LE tire size mismatch - what delta is ok?

JohnJerk

New member
Looking at adding some new rubber. How much bigger than stock can I go before the spare tire is useless?

Ideally would like to hear from LE owners that have oversized tires, had a flat, used the stock spare, and can report thier experience. Thanks.
 
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I replaced all my rims/tires to be the same size. any difference greater than a worn vs a new tire is a concern. A larger tire might drag while a smaller tire might skip trying to catch up the to the tires with the larger circumference.

I would change everything out. JM2C

Okki
 
U can't really upsize with 7" wide rims.

The best u can do is 265/60/20 which is 1" taller. And that is recommended for wheels between 7.5-9.5" wheels

Goodyear*Wrangler SR-A

To clarify, my question is about tire diameter and not about rims. I am thinking 33" vs stock 31.6". Wondering if running the 31.6 spare is possible with 33s.
 
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To clarify, my question is about tire diameter and not about rims. I am thinking 33" vs stock 31.6". Wondering if running the 31.6 spare is possible with 33s.

Right and the 265/60/20 is a 32.5" tire.

Like I said u don't really have any tire options if u wanna upsize the tires on a 20x7 wheel.

Or are u getting new wheels too?
 
Right and the 265/60/20 is a 32.5" tire.

Like I said u don't really have any tire options if u wanna upsize the tires on a 20x7 wheel.

Or are u getting new wheels too?

I am aware of the 7" width issue which I see as off topic to this thread.

But to answer your question, I aim to use the stock rims.
 
To clarify, my question is about tire diameter and not about rims. I am thinking 33" vs stock 31.6". Wondering if running the 31.6 spare is possible with 33s.

If your going to run 33", I wouldn't run that spare. The computer will sense or think one wheel is spinning faster (slipping) then the others and apply the brakes to that one wheel. On open highway that wouldn't be good.
 
I am aware of the 7" width issue which I see as off topic to this thread.

But to answer your question, I aim to use the stock rims.

It's not off topic. He's telling you that you can't safely run larger tires on a 7" wide wheel.
 
If your going to run 33", I wouldn't run that spare. The computer will sense or think one wheel is spinning faster (slipping) then the others and apply the brakes to that one wheel. On open highway that wouldn't be good.

That is definitely my issue of concern, but the computer must be able to deal with some spin speed differences. The best example is a full-lock turn where wheels are turning at very different speeds and the computer doesn't mind. Not looking to run the spare for thousands of miles, but would hope to get home or to a tire shop in the event of a flat rather than be stuck. Seems like throwing the spare on is the only way to do a real test and I would think someone in our membership has done that.

Thank you for all the colorful responses thus far. I'll do my best to not turn this into a pissing match.
 
They are right. Need to keep the spare same size but only on LE. Can throw different size up front on TE and SR5 as long as in 2 wheel drive.
 
Sounds like a job for myth busters!
Who wants to run a smaller and smaller tire on one wheel til something breaks or you lose control?

However........you would think/hope that they would have to work with the diameter difference of new tire(spare) and a worn out almost bald tire that was about to be replaced.

Doing the math ,that diameter difference with lets say the tread depth at 5/8" of an inch,which is reasonable as I think mine are 20/32" new and some have deeper tread then that.Now take that times 2 since we're comparing diameters means that bald tire is about 1 1/8" smaller diameter then the spare.
Your asking about a 31.6" diameter spare compared to a 33" so go figure. The day you start driving that 33" it will start getting smaller.IMO ,stick within 2 upsizes as they should have at least that much leeway and if you have a stock spare with full tread and max air you'll be alright to use it as it's intended spare purpose. Which is get you to a place that can repair or replace the bad tire ASAP.

I actually knew a girl that ran her spare donut tire on her Honda til the threads showed.To her a tire is a tire is a tire and got her from point A to point B.:redbrick:
 
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When I used to have my bfgAT 275/70/17 tires on SR5 rims (on my LE4x4), I had to run the stock LE spare/rim combo for about 40miles on the interstate. I had on board air, so I aired up the spare to max PSI and I aired down the other three to about 30psi. It was an estimate in that I did not pull a tape measure to see how close I got on tire diameters, but I had no issues whatsoever with automatic braking or any obsessive wear...

My opinion is that doing a 5-tire rotation is an easy solution, but it costs up front.
 
When I used to have my bfgAT 275/70/17 tires on SR5 rims (on my LE4x4), I had to run the stock LE spare/rim combo for about 40miles on the interstate. I had on board air, so I aired up the spare to max PSI and I aired down the other three to about 30psi. It was an estimate in that I did not pull a tape measure to see how close I got on tire diameters, but I had no issues whatsoever with automatic braking or any obsessive wear...

My opinion is that doing a 5-tire rotation is an easy solution, but it costs up front.

Great info. We are up to a 32.2" tire as ok!
 
Different AWD or Full time 4x4 vehicles are more more sensitive than others. Subaru's are probably the most sensitive to different sized or mismatched tires. I run a 5 tire rotation on my 80 series Land Cruiser which is similar in design (4x4 wise) to the LTD 4Runner. Personally I would not be too worried about a new verse old tire of the same make/size. But I would not carry a mismatched spare for anything but a short dive to a service station.

The only disadvantage to a full sized spare is the upfront cost. Rotate all five and you'll obviously get longer lifespan out of the set. Get a flat while wheeling and you'll appreciate the real spare. Get a sidewall failure on a road trip and again you'll enjoy not having the inconvenience, of a forced purchase, out of town.

Is the spare tire mounted on a matched wheel on the 5th gen? That I've never checked. Land Cruiser's have a full size matched spare and wheel from the factory. I'm spoiled that way.

I don't see any issue with the traction control system getting confused. Its the slight variance of one wheel turning faster than the rest and the associated wear to the transfer case as a result. The part time setting will bind eventually on dry pavement. The AWD setting will tolerate it longer.
 
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If Toyota is still using the Torsen T3 center diff then 10% tire difference from front to rear is "ok"

Audi uses the T3 center diff on Quattro branded cars and 10% is straight out of the owners manual.
 
If Toyota is still using the Torsen T3 center diff then 10% tire difference from front to rear is "ok"

Audi uses the T3 center diff on Quattro branded cars and 10% is straight out of the owners manual.

10%??

I understand the generally accepted difference is 3%.
Edit: See here and here (note: I'm not an Audi expert, but these posts agree with my 3% understanding)
 
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