Biggest Tire on Stock Susp 06 Z71

TheGhost · December 5, 2006

My nephew is wanting to get some new tires for his truck but we don't know how big he can go without rubbing.

He has an 06 1500 Z71 and he wants to level the truck by tightening the Torsion Bars and then put the biggest tires that will fit without rubbing.

Anyone know how big he can go?

Thanks

itsclay11 · December 6, 2006

i did the torsion bars and torsion keys...i am running some M/T tires now(265/70R17) on a 17x9 wheel. i have seen up to 285's...but my choice would be go with 265s

Zee71 · December 6, 2006

i did the torsion bars and torsion keys...i am running some M/T tires now(265/70R17) on a 17x9 wheel. i have seen up to 285's...but my choice would be go with 265s

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I have 265-70-17s on stock wheels with no lift at all so that is a breeze. They fill the wells fine but I'm looking for a wider stance. Been looking into it and I'm thinking about putting some 1" wheel spacers on and keeping what I have, as pretty much any tire/wheel that will give me the width I want requires a lift.

Also keep in mind that when buying new wheels, offset and backspacing are crucial and add to the look as much or more as actual tire/wheel size. Here's a good site I use that has a lot of good information to read:

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoHome.dos

psu05 · December 6, 2006

i've got 285/70/17's with NO torsion bar mods and they have never hit anything

itsclay11 · December 6, 2006

kinda depends on what you are wanting to do...if you are going to go and do some off-roading and need some wheel travel the 285s might rub....with my truck i take it out on the sand dunes and also through mud and whatever else but mine have hit the fender wells.....and i have 265s....with my wheels being an inch wider my tires are also an inch wider. kinda depends on what you wanna do...if you want the width go with 285s

think about it...stock wheels are 17x8...i am running 17x9 inch wheels...i have the same exact tires as stocks on my truck now and somehow they are an inch wider...with 265/70R17s.

psu05 · December 6, 2006

i've had mine off road through ditches, mudholes, flexed, etc and they have never rubbed anywhere on me. i think if you do the torsion bar crank you'll be even safer

i'm running whatever the stock width of a Z71 alloy rim is

Doug 97SS · December 7, 2006

I have 285 tires on stock 16's and they work perfectly. I am running BFG All terrain KO's.

They fill the wheel well A LOT better. But honestly, a 265 will get the job done easily and I prefer the Dueler AT Revos or the BFG AT KO's.

Good luck.

OFF-RD · December 8, 2006

I don't understand this thread. This guy is asking what the biggest tire he can run is. And you guys are saying 265s. What?? 265s are STOCK tires. He knows that he can run 265s. I think he wants to know how much bigger than that he can go.

Personally, my new Z has 265/70-17 on it...and I think they look HORRIBLE on this truck. They look like donuts on such a large truck. There is no way 265s are ever going back on my truck once these wear out.

To answer your question...lots of guys run 285s with no problem. I ran them on my Dodge (which came with the same size as the GM from the factory) and had zero trouble. I've heard that some guys fit 305/70s on with torsion bar crank. Anything bigger than 305s and you are probably going to start rubbing fenders though unless you get a lift kit.

itsclay11 · December 8, 2006

yes he can fit 285s...it's all the preference of the guy who is going to buy them...i had a choice to go with 285s with my truck but thought they looked too big on my truck...it's basically a 33 inch tire....so instead i went with a mud terrain tire that is 265/70R17....yes the stock tires look like donuts on the new trucks but with my tires they look nothing like it, it sits out an inch passed the fender well and i have no problems with rubbing...kinda depends on the tire you are going with also....MT's look totally different than AT's...some MT tires look bigger than what they are listed as...

bigred91 · December 8, 2006

I would go with 285's or 295's. and i wouldnt crank your torsion bars too much. It puts wear on your torsion bars, and everything on your front end basically.

jfrier1 · December 15, 2006

listen here bubba..my dad is runnin 305/70(which are an inch wider than 285 and a few tenths of an inch shorter) cooper s/t on his 2002 z-71 with 16 inch wheels..he's a farmer so he's in the fields on onlevel ground and ditches all day long..those tires have NEVER rubbed and the suspension is stock and no cutting of the plastic..u can get away with anything up to that size with no modifications..although i would suggest cranking the torsion bars cuz it's the look right now..i cant stand the front end of these trucks sitting lower than the back.