33's tires fit Big Bend! As tested on my 2021 Bronco

[Bikeric]

FYI, I fit "35's" on the wife's non-Sas Big Bend with no lift at all. Only had to remove the crash bars.

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[mj63]

So just out of curiosity, how bad are the stock tires on the Big Bend trim?

Would they be OK for some casual offroading, like twice a year or so?

Could a Big Bend with a rear locker and stock tires do some of the trails at Holly Oaks, MI?

We did most of the trails at Holly Oaks without airing down the Bridgestone OE tires on our big bend. They don't look like much, but have been better on sand, dirt, and snow than I expected (though I worry about puncture resistance).

 

[mpeugeot]

We did most of the trails at Holly Oaks without airing down the Bridgestone OE tires on our big bend. They don't look like much, but have been better on sand, dirt, and snow than I expected (though I worry about puncture resistance).

They are not very puncture resistant... Found that out personally.

 

[Jcirisan]

I just bought the exact same vehicle and also had dealer swap the stock tire for 285/70/17 KO2s . They didnt get the spare swapped for me so I still have to do that. Any issues with the spare clearing the brake light or with the lugs being long enough with the extra width.

 

[Robs]

It's been discussed a lot, but from what I can tell, Ford is not comfortable with anything larger than the 265/70/17 on the 190 axle. There are also considerations around gearing and how many part numbers they want to carry. Most of us would never see a problem, but when you have to warranty across a huge variation of users, you have to set certain durability standards to meet warranty and customer experience benchmarks. Plus, I am sure they make more $ on the higher trims, which already are selling at 70% of total orders, so they don't want to leave $ on the table.

thats an excellent point -- does changing OEM tire set up to a larger size cause drive train / suspension warranty issues ???

 

[Robs]

We know from @North7 research that ideally, a .67 spacer, or similar coilover, is ideal for 33's according to the posting.

when you say "spacer" do you mean body lift (puck) or a spacer at the shocks?

 

[Mattwings]

thats an excellent point -- does changing OEM tire set up to a larger size cause drive train / suspension warranty issues ???

I would ask your dealer. In most cases, it's not a problem unless it is determined that a particular modification or part caused an issue. That being said, the modifications and aftermarket parts won't be covered with Ford warranty. We have now seen lots of Bronco's with 190s and 37's. They seem to be slightly more prone to issues, but they are serviceable with a reasonable amount of care. They will probably also require service at more frequent intervals, with larger tires and lifts.

 

[lakesinai]

when you say "spacer" do you mean body lift (puck) or a spacer at the shocks?

What I meant to communicate is that the Non-SAS Badlands, designed around 33", 285/70R17 tires on 17x8 wheels, is lifted by coilovers about .7 inch higher than a non-SAS Big Bend or OBX. So if I wanted to put 33" tires on my non-SAS OBX, and duplicate Fords engineering & clearance for the Badlands with those tires, I would achieve .7 in of a lift at the shocks to do this. Personally, I have Badlands take-off wheels on my OBX, and they fit fine. If/When I decide to add that extra .7 inch, I would do it with coilovers that are adjustable to 1 inch. I would never use shock spacers or a body lift.

 

[Endlessplace23]

So, has it been determined that the 285/70R17 "33" will not rub on a stock suspension Big Bend? Even under real world use?

 

[mpeugeot]

So, has it been determined that the 285/70R17 "33" will not rub on a stock suspension Big Bend? Even under real world use?

Yes. I ran 33.5" tires (295/70R17) on my OBX at full flex with no suspension mods and a +30 offset 17x9 RTR Tech 6 rim.

 

[Robs]

What I meant to communicate is that the Non-SAS Badlands, designed around 33", 285/70R17 tires on 17x8 wheels, is lifted by coilovers about .7 inch higher than a non-SAS Big Bend or OBX. So if I wanted to put 33" tires on my non-SAS OBX, and duplicate Fords engineering & clearance for the Badlands with those tires, I would achieve .7 in of a lift at the shocks to do this. Personally, I have Badlands take-off wheels on my OBX, and they fit fine. If/When I decide to add that extra .7 inch, I would do it with coilovers that are adjustable to 1 inch. I would never use shock spacers or a body lift.

Got it. why do you steer clear of body lift? I’ve read on the forum that it’s an inexpensive way to gain clearance without changing geometry

 

[Cardboardbronco]

Yes. I ran 33.5" tires (295/70R17) on my OBX at full flex with no suspension mods and a +30 offset 17x9 RTR Tech 6 rim.

Aren’t those yellow bilstein shocks in the video though?

 

[lakesinai]

Got it. why do you steer clear of body lift? I’ve read on the forum that it’s an inexpensive way to gain clearance without changing geometry

Im not an expert, just a long time beach ORV man with a daily driver. IF i wanted more clearance, it would be to keep the frame and drivetrain from settling into the sand, getting "dug in" on the beach sand, something a coilover lift with bigger tires would provide. Lifting the body would raise the center of gravity unsafely, (remember Explorer rollovers) and to me looks ugly, it is my daily driver and i have to climb into it at age 70. Of course, body lifts are loved by some, look cool, personal preference. And as I understand vehicle stability and rollover safety, as you go up, you also have to go out for a wider vehicle stance. And if you add minus-offset wheels to add more poke to increase the stance to make your body-lift safe, you must use a coilover lift and longer UCAs to safely handle the wider tire/wheel. To not do that adds lateral stress on the axle & drivetrain, risking premature failure. In the Gittens/Healy video, they see the body lift as giving the least off-road benefit because of suspension geometry and travel issues, and coilover lift gives more clearance where its needed. I like what I have now with the 33's, its a very comfortable highway car that is the best beach driver I've ever had. Before I go out West /Moab someday, I'll add an adjustable coilover lift, then I'll need underbody armor, then 35" tires . . . . . Those are my amateur thoughts

 

[lakesinai]

Aren’t those yellow bilstein shocks in the video though?

From what I've seen, one thing @mpeugeot Did to make those 295/70R17 tires fit so well is to use +30 offset wheels, adding .86 inches of poke and clearance compared to the +55 offset Wheels that come standard in several diameters in non-sasquatch Broncos. The owner of the Badlands Bronco I bought my takeoffs from changed to exactly that, +30 offset 17" wheels, and I bought his 17x8, +55 offset wheels for new 285/70R17 tires. I have not done a voilover upgrade . . . Yet.

 

[Tony4x4]

Dealer just sent pic with my truck at dealer, swapped the factory tires with 33” KO2’s (nitto grapplers are all on back order), I haven’t driven it yet so can’t attest to rubbing etc, but dealer said fit no problem….

Update on 33” inch, zero rub issue, truck drove great, very smooth ride, really surprised how smooth actually, tires are bigger than I thought, I’m 6’ and have to slide out of the truck, def will get combo rock rail slider bars of some type for wife to step down…once again two rivers Ford in Nashville was outstanding on getting me what I wanted and out the door quick, got credit for factory tires, tinted my front windows, blown away when I first saw my truck, 2.7 is quick too and I’m coming off a Ram 1500 sport with a hemi with exhaust upgrade and headers so was impressed….love the K02’s so far and drove close to 300 miles on em today thru sun and rain…..

Looks fantastic!

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