The Chevy Colorado is a solid mid-size pickup truck, and when equipped with the factory ZR2 package, becomes a fine off-road machine as well. Powered by a range of gasoline and diesel engines, it's got ample space, comfort, and carrying capacity to be your perfect family vehicle. Of course, once you've got the ZR2 package, it can go almost anywhere, opening up the great outdoors to you for exploring and camping.

Let's find out how to upgrade the wheels and tires on a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. We'll take you through the Colorado ZR2's wheel size, as well as the biggest tires available on a stock Colorado ZR2. If you're wondering where to find wheels and tires for the Chevy Colorado ZR2, just hit up our Tires and Wheels section.

What to Consider When Upgrading Your Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Off-Road Wheels & Tires

There are a few things to consider when upgrading your Chevy Colorado ZR2's off-road wheels and tires. We've got to consider factors such as rim diameter and width, tire width and aspect ratio, rim offset, and backspacing to name a few. Fortunately, there are some upgrades that you can easily perform on your Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 to enable bigger wheels and tires to be fitted. We'll take you through those, but first let's find out what the factory tire size is, and how large can you go without any modifications.

What Factory Tire Size Comes With a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2?

The stock tire on the Chevy Colorado ZR2 from the factory is a 265/65 unit on a 17-inch rim with factory offset. This works out to a roughly 30.5-inch tire.

What Is the Biggest Tire You Can Put On a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2?

The biggest tire that a stock Colorado ZR2 can accommodate without modification is a slight upsizing of the aspect ratio. This would be a 265/70 unit on the same factory 17-inch rim with factory offset, resulting in a 31-inch tire.

How Can I Fit Bigger Wheels and Tires to My Chevrolet Colorado ZR2?

Now, let's look at some ways to fit bigger wheels and tires to your Chevy Colorado ZR2. Firstly, if you install a mild 1.25-inch leveling kit, you can easily fit a 275/70R17 tire to the factory rims, resulting in a roughly 32-inch tire. If you're willing to sacrifice some width for more height, choosing a 255/80R17 tire will give you a roughly 33-inch tire, with the same lift kit. You can retain your factory wheels with factory offset and won't require any trimming of the wheel arches.

Want a wider tire, but still prefer a 33-inch diameter? Then, you'll need to upgrade to wider rims as well as significantly trim your fenders, unless you're willing to go for at least 3 inches of lift instead. You'll also need to choose a rim with the appropriate offset or install wheel spacers to avoid the wider tires from catching on suspension components.

Remember that installing a lift kit or any other way of gaining lift will increase your vehicle's overall height, as well as make the cabin higher off the ground as well. So, you'll need to factor that in for entry and exit, and possibly think about some powered side steps if required, especially if you've got kids and use your Colorado ZR2 as a family vehicle.

We must also point out that the stock spare tire location on a Chevy Colorado ZR2 can accommodate a maximum 33-inch tire, so if you're going larger, you'll need to figure out alternative storage for your spare tire, as it must be identical to the other four tires if you need to use it while out and about.

Can I Go Larger than 33 Inches?

Yes, you can. Here's what it takes. If you want to run a 35-inch tire, you'll ideally need at least six inches of lift, plus a rim with a -12 offset, assuming it's still a 17-inch rim and 12.5 inches wide. In some cases, you might be able to get away with four inches of lift, but you may need to aggressively trim your fenders and avoid airing your tires down too much to traverse across the sand, for example.

If you want to go larger still, a 37-inch tire is possible with the same specifications and modifications as would be required for the 35-inch tire, except that you'll now need eight inches of lift. You can get away with six inches if you're willing to aggressively trim your fenders, to the extent that your truck looks noticeably different from the side profile.

A Few Tips to Remember When Upsizing Your Colorado ZR2's Wheels and Tires

When upsizing your wheels and tires, here are a few things that you must bear in mind.

• Remember to have your speedometer recalibrated. Upsizing your wheels and tires, particularly increasing the diameter of the overall wheel-and-tire package, has the effect of making your speedo read faster since for each revolution of the wheel, it travels further. This means that you can very easily get a ticket for speeding unless you recalibrate your speedometer.
• Yes, you might be excited to know that your vehicle is traveling faster now, but it's also doing it less efficiently. Bigger wheels and tires add more unsprung mass to your vehicle, resulting in slower acceleration and higher fuel consumption.
• If you're significantly upsizing your wheels and tires, remember that you need to buy five of each, not four. Don't forget the spare wheel, as it must remain identical to the other four if you're to gain effective use out of it when needed, especially when off-road.
• Adding a lift to your vehicle will make it taller overall, so check some of the more trivial things that come with driving a taller vehicle, like whether it will still clear your garage door at home, for example.

Everything for Your Colorado, Truck or Off-Roader at 4 Wheel Parts

If you're looking for all your off-road or truck needs under one roof, 4 Wheel Parts is the best place to come to. Simply browse our expansive selection of quality products, or step into one of our stores nationwide. Whichever you prefer, you'll receive friendly expert advice, competitive prices, applicable warranties, and much more. That's why we've got a growing fraternity of satisfied regulars. Why not join them?