A quick background before asking my question...
I came from 20 years in the Jeep world, and have always loved low-COG builds with minimal-to-no-lift and big tires. It drives me a little nuts to see vehicles lifted higher than they need to be for a given tire size (I see it daily here in East Tennessee, and online everywhere).
A couple of my previous low-COG builds.
Rare military '86 Jeep CJ-10a converted to 4WD, and running 34 x 9.50 "pizza cutter" Swampers on stock-height front springs and no body lift. Wheels are narrow (5.5"?) Toyota steelies from an '80s-era 4-Runner, IIRC.
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'05 LJ on 1-ton axles, H2 whees with 37" x 12.5" tires and a minimal 3.5" lift. Axle width, wheel/tire sizing, and the AEV highline body kit all helped clear this wheel/tire combination; the flex & tire stuff was amazing. When I was working on this project, people were typically lifting these Jeeps 4.5" to clear much smaller 33" tires, just for some comparative perspective.
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And back to current day, here's my other daily-driver CUCV, an '86 M1008 on sagged OEM front springs, H2 wheels with ~5 5/8" backspacing. They clear the 55/80R-17 (33" x 10") tires beautifully.
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So...now my question.
I'm slowly working on
this mutt '85 CUCV/C10 project. Here it is sitting on its "new" '86 GMC C15/C10 chassis and "roller" GMT wheels & tires (these will be replaced).
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Unlike a good portion of the 2WD crowd here, I do
not want to lower the truck, unless it's just a little in the back to level things out with the front. What I want to do is stuff the largest tire I can under the stock-height truck, and still clear the sheet metal and frame/suspension at full lock with the steering. Fitting any size in the rear won't be an issue; it's the front that's the big question here. I have not yet decided on the final wheels, so backspacing is completely flexible. I do not want to trim the exterior front fenders; I don't have inner fenders yet, but am willing to cut/weld/modify replacement inner fenders as-needed to clear. I just want to the tires to stuff and clear as they should. FWIW, the donor chassis is equipped with the F60 RPO code indicating the Heavy Duty Front Spring option (the rear is also G51, or Extra Capacity Rear Springs).
I've searched the web far & wide (various forums), and can't seem to find any real-world fitment answers aside from people using the stock 15" Rally wheels, which I won't be doing. I'll likely be using 17" wheels, but am open to
slightly larger ones.
Any real-world experience with specific sizing/backspacing details is appreciated.
Thanks,
Craig
