I've read page after page of this forum, and I still can't find the answer to my question.  So now I joined, and now I post my question, and await the answer.  I've got a 2003 Chevy Tracker (4dr) and I want to fit the largest wheels & tires possible without a lift kit.  What size will fit?  I asked Glen at RRO and he says that 235/75-15 will rub the body (but maybe he's just trying to get me to buy more product).  

-Will 235/75-15 fit without body or suspension mods?

-Will 235/75-15 fit if I install the RRO 1 1/8 coil spacers?

-If the answer to the first two questions is no...how big can you go without suspension or body mods?

This may not answer your question, but 235's M/T's fit fine on a stock 90.

I hear the x-90 is a lot like a 2dr Sidekick.  I've seen lots of those 'Kicks with 235/75-15's and no one is bitching about body rubbing.  This site http://www.truckworld.com/Readers-Rides/index.php?catid=61&p=1 has pics and write ups of all kinds of Suzukis.  But I still can't find one person with a '99+ Vitara (tracker, whatever, you know) who says they have personally run 235/75-15's without a big cheque to RRO or Calmini.

225/75/15 or 225/70/16 is about as big as you can go with out lifting.  Which is 28.3" tire with about 2.5" lift to can step to to 30" tires.  The real limting factor is the size of the wheel openings.
George

George, when you say the wheel opening is the limiting factor, how can you get around this?  A sawzall and a hammer might do the trick to the front fenders (I don't know if GMAC leasing will appreciate it) but I've got a 4dr, and there is no room to cut around the rear wheen opening.  

Also, even if I go with the 225/75-15, will I have problems with the wheel rubbing against the frame inside the wheel well, or will correct backspacing and offset advice from my local tire shop avoid these problems?

I ran 225/70/16 on my GV with no rubbing.  Now as far as I know the back spacing is the same from GV to Tracker just the the rim size.



As for fixing the wheel opening cutting is about all you can do even then.  To give to an idea Tim has a 2.5 sp. lift and 3" body lift netting 5.5" of lift. He's maxed out at 245/75/16 (31.5ish) and that's with some cutting.  



If I were you and I want to go off-roading go the RRO route as much as I hate to say that.  It keeps the most factorly parts and would get you those 235's your looking at.  Also the ground clearence you'll get is much needed.  It makes a night and day diffence

George

Since you are using the stock suspension, take a tape measure and meaure the distance of the front tires have between the closest point of the body. Turn the tires and at different angles, measure once again, closest body point. The minimal distance you have before any contact at any point of the front tires is the least you can go with largest tire. Find the size of your stock tire (215/75-15) in a tech book, something like 27.3" IIRC, then knowing the minimal distance you have till body contact on the front tires, add this to 1/2 of the tire diameter. This total shall be the most tire you'll get into the wheelwells in radius. Double it, and subtract 1/4" for better clearance and that'll be your new 'diameter'. (You'll already have some clearance as the lower half of the tire will be collapsed under the weight of the vehicle and top half won't be.) Next, do you plan to keep to a slender tire, or a little fatter tire, or what. You can then choose between the size of tire which gives you that diameter, but then also the width. 70 and 75 series tires have different widths for the same size diameter tire. Compare these numbers to your stock tire dimensions.
Then before ordering the tire and size you want, see if the local tire shop has any tire in the size you want. Have them test mount it on your Tracker with full weight on it. You front tire will only go up/down and out/in based on the swing of the lower control arm. Whereas the rear tire will go up/down, out/in (very little depending on what the other side tire is doing), and forward/back, this is due to the rear control arms.
For the rear tire clearance, you can do the same as the front, however, the front is usually the critical tire to measure due to it's suspension cycle as well as it's rotating/turning (steering).

I own a XL-7. Stock came with 235/60-16 which measures near 28" on paper. I went to a 225/70-16 which measures on paper near 29.3". In real life scenario, my mounted and weighted 225/70's only measure over 28".

Your tracker is the same body as my vitara and 225/75/15 will rub a little. I would call roadless gear and get a set of coil spacers from them for the front because they are 1.5inch and get the ear from RRO. Oh yea mine measure out to 27.5 on a 15-7 rim.



Before



after

245/75R16 with the calmini lift.  Just had to get all the plastic bits out of the way.

I'm getting rub on 225-70-16's  :-/
Standog what backspace are your 15's? Mine rubbed the front caliper so I stuck with the stock 16's But wouldnt mind fitting 15's soon

Steve

I had 15 by 7 inch rimes with 1.25 inch wheel spacers.

Clay

I run 255/65 r16 muddies 2" springs and1" body with only a little cutting

I have a 2002 2 dr Tracker and havew had 235X15 on it for two years without any lift and with the stock rims.  It rubs on the frame a little but still useable.  

This year I have put RRO's 2" suspension lift and 2" body lift and have 15X7 wheels with 1" wheel spacers.  Because of the added wheel offset and the spaces, the wheel/tires extend out 2" more than stock, I had rubbing problems on the bumper covers, had to trim.

I just installed a great set of remanufactored tires from katona tires in Canada
www.katonatires.com
Alpi Tiger A/T (the site has a picture of the old mold, their new one that I bought has more aggressive mold)
they literially are the most aggressive A/T I have seen as they are close to being a mudder blocks w/ siping and thick shoulders

I have a LX 03 tracker which is bone stock w/ stock steelies w/o backspacing
I installed a set of 235/75/15's on them
and they are great
No rub on the body unless full (and I mean full) turn and only during parking will I ever get rub (and it's at slow speeds anyways)

I  gained about 1 1/5" taller from my 205/75/15 tiger paws (though should only be acctuality 1")

they are probably the best a/t's I've tried too
and as they are remanufactor'd they worked out being $80 Canadian a tire installed
they are rated at 2035 pounds so for our little trucks the 6 ply is far stronger than we need

I went hunting w/ a couple buddies
one who has a grand cherokee w/ wranger AT/S's
another buddy who had Cooper STT's 31" on his pathfinder

we went through some boggy muddy area
I was able to carress through in just 2wd w/o any issues through deep mud, where as my buddy in the grand cherokee w/ the ats was spinning his rear tires alot while the front had to try to pull him up
My buddy with the coopers just went through as easy as I
however when we got to some rocky terrain, we all had wet muddy tires
the patherfinder w/ cooper stt's were bounding through the rocks sliding all over the place
my buddy's AT's climbed well, but I did just as easy with these Alpi A/T

they sure give the truck a way more aggressive look

I am going to install the RRO 2" body lift w/ shifter extentions and their steering shaft extender and their 1 and 1/8 coil spacers
as this should not void my car's warranty

I was thinking about spacers, but I'm not sure if I can justify 210 for a set if 235/75's work so well already
and they are illegial here in my city

btw--- if intrested in the tires contact Granville Moss at 204-275-1315 in Winnipeg Manitoba

just to let you know these aren't retreads, they are remanufactord just using a used LT casing
so they'll take like a standard 6 ply casing and add another 4 ply sidewall and tread... very durable
and they are pressure melted in the mold so tread separation is impossible unlike a retread like a high-tech tire

sweet tracker man!!! i love the black! =D i got one myself, and yeah my 235/65r-15s rub up front only when i'm in reverse and turn the wheel all the way to the left lol kinda odd cuz it doesnt do it ne other way but yeah i got some 15x8s and i'm waiting to get my Bushwacker fender flares and then i'm gonna invest in some more aggressive tires with a little 2" lift or something but check out what it looks like, i really like the way yours looks man its nice! and btw i painted my dash pieces and my bumpers, trim, door handles, and mirrors i didn't like the plastic mine is a 2000 and it starts to fade after about 2 years and looks horrible, paint is a great cover for that