Fixing Tire Rub from Large Off-Road Tires

On stock vehicles, everything is designed to fit just right. Parts seamlessly blend together, each working in perfect unison to provide an ideal ride – or the “ideal” ride that engineers had in mind. The second that vehicle gets modified all that harmony in design gets thrown out of whack. This is a concept for which off-roaders are all too familiar.

We ran into a very common issue with our 2012 Toyota Tundra build recently where our tires rub against the frame. In ourfirst story on the truck, we installed Fox 2.5 Factory Series Coilovers paired with Total Chaos Fabrication Upper Control Arms up front on the Tundra to lift the front end of the vehicle (and ran Fox piggybacks in the rear). We then complimented the suspension upgrades by fitting BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO 305/65R18 tires on our Black Rhino wheels. In going with the E-rated 305/65R18 tire, we hoped to avoid the tire rub issues known with 35-inch tires, as the 305/65R18 is closer to a 34-inch tire. We spoke with a few different shops and truck owners, and no one was sure if it would rub until it was installed. Unfortunately, it still rubbed.

After looking at a few options to address the rubbing, the prices we heard made us decide to deal with it for the time being. We received a note from SoCal SuperTrucks in San Bernardino after the story was posted, and they suggested a simple and relatively inexpensive solution to our dilemma with their Tundra Body Mount Plate Kit. After speaking with them, we realized the cost was about half of what we had heard from another shop, so we decided to head to give it a shot.

SoCal SuperTrucks has been in business 12 years, operating out of its San Bernardino shop during that time and servicing everything from pre-runners to everyday lifted street trucks. They work on just about everything, and tire rub on lifted trucks is something for which they have a ton of experience. Brian Barron, who’s worked with the company for five years, said that 80 to 90 percent of the Tundras that come through the shop have the Body Plate Modification performed.

“We install them anytime a Tundra, Tacoma or 4-Runner runs over a 33-inch tire,” he said. He also noted that even Tacomas and 4-Runners running 33s will often need this modification depending upon the offset of the wheel used.

The SoCal SuperTrucks steel plates run $29.95 per set. Labor for the job is about $125, so the total cost for install and parts is a reasonable price under $160.

We showed up to the shop in the morning, with technician Ryan Poe helping us with the work. Everything was done in less than two hours, and watching all the work done first-hand we came away impressed with just how easy they made it look. Then again, when the shop does in upwards of 10 of these jobs a week at peak times, it’s no wonder they have it down pat.

We are very pleased with the work performed at SoCal SuperTrucks. The cost was reasonable, the work performed was great, and most importantly our rubbing issue is a thing of the past. We look forward to getting the truck back out on the dirt!

CONTACT
SoCal SuperTrucks
774 South E Street
San Bernardino, CA 92408
909/383-5454
http://www.socalsupertrucks.com/