Best Wheel/Tire Combo for 2.5’’ Lift On YJ - Need To Stay Tucked In

SquareFace

SquareFace

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Hey everyone,

I am installing 2.5” Old Man Emu Springs on my 1992 Jeep Wrangler YJ (stock shackles and body mounts) and am now looking for the best wheel and tire combo that keeps the tires tucked in as much as possible under the fenders.

My goal is to maintain good handling and ride quality, but also keep the Jeep narrow since I have a tight garage space and need to make sure it’ll fit this winter with the top on.

Anyone running a similar setup with success? Would love recommendations on:

  • Tire size that works well with this lift without rubbing
  • Wheel width and offset/backspacing that keeps things tucked
  • Any pics of your setup would be super helpful too

Thanks in advance!
 
To stay tucked, your only real option is factory wheels, or aftermarket fender flares that provide more coverage for wider/further sticking out wheel/tire combos. Since you're trying to stay narrow for garage reasons and not legal reasons, that pretty much leaves the stock wheels as your only option.

For a 2.5" lift, I would run some stock 30x9.5 tires on 15x7 or 15x8 stock YJ or TJ wheels and put a washer under each steering stop. That will keep you from rubbing. You probably would not experience rubbing on the 15x8 stock wheel, depending on the specific tire chosen.

Here's a pic of mine on 15x7 TJ Grizzly wheels with 30x9.5 Toyo ATIIIs. It fit pretty well, just would hit the leaf springs on tight turns. One thick flat washer per steering stop fixed it. No lift here, lift would have looked a bit better I think.

IMG_5069.JPEG
 
SquareFace said:
Thank you! Beautiful Jeep by the way. What washers did you use? If you remember.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Trying to restore it to its mostly original stock beauty, so it now has the styled steel wheels and 215/75 tires (BFG KO3). Although I did like the TJ Grizzly wheels too. I still have them and will hang onto them just in case. They were NOS from Mopar.

Washers were just for 3/8” bolts, I got them from the “thick flat” drawer at Ace Hardware. Being thick, they were more than needed, but I wanted something that wasn’t going to bend and flex when the steering was at full lock, so I went with the thicker washers. They also can’t be too large of a diameter or else they won’t sit flat on the spot on the knuckle. Just go to the hardware store and you ought to find something for 3/8” in the grade 8 section.

If you went with 235/75R15 (29x9.5), you wouldn’t have any rub at all on 15x7 wheels, but it may look a bit goofy on 2.5” lift.
 
I have 30 x 9.5 tires on factory TJ wheels (15 X8) and a 2.5” lift. Tires don’t rub anywhere. Standard fender flares. I can post photos later today and even measure the total width if you like.
 
Beautiful! Thanks for taking the time to do that. Very helpful. Any chance you can send a pic from the side? I’d love to see the amount of clearance the tire clearance and if there is room to spare for 31 inch tires.
 
SquareFace said:
Beautiful! Thanks for taking the time to do that. Very helpful. Any chance you can send a pic from the side? I’d love to see the amount of clearance the tire clearance and if there is room to spare for 31 inch tires.
Click to expand...

Never mind @TRevs! I looked back at one of your threads and found a pic from November 2024. 30 inch tires look to be a perfect fit. Thanks again!
 
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I think 30’s are great. 31’s would probably rub somewhere when the axles flex offroad, and they exacerbate the undergearing. I think 30’s on 2.5” are a good compromise between looks, offroad clearance, and minimizing power loss from bigger tires.
 
1750990858305.jpeg

Little bit late to the post... 2.5" of lift with 30 x 9.5 BFG All Terrain KO2s on 15 x 8 Granite wheels...no rubbing issues...
 
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