OK Rim/Tire Combo for Stock 1980 CJ-5?

[flyer92]

Greetings all! Newbie to the site, but I've owned my 1980 CJ5 for nearly 20 years, and just put on a new rim/tire combo (steel 15" rims, 32" tires). After I did it, I started questioning whether this combination would damage my drivetrain, as it is much larger/heavier than the stock rims/tires that were originally installed on the Jeep. Luckily, no lift was required for clearance...just needed 1.5 inch wheel spacers. This is my daily driver, so most of my driving is in town or on the highway, and I do a little off-roading on dirt/gravel trails...definitely no rock-crawling. Can anyone advise if I'm causing additional wear or stress on my drivetrain components with this rim/tire combo? Many thanks!

 

[Lumpy Grits]

:ww:

You should be fine as to the tire dia.
That said-I'm no fan of 'wheel-spacers'.
They will stress your front spindles and rear axle bearings.
Do hope you have switched to Moser 1-piece rear axles by now.
LG

 

[flyer92]

Thanks, Lumpy. I'm not a fan of spacers either, but the back-spacing on the rims were pretty deep and required it. Without them, the tires would rub against my springs, even if the vehicle was lifted. So now....I'm a little worried about the spacers damaging my rear axle and front spindles as you mentioned. I had never heard of this before...can you please explain how this occurs?

 

[Torxhead]

You should notice that you will not be able to stop as easy with those larger tires and it will affect your speedometer of course. This can be corrected by changing the speedo gear in the Transfer Case . There are internet sites that can tell you which gear to use. Ditto on the wheel spacers. You can also adjust the steering stop bolts also so those tires don't hit the springs.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Thanks, Lumpy. I'm not a fan of spacers either, but the back-spacing on the rims were pretty deep and required it. Without them, the tires would rub against my springs, even if the vehicle was lifted. So now....I'm a little worried about the spacers damaging my rear axle and front spindles as you mentioned. I had never heard of this before...can you please explain how this occurs?

Outboard loading of the bearings.
Why don't you just get wheels with the correct backspacing?
How wide are these wheels?
LG

 

[jp360cj]

I'm not a big fan of spacers either, but know quite a few guys running them for a while with no issues.

The spacers don't put any more stress on bearings or ball joints than a wheel with the same backspacing as your current wheels+spacers.


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[flyer92]

Thanks for all the great info, everyone! Luckily, my warranty on the new rims allowed me to switch them out for a similar set that won't require spacers. However, as jp360cj stated, "...spacers don't put any more stress on bearings or ball joints than a wheel with the same backspacing..." This seems to make a lot of sense because the dimensions and subsequent loading on the bearings should be the same, right? Other than securing a piece of metal in between the rim and hub, what's the difference?

 

[Lumpy Grits]

It called 'leverage' and 'loading'.
Glad you found the correct wheels.
LG

 

[flyer92]

Thanks, LG...I understand the physics behind it, which is why it shouldn't make a difference whether you have a deep rim + spacer or just a rim with less backspacing. Either way, the leverage and subsequent loading shouldn't be different. Of course, I agree with you 100% on the spacers...definitely prefer to run without 'em.

On a related note, I've considered replacing my 2-piece rear axle with a 1-piece as you suggested, but I think I'll have to stick with the stock config. I'm not a hardcore off-roader, and prefer to retain the value of my CJ by keeping it as stock as possible. Since I got the Jeep 15 years ago, I've done my best to use only OEM stuff and keep it looking/running like it did in 1980. Only exception, was the rims because I just can't find stock rims in decent condition. I know this sounds absurd to some people, but I just hate modifying a vehicle that already serves my purposes as designed. I'll let someone else chop it up when they pry it from cold, dead hands! That said, I totally respect what every owner does or doesn't do with their rigs, as long as they're having fun. After all, that's what being a Jeep owner is all about!

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Go with the Moser 1-piece rear axles.
They come in the Jeep 5/5.5" wheel bolt pattern.
OEM stuff has not been made in decades. The that looks OEM, is China made JUNK.
The OEM 2-piece axle was TNX to the AMC 'bean-counters'.
LG

 

[dane71]

These are pretty well rounded vehicles when relatively stock so not a bad decision. I've been running 32s for a long time with no issues, although I think I'll go down to 31s next time.

 

[jp360cj]

Other than securing a piece of metal in between the rim and hub, what's the difference?

Using spacers also adds a failure point and another maintenance item. I've never personally seen one break or come loose (and a few of my Jeep buddies have been running them for years), but I've heard/seen pics of them breaking or loosening up. Usually they are either not torqued correctly, or cheap ones from overseas.

 

[flyer92]

Agree 100%, jp...I was able to ditch those spacers and rims earlier this week, and am now running on 15" steel rims with much less backspace.

That said, I noticed that I only have about 1cm of clearance from the springs when the wheels are at their left/right-most limits. I doubt I will ever need to steer that sharply, but was hoping for a little more clearance. The mechanic who mounted the tires didn't think it was a big deal...but hey, it's not his Jeep!
Should I be concerned, or am I just obsessing over it (as usual)?

 

[Torxhead]

You can always adjust the steering stops if the tire gets too close to the leaf spring or fender well in a tight turn. On my CJ I even had to go to longer stop bolts as it did rub in full suspension travel.