What is the largest size tire you can fit on a 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with 15 inch wheels?

Answer 1

My Jeep Grand Cherokee was unaltered to begin with and had factory aluminum alloy wheels and 215 tires as well as original shocks and springs. Needless to say, the shocks and springs were sagging from use over the years. The tires leaked air because the clearcoat had worn at the tire bead causing oxidation that didnt allow the bead to seal so the tires leaked. I tried having the alum wheels wire brushed and remounted to no avail so I finally purchased new tires and wheels. I got new American Racing chrome wheels and 235X75X15 BF Goodrich AT KO tires on all four ends. It looked better for sure and I no longer had to carry the portable air tank so this was an improvement. BUT, I had rubbing in the front wheel well at full steering stops with this new setup but it was extremely minor and I took care of it completely by taking a sharp knife and shaving off the plastic where the rubbing occured. Needless to say this is only a fix for road use and not for a condition where wheel travel is more extreme such as light off road use. The new tires never contacted the tie rod ends or anyplace else other than the plastic liner in the wheel well. It never came close to rubbing on the back end of the vehicle.

After that I upgraded my shocks since they were about wore out and that gave me about a half inch more play in there so now I have no trouble at all. I attribute the rubbing to a worn out suspension since this vehicle is also rated for the tires I bought. I do believe that no matter what you do you will have trouble fitting 31X10.50 tires without a small lift and that 32" tires won't fit at all without a lift. The lift can probably be done with fresh shocks and spacers which would your least expensive option. I'm planning a 4 inch lift as soon as my tires are showing wear but than might not happen soon since those BFG AT tires are wonderful ! I wish I had more money to spend but then I'd probably just break things more by going further off road. These things are always a work in progress. Good luck !!!!

Answer

On the stock 15 inch wheels you should be able to 31's. You might get lucky to fit 32's. This will also depend on the width of the tire. 31-10.50-15 should be a good choice. You still might find that you rub the tire at the lower control arm. If so, you can adjust the turning screw near the inner brake plate that will come in contact to the steering knuckle when you turn the tires all the way. It also depends on how much your springs may have saged over the years. If your putting on different 15 inch wheels, the back spacing will affect if your going to rub the top of the tire to the fender.

I think you'll definitely have to make some adjustments to make them fit. I bought a used '95 Grand Cherokee in 2001 and prior to buying it I drove another one that had 31x10.50 tires on it with stock suspension and they did rub on a tight turn. I put 30x9.50s on mine though and have driven it since with no problems in some of the roughest off road terrain I'd ever want to take on.

Reply:

I really do think that trying to go larger than a 235X75X15 is going to cause rubbing issues. The 30X9.50's are about the same size so that shouldn't be a problem but going to the 31 or 32 inch size absolutely will. You'll actually have a hard time finding a tire dealer that would put them on a stock 95 without a lift kit of some kind. They have liability concerns. If you want big fat tires then do it right and spring for the lift. That way you won't have to worry about rubbing at all. Just remember that steering geometry and suspension parts are there to provide a safe and reliable ride and when we screw around with things we risk the safety of our ride and the durability of our equipment. Just because it looks pretty in the driveway does not mean that it will perform well on the highway or 5 miles down a creekbed somewhere.