tires on a cherokee

my girlfriend's 2000 cherokee rides on 33x12.50 tires on 10 inch rims. they stick out about 3 inches from the body right now. we have to have the tread covered in PA. we are putting on some cheap flares for now ( to keep the cops happy ) until i decide which of my two ideas will work better. i may install Bushwacker cut out flares, they will cover the tires nicely. i was wondering if going to an 8 inch rim would help bring the tread in closer to the body? anyone have ideas? thanks

switching to a narrower wheel may get you a little help but unless you have spare wheels in the garage and a tire machine you can use i'd say save the $$ and get the flares.. think about TJ flares.. cheaper, and they really dont look bad either.... the TJ SAHARA flares are even wider and accept paint better..
mike

There are two factors to consider -- rim width, and backspacing.

Assuming you buy new rims with the same backspacing you have now, dropping from a 10" rim to an 8" rim will move the centerline of the tire inboard by 1". If the tires extend 3" beyond the bodywork, that's not going to be enough.

Factory XJ rims are 15 (or 16) x 7 and have 5.25" backspacing. None of the aftermarket rims has that much backspacing. Most are in the 4.25 to 4.75 range, and some get out around 3.5"

You need to find out what the backspacing is on the rims she's running.

the rims she has now have 4 inches for backspacing. i think we're just gonna put the cut out flares on in a few weeks. they will open the wheelwell alittle more and they look great on cherokees.