2/3 drop with belltech spindles and leafs. Factory 14" steelies. 1UZ swap. I am trying to maximize my square inches of rubber in the rear and handles up front while maintaining a stock-ish look (keeping them inside the fenders at least). Hoping some people can point me in the right direction on size and/or make/model. Definitely open to running different widths front/rear. Early reasearch has me looking at staying 195/75 front and going 245/60 rear. Major downside to 245/60 is that bfg radial is pretty much the only option in this size.
That sounds like a spicy lil truck.. curious to see how she looks.. One tool you definitely need to check out is willtheyfit.com. You can play with the specs and see how it will sit compared to stock specs.. I would also use tire rack.com to cross reference tire size availability once you find a spec you like to see if it's even possible.. the biggest limiting factor here will be wheels used.. width mainly, also offset of wheel can definitely hurt or help. Keep in mind you can keep the stock steelies' look by going to a wider steelie from like a mustang for example where they are 8" wide as opposed to our 6 1/2" or 7" wide width depending on what year steelie you have. Also Crown Victoria steelies are wider than ours.. food for thought. Keep us posted!
Just something to think about - with a 1uz swap I'd imagine you'll also want a brakes upgrade to better stop the extra weight and power - but I don't think 14" wheels will fit once you do that; larger wheel size will have more tire options, even in just a 15" wheel.
Its been such a long time project, Im just trying to get it accross the finish line of driveable right now. So I'm gonna send it with some fresh pads/rotors and existing wheels... if that doesn't cut the mustard, then I'll definitely be looking at rear discs in the future and eat a little cost in wheels & tires.
For rear traction I'd get some form of traction device, traction bars or like a "Scott Drake" set-up for Muskrats. Several out there, can't remember the name of my fave. Pinion angle. Might need to modify the pinion angle to compensate for the extra torque. The extra weight of the V-8 should be addressed with stiffer torsion bars, like what Swa-A-Way offers. Address weight transfer! Lighter shocks in the rear and maybe some sandbags in the bed. Play with your tire pressure. Sometimes the final ratio will play a factor. With a light vehicle wider tires don't necessarily give better traction on their own.
