Up-sizing rims/tires on stock Sorento 4x4?

[Mike_T]

Hiya Kia Sorento People ---

Hey, I just recently picked up a 2007 Sorento LX with the 4x4 option....and am looking to stuff a slightly-larger, slightly-wider set of rims and tires under it before I take it on some light off-road excursions. Been looking at the inexpensive black steel "Pro Comp" series 97 wheels, which I actually think look pretty nice.

Need to ask you guys a few questions today first, though ----- :

1) Does anyone know what the stock 16" factory wheel offset/backspacing and width are? Need to know this so I can figure what the ideal replacement wheel dimensions would be. If the stock wheel is a 16x7, I want to go to 16x8, for instance. I just don't know what size the original is......!

and also:

2) How big a tire (diameter) can you safely fit on the Sorento without a suspension lift? Can I squeeze a 30.5" in there? And still get suspension articulation / steering without tire rub?

I know it comes stock with a 245-70-16 tire, which has an overall diameter of 29.5". It sure doesn't look like it will accept much more than that, but has anyone tried? And do you know what size you can get in there?

My current thinking is that the 16" wheels look too "tucked in" the body of the truck...so I'd like to go to a new 16" wheel that's either wider, or has less backspacing, or both, so that the face of the tire/wheel are further outboard. Better, wider stance and all that.

Looking forward to doing some off-road adventuring!!!!!
But want some slightly more serious rubber at all four corners first.....

Thanks so much guys!!!!!!!!

Cheers,
Mike T.
motorcity_69@yahoo.com

[Frrrrrrunkis]

Hey Mike, Welcome to the addiction!!!!
I have been doing some similar research and although I dont know about how wide you can go i do know that with the stock height you can go up to 265/70 R16 which are 31" tires...............

[pistnbroke]

Of course you could lower the spare and measure the offset.....!!! There is a plate in the drivers door jamb that gives the wheel size 7 x 16
Having a set of tyres just for off road is good so then you can carry 2 of the originals for spare BUT tread pattern is going to be more important than width ....the wider the tyre the worse it will be in mud.....and dont go near any water until you modify the evap canister ...details on this and winch mount in progress at present..

[Mike_T]

Hey, thanks for the warm welcome, guys.....!

And thanks for the tire-size info.
Can you mount that 265-70-16 size tire on the original factory rims?

It's an inch wider tread, will that comfortably sit on the 16x7 factory rims without looking "balloon-ish" in the sidewalls?

Hey, I checked out sorentosite.com, and saw a couple sorentos with BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA's on 'em, but none of them looked like they had different rims from the factory wheels. I REALLY want to find a set of wheels that will fit on this truck comfortably (not stick too far outside the wheel openings).

The Sorento has a 5x5.5" bolt pattern, which is kind of neat. This is the same as Ford, Dodge, and old Jeep CJ rims, as well as International Scout also. So there MUST be a good set of wheels kicking around somewhere that would work.

The big problem seems to be backspacing.

I did some digging yesterday and found the factory wheel specs -- they are 16x7 with a "45mm ET" offset, which translates to a 5.7" backspacing. DEEP!

Most aftermarket (and factory) wheels from other companies in this 5x5.5" bolt pattern have much shallower backspacing (they appear deeper-dished from the outside)....so, when you bolt them onto a Sorento, they stick out WAY too far to be acceptable.

So the holy grail, for a set of off-road wheels, would be something in a 16x8 size with a backspacing measure in the 5" range.

Any ideas????

I scoured ebay briefly last night, there are some old Dodge truck wheels in 5x5.5 with somewhat better backspacing measures, but nothing awesome yet.

Great website for comparing wheel/tire/backspacing measures:
Wheel / tire size calculator / comparer - RIMS-N-TIRES

Hope somebody has something to offer!!!!


Mike T.
motorcity_69@yahoo.com

[crash_lucky13]

do you think that 30/11r16's will fit on there? i sell some thornbirds that would look killer

[Mike_T]

Hey, just talked to a guy at Stockton Wheel.

4X4 Wheels Bead Locks - Custom Off Road Wheels

They can manufacture a custom-offset version of their "Explorer 72 Series" steel wheel for $117.00 each.

Not TOO expensive, but still more than the $72.00 / each wheels I was looking at from Pro Line. Hmmmm.

In a 16x8 wheel, he can build up to a 6" Backspacing;

In a 16x10 wheel, he can build up to a 7.5" Backspacing.

Both would probably work great.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!

[pistnbroke]

Slow down 10 inch .....have you checked the clearance with the wheels on full lock between the chasis/body and original tyre...wide is not the best way to go for off road unless you are on sand....Is it legal to have the rubber stick out beyond the fenders?? Will the tyres hit the fenders on full rebound...what does your insurance say?? Wide tyres and changing the offset will reduce the turning circle... Talk to lucky13 he sells tyres and has a sorento to check what will fit.....

[Mike_T]

Hey, thanks for the much-needed reality check, there, Pistnbroke........

Yeah........I think I probably agree with you on the 10-inch.......

With the backspacing available in these size rims, the tires on the ten-inch rim would almost certainly scrub on the fenders under full steering lock.
Unless ----- ! ------- unless you had a really large backspacing (the 7.5" backspacing actually does keep the tire tucked in nice), to keep the outer tire face from going much farther outboard than stock....but that would probably put your inner tire surfaces too close to the suspension members.

I think the farthest you can take the tire face outboard, safely, is probably about an inch, maybe an inch-and-a-quarter. This would be just a bit outside the sheetmetal surfaces, which in the U.S. is legal. Again, this is all related to what the tire O.D. is, also.

Hey, to your other question about insurance regulations....! Insurance is pretty blind to most of this, seemingly, in the states! I agree it is crazy. Some of the custom 4x4 trucks that go bombing down the freeways here in California have tires big enough to run over most family cars.

But back to my much-more-modest aspirations.....I'm definitely concerned about tire scrub.
Seems like it is the biggest Achilles' heel of these Sorentos, their small wheel openings.

Almost certainly I will be spec'ing 16x8 rims, in some sort of custom offset. Probably with the 265/70/16 tire size that Frrrrrunkis mentioned.

But the idea of a ten-inch-wide rim just sounds great, though, doesn't it?