Largest tires for 92 k1500

[RichLo]

305/70r16 My truck in the link below:

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/305-70r16-on-stock-suspension-ride-height-wheels.44952/

 

[351FUN]

285/75R16 on my 92 Blazer with everything stock height, no rubbing anywhere.

 

[Supercharged111]

I've run 286/75/16 and 285/70/17. The 17s rub just a bit at full lock, but the rubbing is largely dependent on rim offset. I went from a 16x8 to a 17x9 and that got is just close enough for the side tread nubs on the Duratracs to rub the frame and fender liners.

 

[boy&hisdogs]

I had 285/75/16 for my last set and currently have 305/70/16 on my truck with a mild crank (just to level). The 285s never rubbed except for one time in the dunes I completely bottomed it out and the tires grabbed the top lip of the fenders. I was going a little too fast down a big dune and hit someone else's ruts at a weird angle, definitely not something you would (or should) be doing as a regular person in a stock truck.

The 305s will rub somewhere on the bumper/valence if I hit a bump at speed with the wheels turned just right but just normal street driving and crawling around off road it's been fine. That being said, I've only had them for about a year and a half where I had the 285s for maybe 3-4 years and went offroad a lot more back then.

The trick to making big tires fit is your wheel choice. I have 16x8 wheels with 5" backspacing. My rears still fit completely inside the wheel wells when I have a big trailer making my truck squat as well as when the rear end is flexing. The fronts are about flush with the edge of the wheel well at ride height but since it's IFS the wheels come inward as they flex. People say that you can even squeeze 35s in there with stock wheels (16x7 and 6-ish backspacing). The width is what kills you, because as you steer the corners of the tire swing outward in an arc, and the more your wheels/tires stick out, the bigger that arc is. There's guys with 14 and 15 inch wide tires that still rub even with a lift, and guys with 12.50 tires but on 10+ inch wide wheels that still rub even though the exact same tire would fit on a different wheel.

Narrower wheels/tires and more backspace (distance from mounting surface to inside lip of wheel) help you tuck bigger tires. For example, I can tuck these 33x12.50s with my 8" wide 5" backspace wheels but the same tires on 3 or 4 inch backspace wheels would hit sheet metal for sure.

You definitely don't NEED a 12.50 wide tire, and unless you are just doing straight line mud bogs, you're probably better served by having more flexing room than slightly wider tires. I just decided to go with the 305s this time just for shoots and giggles since I was buying cheap, off-brand tires. The truck is noticeably better in mud, but I think that's because I went with a more aggressive tire and not because it's slightly wider.

That being said, I think the wider 12.50 tire looks more proportional on a full-size truck, and we have the weight to make use of the bigger (and therefore fewer pounds per square inch) contact patch. I also think black wheels make your tires look bigger, and tires with more tread up the sidewall also look bigger/more aggressive.


Here is the truck with the old 285s (Goodyear Duratracs, I 100% recommend these for a good all terrain tire)

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And then now with the 305s (Milestar Patagonia M/T - Pretty good performance for the price, super cheap, come in lots of sizes but they are kinda loud and don't balance well, but its only noticeable above 75)

Small dog for scale lol

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The following two pictures show how close the tires get when turned just right. When going straight there is a little more room. Like I said, there is no rubbing during normal driving, only when you hit big bumps.

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Here is my cutting plan masked out. I'm going to take everything where there's masking tape. I probably don't even need to take that much but I'm planning on lifting and going to 35s or 37s at some point. Either way the extra room won't hurt at all. I might end up needing more when I get bigger tires, but it's always easier to cut more than it is to put it back!

You really don't have to take much as long as you take it out of the right spots! I'm going to look at it and mull it over for the next few days then maybe do the cutting this weekend.

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[KoverC]

I know I'm late to the party but I've got some 315/70R17 KO2s on my 89 with mild crank. No rubbing thus far. They're on 04' Tundra stockers (17x7.5) so they measure about 34" even at 32psi.