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33x10.5r15 on '88 SE

3K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  wPine 
#1 ·
I'm looking to buy new tires for my 88 SE 4ze1. I only have 4.56 gears and am wondering if 33x10.5r15 would be a mistake. I know it'll be slower than the stock size but does it make it undriveable? I am used to land cruisers and nissan pickups which are both slow. Also, I have 2 sets of wheels. The stock rims for an 88 and the stock rims for an 86. which would be better for larger tires. I know the 86 rims have less backspacing but im concerned bigger tires will rub the fenders with the 86 rims.
 
#3 ·
It won't be undrivable, but you'll be downshifting at the thought of an uphill grade. I had an 88 with 35s, the 2.6, 5 speed, and 4.56 gears for few years in college, and it was no biggie. If you take it off road in any rocky/technical slow driving stuff, you'll be wishing for deeper gears, but around town it shouldn't be a big deal.
 
#5 ·
You'll probably need to drop into 4th, but it will handle it just fine. These motors enjoy the revs.
 
#6 ·
I always like to see the effective ratio with tire changes in size. Your effective ratio would be 3.99 and the ratio you would need to return to OEM would be 5.21. So yes, you'll be moving your rpms maybe out of the best power band for your engine and you'll be shifting into lower gears to get the engine back into its power band. But it'all look cool. Flat road driving should be ok
 
#7 ·
Awesome! Thank you guys for the responses. I have 86 wheels with less backspacing than stock 88 wheels. Should I use those wheels or the stock 88 wheels be better. I read that I would need more backspacing to run 33's
 
#8 ·
I would go with the 86 wheels as I think they look better, and also for the additional offset.

Both are technically too narrow for the tire to get a perfectly even contact patch at full tire pressure, but that would also help a bit off road at lower tire pressures to keep the tire on the bead. I don't think it's anything to really worry about, it's super common to run a 10.50 on the stock wheels.
 
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