a few questions for the veterans about off-roadin'

[socaltex13]

I've got quite a bit of mechanical knowledge and experience but that's mostly related to street-performance and racing. When it comes to off-roading I am a total noob. So here are a few questions I hope a few of you can answer to help me get a jump-start in the right direction:


1.) LIFT
-Suppose I wanted a 5" total lift. Does 3" suspension and 2" body lift sound reasonable? Why not 5" all suspension? I guess I don't understand the benefits of a body lift since it does not increase ground clearance.

-What other modifications will be necessary to perform a 3" suspension lift; steering, camber, etc.?

-What other modifications will be necessary should I decide to do the 2" body lift after my 3" suspension lift?

-How will a lift affect street-driving performance, handling , ride, etc.?

-What amount of lift above stock height is necessary to accomodate 31" tires?


2.) TIRES & Wheels/Rims
-I keep hearing so-and-so has 15"x7" rims with 31"x9.5" tires. Assuming 7" is the rim's width, how is it they can accommodate tires that are 2.5" wider?

-Assuming the above is true and the width of a rim can accommodate a wider tire, what maximum width of tires will 15"x7" rims and 16"x8" rims accommodate?

-What exactly is backspacing and how is it applied to rim selection? From my best understanding, it affects how far the tires/rims site further to the sides outside the fender wells. Is this accurate?

-Assuming the above is true, what is a good amount of backspacing for the tires/rims to stick out more and look good with 31" tires?

[Shconer]

1. Your right, body lifts don't increase ground clearance but understand that the only way to increase true ground clearance is by increasing tire size especially on a solid axle and still on an IFS but not as much. A body lift will give more fender well clearance and allow for bigger tires thus indirectly increasing ground clearance, also raising the body has the potential for increasing approach and departure angles. But body lifts should only be done for these reasons as the higher the body sits the higher your center of gravity is. Tires can fit a range of rim widths both smaller and larger and each tire is different, referring to the tire specs will inform you here is a good blab Tire Tech - Tire Specs Explained
Tire Specs for Bridgestone Dueler A/T D693
. Backspacing is the distance from the center of the rim to the hub. Generally more negative backspacing is wanted on an off road vehicles because with bigger tires your going to have clearance issues turning Wheel Tech - Offset , so the further the rim is away from the car the more clearance you'll have. Wheel spacers are often used to help this. Keep in mind with wider tires further away from the car without fender flares your going to have shit flying every wear. As for specifics I can help you. 4x4ing is never ending, every time you modify one thing it creates another problem.

[socaltex13]

Excellent info. Thanks for the links, very informative.


If anyone else has suggestions/ideas/feedback/input... please do post a reply.