New kid on the block(actualy old kid-new block)I have a 98 sportage,4x4 auto tranny,stock except for Warn lock out hubs
I want to be able to get to fishing spots that I can no longer hike to and to prowl around old mine site, abandond roads etc.Dont have it in mind to do any serious mud bogging or rock crawling.That said I am interested in putting on a larger and more aggresive tire than I have now,currently stock size A/T on.How large can I go on stock rims-if I need different rims I understand Ford F150 will fit.Do they need to be from a 4x4 or will any F150 work,what if any other rims fit,Dodge,Jeep etc.? Will 16in.fit or do they need to be 15?At what point do body mods come into play? What is the simplest way to gain 2-3 in. in ground clearance? Any body got any experiance with putting a winch on the front? I will be needing to put a rack on that will be able to handle a 12ft.Coleman Crawdad boat,about 150 lbs..Of course I want to have as little effect as possible on my power,speed and gas milage.Any places to find info.or accessories would be welcome.
This is probable a lot to ask,but any help would be appreciated.That post on the spark plg change will be very helpful at tune up time(soon) Thanks,Riverhorse [color:"blue"] [/color] <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> dickabetts@yahoo.com

check out the stickied post at the top of the page by jaybur, has all the info on lifting a sportage.
check the vendor forum for daves rocksport gear thread and he has winch bumpers for sale in there.

umm if you put larger tires on you will be sacrificing power and gas mileage. there is no real way around it for the sportage.

if you go to a 16 instead of a 15 all you will be doing is losing a little bit of sidewall on the tire for the same diameter tire. not a big deal if you are not doing any crazy trails.

You will be amazed how well this truck does stock. Having said that, by putting on a more aggressive tire you will improve performance. When I go off roading I put on my Mud and snow tires. they are 225r75 two sizes bigger than stock. This gives me an inch or two more clearance. In some cases you may want to air down. This affects my mileage by about a mile per gallon.
You can go to 235's on stock rims but you may have to trim the fender flares
The sporty is rather articulate and can fit in tight spots. Crossing a river or stream is fun and can be done stock. I've had water up to the windshield many a time. I don't have a snorkel. Caution must be used as you have a limited amount of air under these conditions.
Do you have a stock roof rack? I'm assuming you don't. The stock can easily hold the 150lbs
A come along as well as a high-lo jack as well as a strong tow strap will do you good service instead of investing money in a winch.
Check all your fluid levels and if you have the wheels submerged for any length of time you may need to repack the front hubs.
When was the last time your timing belt was changed? I think the 98 is OK if the belt breaks. Earlier models had problems and would do valve damaged if the timing belt broke.
Is it the manual warn hubs that you have? They are the most dependable. I have mechanical automatic hubs that work extremely well.
Your in for a lot of grin time when you find out how versatile this beast is.

You can fit 30x9.5's on stock rims with only slight rubbing. Some have done it ad said you get no rubbing, others tell a tale of having to trim the front bumper or bashing in the inner fender seam!

There is alot of info in this forum on this very subject, crank out the search function, the results should keep you busy reading for a few weeks! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" />

the bolt pattern on the rims is 5x5 1/2. many different vehicles have used that same bolt pattern. f-150s, broncos, dodge halfton trucks, some jeeps. the f-150 and bronco rims need to be machined out a little to fit, i know jeeps and dodges work without any problems, my spare is one. if you are looking for some bigger tires and rims, contact jaybur on this site. has some chrome rims with four new tires that are 30x9.5 on it cheaper than anywhere you can get em new. he is great to do buisness with. if you want new rims jegs.com and summitracing.com have cragars for under $40 a rim and free shipping. i swapped from stock tires and rims to some chrome cragars and 225/75 all terrains. no rubbing, no power loss. did lose some pretty serious mpg though. went from 18-20 to a solid 13.5 <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" />

A stock F150 wheel sill not fit, the center hole is to small. An aftermarket wheel with a 5 on 5.5 lug pattern will fit. On the stock Wheel with no lift 235x75x15 will work. With a 2 1/2" lift 30x9.50x15s work great. If you check out the top post you will find lift options including my upyourkia spacers. Email me if your interested.

Dennis (upyourkia@yahoo.com)

Ditto on the center hole. If you have access to a mill you can mill the centers out (what I had done to mine). Also note that the offset on Ford Bronco 7.5" wides will cause 31x10.50's to rub on back end of the front wheel well even with 2" UPYOURKIA spacers and a 1.4" body lift. I needed to bash the seam and roll the bottom of fender by the seam. Don't know about the front cause I don't have a stock bumper.
TreadWright tires are really awesome, but next time I'll get the green diamond to see if they wear better.
Good Luck,
Everet <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

30x9.50's on 15 inch rims gains you 1 inch. stock height is about little over 27" and 30's are almost 30" so if you subtract the 2 you have about 2.5 inches. BUT thats 1.25 on the top and bottom of the rim. so you only gain an inch.

But an inch and more aggressive tires is a big help! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />