- Dirt Road Magazine - Tire Fitment Chart - (dirtroad.com)
Credits
Home
F.A.Q.
Media Kit
Cover
Vendor Catalogs
Jeep Rater
Show & Tell
Yellow Pages
Projects
Site Map
E-mail Us
Jeep Forum
Ask Grant
Features
Columns
Trial & Error
Classifieds
Trading Post
Back Issues
Links
©2008 Dirt Road Magazine


NEW! See the wheel-to-tire chart below.
Click here for a tire-size calculator.
Tire Size:

The most common question we're asked is "What's the largest tire size I can run on my Jeep without a lift?" To address this, we've devised the tire fitment chart below. Simply find your particular Jeep on the list, then scroll across to determine the maximum tire diameter whether your Jeep is stock or lifted.

Model
0"
1"
2"- 2½"
3"- 3½"
4"- 4½"
Grand Cherokee
29"
30"
31"
32"
32"
Cherokee/Comanche
29"
30"
31"
32"
33"
TJ Wrangler
31"
31"
32"
33"
33"
YJ Wrangler
30"
30"
32"
33"
33"
CJ 5/6/7/8
31"
31"
32"
33"
33"
CJ 2A/3A/3B
31"
31"
33"
33"
35"
Full-Size Cherokee/
Wagoneer/J Trucks
30"
30"
31"
31"
33"

These figures represent tire size recommendations only. They are NOT lift recommendations.

Wheel width and offset will play a major part in the fitment of any tire/rim combination. If you have any doubts whether any of the above tire sizes will fit your Jeep, request that the tire shop mount one tire on your rim to check for any rub on the springs, control arms, fenders, etc. Most tire stores will be more than happy to do this for you. Remember, you're paying big bucks for tires, make sure they fit before you leave the store.


Wheel Tize:

Many of you are also concerned with the relationship of tire width to wheel width and proper fitment. Here are some good general guidelines for common sizes.

Rim Width in Inches
Maximum Tire Width
6"
9.50" Max
7"
9.50"-10.50"
8"
10.50"-11.50"
8.5"
10.50"-12.50"
10"
12.50" and Up

Again, these are guidelines to use to gain optimum life of your tires, they are not absolute rules carved in stone. For instance, an 8" wide wheel and 12.50" wide tire is a very common setup. The relatively narrow rim (in comparison to tire width) is well protected from damage due to the bulging sidewalls. The downside is that the bulge of the tire also leads to premature wear at the center of the tire unless low tire pressures are maintained. On the flip side of the coin, you could run a 12.50" wide tire on a 12" wide rim if you really wanted to. With this setup, there is very little protection of the rim afforded by the sidewalls. Any rock, stump, rut, or even curb that you may hit risks damage to very expensive wheels and could very easily pop the bead resulting in a total blowout. Choosing the proper tire width in relation to rim size will prolong the life of your tires and quite possibly save a few unnecessary trips to the tire shop. 


Backspacing:

As mentioned above, wheel offset or backspacing will play a huge part in the proper fitment of oversize tires. Here are some general guidelines that have worked very well for us on the most popular Jeep vehicles with oversize tires. For reference, backspacing is the measurement from the inside portion of the mounting flange of the wheel to the inner edge of the wheel.

TJ/YJ
15x8 wheels with 3.5" backspacing
XJ/MJ
*15x7 wheels with 5.5" backspacing
CJ
15x8 wheels with 4.5" backspacing

* 5.5" backspacing is stock on most XJ/MJ vehicles. Backspacing should be kept as close to stock as possible on these vehicles.

Dirt Road Magazine is sponsored by Central 4WD & Turner 4WD Parts Co.