Fitting 33x12.5's on a stock 94 truck
07-31-2010, 09:54 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Fitting 33x12.5's on a stock 94 truck
So I was looking to make my bone-stock 1994 Toyota truck a little more off-road capable without investing a ton of money. I also have basically no experience working on vehicles and no tech/fab skills. But that hasn't stopped me yet!
Reading this forum and the great info over at 4crawler.com, it seems that 31 x 10.5's fit my truck fine with no rubbing, 33 x 10.5's may rub a little or need minor modifications, and 33 x 12.5's will definitely need modification. 4crawler suggests a 1" body lift + ball joint spacers + fender trimming (for 4.75" backspacing).
I found some cheap 33 x 12.5 super swamper Trxus MT's on Craigslist I couldn't pass up, and some 15x9 rims with ~3.5" backspacing, so I found myself looking into possible modifications.
I didn't really want to get a lift since 1) good lifts are expensive, 2) cheap lifts aren't good, 3) I believe in lifting as little as possible, and 4) even the minimalistic BJ spacers, shackles, and shocks quickly push $400 for a modest 1.5" lift. I also use the truck for daily driving and don't wheel very often, so I'll be swapping out sets of wheels/tires at will.
I really, really wanted to do this on the cheap (read: I'm married), so I'm simply going the "big hammer" and fender trimming route with no other mods.
Here's the front passenger wheel before, a 235/65/15, though measuring roughly 28" in diameter:
As for prework, 4crawler.com has some great advice for determining necessary clearance even before you put the tire on the truck. In my case, my new tire was roughly 2.5" larger in radius. The rim was 2" wider, which offsets the center of the tire 1", and the new backspacing was 1.25" less, so the center of the tire would sit 2.25" further out. With 3" wider tires, the outside of the tire would be 3.75" further out, and even the inside would be 0.75" further out. See the following diagram:
Using this information (and lots of forum posts on the matter), it was easy to tell that there would be two trouble spots on the front: the front bumper (especially the lower shroud), and the back of the wheel well - the infamous pinch weld and fender.
First I installed the tire to see if the track width calculations were correct - they seemed to be pretty accurate:
...
The front bumper shroud was easy to bend out of the way - no problem there. The pinch weld and fender was a bit tougher.
First I removed the bolts which held on the fender and the plastic wheel well liner. I loosened them enough to push them out of the way, but didn't remove them entirely. In hind-sight, it may have been easier working down there if I'd removed them entirely. With the fender and liner out of the way, I could see the pinch weld:
With the steering wheel fully cranked the bottom of the weld was completely buried in rubber. Not good. I spent a good hour and a half pounding this down, and also tried to remove some material with bolt cutters - I didn't have a proper cutting or grinding tool for the job, but it probably would have made it quicker. I had a couple iterations of installing the tire and checking the progress. You have to flatten the pinch weld all the way down the wheel well. After my work, it looked like this - not pretty, but a whole lot lower profile:
Now that the pinch weld itself was taken care of, I had to deal with the plastic liner and (gasp) the nice, finished fender, since they both fit around where the pinch weld used to be. I simply cut the plastic liner out of the way. For the fender, I tried to be careful to leave a nice finished look on the outside. I cut away some material from the bottom of it with a "nibbler" sheet metal cutting tool as shown:
...
This allowed me to fold the fender back where it was sticking too far out. I bolted the fender back on, and here's the finished product and the worst-case clearance (without compression):
...
I have yet to test clearance under full compression, though I could see about an inch of clearance, and about an inch of space before the bumpstop bottoms out. I hope to get the other side done tomorrow in half the time, then get out on the trail and play with it soon.
If needs be I'll get the BJ spacers and shackles, but so far it seems like it may work out with nothing invested but a good beating.
One more note for the cheapskate (like myself): when considering used tires, if they don't have rims (or have the wrong size rims), mounting and balancing is generally $15/tire, and check them over carefully for punctures (nails, screws, etc). Also, rule of thumb is that rims should be 2-4" narrower than tire width. These 12.5's may not have fit on stock 15x7 rims, and stock 4.75" backspacing probably makes matters worse.
Hope this info helps someone!
Cheers,
-Jeff
Reading this forum and the great info over at 4crawler.com, it seems that 31 x 10.5's fit my truck fine with no rubbing, 33 x 10.5's may rub a little or need minor modifications, and 33 x 12.5's will definitely need modification. 4crawler suggests a 1" body lift + ball joint spacers + fender trimming (for 4.75" backspacing).
I found some cheap 33 x 12.5 super swamper Trxus MT's on Craigslist I couldn't pass up, and some 15x9 rims with ~3.5" backspacing, so I found myself looking into possible modifications.
I didn't really want to get a lift since 1) good lifts are expensive, 2) cheap lifts aren't good, 3) I believe in lifting as little as possible, and 4) even the minimalistic BJ spacers, shackles, and shocks quickly push $400 for a modest 1.5" lift. I also use the truck for daily driving and don't wheel very often, so I'll be swapping out sets of wheels/tires at will.
I really, really wanted to do this on the cheap (read: I'm married), so I'm simply going the "big hammer" and fender trimming route with no other mods.
Here's the front passenger wheel before, a 235/65/15, though measuring roughly 28" in diameter:
As for prework, 4crawler.com has some great advice for determining necessary clearance even before you put the tire on the truck. In my case, my new tire was roughly 2.5" larger in radius. The rim was 2" wider, which offsets the center of the tire 1", and the new backspacing was 1.25" less, so the center of the tire would sit 2.25" further out. With 3" wider tires, the outside of the tire would be 3.75" further out, and even the inside would be 0.75" further out. See the following diagram:
Using this information (and lots of forum posts on the matter), it was easy to tell that there would be two trouble spots on the front: the front bumper (especially the lower shroud), and the back of the wheel well - the infamous pinch weld and fender.
First I installed the tire to see if the track width calculations were correct - they seemed to be pretty accurate:
...The front bumper shroud was easy to bend out of the way - no problem there. The pinch weld and fender was a bit tougher.
First I removed the bolts which held on the fender and the plastic wheel well liner. I loosened them enough to push them out of the way, but didn't remove them entirely. In hind-sight, it may have been easier working down there if I'd removed them entirely. With the fender and liner out of the way, I could see the pinch weld:
With the steering wheel fully cranked the bottom of the weld was completely buried in rubber. Not good. I spent a good hour and a half pounding this down, and also tried to remove some material with bolt cutters - I didn't have a proper cutting or grinding tool for the job, but it probably would have made it quicker. I had a couple iterations of installing the tire and checking the progress. You have to flatten the pinch weld all the way down the wheel well. After my work, it looked like this - not pretty, but a whole lot lower profile:
Now that the pinch weld itself was taken care of, I had to deal with the plastic liner and (gasp) the nice, finished fender, since they both fit around where the pinch weld used to be. I simply cut the plastic liner out of the way. For the fender, I tried to be careful to leave a nice finished look on the outside. I cut away some material from the bottom of it with a "nibbler" sheet metal cutting tool as shown:
...This allowed me to fold the fender back where it was sticking too far out. I bolted the fender back on, and here's the finished product and the worst-case clearance (without compression):
...I have yet to test clearance under full compression, though I could see about an inch of clearance, and about an inch of space before the bumpstop bottoms out. I hope to get the other side done tomorrow in half the time, then get out on the trail and play with it soon.
If needs be I'll get the BJ spacers and shackles, but so far it seems like it may work out with nothing invested but a good beating.
One more note for the cheapskate (like myself): when considering used tires, if they don't have rims (or have the wrong size rims), mounting and balancing is generally $15/tire, and check them over carefully for punctures (nails, screws, etc). Also, rule of thumb is that rims should be 2-4" narrower than tire width. These 12.5's may not have fit on stock 15x7 rims, and stock 4.75" backspacing probably makes matters worse.
Hope this info helps someone!
Cheers,
-Jeff
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k-run81 (10-02-2020)
07-31-2010, 10:13 PM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
At least it's a V6, but it very well may indeed - it's not the quickest thing to start with and it'll only have 28/33 (84%) as much power. If it sucks I'll trade the 33's for 31's and only be out another mount/balance.
I'm not brave enough to play with the differential yet.
I'm not brave enough to play with the differential yet.
Thank you for doing your research. I originally that this would be another.. will this tire fit thread. Keeping it low is a good idea
08-01-2010, 06:56 PM
#5
Registered User
Thread Starter
Update 8-1:
I finished the other side this afternoon, installed the rear tires and checked their clearance and bumpstops as well - they should be ok. I took it for a quick drive around the block. No rubbing lock to lock under standard conditions, and like I said, the bump stop spacing makes things look promising even off-road. Right away I noticed the hum of large mud tires on the pavement - I'll have to switch back to my daily driver tires soon. I didn't notice a loss in power, but we'll see what happens on the hilly highway commute tomorrow.
There was one casualty to pounding against the firewall: on the driver side, due to the change in shape of the firewall, the cover popped off the fuse box and won't fit back on quite right. I probably should have been more careful about the items behind the wall - definitely look out if you're going to be cutting. Oh well, it's not noticeable.
Anyway, it can be done without any lift whatsoever.
Cheers,
-Jeff
I finished the other side this afternoon, installed the rear tires and checked their clearance and bumpstops as well - they should be ok. I took it for a quick drive around the block. No rubbing lock to lock under standard conditions, and like I said, the bump stop spacing makes things look promising even off-road. Right away I noticed the hum of large mud tires on the pavement - I'll have to switch back to my daily driver tires soon. I didn't notice a loss in power, but we'll see what happens on the hilly highway commute tomorrow.
There was one casualty to pounding against the firewall: on the driver side, due to the change in shape of the firewall, the cover popped off the fuse box and won't fit back on quite right. I probably should have been more careful about the items behind the wall - definitely look out if you're going to be cutting. Oh well, it's not noticeable.
Anyway, it can be done without any lift whatsoever.
Cheers,
-Jeff
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k-run81 (10-02-2020)
08-02-2010, 03:08 PM
#6
Registered User
33s with a v6 isnt bad. its like 31s on a 22re. 33s really change the stance of a stock truck. Looks Sick!
Edit: this should get stickied so people can stop asking the "will they fit" question!
Edit: this should get stickied so people can stop asking the "will they fit" question!
Last edited by rattlewagon; 08-02-2010 at 03:10 PM.
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09-08-2010, 12:40 PM
#9
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i have more ground clearance with 33s on my 86, alot more than that actually... and with the turbo its not bad at all, by no means fast, but same speed as my 22re with stock tires
09-11-2010, 05:38 PM
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I did this with a 2lb club hammer and a 8lb sledge hammer, took about 3 mins each side including wire brushing and painting where the paint chipped off..
Had my truck fully flexed out and it doesn't rub anymore
Need to get some new front springs, they're nearly inverted
Had my truck fully flexed out and it doesn't rub anymore
Need to get some new front springs, they're nearly inverted
10-20-2010, 06:46 PM
#11
good job i was comparing the before and after pics and the roll you put on the fender looks great.
I've got to do this this weekend, i just swapped my 30's for 33x12.50's
Had do drive back with the 33's and no mods took alot of route calculation with zero turn radius
I'll try and contribute by posting pics of my own
Oh and as far as the gearing goes: I actually like waht the bigger tires did for mine, 3rd is my best gear and I've got alot more range in it now up to highway speeds and cruise in 4th, probably will never use fifth again
I've got to do this this weekend, i just swapped my 30's for 33x12.50's
Had do drive back with the 33's and no mods took alot of route calculation with zero turn radius
I'll try and contribute by posting pics of my own
Oh and as far as the gearing goes: I actually like waht the bigger tires did for mine, 3rd is my best gear and I've got alot more range in it now up to highway speeds and cruise in 4th, probably will never use fifth again
Last edited by REDYOTA; 10-20-2010 at 06:49 PM.
10-06-2013, 08:43 PM
#13
Registered User
im am bumping this thread , since it has some really great photos and info,
i my self will be doing this on my 93 dlx pickup , will post some pics to add on as well.
im do it stock, and if i like it, then the zuk and bj spacers will be set aside for a while
i my self will be doing this on my 93 dlx pickup , will post some pics to add on as well.
im do it stock, and if i like it, then the zuk and bj spacers will be set aside for a while
10-08-2013, 04:37 PM
#14
Registered User
Cleared the the pinch weld. The front rubs only a little.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961426/http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961426/]image[/url, on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961816/http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961816/]image[/url, on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961106/http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961106/]image[/url, on Flickr
More trimming maybe & some pounding. Coils will be put on Thursday and still got to finish hookijng up the tranny cooler as well.
I may as well replace my ball joint when I install the spacers, looks like it's leaking a bit.
: stupid Flickr, keeps posting pics twice. Sorry.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961426/http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961426/]image[/url, on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961816/http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961816/]image[/url, on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961106/http://www.flickr.com/photos/104250693@N07/10160961106/]image[/url, on Flickr
More trimming maybe & some pounding. Coils will be put on Thursday and still got to finish hookijng up the tranny cooler as well.
I may as well replace my ball joint when I install the spacers, looks like it's leaking a bit.
: stupid Flickr, keeps posting pics twice. Sorry.
11-18-2013, 03:00 AM
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Just wondering, if putting 33's on a stock T100, how much clearance would you have in the rear with weight in the back such as a snowmobile? On Jeff-CO's Toyota from the pic it looks like the truck is sitting low to the tires without weight. I'm assuming extra leafs would help with that problem?
08-18-2016, 02:43 AM
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31" or 32"
I just recently got my pops old 1988 4wd pickup. The truck has newer tires that are 235/75r15s. Once they are in need of replacement i would like to see if i can go with a 32x11.5r15. I like the size but do i need to do any modifications?
11-16-2016, 04:52 AM
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Fitting 33's on 88 IFS
I just picked up a set of used bf goodrich all terrain 33x12.5x15 tires. I want to install them on my 88 IFS 4runner with stock wheels (4.75"bs). I have 1.5 BJ spacers up front and run OME springs in the rear (roughly 2" lift). I also have 4.88 gears. Will this set up work without having to use wheel spacers? I just dont want to have the tire shop install them and find out they are rubbing. Thanks in advance.
Last edited by vc88runner; 11-16-2016 at 04:53 AM.
07-17-2018, 04:00 PM
#19
My corn rows are exploding!
Bump. After reading countless threads I'm still so confused with how to best install 33 x 12.5's with stock wheels. I own a bone stock 94' SR5 ex-cab V6 4x4 currently with 31 x 10.5 BFG tires but they are shot so I just bought a new set of Hankook DynaPro MT 33 x 12.5 x 15 for mounting on the old OEM stock aluminum 15 wheels (which I still actually like the look of to this day). I know I am going to at least do a 1.5" body lift to start with because I am also cutting out the cab back and part of the bed for installing 4Runner seats (crawl through cab mod..and want the seats to be able to fold down flat). I also plan to do the 3.4L engine swap next year and know some amount of body lift is required to avoid hood modification, but I also did not want to lift the body any more off the frame than is absolutely necessary to fit these new tires. I don't hate body lifts like a lot of people do but I also don't want to go overboard like people from Florida do lol. I figured 1.5" would suffice but do I need 2" for the 5VZE swap???
Does anyone know if I would be ok with just a 1.5" body lift and maybe 1" BJ spacers? Will I also need any wheel offset spacers if using the stock aluminum 15 x 8 wheels? I plan to add ball joint spacers in a few months because I want to do the 63" springs mod (my old leafs are flat as pancakes right now) but until I know what exact springs I'm getting, how many leafs, and how much lift that will yield in the rear, I'm just not sure what exactly will need to be done in the front height-wise with ball joint spacers to keep the truck looking level. I think I've also read in a few places that using BJ spacers any taller than 1" can cause issues. (so again..what body lift height if only 1" BJ spacing?)
Lastly, I live in San Diego. I am just building this up as a general weekend trail rig. We are moving north in a few years so the goal is to prep for mild to moderate mountain trails. I'm not into building a serious rock crawler or swamp machine. I really just want the minimal heights and offsets needed to fit the 33 x 12.5s on the stock 15's.. All advice would be greatly appreciated!
Does anyone know if I would be ok with just a 1.5" body lift and maybe 1" BJ spacers? Will I also need any wheel offset spacers if using the stock aluminum 15 x 8 wheels? I plan to add ball joint spacers in a few months because I want to do the 63" springs mod (my old leafs are flat as pancakes right now) but until I know what exact springs I'm getting, how many leafs, and how much lift that will yield in the rear, I'm just not sure what exactly will need to be done in the front height-wise with ball joint spacers to keep the truck looking level. I think I've also read in a few places that using BJ spacers any taller than 1" can cause issues. (so again..what body lift height if only 1" BJ spacing?)
Lastly, I live in San Diego. I am just building this up as a general weekend trail rig. We are moving north in a few years so the goal is to prep for mild to moderate mountain trails. I'm not into building a serious rock crawler or swamp machine. I really just want the minimal heights and offsets needed to fit the 33 x 12.5s on the stock 15's.. All advice would be greatly appreciated!
07-17-2018, 05:16 PM
#20
Bump. After reading countless threads I'm still so confused with how to best install 33 x 12.5's with stock wheels. I own a bone stock 94' SR5 ex-cab V6 4x4 currently with 31 x 10.5 BFG tires but they are shot so I just bought a new set of Hankook DynaPro MT 33 x 12.5 x 15 for mounting on the old OEM stock aluminum 15 wheels (which I still actually like the look of to this day). I know I am going to at least do a 1.5" body lift to start with because I am also cutting out the cab back and part of the bed for installing 4Runner seats (crawl through cab mod..and want the seats to be able to fold down flat). I also plan to do the 3.4L engine swap next year and know some amount of body lift is required to avoid hood modification, but I also did not want to lift the body any more off the frame than is absolutely necessary to fit these new tires. I don't hate body lifts like a lot of people do but I also don't want to go overboard like people from Florida do lol. I figured 1.5" would suffice but do I need 2" for the 5VZE swap???
Does anyone know if I would be ok with just a 1.5" body lift and maybe 1" BJ spacers? Will I also need any wheel offset spacers if using the stock aluminum 15 x 8 wheels? I plan to add ball joint spacers in a few months because I want to do the 63" springs mod (my old leafs are flat as pancakes right now) but until I know what exact springs I'm getting, how many leafs, and how much lift that will yield in the rear, I'm just not sure what exactly will need to be done in the front height-wise with ball joint spacers to keep the truck looking level. I think I've also read in a few places that using BJ spacers any taller than 1" can cause issues. (so again..what body lift height if only 1" BJ spacing?)
Lastly, I live in San Diego. I am just building this up as a general weekend trail rig. We are moving north in a few years so the goal is to prep for mild to moderate mountain trails. I'm not into building a serious rock crawler or swamp machine. I really just want the minimal heights and offsets needed to fit the 33 x 12.5s on the stock 15's.. All advice would be greatly appreciated!
Does anyone know if I would be ok with just a 1.5" body lift and maybe 1" BJ spacers? Will I also need any wheel offset spacers if using the stock aluminum 15 x 8 wheels? I plan to add ball joint spacers in a few months because I want to do the 63" springs mod (my old leafs are flat as pancakes right now) but until I know what exact springs I'm getting, how many leafs, and how much lift that will yield in the rear, I'm just not sure what exactly will need to be done in the front height-wise with ball joint spacers to keep the truck looking level. I think I've also read in a few places that using BJ spacers any taller than 1" can cause issues. (so again..what body lift height if only 1" BJ spacing?)
Lastly, I live in San Diego. I am just building this up as a general weekend trail rig. We are moving north in a few years so the goal is to prep for mild to moderate mountain trails. I'm not into building a serious rock crawler or swamp machine. I really just want the minimal heights and offsets needed to fit the 33 x 12.5s on the stock 15's.. All advice would be greatly appreciated!
for more info
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...-first-201994/
4Runner seats in the back of the truck:
what is your plan for modifying the floor?
Getting it to fold flat may be challenging.
might consider a Jeep fold-n-tumble seat. you can find them on craiglist every now and than
