Tire rub on rear springs wih 31x10.5 and stock wheels!

I'm not an off-road newbie here just fairly new to modding XJ's, I just put 31's on my 96 and I have less than 1/2" clearence to the spring clamps. The springs are OME HD dakar. The wheels are stock Turbine wheels. The tires are Dayton Timberline MT 31x10.5.

Anyone else had this problem?

They do not rub on the street but I think they will rub when I air down due to deflection.

I really do not want to run spacers if I do not have to, and I think that another 1/4-1/2" would make me feel more at ease.

My 31's never rub offroad and I have about the same clearance.

You need to get away from the wheels stock backspacing of 5.25" and run at least 4.5" if not something like 4 inches of backspacing and you wouldn't have that problem. I run 33 X 12.5 tires on 3.75 inches of backspacing with no rubbing.

I run exactly the same tire on stock STEEL WHEELS and I have about an inch of clearance (D44 or Chryco 8.25). Hit the junk yard an pick up some stock steel wheels. The only time when I had any rubbing was when the spring clamps came loose and the springs spread. Now I use a U clamp riveted to one of the bottom springs and that problem is no more.

The Dayton Timberline is a great tire BTW. 3 ply sidewall, soft compound and a flexible side wall that doesnt need low pressure. I ran 18 lbs across the Rubicon and run 15 lbs as my normal rock pressure after they are broken in (1-2 weekends).

John

nosigma said:

Now I use a U clamp riveted to one of the bottom springs and that problem is no more.

Click to expand...

That is the way that the OME's are made, but the clamps meet the tires at the widest possible part. The bolt heads are the closest part, I'm going to put in some stainless steel carriage bolts so at least if they rub it will be smooth.

I have a set of steelies and I prefer steelies, just they are tied up with my almost new Pro Comp 30's. I just hope that the side walls do not cut on my clamps. I could go with spacers but I really do not want to trim any.

Just wanted to see if 1/2" clearence is going to be enough at 20 psi off-road.

Here is a pic, albeit a bad one of the tire to clamp clearence.