Lift Doesn’t Provide Tire Clearance - Someone Explain This Dummy Style

This isn’t really related to third gens per say, but I have one and I read this all the time here. Maybe I’m stupid but I don’t get it.

Say I have a stock Tacoma with 31” tires. I put a 2” lift and lower the bumps by 2”. I now fit 33” tires.

They fit (mostly) where stock height they would not even close to fit.

How does this work if adding lift doesn’t provide tire clearance?

 

Yeah but in my scenario I am spacing bumps as much as I am lifting it.

 

I think maybe you are confusing ground clearance with tire clearance. Generally, if people refer to clearance, they are talking about the lowest point of the vehicle, usually the LCAs and rear axle. A lift doesn't move those any higher. A lift does allow taller tires which in turn adds ground clearance. There are other factors involved as well on how much tire clearance a lift will provide, such as body mounts, etc. Who says lifts don't increase clearance for tires?

 

If you lift it and move bump stops, you haven't gained or loss anything as far a travel goes. (As long as the suspension can travel down without binding). You would gain ground clearance and tire clearance. Yes, there are lifts and mods to gain more travel. Now some mods have to be done because a lift gives to more up clearance but tires get bigger all around. So that is where you have to cut on some vehicles to gain the clearance as the tire travels up.

 

I’m no expert but I imagine that it’s because a lift doesn’t make the physical wheel well any larger to accommodate bigger tires.

 

Do what???

 

Check out this video
https://youtu.be/33VewJFda1Q

 

depends on a lot of things, caster set at build alignment, offset of wheels, width and height of larger tires chosen. not a one size fits all. Ski

 

Here is a great video that may help. Essentially it is the wheel well that limits tire size, not the suspension on SLA suspension.

https://youtu.be/_68Hc8GtLko

 

That's not accurate.

Physics says it doesn't.


Different types of suspension act very differently to lifts, and also need to be lifted in different ways. So keeping this VERY specific to Tacoma. Let's talk about the front.
A non spacer lift does not change the lowest or highest point a wheel can reach in its travel. All a lift does is change where the wheel sits within that travel under normal load. So a lift will increase uptravel but reduce down travel. That’s why lift makes no difference to tire size, as the lowest and highest point the wheel can reach does not change after you install a non spacer lift. What people confuse here is a tire fitting at normal ride height and that the suspension will have to travel further before it hits after a lift. BUT if it hits before the lift, it will absolutely hit after the lift it just might take more of the suspension to compress before it hits.

Since the OP mentioned 2" bump stops, what you have done now is basically create a really shitty ride with reduced overall travel. Since the lift didn't change the lowest point the wheel can reach in it's down travel, and the bump stops have limited the highest point the wheel can reach, all you have done now is reduce your overall suspension travel. (ie create a really shitty ride). So yes larger front bump stops will reduce overall travel on a non spacer lift. But since you have reduced travel and therefor the highest point the wheel can reach, you could potentially run larger tires as you could have stopped the tire reaching the rub point.
The main rub point is the cab mount, so if you stop the wheel hub reaching that point (in a horizontal plane) that would allow for larger tires, but you are really limiting the overall travel at that point.

The front of the Tacoma is the problem tire size wise, and the above was specific to the front. The rear works differently and what was said above isn't necessaraly true of the rear. You'd have to pull spec's of the shocks used and leaf pack / blocks to really gain an understanding as that's what usually dictates the travel on the rear.

 

Another good ifs article:
https://www.coastaloffroad.com/clearing-35-tires-at-any-ride-height/

 

You can fit 33s on stock suspension no problem with a good alignment and a couple minutes of plastic trimming/reforming.

 

I think again as most things on TW tis is taken out of context when ppl reply. Let me explain. Yes a 2inch lift can help fit 33 inch tires especially for those ppl who ride on the road and never see dirt i think that would suffice for 60-70% of ppl on TW. When we say fit some ppl mean roll down road with no riding at ride height or tiny bumps. Now someone who is off road driven fit means a different thing. 33 tires most likely would not meet the word fit. If you try to get all the travel you are not going to be able to stuff them and not rub without some sort of body/fender modification as well. For me i drove around and stuffed 33's with a simple CMC and good wheel alignment. Also had a 2.25 inches of lift. 33's would not be able to articulate and use all travel on stock suspension without a good bit of body modification and still probably have to do it for on road use some. To conclude. Yes you can fit 33 to zoom around town with a good alignment and a 2inch lift and taking into fact wheel/tire combo. No 2inch lift probably not going to allow you to use all travel with the tires without some sort of body modification.

 

I don't understand how y'all come to this type of thinking. As I've said before, "if there is no binding on down travel" then the wheel travel and ride won't change. If you have 10" of travel and move strut down, along with the bump stop, then you have a higher ride height and the same travel. You haven't changed the leverage ratio, so the ride should be the same. I made a quick drawing that might help show my point as I sometimes don't explain myself well when typing.

 

Lol Friday threads.

 

Lol there is so much nope in your post.
Watch any of the videos posted above. Please.

 

Can’t wait for his explanation on binding on down travel.

 

Are the new tires wider as well as taller. Width matters.