Well, we've got almost 40,000 miles on the Rodeo. It's about time for tires. Here's the shocker... My wife said I could put taller tires on Brody. Ya, you read it right! She said I could do a small lift, and taller tires. I may even be able to put tasty rocker protection on. I almost fell over!!!

For the lift, I was thinking of stock Trooper coils, and tightening up the bars in front. This is about all I can swing, until I take possession. It's my understanding that the Trooper coils will give me a stock ride, with about 2" of lift. If this is true, it sounds like the hot ticket for our rig. Again, if it's true, I could use a set if anyone has a pair collecting dust.

The tires have me stumped. We spend a lot of time on the street. An A/T tread would be best. I could use some recommendations on size, though. Come to think of it, I have no idea what's stock. Is there some site that has tire size recommendations, based on lift? I could use a lot of help here, as searching the forums didn't help much.

Rocker protection... Classy is paramount. She likes the looks of the ARB front bumper, so the rocker protection should match. Or, at least look like it should be on the same vehicle. I'm going to need something bolt on, too. I don't know where to find bolt on protection that's actually going to protect the rockers. I could use help.

BTW, we're still dealing with the so called Carbon issue. It's not enough for us to sell the Rodeo though.

I recently lifted by '04 Rodeo with OME coils in the rear and cranked the T-bars up front. The biggest tire I could fit with no rubbing was the 265/70/16 Dunlop Rover ATs. I like the tire: much cheaper than Michelin and almost as quiet on the road. They look like they can take mild abuse, but are not tough enough for serious offroading...which is o.k. for me since this Rodeo doesn't get offroad much anymore.

- Jim

I helped a friend put almost new Trooper springs on his 03 Rodeo and it lifted it about a inch and a quarter. He went with 245-75-16 tires, we tried my 265-75-16s but they would have taken more trimming than he was willing to do. Andie

Geez Andie you're everywhere now LOL.

I think about the biggest your going to fit even with lift is 31" (whatever that converts to) without some trimming. If the trooper springs arent quite enough but OME's are too much you can try trooper springs with 1" spacer maybe. I know Tammy had to do a little creative hammering to fit 31's with no lift. Was just a little though.

For tires if you dont want to spend BFG prices, I have seen alot of good things said about General Grabber AT2 tires (tread pattern look familiar?) They were designed to compete with BFG ATs.

265/75R16's will work with minor trimming (you will not see any of the trimming unless you stick your head into the wheel well). I don't think they changed the body/fender with any of the 2nd gen model years.

Be aware that you cannot use manual hubs on the '04. A diff drop would be good, but a lot of guys have a lift without manual hubs with later Rodeo models. I think the '01 Rodeo was the last year for manual hubs to work.

I like my OME 912's in the rear. It a good ride and they have not sagged in 3 years of hard use.


Pete

Thanks, guys.

It gets even trickier. Here's her criteria:
- She made it abundantly clear that the tires can not rub when turned lock to lock. That may be tough.
- No more then 2" lift, not counting tires. However, with the right rocker guards (that she can use as a step), she may allow a bit more... but not much. She does not want to have to jump into her daily driver.
- Must look rugged but classy, and not distract from the vehicles already fine profile. In short, she don't want me to hack something together, and bolt it on. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> It's got to look real sharp, but VERY functional. She want's function AND form - A concept foreign to me. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I've never built a (mild) trail rig that looks good before. I can't tell you how hard this is. heheee

EDIT: What's preventing the manual hubs from working? What parts are diferent? Is the '01 hub better then the '04? MUST... RESIST... MODIFYING... WIFE'S.... RIG!!!!!!!

Exactly ho did you go about doing the trimming? Did you just 'bend' the offending bit out of the way, or did you actually cut it out?

I had to trim the fiberglass overfender. It cuts easily - saw it (hand coping saw) and file it smooth. I removed the overfender to do this. You may not be able to reuse the clips on the overfender, but the machine screws are more than enough to hold the overfender in place. Also, I used a hammer to pound back some of the metal in the wheel well behind the front tire. You can't see where it is hammered back and the overfender looks the same. The rear was no problem. Sometimes I get a little rubbing when I reverse in a full turn, or at really full compression on a turn on the trail - neither of which is anything to worry about. I had no rubbing with the stock wheels, but the above rubbing started when I went to the steel rockcrawlers that had less backspacing (tires further out from center of truck). So, it seems like the more backspacing you have on a Rodeo, the less you will have a rubbing issue. All this was done with a 3" suspension life (no body lift).

Pete

As it stands, I get a little rubbing on full lock on my sway bar thingy, and when off roading, and it gets a little lumpy, you might hear a wee scrape. Have to do the trimming when I get back from my prison time onboard. Sounds like you did pretty much what I was thinking. Did you have any paint cracking problems hen you beat the living daylights out of the fender?

I didn't actually beat the fender - just the inside of the fender well. I just repainted the inside of the fender well black where I beat it. I didn't touch the exterior fender, which is white. The fender and overfender still look stock and the exterior paint is untouched. I have a very clean looking '01 truck that could pass for an '04, except that they didn't make Rodeo Sports in '04.

Pete