Just bought a 99' SR5 and I need new Tires

[jcush87]

Hello,
I just bought my 2nd 4runner. It is a 99' 2WD SR5 with 15" rims. Tires appear to have about 3k left in them so I am preparing to get another set. It is going to be a family car and mostly what I care about is good wet weather on-road traction, comfort, and cost.
The original size is P225/75R15, but I would like something a bit larger. So far I am between these tires:
Firestone Destination LE 2 P265/75R15 (30.7x10.5R15)
Firestone Destination A/T 30X9.5R15LT
Firestone Destination A/T 31X10.5R15LT
Question 1: Which tire would you prefer for my application
Question 2: will fuel economy/drivability suffer with these tires vs the stock ones? I just think the stock ones look a bit small for the truck.
Question 3: I am planning to replace brake pads/rotors (just OE stuff, I cant afford to upgrade to 16" rims and tundra brakes now) and air filter. Anything else I should do that the Toyota dealership I bought the car at most likely didn't do?

I will 99.99% of the time be on a paved road. no off roading for this vehicle. That is what my 96 4x4 is for! Thanks for the help!

Here is the 99'

and the 96'

 

[MONTYMTB]

I would highly recommend the Michelin LTX/MS. I know they are more expensive, but the ride and longevity are second to none. I've gotten at least 85k miles out of the last two sets I put on.

 

[jcush87]

That is pretty impressive, I have those tires on my 96 and they have plenty of tread left! I plan to drive probably about 3000 miles per year, and I am not too concerned about the longevity of the tires due to wear, but dry-rot and cracking are a big issue to me! I will consider doing the Michelin MTX/MS again though. Thanks

 

[BrianSD_42]

So far I am between these tires:
Firestone Destination LE 2 P265/75R15 (30.7x10.5R15)
Firestone Destination A/T 30X9.5R15LT
Firestone Destination A/T 31X10.5R15LT

no offense but I've read some FireStone bashing threads on here. I don't have any first hand knowledge though.

I see they do have some pretty good survey reviews online so perhaps they are not that bad.

I suggest you look into a set of BFG ATs 265x70x16 (factory) OR any other tire highly ranked in the surveys on TireRack.com

Have you checked out TireRack.com ? Go in and choose "show all that fit similar" and then uncheck everything but all terrain or cross country..

 

[OffRoadGuy]

Hankook ATM - 75% street 25% Offroad great wear 50k and very smooth. I have them on my Titan and will be my next set of tires once the KM2 is either sold or wear out.

Hankook RT03 - Great offroad and I'm not a Hankook dealer.

 

[jcush87]

no offense but FireStone's aren't exactly regarded as good tires around here.

I suggest you look into a set of BFG ATs 265x70x16 (factory) OR any other tire highly ranked in the surveys on TireRack.com

Have you checked out TireRack.com ? Go in and choose "show all that fit similar" and then uncheck everything but all terrain or cross country..

No offense taken, I didnt design the FireStones! I was actually basing my choices off of the TireRack reviews. Tire Search Results

The consumer ratings are highest for the Destination LE 2s, then the A/Ts, then Kumho SATs which had lower wet weather performance than the FireStones.

I do not see an option to show similar fit tires, but I am a bit new to the website so I probably am missing it. Also I have 15" rims so I believe the R16's are not an option for me. Thanks for the help so far!
-James

 

[BrianSD_42]

I do not see an option to show similar fit tires, but I am a bit new to the website so I probably am missing it. Also I have 15" rims so I believe the R16's are not an option for me.

Now would be a great time to go to 16" wheels if you can afford it. I bet you can find a set of used but unscratched 16" OEM wheels for $250 somewhere local. Sand em and paint with some $15 automotive paint.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Click the "view all tires this size" (15 or 16") button.

I would refer to the surveys more than user reviews. Perhaps Firestone isn't that bad after all.


This one looks good ...

 

[BrianSD_42]

But I have these ... All-Terrain T/A KO

A lot of guys run these as a great city + offroad tire. If you don't need to go in the dirt/snow/ice very much then go with the cheaper tire. At 31" tire they have no noticeable road/tire noise.

I also have run the Grabber AT2 which is a clone but seems legit.


:surfer:

 

[jcush87]

Maybe if I wait a while, I have my second child due in about a month so I am trying to keeps costs low and only do what is most necessary for a family car. Although I would really love to get 16s and put the tundra brakes on it, another $500-$600 is not really something i can do at this time.

 

[MGP]

I put a set of P265/70R16 Destination A/Ts on my 2001 SR5 last October and I'm really happy with them. Mostly city/highway driving with some occasional back country roads.

They're good in the rain and snow (not likely a problem for you based on your location!) and are as quiet as the crappy Dunlops they replaced.

I'm happy with them after running them for about 6 months.

 

[Nervo19]

I have the Firestone Destnation AT's in 31 x 10.5 x 15 on my '89 4Runner. They have a slightly aggressive look that I like while being very cheap. I looked a lot online before I purchased them and they had good reviews.
They seem good for the money but truck is not a daily driver anyway.

I have the Michelins described above on the '00 4Runner and they have a bagillion miles on them and just passed state inspection again. Honestly I think they have about 80k miles on them and still have plenty of tread. I am beginning to plan for a new set though. They have a more car like look and ride. I air them down often so the sidewalls must be pretty strong.

 

[lilsid112]

Personally I would try to find a used set of OEM five star wheels and get tires for them. If you plan on doing the tundra brakes in the future you might as well upgrade the wheels from the start. If you get the five stars run with the Michelins LTX. If you decide not to get different wheels, still run Michelins.

 

[Mpls80210]

I bought a set of Michelin MS2s for my 01 sport. I have been incredibly happy with them. Expensive but completely worth it. Definitely not an off road tire, but great on wet roads, in the snow and on ice. They are also way quieter than my old geolanders.

 

[jcush87]

I definitely have some more tires to consider! thanks everyone.

one of my other questions was how does a moderate increase in tire size affect fuel economy?

 

[blizz86]

How much bigger are you planning? I would think if you are upgrading to 16's you would run 265 75 16 just fine without losing more than 1-2 mpg..

 

[jcush87]

that is good to know, i will probably wait on the 16s unless I see something really good come along before I buy tires for the 15s. I will probably end up with 30x9.5 ish or 31.5x10.5ish even on the 15s

 

[jreask]

I have had the Firestone destination AT's on a couple of trucks and on the one I am driving now. I really really like them. Low hydro planing, good grip on dry roads, good on snow and also gravel roads( which I live on). I haven't used them in the mud because I don't off road very much. I think they have a 50K mile tread rating also. The only thing I don't like is the close tread design that picks up rocks and holds them until you get to higher speeds. I like the Cooper AT3 on our FJ Cruiser because of the open tread design. They hardly ever hold a rock in the tread. The Firestones were only $600 for 265/75/16 mounted, balanced the whole works. Coopers were over $800.

My two cents.

Joe