Hello to all you suzuki guys out there.  I have been mourning the loss of my wrangler (lifted/regeared/31's) for quite some time now as I bought a daily driver/commuter ford focus.  I recently discovered I'm going to have the opportunity to get a 2003 chevy tracker for extremely cheap (family member car).  It is a slightly dinged up yellow 2 door 4WD soft top w/auto tranny, has the upgraded 120+ hp 4cyl. Should have around 65000 miles (primarily highway).  I do alot of city commuting, and will be taking this into the city either on warm days (roof off) or during the winter in bad weather.  I've always like having a beefy vehicle, but snow and shallow mud is about the worst my wrangler ever saw.  I'm wondering how beefy the recommended 215/70/16 tires would look on my stock tracker?  I like the gas mileage, and don't want to trash it.  Have any of you guys that lifted your trackers and went to 30-31's seen your gas mileage hurt?  Did you also find it robbed your tracker of alot of power (I can't afford to regear right now).  For my purposes do you recommend a lift, or stock height with some good AT's (and the black steel wheels--always a must).  I'm also interested in putting a pretty mean front bumper/grill guard on, do you guys know anybody who makes one for the 03 Chevy Tracker? 

-Thanks
-Dan

mileage suffers without question once you get big heavy tires with more aggressive tread.  look in the readers rides section, i just posted a recent pic of mine up, it's a 2003 2dr....  i used to see 500km on a tank of fuel, now it's more like 400km.  power is down noticeably but it really isn't that bad.  still quicker than a stock 1.6 older model tracker.. but.. that don't mean much.

Provided everything's stock, 215/70/16 tires won't fit your Tracker's 15" rims.

Thanks for the help so far guys.  I'd love to get some black wheels on the tracker.  Right now I'm thinking about going with a 2" coil spring spacer lift and 235-75-16's on 16X7 black steel wheels.  Should give me some beef but flex room, and not rob the tracker of all power/gas mileage.

-Thanks
-Dan

you wanna raise it and put bigger tires on it so you can drive in the city??? soundslike you just wanna look cooler....

though there aint much differnce in the tire size you want from stock tire size your still gonna loose noticable power and gas mileage by putting on those tires not alot but noticable.....coil spacer lift is also gonna effect your ride in certain ways as well

I run up and down powerlines with my stock 4 door tracker and have yet to even THINK about raising it....while towing a trailer with atv for hunting along with 2 buddies and all their gear+mine........most of the time the trail aint even noticable especially under 4 feet of snow........I see no reason to raise your tracker other then for looks (IMO dont be offended)  until your running your tracker to the extreme like some of the guys on here.....I see no reason for a lift...

I know Calmini sells a push bar bumper, not a bumper replacement, and also one that will fit a winch

soundslike you just wanna look cooler....

Hey, what's wrong with wanting to look cool?     Heck, part of the reason I lifted mine was for the beefy look.

Thanks for the help so far guys.  The tracker will see lots of snow.  I would like to start wheeling it further down the road (if I can find some legal trails around here).  I'll admit I love the look of a lift and beefy tires, but I want to balance that with driveability, so I figured that setup would work.  I think 31's would look great, but thats a big compromise in gas mileage and driveability that I don't need right now.  I'll check out the calmini bumper as well.

-Dan

I've got another question for you guys.  Those of you who are running 15X7 wheels, how are you doing it?  I heard that the brakes are too big for 15" wheels.  I want to get some 15X7 cragar black steelies.

-Thanks
-Dan

IN the end its all personal preference.....

I hear the calmini bumpers that fit a winch are no good and tend to give.....mind you nothing some quick engineering and welding would not fix..

I've got another question for you guys.  Those of you who are running 15X7 wheels, how are you doing it?  I heard that the brakes are too big for 15" wheels.  I want to get some 15X7 cragar black steelies.

-Thanks
-Dan

Stock, the 2-door Tracker won't have the big brakes.  All Trackers came with 15" rims.
 
Further, at one point I had (on my '03 2-door Tracker) the 3-spoke 15" rims from my '96 Tracker.  They cleared the calipers just fine, although the verticle surface of the wheel barely cleared the outer surface of the caliper; I don't believe I could have fit a credit card between the back of the spokes and the caliper..

I hear the calmini bumpers that fit a winch are no good and tend to give.....mind you nothing some quick engineering and welding would not fix..

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libel

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libel

Well said, beercheck, well said.  I was thinking the same thing.

Thanks for the help so far guys.  So if I understand correctly, I can put cragar 15X7 wheels on my stock 03 tracker, they will clear the brakes?

-Dan

Thanks for the help so far guys.  So if I understand correctly, I can put cragar 15X7 wheels on my stock 03 tracker, they will clear the brakes?

-Dan

Gotta make sure they're patterned 5x5.5 with the right size center hole (very important).  It wouldn't be stupid to get an inner-diameter measurement before ordering, though.  Just to be sure.

I don't have any intel on what backspacing would be best.

I've got another question for you guys.  Those of you who are running 15X7 wheels, how are you doing it?  I heard that the brakes are too big for 15" wheels.  I want to get some 15X7 cragar black steelies.

-Thanks
-Dan

As Beercheck said - 15x7 are stock.

The issue with aftermarket rims is getting them to clear the center hubs. I'd like some different wheels on mine, but the choices are limited.

David