2015 Tahoe new tires rubbing sway bar

[bdbull]

Just got a new set of tires for my 2015 Tahoe LTZ with the 22" factory wheels. I went up in size to fill out the wheel well a little better. I went from a 285/45/22 to a 305/45/22. It looks great and rides fantastic, but I just noticed a little rubbing on the sway bar last night. It doesn't appear to be too bad, but obviously I would like to fix it. My initial thoughts are that I can fix it with 1/4-1/2" spacers. They wouldn't be too big so not too much altering of the geometry but might provide just enough space to get the tires off the sway bar. Anyone run small spacers on their vehicle?

Here are two pics of the sway bar and where it's being rubbed with a quarter for size comparison.

 

[Blackcar]

With bar having two places rubbed looks like smaller size tire rubbed also.

 

[bdbull]

With bar having two places rubbed looks like smaller size tire rubbed also.

That's a good point. I have no idea what it looked like before I changed the tires.

However, I can hear it rub the sway bar now and as far as I remember, I never heard any rubbing with the smaller tires. Family noticed it too so I'm assuming it didn't rub before.

 

[tom3]

Is this rubbing only on turning full lock? On both sides of the sway bar or just one side? If it was just me driving it and rubs when turning I'd leave it as is, remember to not go full lock when possible. I don't like spacers. If only on one side of the bar I'd try to move it over in the bushings some. Can't get much but might be just enough.

 

[mb1500]

1/4” should be all you need.

 

[CMoore711]

Post of pics of the new tires. I was considering bumping up to a 305/45/22 also.

Does your steering response feel more “squishy” or delayed with the new taller tire size?

I have stock 22’s with 285/45/22 tires and my stock wheels and tires rub the front sway bar. I’ve got a minor drop on mine though; lowered about 1-1/2” front and 2-3/4” rear.

 

[bdbull]

Is this rubbing only on turning full lock? On both sides of the sway bar or just one side?

I believe I can hear some rubbing when taking corners a little aggressively which is not at full lock. And, it is rubbing on both sides.

Post of pics of the new tires. I was considering bumping up to a 305/45/22 also.

Does your steering response feel more “squishy” or delayed with the new taller tire size?

I don't think it feels any more "squishy" than before. I actually commented to my wife that I feel more connected to the road. However, these tires are replacing a set that was down to 2/32" well before warranty, so that is what I'm comparing to.
Here's a pic I just took. It's actually my wife's car so that's why it's so dirty.

 

[BlaineBug]

That's a baby rub. My Michelin tires are original and have 51,000 miles on them with the factory 18" wheels. I can see minor rubbing on the wheel liners as well.

 

[bdbull]

That's a baby rub. My Michelin tires are original and have 51,000 miles on them with the factory 18" wheels. I can see minor rubbing on the wheel liners as well.

Are you saying yours rub the fender liners in the wheel well? If that was the case I wouldn't be concerned as those are just plastic. However, these are rubbing on metal, granted it's smooth metal. But metal vs. rubber, metal will win.

The car we bought for my son had some giant tires on it that rubbed the body underneath. There was literally a cut line all the way around the tire from where the metal had "dug" it out over time. That's what I'm afraid of. Here's a picture of the tire we took off his car.

 

[BlaineBug]

Are you saying yours rub the fender liners in the wheel well? If that was the case I wouldn't be concerned as those are just plastic. However, these are rubbing on metal, granted it's smooth metal. But metal vs. rubber, metal will win.

The car we bought for my son had some giant tires on it that rubbed the body underneath. There was literally a cut line all the way around the tire from where the metal had "dug" it out over time. That's what I'm afraid of. Here's a picture of the tire we took off his car.

View attachment 381528

I have never heard them rub but I can see tiny rub marks on the fender liner.
You're right metal is stronger than rubber but your rubber isn't solid either and if it rubs at full lock that's a rare event. I wouldn't worry about it personally and especially wouldn't introduce wheel spacers to your mix. The 1/4" wheel spacer you are talking about isn't a bolt on spacer either and will just give you less threads for your lug nuts to engage. Totally not worth!

 

[BlaineBug]

Are you saying yours rub the fender liners in the wheel well? If that was the case I wouldn't be concerned as those are just plastic. However, these are rubbing on metal, granted it's smooth metal. But metal vs. rubber, metal will win.

The car we bought for my son had some giant tires on it that rubbed the body underneath. There was literally a cut line all the way around the tire from where the metal had "dug" it out over time. That's what I'm afraid of. Here's a picture of the tire we took off his car.

View attachment 381528

By the way was your Son's vehicle a Jeep? I remember my 1995 Jeep Cherokee had a pinch weld in the fender liner that looks like it would have made this cut. We used to make relief cuts of this joint and hammer/fold it over flat. Your sway bar won't cut into your tires like this, which I assume cut into his tires when the tire was flexed up tight into his wheel well. Apples/Oranges.

 

[bdbull]

By the way was your Son's vehicle a Jeep? I remember my 1995 Jeep Cherokee had a pinch weld in the fender liner that looks like it would have made this cut. We used to make relief cuts of this joint and hammer/fold it over flat. Your sway bar won't cut into your tires like this, which I assume cut into his tires when the tire was flexed up tight into his wheel well. Apples/Oranges.

No, he has a 4Runner, and it was like that when we bought it. I had done my research and was prepared to get the "body mount chop" done on it after I changed out wheels and tires. It's good now. I sold those wheels and tires and the stock wheels and tires that the previous owner gave us with the 4Runner and made enough to pay for the body mount chop and brand new wheels and tires. So now he has better tires and it doesn't rub at all.

 

[BlaineBug]

Sounds like a similar issue with a modified 4Runner.

As for your Tahoe, it's not broke so don't fix it. There's no way that smooth anti-sway bar will damage your tire rubbing at full lock. Adding those stupid lug-centric spacers is asking for more trouble than what kind of symptoms you are experiencing at present.

 

[bdbull]

Sounds like a similar issue with a modified 4Runner.

As for your Tahoe, it's not broke so don't fix it. There's no way that smooth anti-sway bar will damage your tire rubbing at full lock. Adding those stupid lug-centric spacers is asking for more trouble than what kind of symptoms you are experiencing at present.

That's a great point about being hub centric instead of lug centric. Read a lot of reviews on amazon about "universal" spacers causing balancing issues because they are lug centric and will essentially "fall" onto the lugs when installed.

 

[bdbull]

Looks like Bora makes hub centric spacers for the Tahoe. That was a very recommended brand when I was doing all my 4Runner research.

 

[BlaineBug]

Looks like Bora makes hub centric spacers for the Tahoe. That was a very recommended brand when I was doing all my 4Runner research.

For such a thin spacer though they are just a spacer not a bolt-on spacer, so regardless if lug or hub centric (although better) they are still pushing your wheel away from the mating surface and reducing the amount of usable threads you have. Unless these Bora spacers are different from what I have seen.

I'm not a fan of any wheel spacers due to the leverage that they create but the "safest" would be one like these which essentially gives you another full set of lug studs and another hub face to mate with the wheel. Of course in order to be able to do that the spacer has to be a lot bigger than 1/4".

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Many shops won't do any work that requires removing and re-mounting the wheels/tires, if there are spacers on the hubs.

 

[BlaineBug]

Many shops won't do any work that requires removing and re-mounting the wheels/tires, if there are spacers on the hubs.

Many years ago in 2006 CostCo wouldn't mount 30x9.50s on my Jeep as it was just ever so slightly larger than the 235/75/R15s I was replacing. But they would mount them on the wheels if I brought them to them, which I did, but required borrowing yet another vehicle.

 

[CMoore711]

@bdbull Are the tires only running the away bar right there?

Are they rubbing anywhere else up front that you can tell? Specifically are the tires rubbing the inside of the fender liner at all?

The rear side of the front fender closest to the drivers seat and/or closest to the front passenger seat is a common place for larger tires to make contact with the inside fender liner.

 

[bdbull]

For such a thin spacer though they are just a spacer not a bolt-on spacer, so regardless if lug or hub centric (although better) they are still pushing your wheel away from the mating surface and reducing the amount of usable threads you have. Unless these Bora spacers are different from what I have seen.

I'm not a fan of any wheel spacers due to the leverage that they create but the "safest" would be one like these which essentially gives you another full set of lug studs and another hub face to mate with the wheel. Of course in order to be able to do that the spacer has to be a lot bigger than 1/4".
View attachment 381543

We have a set of these on my son's 4Runner. So far they have functioned well.

@bdbull Are the tires only running the away bar right there?

Are they rubbing anywhere else up front that you can tell? Specifically are the tires rubbing the inside of the fender liner at all?

The rear side of the front fender closest to the drivers seat and/or closest to the front passenger seat is a common place for larger tires to make contact with the inside fender liner.

They are only rubbing the sway bars. No rubbing on the inner fender at all.