Advice for a newbie and a new Runner

[Canazes9]

As I've said before, the difference in 33" tires and 32" tires off road is minimal. Certainly there are a few people on this size pushing their trucks to the limit and for them that last little bit makes a difference. For the vast majority it does not.

I went wheeling w/ a group of about 7 other Toyotas (2nd Gen Tacaomas, two 3rd Gen 4 Runner and a bone stock FJ Cruiser Trail '14) a few weekends ago. I was driving my '12 Tacoma OR DCSB. I cleared every trail the guys on 33" tires did. I was running Mickey Thompson MTZ's 265/75R16 w/ about 25,000 miles on them aired down to 14psi.

There were two other Tacomas that were running as well or better than my truck (the stock FJ was pretty impressive also!) The other guys running 33's, some had milder AT's, some had MT's but only aired down to 20psi, differences in traction (not everybody had A-trac/rear locker) - regardless, several obstacles they couldn't get through/over, that I got through.

This has been the case on most group trail rides I've done. The larger tires just don't make that much difference. I've also seen a few guys that have "no rubbing" rip their fender flares off their trucks in tight technical sections - those tires still have to go some where at full compression!

Now if you just want the look, by all means, customize your ride the way you want. If you believe a 1/2" clearance and 10% larger contact patch is going to make a large difference in off road performance, I've got bad news for you! Tire choice, pressure, traction aids (locker, atrac) and ever driving skill/experience make a much larger difference than tire size.

David

 

[snzscooter]

This all actually is pretty directly related to the question I've had. Most have the KDSS/non-KDSS questions have been answered a thousand times and asked seven thousand. However, I'm curious about a few different options that I know won't be an apples to apples comparison. So I ordered a '14 with KDSS, but from what I've read in another thread, the mag gray might not be available in my area. If that's the case, I'd have a couple of options. One is to get the mag gray TE without KDSS less than a hundred miles away, in which case I could upgrade to Icon or something similar with the money I'd save by getting the truck without KDSS. The other option would be to go about 500 miles for one with KDSS and then just upgrade to something like 5100s for the usual reasons. I would likely also just put 265 BFG TO KOs on there, maybe something a bit bigger if it makes sense, but I don't see the need for a lift if I'm not going to use it heavily off road, maybe just for a bit of fun when the opportunity arises. So my question is ... what would make the most sense? KDSS and Bilstein, stock height? Thanks for the input! I hope this doesn't count as hijacking, it seemed to be pretty close to this thread.

 

[mixed_guy]

I for one would flunk any exam that had numbers in it.

Decided to go for the 285/70r17 size. Torn between the Michelin LTX® A/T2 and the Nitto Terra Grappler.

I know many who love the Michelins - I am far less familiar with the Nitto --- any bad experiences with them?

Im in the same boat. with the LE XREAS Lift dilemma.

currently im running 265/70/17 hankook dynapro muds on XD addicts 17x9 rims

I started with the wheels which I put on last week. Noticed it was touching the front fender liner grooves so I heat gunned them to make it fit and it still rubs ever so slightly when i turn the wheel.
i would say while keeping the wheel straight i would have about 2 inches of clearance between the front fender liner and the wheel. So im guessing this calls for a slight lift.

In fact, if i go over any bump while turning my wheel im sure it hits my liner pretty good. but reversing the truck while turning the wheels i hear some scraping on the fender liner due to nose dive.

are 2.5'' lift spacers the best option for my truck to alleviate this problem? i only go off road for hunting / camping 2 times a year but i still need to be able to fit in underground parking and ensure the drivetrain and suspension components arent under any unnecessary wear.

My MPG have dropped quite a bit. the tire/rim gross weight for 4 were 290pounds
prior to putting them on i was getting 17.9 MPG
currently im getting 14.7MPG (no lift)

thats a pretty huge decrease.

 

[splash101]

"My MPG have dropped quite a bit. the tire/rim gross weight for 4 were 290 pounds, prior to putting them on i was getting 17.9 MPG
currently im getting 14.7MPG (no lift)"

Did you switch from the stock LE wheels and tires? They reportedly weigh 73 lbs each x 4 = 292 lbs.

Anyone know whether the same weight with a wider wheel and different tire could cause a 3 mpg loss?