Rims for my 2003 FX4

[mud junky]

im looking to get new rims and rubber for my 2003 FX4. i would rather go with 15x8's if i can get away with it. but not sure i can. i tried putting my tires from my B2 on to see if they would fit. 35x12.50R15 on 15x8 steel rims with a 3.75 back spacing and they did clear the calipers, but not by much. i would say maybe 1/4 clearance. the thing is that some of the local cops can get realy picky about tires sticking out to far so i need to get rims with a 4.5 backspacing for my ranger. also i would like to get aluminum rims. both of which i would assume would bring the inner wall of the rim closer to the calipers. so im not sure i could get away with 15x8 aluminum rims with a 4.5" backspacing on my 2003 FX4 ranger. anyone know for sure one way or the other about this?

 

[kemo]

Stock ranger with stock tires seems to rub the darn wheel-well "splash guards"... does yours? My 98 ranger did the same thing as my 01 does.

 

[mud junky]

my Ranger came stock with 245/75R16 on 16x7 rims with 4.5" back spacing. no i did not have any rubbing issues. i now have a 3" body lift, and the same tires. im looking to go to a 33x12.50R15 tire on a 15x8 rim with a 4.5" backspacing if that will work. if not i will be doing 285/75R16 tires on 16x8 rims with 4.5" backspacing.

 

[kemo]

interesting, I have the same exact size tires. I'm chalking you up as one that doesn't have the issue. i envy you!

 

[mud junky]

i might have had rubbing issues if i had taken it off road all stock. even with the body lift i can stuff the shit out of the stock tires off road, so i assume without it i would have some rubbing.

 

[kemo]

Mine only rubs when I turn while backing up.

 

[john.masce]

So you never turn or back up?

 

[Bartowski]

No rubbing on mine, even when I had 245 65 16s on the truck - even off road. Supposedly the wells are big enough (on the standard 4x4, not sure about FX) to take up to 32s on the 16s w/o rubbing - I have not tried, just heard that from one of the engineers at the plant in Jersey back when I was buying mine.