I'm in the market for some new mud tires. I just put a 3" lift on my 96 ZJ and im running 30s now. I like the look of the super swamper thornbirds but I'm not set on them. I don't mind trimming a little but what mud tire would be the best for mud and sand? I would like the tires to stick out so I was thinking about the 31x12.5s but idk know much about the clearance as far as the inside of the tire and the coil is concerned. Please help!

 

Never used thorn birds but swampers arnt the best on the street. If you want them to stick out used a less back space rim. You don't need fat tires

 

I'm not too familiar with back spacing but if I got a 15x8 with these 31x11.0R15 thornbirds I should be fine? What back spacing would there need to be?

 

Back spacing is what makes the tires stick out. Easiest way to explain it is the higher the number the more under the jeep they will be. Wheel spacers will push your tires out for cheaper than new tires.

 

O ok I understand. Thank u

 

Take a look at the TrXus MT from Interco. Great tire for mud, sand, and decent on the street. Or there is the Cooper Discoverer STT also.

 

I have the Cooper Discoverer STT tires and I love them. I only have a 3" lift and have 33x12.50x15 tires. I have them on 15x8 tires with 3.75" back spacing. I did have to trim 1" off my fenders though. I have no rubbing though.

 

you should not use wheel spacers. they are bad for braking off. i recomend you use a wheel with 3.75 backspacing. you may have to trim the fenders but not much.i would not run more than maybe a 32. the coopers are much better on the street.they will wear better too.

 

hub centric wheel spacers wont break off. and i run 33's on 3"

 

I found a set of wagon wheels off a early 70s dodge. They had a 3.5 back space. ( lay the rim on it's front and lay a straight edge across the rim and measure the straight edge to the middle of rim were it bolts up, that's your back space). I got 32/11.5/15 and they stick out about an inch and a half with no rub

 

Thornturds are an aweful tire. Drag slicks in mud, louder than a bogger, heavier than a tire 5" taller, wear out in 15k if you're lucky and are OK in sand. If you drive on the street you'd have to drive something else if it rains because they have no traction. If you spend a lot of time with a grooving iron on them they work slightly better than an all terrain off road.

 

A buddy of mine told me that Intercos TSL SX were a great tire. I was going to go with a 32x11.5. I still have pretty new destination mts so I won't upgrade till they're done. However they are only 30x9.5s. I feel like the truck would look better if they weren't tucked under the truck so much. But I don't know much about spacers, what brand or what size.

 

thornbirds are the worst tire i've ever purchased. they look cool and everything else about them is complete crap. they don't peform in the mud, sand, trails. and they are a absolute dead wish in the snow, ice, or rain. on another note, i've always been a fan of the bfg mt km1's and firestone destinations. km2's are prolly good too, but haven't tried them yet.

 

I found a 15x8, 5x4.5, and 3.75 backspacing. When I put a 32x11.5 on it, how much will it stick out? Would it require trimming?

 

both of these ^^^ mall crawling tires and not good ones at that. on the 96 zj i had i added a 2in bb and a set of 265/75/16 cooper discoverer stt's and loved them, i wish i could find a decent set for the xj i have now