Stock wheels are about a 4.25" backspacing.  You have a 1.5" wider rim that probably has less back spacing, which is further compounded by fact you need to space the rims to clear your calipers.   Have you considered going to a local pick-n-pull, buying 5 steelies from a 95-98 1st gen or even stock steelies from a 2nd gen truck, and mounting your 235s on them?  Then you could sell your aluminum rims and recoup the cost of the steelies...  plus some.  Stock rims would pull your tires back in but with the spacers you still wouldn't clear your rear fenders unless you removed the spacers you have in the rear.

OR trade your current 15" tires for a set of 16" and just go back to the stock size rims and be done with it.  Then sell your aluminum 15" rims and your spacers to recoup some of your investment and cut your loss.

He has a Suzuki.  Due to the brake setup (it's different than the Trackers) you pretty much HAVE to run the factory 16" wheels.  I tried some 16x7 Cragar Soft 8's with 4" of backspacing (supposedly the exact same dimensions as the factory aluminum wheels the GV's got) and they wouldn't clear the brakes.  The factory Suzuki wheels basically have a spacer cast into the mounting face to clear the brakes.

I say sell the 15" wheels & tires and the spacers, find some OEM Suzuki 16" wheels, and get some 16" muds.

Replacing wheels would mean some serious backtracking. My 235's are sooooo close to fitting, but you guys are right, with the low offset wheels and spacers the wheel is pushed out so far it's bound to rub on the bumper on turns.



I've already invested in a real nice set of 15" rims AND i've got the wheel spacers required to fit them. I think i'll just go with the slightly smaller 215/75 mud tires and call it a day.

They are almost guaranteed to fit and at the end of the day, it'll just mean more clearance in the wheel well which equals more articulation. 

What i've learned from all this is that Suzuki Vitara's and GV's DO NOT like aftermarket wheels! 

All the trouble i've gone through could have been avoided if i'd just stuck with a factory wheel and then added bigger tires.

...and less clearance.  Articulation isn't an issue with these.

...and less clearance.  Articulation isn't an issue with these.

Other the occasional logging road adventure the truck's pretty much a pavement princess 

Maybe I'm getting too old to have a real 4x4 as my daily driver...

I used late model Samurai wheels. Had to use 1" spacers up front, and grind the calipers quite a bit, on the rear I didn't use spacers and it allows the wheel to tuck nicely up into the wheel well. So far so good.

i don't mean to turn this thread into another "can i fit 15's" novel, but Christ, there is so much conflicting info out there.

• I've heard of people fitting 15's with only minor caliper grinding
• I've heard of people fitting 15's with only a 1/8" spacer
• I've heard of people fitting 15's with a 1" spacer and caliper grinding
• The list goes on and on and on and on.....

It only makes sense that with all the different wheels out there people will have different experiences.

The moral of the story is there is no one single answer. Best bet, jump right in. After all the research I did I thought for sure that with Jeff's lift, 1.25" spacers i could fit 235's on my purdy aftermarket 15's. Well, i was wrong. Other people may have gone a slightly different route and had success, but no such luck for me.

O well, my story carries on. I'm keeping these damn 15's and the stupid wheel spacers needed to make em fit! I'll just keep my fingers crossed that 215's solve the problem.
 

Does anyone feel like assuring me that 215/75R15's will fit?

I stand to loose a lot of money if they don't..... 

No clue but I know what would fit.



Look at the way the brakes are.  Try pushing your 15" rim up against them and see where it hits.  It's the shorter rotors combined with a wide caliper.  There's a reason the factory wheels were pretty much a 6" backspacing wheel with a 2" spacer cast in.

Wouldn't be surprised if the 215's rub.  It's not the tire size that is causing your issue.

I used late model Samurai wheels. Had to use 1" spacers up front, and grind the calipers quite a bit, on the rear I didn't use spacers and it allows the wheel to tuck nicely up into the wheel well. So far so good.

how much lift and what size tires are you running??

Wouldn't be surprised if the 215's rub.  It's not the tire size that is causing your issue.

Agreed. But the size of the tire IS compounding the issue. Like i said earlier, with the trimming I've already done I'm sooo close to fitting the 235's i think the half inch smaller 215's will make the difference.

If they don't my girlfriend will kill me 

The ZR2 Trackers ran 215's bone stock.

However you have several inches wider track width due to your spacers and wheels.  This is what complicates things.

Yeah, my Vit came with 215/65R16's.

I'm hoping the addition of the lift will compensate for the wheel spacers and aftermarket rims.

The new 215's are in the back of my truck now. We'll found out tomorrow how they fit.... *fingers crossed*