Blue98

hey guys im going to get a 2.5 inch budget lift for my xj on christmas and im hoping to put larger tires on my stock rims afterwards since my tires are going bad so i have a few questions

1. if i want to paint my stock rims black what type of paint should i use and what should i do to prep them

2. what is the largest tire size i can fit without rubbing on a 2.5 lift

3. should i get wheels spacers because i like the wide wheel look and im afraid i wont get that with the stock rims

any feedback would be greatttly appreciated =]

TheJerm

a set of 31x8.5x15 would work fine, may have to trim alittle here and there

Combat_Gunner

With a BB and moderate trimming 31x10.50x15s will fit just fine. They will clear everything with stock rims, and the narrower rim acts as a poor-man's beadlock. The taller the tire, the wider you can go with 7 or 8 inch rims. I ran 35x12.50x15s on a Blazer with the stock 8 inch wheels for years, and it worked great. I chose the stock steel Jeep wheels for my rig because they have the perfect offset to tuck nicely with 31's for maximum articulation. I don't have fender flares, so I need the tires up under the body, not sticking out to the side. It's clean. I don't like aftermarket wheels that are offset way out, unnecessarily. It gives the impression the owner is ignorant of how to measure backspacing and choose the proper wheels. If you're using tires that are wider than 11.50" on stock rims, they will rub your control arms at full lock. That's why some guys choose a rim with less backspacing, or use spacers. Wheel spacers are almost always a bad idea, because they negatively alter the scrub radius and accelerate axle and hub bearing wear.

I've painted wheels with Rustoleum, Krylon, Imron, and even the uber-tough ceramic paints. Bad news. None of them held up very well. My advice: powdercoat. For $60 a wheel your local powdercoater will envelope your wheels in nearly-indestructible baked-on plastic color. Wheels take a beating, especially on our rigs. Unless you want to be repainting them every couple weeks, don't bother with rattle cans. Oh, and if you bend one of your steel rims you can hammer it straight and powdercoating will flex and stay on. Anything else will crack and fall off.

To prep: Grab some 120 and 200 grit sandpaper and get to work. Don't miss anything. Blow off the dust. Wash with soap and water and blow them dry. Wait an hour for any residual water to evaporate. Paint in 3 or 4 light coats to avoid runs and drips, waiting 8-10 minutes between coats. Let them dry overnight in a warm, dry environment.

Hope this helps.

Blue98

combat gunne you are THE man, this is my first car im only 16 and it really helps to get advice from someone who truly knows what they are talking about. and im thinking about doing 30 inch tires but keeping on my stock flares, i would still like the tires to stick out about a half inch from the flares. i just like the look . and thanks alot for the prep advice

Blue98

thanks but im looking to not trim at all so im guessing 30's will help

BC61

I painted my stock steel wheels a year ago with very inexpensive spray paint from Lowes. I used Valspar Basic Color Primer and Valspar Basic Color Satin Black. They key with any paint job is in the prep.

I washed the wheels with a power washer from a coin car wash. Then wet sanded them with 400 grit. I finished by wiping them down with a prep solvent. I happened to have a can of DuPont Final Clean but I think any good prep solvent will do.

I first painted them with two coats of primer and then three coats of paint. I used two cans of primer and three of color. I think it was all less than $25.

I did this in November when it was to cold to let the paint dry outside so I pre-heated the wheels as well as flashed them and cured them in my oven. I set the oven to 200 degrees. The wheels started at a room temp of ~70 degrees. I did one at a time. I put the wheel in the oven for ~10 minutes before primer and about 3 minutes to flash them between coats and then about another 8 minutes before the color. I flashed between each coat as well as set them back in the oven when done for ~15 minutes to cure. Afterward I let them stay in side (70 degrees) overnight.

I also painted the center caps using the same method but less time in the oven since they are plastic. Good sanding and light coats of primer will get the paint to stick without running. I taped off the jeep emblem as they are not removable and they look like factory parts now.

The result have been well worth the effort. I have over ten thousand miles on the vehicle since doing this and they look as good as the day I did them.


Here are a few picutres after painting.






On the vehicle with 30x9.5 BFG All Terrains and no lift. Anything larger and you will get rubbing even with a 2" lift during articulation.




This is the stance of the stock rims, no lift. You can create off set with spacer but I don't think the wheels will tuck up under the fenders as well and you may have more clearance issues. Some one commented above about spacers creating wear but the effect is no different than off set wheels.




With 2" lift and one year later. Sorry for picture quality, cell camera.

TheJerm

I had 30's once on my last XJ and they rubbed in the rear due to saggy springs. It would rub bad if it had 4 or 5 ppl and a full tank of gas

genes005

you should be able to get 31/10.5/15 if you get the wheel spacers otherwise it will rub on the lower control arm. another option is back out the screw that limits your turning radius.

I haven't had any success painting rims but if i were you i'd paint up you flairs. hands down it is the best money i put into my xj i used krylon fusion (a bunch of people use this stuff it works great)

Green01XJ

i used rustoleum universal hammered black from home depot. paid $6.98 a can. cleaned the wheels with some laquer thinner (spelling?) and applied 2 coats to each. it only took 1 can and about a quarter of a 2nd can. i think they came out great, and i have wheeled on them for a little over a month now. not a scratch or flake has came off yet....have also blasted them with the hose from almost point blank and washed them multiple times, still no scratching or flaking. its simple an looks good

dukie564

I would stick with 30" tires if you don't want to worry about trimming. They sell wheel spacers 1/2" or 3/4" should be perfect for you.

Blue98

bc61 thank you sooo much. im going to do exactly wht you said exept put the rims in the over because i dont think my grandma would be happy opening the over to make dinner and finding rims in there lol. but you guys have been a great help and really cleared my minds of any worries. i love this forum thanks .

brendancfarrell

I actually picked up some some wheel spacers from Rough Country for 59.99 a pair. they are 1.5in. my theory is that if you go up, you need to go out so you are not top heavy. many of my friends that had lifted jeeps and kept stock tires on them, rolled them. 3 of my friends were hospitalized for it. i do agree that a tire that sticks out a lot looks ridiculous, but as long as you dont go out to to much, you will be alright. as for extensive wear with spacers, ive had mine on for over a year and i have had nothing wrong with anything, and i even took a cross country trip, so i doubt you will have problems with them as long as you install them correctly and check them every 500 or so miles for the first 1500 miles. as for tire size, 30's will be good for a 2.5" lift.

Blue98

i feel the same way brendan

BC61

Hopefully you realise the vehicle is still top heavy but you have made the foot print a little wider aiding in stability. Problem I have seen with the wider stance is the tires are more likely to rub the flares. I installed a larger diameter front sway bar to compensate for the lift.

brendancfarrell

Actually, yes, i have had a problem with low clearance since i have installed the spacers, but thats just because i threw my back out in july and havent been able to install the 3" lift thats sittin in my truck haha. but i highly recommend the spacers for safety and for the use of bigger rims and rubber. the other problem with the wider stance is when you turn hard, the Jeep like shakes. i think a better steering stabilizer should help that, or a new front sway bar like BC61 said