Please forgive my complete ignorance, but I need your help!

I am suffering from severe brain damage due to a fall down a mountain, head-first into an ice wall, and need help with my 1989 2-Door, V6 Dodge Raider (I have no way of knowing, but I expect it is unmodified--a "stock" 1989 Montero with a Dodge label.) I have read through many posts but I need to start with four VERY basic questions:

Question 1:
I need new tires but I do not know how to tell what size my rims are. On the rims right now are a set of 235/75R15 Pirelli Scorpions. How can I tell what size the rims are?

Question 2:
Once I know the rim size, how do I determine which tires will fit my rims? I have done a lot of research and believe the:

Special Service Super Swamper TSL Size 34.9x9.50-15 LT Black Letters Load Range C,

are the best for me: I need a tall, narrow tire, with monster tread and very strong side walls.

Question 3:
How can I tell if these tires will fit on my Raider, and if I need to raise the body to take them, what is the best way to do so and what is the cheapest way to do so? I would prefer to raise the whole suspension/frame, not just the body as I need as much clearance under the Raider as possible!

Question 4:
As I will be increasing the tire size, what can I do to change first gear to move at as slow a crawl as possible?


FYI, the Raider will see almost no road use and will be used in very remote, very rocky locations. The next set of questions will be about putting two sets of ARB Air Lockers on it (front and rear).

Thank you so much for your wonderful site!

ARB's are available, no problem. To run 34's, you're looking at a body lift, axle and t-case gears, and possibly some minor trimming of front bumper ends.

Answer 1. If your wheels are stock steel, they'll likely be 15 x 6, if alloys 15 x 6-ish.

Answer 2. Most tire shops will tell you that you need 8-inch rims.

Answer 3. I've run 33x12.5's on my 87 Raider with no lift.

Answer 4. Axle gears- 5.29:1, transfer case gears 2.85:1 available from Australia.

Answer N. Various axle swaps and drivetrain swaps, too. We need pictures.

He pretty much covered everything. Just make sure to post some pictures up when you get around to doing all this! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the quick response! Please excuse my lack of understanding!


How can I tell if they're "stock steel"? I do not know what those words mean. What measurements can I take to tell what size they are? (I am not the original owner and after the brain damage am unable to think clearly, if at all.)


I do not understand what you mean by "33x12.5's."
Is "33" the tire diameter in inches?
Is "12.5" the rim width in inches?
I ask because I need as large a diameter as I can put on the Raider without increasing the width of the vehicle. She needs to go through VERY tight spaces.
Thus, if "33" is the diameter and 9.5 is the width, does a 33x9.5 Super Swamper exist? Where can I find this information? Severe brain damage makes this a very difficult and frustrating process.

Thank you for your help!

TIRE SIZE 101
Standard Tire Size (i.e. non metric)
For a 33x12.5/15 tire...
33 is radius of the tire
12.5 is width of the tire tread
15 is the rim diameter
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Stock steel rims
These are the stock base model steel rims/wheels for an 1st Gen Montero...


There are also higher end tires that came stock which are aluminum alloy and have round openings versus "D" shaped openings in the steel rims.

For your needs, overall width will be determined by a combination of the tire width and the wheel/rim offset or backspacing.

Offset is the distance from the center line of the rim to the mounting surface of the wheel. Here's a quick diagram in case you're not sure what I mean by that.


I'm confident they'll mount the suggested tires on the stock rims since they're only 9.5" wide tires but they may not be willing to mount them on the montero because most reference guides will tell them that only 31" tires will fit on a Montero.

HTH. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Actually, 33 is the diameter of the tire. If you had a tire with a radius of 33" it would be 66" tall. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

LOL <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> That's what I get for trying to do 2 things at one time!

Okay, well pick what you're going to do...get away from the keyboard or put down the pipe...one of the two.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

We know what a Dodge Raider is.

You have a lot to learn, you came to the right place. You dont have to get different gears to run 34s, but if you are spending a lot on stuff like ARBs that have to be set up anyway, get some 5.29s.

Body lift

Adjusting t-bars (shows 1995 model, but still applicable)

Gen II UCAs

Coil spring lift

5.29 gears supply contact

ARB rear locker - RD46
ARB front locker - RD110