with some of the below (or above pending your profile setup, mine shows newest posts first) stuff. I run 34x11.5 and am back to being close to front stock height.(Handles MUCH better offroad with the increased down travel and minimized tension on the torsion bars). Other than banging back the rear of the front fender (which can be done without any noticeable impact from the outside, and trimming the front corners off the cladding, also not noticeable unless you are looking for it) you should have no problems. For the 34s, I removed the splash guards inside the fenders.

I think the lifting of the front is more cosmetic to make it look level in the rear. I do not get any rubbing as far as turning, and I never adjusted the steering stops.

I doubt you will have any problems with that tire at stock height other than minor trimming. As for wheeling it, you might get rear rubbing at full flex, so some OME 912s,913s,919s or even just a spacer with stock springs (much cheaper that way) would be fine.

[jhigareda]

Big THANKS Marlin!

[Riff Raff]

The 285/75R16 are 32.8" O.D., but we'll just call 'em 33's for all practical purposes. Thus, grab a tape measure and then measure-out 16.5" from dead-center of the existing wheel hub (radius measurement). Look specifically at the 3:00 and at the 9:00 positions in both front & rear wheel-wells, as this is the location where clearance issues are most likely to arise between the cladding and the new tire. Essentially, this is approximately where the outer circumference of the new tire will be and it will give you a general idea of any potential clearance problems in advance.

The 285 series tire (11.5" wide) is a fairly wide tire for the VX. To help keep this wide tire neatly tucked in the tightly cramped front wheel-wells of the VX, it is highly recommended to only use the Stock OEM 16x7 Factory Rims which has the proper offset/backspacing you'll want to maintain. The use of any other aftermarket wheel is only gonna' cause additional rubbing issues and a multitude of clearance problems.

When it comes to lifting the VX, there is basically three(3) phases:

A. No Lift. VX is left 100% at OEM stock height.

B. Front Torsion Bar Crank Only. OEM Rear Springs are left untouched.

C. Front Torsion Bar Crank AND aftermarket Rear Spring replacement (912, 913, etc) or OEM Rear Springs used with spacer's (for a minor rear lift).

First, mount the tires on the front axle, and check for clearance issues. You may find the tires fit perfectly with version-A (no lift) and with just some minor cladding trim and/or rear hammering of the front wheel-well. The new tires should fit perfectly fine within the existing rear wheel-well using OEM Rear Springs (no rear lift), as it already has gobs of extra space. Your only problem will likely be clearance within the front wheel-well and swing-arc clearance when the front tires are turned lock-to-lock. The true secret is to only use the Stock OEM 16x7 Rims with the 285/75R16 size tires!!!

[jhigareda]

Thanks I will take some before and after photos and share my findings when i try it out. Worst case ill stay closer to stock. I have to keep reminding myself not to get to ahead since the truck is not fully functional yet. But soon.

[vt_maverick]

...To help keep this wide tire neatly tucked in the tightly cramped front wheel-wells of the VX, it is highly recommended to only use the Stock OEM 16x7 Factory Rims which has the proper offset/backspacing you'll want to maintain.
...
The true secret is to only use the Stock OEM 16x7 Rims with the 285/75R16 size tires!!!

Riff I think you should watch your wording with newer members; using phrases like "it is highly recommended" surely leads some folks to believe that you're quoting a repair manual or other industry document, rather than just stating your opinion. I for one do appreciate the amount of input you provide on these wheel/tire threads, but that's just something I think you might consider.

The other reason I point that out is that 7" rims are NOT recommended by Bridgestone for their Dueller tires in the 285 section width. Their APT III tires have been superseded by the APT IV, but you can see from that spec sheet that they recommend 7.5" - 9" rims only. Will the 1/2" cause the tire to separate from the rim? Probably not, but when it comes from the manufacturer I think it bears mentioning to provide balance against glowing recommendations.

http://www.bridgestonetire.com/tireselector/SizeSpecs_BS_EN.aspx?Product_ID=2022

Btw, this reminded me of something I read (I believe) in Sue's thread on the Coopers. General doesn't recommended 7" rims for their 285 section Grabber AT2 tires either - they actually recommend a minimum of 8".

http://www.generaltire.com/tires/Grabber-ATsup2-sup

[etlsport]

i just noticed that you said you got apt IIIs.. they have been out of production for some time now.. make sure to check the date codes on them before installing those tires..

and VT, you make a good point, I have yet to see a 285 width tire recommended for use with a 7" wheel. many folk are running them with no issues, i for one did have an issue with feathering the edges of my tires with a 285/60/18 on stock rims. wider rims has corrected the problem, but as stated before, the aftermarket wheels being wider and with less offset made me trim the front fenders a bit more

[jhigareda]

Thanks I know these were from the last run by Bridgestone. But I cant complain for the price my friend let me have them for. I will only be using them to test bigger fitments..

[Riff Raff]

According to the tire calculator on www.1010Tires.com; yes, the industry standard rim width range for a 285 series tire is 7.5" -- 9.0". So, we are only asking the tire to suck up 0.25" on each side. Can the tire bead handle being squeezed an additional 0.25" on each side-- you bet, and maybe even a lot more. Tire manufacturer's have chosen that specific rim range width because it is the most comfortable for the tire and it is well within safe bead limitations; however, I would venture to say that it is far outside the danger parameters that the tire can actually tolerate before un-seating itself from the rim/bead.

I would not recommend anything wider than a 285 series or 11.5" width tire be mounted on a 7" wide rim. A 295 or 305 series tire would definately be pushing the stress factor on the tire bead to possible unsafe limits using a 7" rim. As Etlsport mentioned, there are a bunch of us that are using 285 series width tires on our 7" OEM rims with never a problem.

The fact remains that the Stock OEM rims of the VX (both 16's & 18's) are very unique in their offset/backspacing and were specifically designed for the VX. You will not find any commercial aftermarket wheel with the exact same spec's, unless it is custom-made to replicate the OEM rim.

A major problem our VX's have is the very tightly cramped confines of the front wheel-wells. The best we can do is take steps that help minimize rubbing and clearance issues when installing larger size tires. The strict use of OEM rims (whether 16's or 18's) greatly help in this regard to install larger tires with minimal fitment problems.

I'm still waiting for someone who has a "lifted" VX to someday install 285/75R18 (35" O.D.) tires using the Stock OEM 18x7" rims and see how they fit. That would be an awesome combination with maximum O.D., and minimal fitment issues.

:bgwb:

[Marlin]

A major problem our VX's have is the very tightly cramped confines of the front wheel-wells. The best we can do is take steps that help minimize rubbing and clearance issues when installing larger size tires. The strict use of OEM rims (whether 16's or 18's) greatly help in this regard to install larger tires with minimal fitment problems.



I don't think our front wheel well is as small as you think. My wife's RS is basically the same truck, minus all the plastic hoo hah that we have. There is a TON of room in there. I did no trimming for her 33s and I would bet I can get 35s in there with maybe a bit of trimming. Big swede got his in there and he has the wide stance mod as well as some decent offset. I think on the OEM 16" VX wheels I have, those 35s would fit with no trimming. You can see how much room there is on the RS, we just have the cladding that makes everything look smaller than it really is.


http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMGP1609.JPG
If you remove that plastic splash guard, cut the inside part of the cladding where it wraps inside the rear of the front wheel well and pound/cut out the metal that is just there to give the cladding something to attach to, trim the front corners off the cladding, I think 35s would be no problem. My rim is very close to factory offset, at your recommendation a few years ago. you were 100% correct in that idea, but as I have said, I am running a 34x11.5 and I am close to stock front height, I have no rubbing, full turn stop to stop with no adjustments and I have had it full flex even with the IFS kit. It would certainly require some rear lift to allow for full flex.
If you look in this pic, I am on the front low profile stops I upgraded to, and the wheel has plenty of room, once you remove the splash shield. I just rubber coated the inside of the fender with 3 coats or so, to prevent any chips from causing rust later down the road.
I am sure its louder that way, but between the tire noise, the engine noise, and exhaust rattle, I can't tell:)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMGP1722.JPG

(Yes, I know I busted both tow hooks off the truck, sheared the front bolts and bent the rear bolts. Back to the factory tie downs as tow points for me.)
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMGP1726.JPG

[mhill]

I have the calmini 3" inch lift, installed by local 4x4 shop recently, torsion bars cranked, ball joints flipped. Calmini, 4x4 shop and Discount Tire all said 285/70/R17 will work without modification. Thats NOT true if you want to turn. The clearance issues I have may be in part due to the offset of the aftermarket 17" wheels as mentioned by others in this thread. As it sits I will need to do some serious cutting of the front cladding before I can find out if it hits at full turn or full flex! :confused:
FYI Calmini lift causes VX to sit very "stink bug" (*** up). They say the rear springs will settle in 1 - 1 1/2 inches????? After a week of having 600lbs of sand loaded in the back nothing had changed when I unloaded it.
Now a question of my own. I was considering getting the Independent4x torsion bars to lift the front a little higher to lessen the amount of cutting needed on the front cladding. Is this a good idea and will newer, stronger torsion bars give me more lift?
I did not want do any cutting but now that the wheels are on I dont want to go smaller! :smilewink
I will work on getting photos loaded up soon.

[jhigareda]

This is great, seems I have stirred the fitment pot a bit. I have never used a large tire on a stock rim with a stock height before. But I have used crazy fitment practices in the past and still do. Google the following to see how I have stretched in the recent past.

Hella flush or stance nation will give you an idea of some of the crazy fitment weve done.
This is totally the opposite of what im trying to do now but you never know...