From the Ford Model A to the new Jeep JK our historic obsession with jamming on bigger knobbies has been born out of both necessity and fun. Though there's always that little voice whispering "bigger is better," sometimes a couple of inches are all you really need to increase your rig's trail performance without breaking the bank and draining the pump. Like most wheeling enthusiasts, we look to what others have had success with and suspension manufacturer's guides, and, when all else fails, we venture into uncharted waters with a little bit of blind faith and a Sawzall. In our search to gather the most accurate data on fitting taller tires, we've found that there are no clear-cut answers for every vehicle. From rockcrawling Wranglers with only 2 inches of lift and 40-inch tires to mud-stomping Jeeps with 10 inches and the same size meat, it's tough to make the final call when it comes to what's right for your rig. So please feel free to use this as a guide, as you may see that you might not need any lift if you are willing to trim, or if you're not ready to peal back that sheetmetal you may want to err on the side of caution and give your truck the suggested amount of boost.
Wheel Of Fortune
Backspacing, tire width, and fenderwell openings are just a few of the important factors when determining what size tire will fit on your rig. This chart is meant merely as a guide to help you figure out what size tire might be best for your rig.
The Lowdown
As a general rule for off-road performance, we suggest keeping your rig as low as possible while running a beefy tire. This usually entails trimming the fenders, and incorporating bumpstops is helpful as well to keep your vehicle's center of gravity as low as possible.
| INCHES OF LIFT NEEDED... | ...TO FIT THESE TIRES (INCHES IN DIAMETER) |
| Model | Year | 31 | 33 | 35 | 37 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44+ |
| CHEVY/GMC |
| ½, ¾, & 1-ton leaf sprung | 69-91 | 0 | 0-2 | 3-6 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 10-12 | 12 |
| ½ & ¾-ton IFS | 88-98 | 0 | 0-2 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 10+ | |
| ½ & ¾-ton IFS late model | 99-06 | 0-2 | 2-4 | 6 | 8 | 8-10 | 10+ | | |
| Hummer H2 | 02-08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5.5 | 6 | 8+ | |
| S-10 | 83-01 | 2-3 | 4-6 | 5-6 | 8 | 9+ | | | |
DODGE |
| Dakota | 91-99 | 0-2 | 3-5.5 | 6 | 7+ | | | | |
| Ram & Ramcharger | 69-93 | 0 | 0-2 | 4 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 8 | 8+ | |
| ½ & ¾-ton Ram Pickup | 94-02 | 0 | 0-2 | 3-5 | 6-7 | 7+ | | | |
| Ram 1500 late model | 02-05 | 0 | 1.5~2 | 4~6 | 6 | 7+ | | | |
| Ram 1500 late model | 06-07 | 0 | 2-3 | 6 | | | | | |
| ¾ & 1-ton Ram late model | 02-07 | 0 | 0-2 | 2-4 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 8+ | | |
| FORD |
| Bronco | 66-77 | 0-3 | 0-5.5 | 3.5-5.5 | 5.5-7 | 7+ | | | |
| Bronco/F-150 | 80-96 | 0 | 0-2 | 2-4 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 8+ | | |
| Bronco II/Ranger | 83-92 | 2-4 | 4-6 | 6+ | | | | | |
| Explorer | 90-01 | 2-4 | 4-5.5 | 6+ | | | | | |
| Ford F-150 | 97-03 | 0 | 0 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 8+ | | | |
| Ford F-150 late model | 04-08 | 0 | 2-3 | 3-6 | 6+ | | | | |
| F-250/F-350 | 80-97 | 0 | 0 | 2-4 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 8+ | | |
| Ford F-250/F-350 Super Duty | 99-04 | 0 | 0 | 0-2 | 4-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | 10+ | |
| Ford F-250/F-250 late model | 05-08 | 0 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 6 | 6-8 | 10 | | |
| Ranger/Mazda B2500 | 93-97 | 0-2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | | | | |
| Ranger/Mazda B2500 | 98-05 | 0-2 | 3.5-4 | 5.5-6 | | | | | |
| INTERNATIONAL |
| Scout II | '72 | 0 | 3-4 | 4-6 | | | | | |
| JEEP | | | | | | | | | |
| Cherokee | 84-01 | 0-3 | 4.5-5.5 | 6-8 | 8+ | | | | |
| CJ | 41-86 | 1-2 | 2.5-4.5 | 4.5-5.5 | 6+ | | | | |
| Grand Cherokee ZJ | 93-98 | 2-3 | 3.5-4.5 | 5-6 | | | | | |
| J-10/20 | 74-91 | 0 | 3-4 | 4 | | | | | |
| Wrangler JK | 07-Present | 0 | 0-2 | 2.5-3.5 | 4-5 | 5.5+ | | | |
| Wrangler TJ | 97-06 | 0 | 1-2.5 | 3-4.5 | 5-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | | |
| Wrangler YJ | 87-95 | 1-2.5 | 3-4 | 4.5-6 | | | | | |
| NISSAN |
| Frontier | 05-Present | 2.5 | 2.5-3 | 6 | | | | | |
| Hardbody | 86-97 | 1-2.5 | 2.5-4 | 5.5-6.5 | | | | | |
| Titan | 04-07 | 0 | 2.5-3 | 4-6 | | | | | |
SUZUKI |
| Samurai | 85-95 | 2-3 | 4-6 | | | | | | |
TOYOTA |
| 4Runner | 84-85 | 0 | 3-4 | 4-5 | 5-7 | | | | |
| 86-89 | 0 | 0-4 | 4-5 | | | | | |
| 90-95 | 0 | 3.5-4 | 4-7 | | | | | |
| 96-04 | 0 | 2.5-3 | | | | | | |
| FJ-40 | 64-80 | 0-2.5 | 0-2.5 | 2.5+ | | | | | |
| FJ Cruiser | 06-08 | 0 | 2-3 | 6 | | | | | |
| Mini truck | 79-85 | 0 | 3-4 | 4-6 | 7 | 7+ | | | |
| 86-96 | 0 | 3-4 | 4.5-6 | | | | | |
| Tacoma | 96-04 | 0 | 3-6 | 6-8 | 8-10 | | | | |
| 05-07 | 2 | 2.5-3 | 6 | | | | | |
| Tundra | 99-Present | 0 | 2.5-3 | 4-6 | | | | | |