lcstay10 Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 (edited) Hey guys, iv been a member of NPORA for a while now and for the past few years iv been planning on lifting my 2002 SE R50, but things have come up and it had to wait, but now that i have the summer off of college and the money to do it, i figured now is the best time as any to start this project. Im planning on just a 2 inch AC lift, with warn hubs, GR-2 Front Struts, Bilstein Rear Shocks and then just seeing where it goes from there. (bars, armor, racks etc.) With the lift I obviously need new tires, and thats where my question come in. After reading countless reviews, im pretty set on picking up the Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs. They seem perfect for my pathfinder because of the great on and off road ability, plus the rating for snow and ice, which is a big deal for me living in the northeast. I have stock 16's (six star spokes) on my truck now and was thinking about going with 245/75/16. The thing is that i want to mount the tires probably a month or 2 before I lift the thing, so if anyone knows if the tires will fit without the lift, or anything else they want to add i would be really grateful. This is my first automotive project and i really have no clue what im getting myself into. Thanks in advance for the help. Heres a current pic of it. pretty much stock besides a hitch, 10 inch JL audio W7 sub, and alpine head unit. Edited May 12, 2011 by lcstay10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcstay10 Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 also i should add that all the work is going to be done by a proper mech, not me trying to figuring it out in my garage. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismothunder Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 A 245/75-16 is a 30 inch tire, so you should be a-ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I was (almost) in your boat a couple of months ago. I went with your formula but, changed my plans going with 15" rims as the tires seem to be a little cheaper. I too, went with the GY Duratracs that are 31" in diameter. I can tell that the 31's would be a bit too tall for the stock height suspension. My suggestion would be to do what I did. Wait to install the AC 2" susupension and put the tires on at the same time. I too wanted to do it in steps but, I would have had to go with smaller tires. I am happy as could be with my 31 x 10.5 x 15's that are aggressive enough to do some moderate trailing. My next steps will be the skid plate and rock sliders. Until then ... Also, looking forward to your pictures. Please take a couple of "before" pics as you will for sure provide us with plenty of "after" shots! Here's My link for my build several weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcstay10 Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 I was (almost) in your boat a couple of months ago. I went with your formula but, changed my plans going with 15" rims as the tires seem to be a little cheaper. I too, went with the GY Duratracs that are 31" in diameter. I can tell that the 31's would be a bit too tall for the stock height suspension. My suggestion would be to do what I did. Wait to install the AC 2" susupension and put the tires on at the same time. I too wanted to do it in steps but, I would have had to go with smaller tires. I am happy as could be with my 31 x 10.5 x 15's that are aggressive enough to do some moderate trailing. My next steps will be the skid plate and rock sliders. Until then ... Also, looking forward to your pictures. Please take a couple of "before" pics as you will for sure provide us with plenty of "after" shots! Here's My link for my build several weeks ago. truck looks great man. thats exactly how i want mine to end up looking. and thanks for the advice. are you running any spacers to level the suspension and did you adjust the camber at all with the AC lift? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 truck looks great man. thats exactly how i want mine to end up looking. and thanks for the advice. are you running any spacers to level the suspension and did you adjust the camber at all with the AC lift? Funny you ask about the spacers. I just bought some NX4 1" strut spacers from PaMountainbiker (he upgraded to a SFD). I have yet to install them as they will require me to re-align my front end. As for the camber? Yes, I went with four (two per strut) camber bolts. I highly recommend them as they do make a huge differnce. With out them the front wheels would have a "bulldog" stance when viewed from the front of the truck. I was not completely sold on the camber bolts until my friend installed them to the struts and "adjusted" them before mounting the wheels. The camber angle was greatly noticeable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcstay10 Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Funny you ask about the spacers. I just bought some NX4 1" strut spacers from PaMountainbiker (he upgraded to a SFD). I have yet to install them as they will require me to re-align my front end. As for the camber? Yes, I went with four (two per strut) camber bolts. I highly recommend them as they do make a huge differnce. With out them the front wheels would have a "bulldog" stance when viewed from the front of the truck. I was not completely sold on the camber bolts until my friend installed them to the struts and "adjusted" them before mounting the wheels. The camber angle was greatly noticeable. yea i was going to order the camber bolts as well, did your truck sit level after the AC springs were installed? iv read that without spacing the front struts that the truck will sit with the rear end up. thanks for all your help dude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The truck deff has a lot of "rake". Even with the strut spacer there will be some height difference. I really don't mind as I often load my rig down with tailgating equipment and occasionally go on extended trips (luggage, tools, gear, etc.) with family and friends. I more or less got the spacers to level the rake and help with approach angles when I start hitting the trails. The mud is only fun for so long you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcstay10 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 The truck deff has a lot of "rake". Even with the strut spacer there will be some height difference. I really don't mind as I often load my rig down with tailgating equipment and occasionally go on extended trips (luggage, tools, gear, etc.) with family and friends. I more or less got the spacers to level the rake and help with approach angles when I start hitting the trails. The mud is only fun for so long you know. Yea, my goal is to get it to sit as level as i can, so ill be spacing it as i need to. One more question, how is the "knock" when the struts top out. im not thrilled that this is going to happen with the AC lift, but just how bad is it? and is there a way to use a rubber stopper or something to stop it from compressing fully? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 The knock is audible when I hit bumps in the road (rr crossings, pot holes, speed bumps) but, they are not loud enough to annoy me. In fact, if I'm listening to music on the radio it is merely a "back ground" nuisance. If I'm listening to NPR (talk radio) the knock is more prevelent. I'm greatful that other posters here on the forums gave us a "heads up" on the noise as I would have thought that I had some sort of install problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcstay10 Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 The knock is audible when I hit bumps in the road (rr crossings, pot holes, speed bumps) but, they are not loud enough to annoy me. In fact, if I'm listening to music on the radio it is merely a "back ground" nuisance. If I'm listening to NPR (talk radio) the knock is more prevelent. I'm greatful that other posters here on the forums gave us a "heads up" on the noise as I would have thought that I had some sort of install problem. yea same with me, and thanks for all of your help man, really helped. ill post some pics once i get the ball rolling on this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Judging from your "before pic" above, it'll look great! I'm a fan of your factory roof rack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 ( post script ) Consider removing your step bars for added ground clearance, even if it's just visual. Also, you will have to remove your front mud flaps to make room for the larger front tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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