I'm interested in adding bigger tires on my Ranger, I don't offroad(unless you count the occasional bumpy road on a construction site I may be working at) but I do live in the city and parallel park on a daily basis, will the rubbing effect my ability to get into spots? I often have the wheel turned all the way in a given direction as I manuever into and out of spots, would rubbing make this type of procedure more difficult?

Thanks,
Ray

 

PSKSAM2,
The rubbing you hear with your wheel at full lock is probably just the mud guards in the fender. My 98 does this. The little rubber flap that helps keep water off of the engine occasionally sticks out and the tire rubs on it when I turn. I get zip-tied the back out of the way, no more rubbing noises.
Probably nothing to worry about anyway, I just hated lisening to it...

 

I just bought a Ranger 97. This one came with 15" wheels, and 235/75/15 tires.

The problem is that when I drive in a terrain not so plain, or just a little bit off-road, the tires rub the internal side of the fender (the plastic part), with the up-down movement of the suspension.

I replaced the shock absorbers, but the problem is still there.

I was wondering if this change on the wheels size need any other modification on the suspension. I known that the newer models use this 15" size.

Or should I check the springs on the suspension?

Thanks anyone that can help me.

Edivaldo
Brazil

 

The change in rim sizes on your truck should not matter. What probably made a difference was an upgrade in the overall diameter of the tire (rubber) itself. If you went from 235/70 -14's to 235/70 -15's, your tire is 1 inch taller than the old one. Remember that for metric sizes, they are catagorized in reference to their width. For your tire, p235/70R15, that's 235mm wide at the sidewall, 70% of that number (176.25mm) tall off of the rim. That makes it a 28.88in (733.5mm) tall tire [(176.25 x 2) + 381mm/15in] versus 27.88in on a 14 inch rim.
My guess is that you might be better off with a slightly smaller diameter tire. The springs, shocks, and other componentes are probably working fine. Check with a tire shop to see what they say, or for a compatability chart. Maybe a 225/70, or 235/65 would work better, although for an offroad tire, I wouldn't go below 65% on the height. You'll need the extra room between rocks and the rims to avoid pinch-damage.
Sorry for so much technical without any diagrams or pictures to support it. I hope it made sense.

 

Thanks rebturtle, what you said do make sense!

One more question: Since all the 4 tires are today with the same measures, but the problem only happens on the front of the truck, is it suitable to replace only these ones with a more appropriated size?

This way the front ones will have 1 inch less than the rear ones.

 

This is perfectly fine only if the truck is two-wheel drive. If it is four-whell drive, the transfer case will have to try to spin two sets of different-sized tires at the same speed, and something will have to give. Usually an axleshaft or a u-joint, but possibly the planetery gears in the transfer case. I really suggest checking the four-wheel magazines for a tire fit/clearance chart. I have links to some of them on my site. I'll try to dig through my old magazines to see what should fit under a '97 Ranger. Something tells it should fit up to 30" - but I'm not sure.

 

I've got 31x10.5 on 15" rims on my '98 XLT, with no lift kit. The only major draw back to these are breaking. The standard breaks wear out really quickly, so I've bought lifetime breaks, and just replace the pads every 4-6 months. It also had 14" rims on it when I bought it,by changing the wheel size, the acceleration and fuel efficency decreased dramatically.

 

what are the stock specs for a 98' ranger xlt 2wd reg cab with a 4 banger?
wheel size? can i fit 31' mt's on there. also what is the bolt pattern. i have a set
31' x 10.5 on my 83 cj7 and that would be real nice if i could swap the 2 to
check. if noone knows, i guess i'll check when i go home and let you all know.

 

I am not sure if the jeep bolt pattern for that early of a year is the same, but the newer jeeps (Cherokees, Wronglers, ect.) bolt pattern are the same bolt pattern as on the ranger. I lifted my 99' 2x 3" in order to have no rubbing issues with 31x10.50 AT's. Your 31's on a stock 2x are going to be stuffed and will rub. You could go up to a 235/75/15's and more than likely have no rubbing issues, (you will just have to put one on the front and check) I did that on my 99' before I lifted it and went to 31's. Some of you guys are posting some really bogus info, I am not pointing fingers at anybody but we have had this discussion in the past. Some people seem to think as long as it clears the fenders and only rubs a little bit all is good - this is major wrong. Sure with my lift I could stuff 33x12.50's under my truck, but I know they will rub, putting the biggest tires you can sqeeze under your fenders is not real bright, you need room for the suspension to move up and down at full wheel lock in either direction without your tires bottoming out into your fenders, fender liner, and the bottom corners of the spoiler (you can always trim some of the bottom corners of your spoiler to aleviate the rubbing there, but if you are not really carefull you can end up ruining it in the process). Elcdogo, if you purchased that said of 31x10.50 MT's that are on your jeep you know how much they cost, how will you feel if you ruin one becuase you puncture the sidewall due to something on the inner fender area rubbing it? DANG, you'll be out $125 bucks give or take a few. I would not recomend the 31's unless you lift your truck 3" inches, but thats just my opinion on that, I am sure someone else will tell you some BS about it being prefectly fine and they won't rub at all -

 

thanks, that's what i figured. i was told the 31' would rub on the cj, but i
haven't had a problem yet, offroad and all. that's why i'm asking

 

Hey man no prob, sounds like you do some off-roading so you already know you need some room for you tires to clear everything.....

 

Jeep and Dodge tend to keep the same bolt patterns as Ford. 5 on 4-1/2 for light duty, and 5 on 5-1/2 for full size.

 

Im just going to throw my 2 cents in real quick, Ive got a 97 2WD that we put the 31 10.50s off of my cousins jeep on before I got new tires to see if they rub, when the truck was stock, I couldnt get those tires to rub at all, they looked alittle to big so I went with 30 9.50s and lifted the front 2 inches but the 31s did clear

 

C'mon now did u drive with them on or just put them on and look? Like how about pulling up a steep driveway with the wheel turned? I'm just not buying it -

 

I drove the thing like I stole it basicly, I drove like I always do, off curbs up curbs through pretty steep driveways, we even took it offroad on some slow rutted out (as rutted out as a 2wd will handle at least) roads and went slow drove fast through some dirt roads in the desert, and they never rubbed, and if they did rub there werent any obviously polished spots on the frame or suspension parts, and we never heard it