Stupid question about spacers

[rick1024]

planning to do a 6" rough country lift on my 2015 'hoe and rather than buy new wheels id rather use the oem wheels (20") and just slap some 33' tires on them and use some 2" spacers with them. i had rough country 2" spacers before on my avalanche and had no issues, just wanted to see if anyone has fitted 33x12.5's on oem wheels with spacers and a lift.

 

[olyelr]

33x12.5’s with a 6” lift?! Yea they should fit no problem.

 

[blackelky]

I personally hate wheel spacers they ride like shit and cause more wear. I'd just get aftermarket wheels and the hub bore ring to fit the wheels on the hub.

 

[blackelky]

I think you could fit those with a leveling kit honestly. If you're doing a 6 inch lift might as well throw 35s on there

 

[Joseph Garcia]

The use of wheel spacers is a personal preference. Some folks like and use them, while others do not. If you are going to use them, make sure that you buy a quality spacer product from a known and reputable supplier.

 

[iamdub]

I ran 1.5" spacers on my Tahoe for a while and they've been on my brother's truck for years now. Personally, I wouldn't use larger than 2". Definitely get hub centric and from a reputable brand.

 

[rick1024]

I think you could fit those with a leveling kit honestly. If you're doing a 6 inch lift might as well throw 35s on there

So with just a leveling kit i can stuff 33x12.50s into this thing?

 

[blackelky]

The 12.5 is where i think the problems are going not the 33s guess it depends on the offset too

 

[rick1024]

The 12.5 is where i think the problems are going not the 33s guess it depends on the offset too

makes sense, i am planning on using the oem wheels

 

[tooleyondeck]

makes sense, i am planning on using the oem wheels

Make sure to check your wheel size, they are likely 20x9 so a 12.50 might not fit.

 

[olyelr]

Make sure to check your wheel size, they are likely 20x9 so a 12.50 might not fit.

12.5’s fit on a 9” wide wheel. Ive ran them on 7” and 8” wide wheels many times with absolutely no issues.

 

[tooleyondeck]

12.5’s fit on a 9” wide wheel. Ive ran them on 7” and 8” wide wheels many times with absolutely no issues.

12.5s are wider than my 305s and my wheels are 22x11, so that sounds wild to me. I had 35x12.5s on 20x10s on my Silverado though, but even those looked bubbly so I couldn't imagine going smaller. So you didn't have excessive center wear with the 7-8" wheels?

 

[Oh Kee Pah]

planning to do a 6" rough country lift on my 2015 'hoe and rather than buy new wheels id rather use the oem wheels (20") and just slap some 33' tires on them and use some 2" spacers with them. i had rough country 2" spacers before on my avalanche and had no issues, just wanted to see if anyone has fitted 33x12.5's on oem wheels with spacers and a lift.

I would first suggest calling RC and speaking with a tech regarding the specs on the 6" lift; in particular, the new front knuckles. I'm fairly confident that most of the crossmember full lift kits increase the track width 1-2" mainly due to new knuckles. A clue to this could also be the tie rod ends that come with the kit. Are those longer than stock? If so, then track width has increased.

The 4" & 6" BDS Suspension lifts increase the track width, allowing for wider tires on stock wheels. I'm pretty certain the RC 6" lift is the same. So, YES, you will be able to run the 12.5s on your 20s.
I think most lifts are spec'd with 20" wheels, very common on lifted trucks. The REAR track width does NOT increase. If you want the front and rear to line up when viewed head-on, you'll probably at least need some wheel spacers in the back.

One thing to keep in mind, if the track width does increase and you run the wide tires on OE wheels, then you will certainly have outer edge of tires extending beyond the fender flare. That's illegal here in Maine, and could cause problems come inspection time. Not to mention all the debris getting slung up the side of the car, and junk getting thrown at others behind you on the road...unfortunately not too many options out there for our model years in the fender flare dept.

Also, with the 6" lift I would suggest 34-35" tires; a 2" level will allow 33s to fit. The lift and larger tires will certainly be a drag on your power. Not sure what gearing you have. I would suggest considering overall tire weight when making your final decision on which tires you ultimately purchase and install. Perhaps a 34x11.5 would be a good wheel to consider vs the 12.5?

 

[rick1024]

I would first suggest calling RC and speaking with a tech regarding the specs on the 6" lift; in particular, the new front knuckles. I'm fairly confident that most of the crossmember full lift kits increase the track width 1-2" mainly due to new knuckles. A clue to this could also be the tie rod ends that come with the kit. Are those longer than stock? If so, then track width has increased.

The 4" & 6" BDS Suspension lifts increase the track width, allowing for wider tires on stock wheels. I'm pretty certain the RC 6" lift is the same. So, YES, you will be able to run the 12.5s on your 20s.
I think most lifts are spec'd with 20" wheels, very common on lifted trucks. The REAR track width does NOT increase. If you want the front and rear to line up when viewed head-on, you'll probably at least need some wheel spacers in the back.

One thing to keep in mind, if the track width does increase and you run the wide tires on OE wheels, then you will certainly have outer edge of tires extending beyond the fender flare. That's illegal here in Maine, and could cause problems come inspection time. Not to mention all the debris getting slung up the side of the car, and junk getting thrown at others behind you on the road...unfortunately not too many options out there for our model years in the fender flare dept.

Also, with the 6" lift I would suggest 34-35" tires; a 2" level will allow 33s to fit. The lift and larger tires will certainly be a drag on your power. Not sure what gearing you have. I would suggest considering overall tire weight when making your final decision on which tires you ultimately purchase and install. Perhaps a 34x11.5 would be a good wheel to consider vs the 12.5?

well, my original plan was to get the 33x12.5's when i do the level kit and just keep them for the 6" lift. i had 33x12.5 on a 5.5" rough country lift on my avalanche and everything was fine.

i would gladly consider the 35's but from what i know i would have to re-gear my diff and they would kill any kind of mileage i could hope for

 

[olyelr]

12.5s are wider than my 305s and my wheels are 22x11, so that sounds wild to me. I had 35x12.5s on 20x10s on my Silverado though, but even those looked bubbly so I couldn't imagine going smaller. So you didn't have excessive center wear with the 7-8" wheels?

Nopers. Just run proper pressures and all has been good.

This is my current set of 35x12.5’s on an 8” wide wheel. Might be a little too ballooned out for some…works fine for me.

This is when i took the last set off…over 60k miles, nice and even wear

 

[tooleyondeck]

Nopers. Just run proper pressures and all has been good.

This is my current set of 35x12.5’s on an 8” wide wheel. Might be a little too ballooned out for some…works fine for me.

This is when i took the last set off…over 60k miles, nice and even wear

Those look pretty good, guess I learned something new. I guess bc AT tires have so much sidewall they can handle the width difference easier than street tires. Thanks

 

[Oh Kee Pah]

well, my original plan was to get the 33x12.5's when i do the level kit and just keep them for the 6" lift. i had 33x12.5 on a 5.5" rough country lift on my avalanche and everything was fine.

i would gladly consider the 35's but from what i know i would have to re-gear my diff and they would kill any kind of mileage i could hope for

Forgot to mention the 6" BDS lift is spec'd for stock OE 20" wheels and 35x12.5s (some trimming may be required)
The BDS kit includes front wheel well trimming instructions, if you decide that is needed to fit the tire/wheel combo. These instructions are actually available on their website if you build a kit and then click on the link for install instructions. Very nice pdf there.

Secondly, forgot to ask what tire and/or brand of tire are you looking at purchasing...Toyo, Nitto, Goodyear, etc?
That could also make a bit of a difference on which tire size you ultimately go with.

Concur on the comment that spacers are okay, just use a reputable brand and HUB-CENTRIC

 

[rick1024]

Forgot to mention the 6" BDS lift is spec'd for stock OE 20" wheels and 35x12.5s (some trimming may be required)
The BDS kit includes front wheel well trimming instructions, if you decide that is needed to fit the tire/wheel combo. These instructions are actually available on their website if you build a kit and then click on the link for install instructions. Very nice pdf there.

Secondly, forgot to ask what tire and/or brand of tire are you looking at purchasing...Toyo, Nitto, Goodyear, etc?
That could also make a bit of a difference on which tire size you ultimately go with.

Concur on the comment that spacers are okay, just use a reputable brand and HUB-CENTRIC

either bf goodrich mud terrains or firestone destination

 

[BlaineBug]

Remember - the taller you go and the bigger tires you mount DECREASES the comfort and daily-driveability of any vehicle out there. I made this mistake with a Jeep over a decade ago. Started off with a 3" lift on 30x10.50s - PERFECT! Then upgraded to 4.5" on 32x11.50s - still good! But when I went 7" on 33x12.50s, it sucked! Also you open a huge can of worms when you modify steering, control arms, drop brackets, springs, etcetera. Learn from MY mistakes!