SubaruFred Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) Hello, I've got a 93 Legacy LSi wagon with 2000 Forester struts providing a ~2" lift. I'm sure that I can fit 195-75-14 or 205-75-14 but will 27x8.5x14 fit? At least for now, I don't want to do any trimming or rolling and any rubbing is unacceptable. I commute a lot with this car so MPG is still important. I was leaning towards 205-75-14 Falken Radial A/Ps but Sears can't get them and I'm afraid Falken may discontinue them. I can still find them on-line but at slightly higher pricing (after shipping). Here's a photo of my car with new 185-70-14 Michelins: Edited January 18, 2011 by SubaruFred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 44......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I Believe that your ~ 2" Lifted Ride Really Needs 15" Rims + Beefier Tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Okay, so I should get 44" tires and 15" rims. Thanks a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahDL88 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 There is a write up on the offroad section that tries to explain what fits and what doesn't. The problem is that there are so many different variations on tires, lifts, and chassis that it is hard to say X will fit on a Y If you are worried about rubbing go smaller than you'd think, the main issue will be the back of the front wheel well and where it will hit the frame when you turn the tires to full lock. A little bit of hammer here or there isn't bad, you can go over it with some primer and sealant and it will be just fine. I'm pretty sure your 27's won't fit though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 I've searched and read dozens of threads on the subject but didn't find much info about tire sizes for 90-94 Legacys running OB/For struts. I know that 195-75-14 will fit without issue, pretty sure that 205-75-14 will and agree with you that the 27s won't fit without some work. I'm just looking for first hand confirmation that the 26x8x14" 205-75-14s will fit without rubbing. The tires I'm looking to buy aren't available locally so I have to have them shipped with no return option. Any opinion on Falken Radial A/Ps? I know they're just a P tire with a mildly aggressive tread but they're also a lot cheaper, a lot lighter and a little taller than my other option, BFG T/A KO 195-75-14. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 when i wanted to figure this out i just called/stopped at a tire store, find an old one the size you want that's junk and if they charge anything it won't be much more that just the cost to mount it for a junk tire. i did that and ended up the size i was trying wouldn't fit up front, it hit the bottom of the struts. not much money out and i knew for sure what didn't fit and it was so close i knew one size lower would be golden. like someone else said, just underestimate, 1/2" or other minor reductions aren't going to affect anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Okay, so I should get 44" tires and 15" rims. Thanks a lot! i didna say 44"...... i just said 44......pay attention;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 when i wanted to figure this out i just called/stopped at a tire store, find an old one the size you want that's junk and if they charge anything it won't be much more that just the cost to mount it for a junk tire. i did that and ended up the size i was trying wouldn't fit up front, it hit the bottom of the struts. not much money out and i knew for sure what didn't fit and it was so close i knew one size lower would be golden. like someone else said, just underestimate, 1/2" or other minor reductions aren't going to affect anything. I may have to try that if I can't find anyone with a 90-94 Legacy on OB/For struts with stock rims and bigger tires. I know that the struts can handle 26.5" tall x 9" wide tires but I'm not sure if my wheel backspacing is the same as the OB and Forester wheels. I could play it safe and go with 195-75-14 BFGs at $150 each but I'd prefer to go with the 205-75-14 Falkens at $100 each. Thanks for the good advice. i didna say 44"...... i just said 44......pay attention;) My bad. I should have been more specific with my question. What I wanted to know is which size TIRE would fit, not your PANT size. :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 the most important thing, is that the people that kow what that means......are laughing their asses off right now.........;)cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) Sorry but even after 20 years on the WWW and various message boards I don't know what that means. Anyway, thanks again for all your help. Edited January 14, 2011 by SubaruFred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShagginWagon Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I plan on getting those bfg's for my 90 legacy and they are only $129 on tirerack.com then the shipping to where im at in oregon will be another $40 for all of the tires to be shipped to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegacyBrad Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Here is a short list of up-sized tires for you that I have made, hope it helps. Tire size Diameter 185/70-14 , 24.2in , Stockers. 195/75-14 , 25.5in , BFGoodrich Tires ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO LT195/75R14 $115 205/75-14 , 26.1in , BFGoodrich Tires RADIAL LONG TRAIL T/A 205/75R14 $75 225/70-14 , 26.4in , Cooper Tires DISCOVERER M+S $104, Walmart Uniroyal liberators $90. This is the perfect sized in my opinion for the strut lift height. 27X8.50R14 27.0 General Grabber AT2 and TA/KOs (yes, the BFGs are being brought back this year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) I plan on getting those bfg's for my 90 legacy and they are only $129 on tirerack.com then the shipping to where im at in oregon will be another $40 for all of the tires to be shipped to me. The BFG T/As are sweet. I just wish they were a little bigger and a little cheaper. I just bought this 170k mile car used with 4 almost-new Michelin Harmony tires and I'm a little hesitant to spend $600 on new tires right after $600 for new struts. I'm unsure yet just how long this old car might last. They're still on my short list. Here is a short list of up-sized tires for you that I have made, hope it helps.Tire size Diameter 185/70-14 , 24.2in , Stockers. 195/75-14 , 25.5in , BFGoodrich Tires ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO LT195/75R14 $115 205/75-14 , 26.1in , BFGoodrich Tires RADIAL LONG TRAIL T/A 205/75R14 $75 225/70-14 , 26.4in , Cooper Tires DISCOVERER M+S $104, Walmart Uniroyal liberators $90. This is the perfect sized in my opinion for the strut lift height. 27X8.50R14 27.0 General Grabber AT2 and TA/KOs (yes, the BFGs are being brought back this year). Thanks! That helps a lot. You may want to delete the BFG Long Trails since they've been discontinued and add the Falken 205-75-14 Radial A/Ps. Although the Falkens are rare today they are at least still listed on Falken's website and Tires-Easy has 19 of them in stock. Firestone also has Destination LE and A/T tires available in 225-70-14. I am 100% sure that 195-75-14 will fit with no rubbing, 99% sure that 205-75-14 will but I'm still a little worried about the 26.5x9" 225-70s and 27x8.5s. However, General specifies 26.5" diameter for their 27x8.5x14 Grabber AT2s which might be perfect for me. Thanks again. Edited January 16, 2011 by SubaruFred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegacyBrad Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Yeah, looks like long trails are on the way out. Oh, also, as soon as you put the stuts on the car your rear wheels will be brought forward slightly. By measuring from the center of the tire out to the wheel well you will find room for only something smaller than 27" making it not a good idea because it will be rubbing the wheel well. You can fix this by swapping in the longer OB rear trailing arm or just trimming up the wheel well if you really want the 27s. No big deal. There is a great thread where a guy did this and was like WTF?! The tire moved forward? I can't find the thread right now, but it was a red 1st gen Legacy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 16, 2011 Author Share Posted January 16, 2011 Sadly the Falkens may be on their way out too. I was going to buy them from Sears for $70 each but they can't get them. They're not discontinued (yet) just on national back-order. I can still get them on-line but at $100 each after shipping. I don't think they're worth that much. I have 1.5" between the tread and the front of the rear wheel well and yes, the rear wheels did move forward with the struts. I've been told that Outback trailing arm mounts will help move them back. I guess I'll do that first, see how much room I really have and then order tires. I really want 205-75-14 but there are so few choices left in that size. I'll probably end up with Grabber AT2s. Thanks man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShagginWagon Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I dont think you would have to worry about alignment if u just did the trailing arm right? But for the price of the grabbers and the trailing arms u could get the bfg's and u would have as much loss on the low end and probably have a little better gas mileage. Not much, but something se to consider. I would like to go with the grabbers also but those are some of the things ive been considering and the bfg's arent as wide and they also can take more weight. I do like the price of the grabbers though and they are also rated for severe snow where as the bfg's arent. Tough decision for me. I would like to know how it goes for you so keep us posted on what u do. I would realy like to know how things turn out with whichever decisions u make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 I've been told that the taller OB TA mounts re-center the rear wheels. I think I'll need them to fit 27" but 26" should fit with or wthout them. I checked and it looks like the 27s will clear the struts fine so all I have to worry about are the fenders. There are 2 additional concerns: Tire weight and rim width. The BFGs and Generals are both very heavy vs oem and the Grabbers call for a 6-7" rim vs 5.5" oem. I imagine the Grabbers can be shoehorned onto the 5.5" rims but it's not ideal. 5.5" is ideal for the BFGs and Falkens. OEM 185-70-14 is 24.1" x 7.1" and 17 lbs BFG T/A KO is 25.5" x 7.7" and 31lbs Falken A/P is 26.1" x 8.1" and 21lbs Grabber AT2 is 26.5" x 8.5" and 29lbs I still can't decide but I may just order a set of Falkens and be done with it. I'll let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShagginWagon Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 The falkes dont look verry agressive for offroading, id go with either the grabbers or bfg's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Get a mud terrain tire, you wont regret it. 27 x 8 x 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael appel Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Get what you want swampers will fit you just have to massage it a little bit lol But go for what you want because like he said you will regret not getting what you want Get a mud terrain tire, you wont regret it. 27 x 8 x 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 The falkes dont look verry agressive for offroading, id go with either the grabbers or bfg's Yeah, the Falkens aren't aggressive at all. IMO they are half-way between a all-season passenger tire and a all-terrain LT tire. But they are the perfect size, provide a 1" lift, fill the wheel wells nicely and should work pretty well for some snow and light off-road duty. 95% of my time on these tires will be on paved roads in MD. Get a mud terrain tire, you wont regret it. 27 x 8 x 14 Is that just a 2" strut lift? What else is required to eliminate any and all rubbing? I love the look but would really like to know how much time, work and money is required to make them fit. New rims, cutting fenders and beating on things with a BFH is a deal breaker for me. This is primarily a beater so I don't have to drive my nice car in bad weather, to the dump, etc. Get what you want swampers will fit you just have to massage it a little bit lol But go for what you want because like he said you will regret not getting what you want What I want is a set of 205-75-14 General Grabbers that fit perfectly without any additional mods. Since they don't exist, how much "massaging" is required to get 27x8.5x14 Grabbers to fit? Thanks to all for replying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShagginWagon Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I dont think u would have to do muchif anything at all(i measured 13.5" from the center of the rim to the front of the rear wheel well and u still have about a quarter inch) just get the trailing arm from an outback. But im personally leaning toward just gettin the bfgs. Im not sure i want to mess with chancing with seeing if they will fit. The bfg's and the grabbers have pretty much the same tread design so im leanin towards the bfg's cuz the will result in a little better gas mileage easier for the engine to turn and my personal opinion bfg's make a better tire( made in us, although they are also made in mexico) and they are well known for being good dependable tires. I think the size will look good. But i would realy like to know how the grabbers would fit because they are rated for severe snow and this size of bfg's say theyre not, but what is severe snow for the tire companies and my toyo eclipse all season tires did pretty f'n good in the snow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShagginWagon Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 So i was looking into the trailing arm deal and it seems the outback ones are the same size as the legacy ones. Its the trailing arm bracket that makes the difference. Also im not sure if its in this thread, i read a few, but the 27" grabbers wount fit unless u beat the wheel well. Not happenin for me. And they also lowered gass mileage consideribly. I think im gonna stick with the bfg's. Heres the link about the trailing arm deal http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=93068&highlight=Outback+trailing+arms+legacy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruFred Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 (edited) So i was looking into the trailing arm deal and it seems the outback ones are the same size as the legacy ones. Its the trailing arm bracket that makes the difference. Also im not sure if its in this thread, i read a few, but the 27" grabbers wount fit unless u beat the wheel well. Not happenin for me. And they also lowered gass mileage consideribly. I think im gonna stick with the bfg's. Heres the link about the trailing arm deal http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=93068&highlight=Outback+trailing+arms+legacy Yeah, it's not the trailing arms but the TA mounts that differ. This actually makes it easier and cheaper to correct the rear wheel caster. $60 for new TA mounts is not a big deal and installation is simpler than new TA's. I'm not into beatin' the wheel wells with a BFH either but you should at least consider that you'll probably lose roughly the same mpg with BFGs as Grabbers. IMO it's the weight and rolling resistance that kills the mpg more than the slight final drive ratio change. You're replacing a 17lb tire with a 31lb BFG tire or 29lb General tire, both on a ~20lb wheel. One of the main reasons I like the "light" 21lb Falken "all-purpose". My only problem with the BFGs is that they are barely bigger than the oem tires. If you do get them, please post pics for me. They might look a lot better than I'm imagining. Maybe this will help? I use it all the time. http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp Edited January 19, 2011 by SubaruFred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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