Hi! i've just bought a 98 TJ that has a 2" lift and aftermarket wheels, the spare is a Mickey Tompson and the rollin ones are american alloys with 31x10.5 tires:  the problem is that im planning to get a 4" lift and 33" x 12.5"  but I dont know if I have proper backspacing


Does anyone know a way to measure this,? i've realized that the spare is not touching the door tire stops. I dont know if this is a way to measure backspacing... any ideas?  

the after market wheels are probably 4.5 or so especially if they don't rub the front lower control arms fully turned.
4.5 will work for the 33x12.5's, stock 16" rubicon wheels are 5" and also work, they rub the front spring buckets and the rear spring pads under extreme flex.....
for maximum articulation with no rubbing, 3.5" backspaced 15-16x8's are recomended, they will stick out a bit requiring some wider flares to keep it legal.

front pinched into the spring bucket/tower
note: my suspension is well broke in and the sway bar unhooked..


heres the rear...
note: I have a three link rear (nth degree stinger) and longer shocks than most, the extreme rub was the result of a broken track bar mount.

 

humberto15:
Hi! i've just bought a 98 TJ that has a 2" lift and aftermarket wheels, the spare is a Mickey Tompson and the rollin ones are american alloys with 31x10.5 tires:  the problem is that im planning to get a 4" lift and 33" x 12.5"  but I dont know if I have proper backspacing


Does anyone know a way to measure this,? i've realized that the spare is not touching the door tire stops. I dont know if this is a way to measure backspacing... any ideas?

This is easy.  Take off one wheel and lay it with the outside of the wheel down on the ground.  Lay some cardboard or something down so the wheel does not get scratched.  Lay a straight edge across the wheel and then measure from the back side of the mounting surface of the wheel to the straight edge and that is your backspacing.

Here is a great site that will help you compare tire and wheel sizes plus show you how to measure a rim and give you all the terms of a wheel.

http://www.rims-n-tires.com/rt_specs.jsp