New tires and wheels

[sibanez]

When I bought my 1997 4Runner for $2,700, I knew that new tires and wheels were in order after I replaced/repaired some items. I picked up some used 2010 4Runner wheels from a Trail Edition product and slapped some new 265/70/17 Pirelli Scorpion ATRs.

I'm new to the ATRs and have only put 120 miles on my truck since purchasing them so I can't speak to them yet, but they are definitely stiffer than previous ATs I have ran (TerraGrappler, Revo2, Road Venture SAT KL61, Firestone AT), but they grip extremely well in both rain and dry roads.

Here is a photo of the truck from a distance:

The wheels and tires themselves:

 

[Running4life]

The wheels are not my "cup of tea" but they are definitely different. Set it up how you like it. They look close to your fender-well (could be the camera angle in the 2nd pic). Are you planning to lift it?
Those tires should be good. I like to wait about 1K miles before commenting on new tires. They all feel different when you first get them and that gives you enough time to see what you like/dislike about them.

 

[Blackdot]

I think the wheels look great, I've always wondered what Trail wheels would look like on the 3rd. I would have gone with a more aggressive tire, but that's just me, hope you like your new set up.

 

[sibanez]

I think the wheels look great, I've always wondered what Trail wheels would look like on the 3rd. I would have gone with a more aggressive tire, but that's just me, hope you like your new set up.

Honestly I was thinking of going with the Tundra/Sequoia wheels you are sporting (ran them on my 2003). I went with the TEs and am still not sure I love them, but they look better than the beaten up 16's that came with the truck.

On the aggressive tires, I drive way too much for anything heavier. The impact on gas mileage is killer and since I live in New Orleans, there isn't too much 'real off-roading' available like there was in Pa. Consumer Reports has the Scorpion ATRs rated as their top AT tire and I have always had good luck following their suggestions so I look forward to some more miles on them.

 

[Brutus]

I like those wheels!

 

[SleekRunner]

I like the rims! They look pretty sweet! Nice to see someone else from Louisiana on here!

 

[fightman80]

Looks good man!

 

[Hepar]

It is a lot of rim on a 3rd gen, but I think the style of the SE wheels is the best stock wheel they've made in a long time! Looks great.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

When I bought my 1997 4Runner for $2,700

damn, that's cheap

 

[sibanez]

damn, that's cheap

It was cheap, but it required some work including:

- New spark plug wires, spark plugs
- Replace valve cover gaskets
- Rear axle seal
- Rear brake job
- Front brake job (new rotors and pads)
- New clutch
- New exhaust
- New wheels and tires

I still feel like I got a great deal and the reason I got it for only $2,700 was because all of these things needed to be repaired. 5-speed 4x4s are tough to find and the motor on the truck is absolutely clean for the mileage. I was looking over some photos of 3.4s that people posted and they all have a lot more grime and build-up than this one did when I popped the valve cover. The be honest, this 3.4 with 170k miles is cleaner than the motor in my Integra was at 100k and I only used Mobile 1 full-synthetic. The amazing thing is that the previous owner only used conventional 5W30 from Toyota for all his changes.

 

[Dezert4Runner]

I've wanted to see those on a 3rd gen too. I think they look great, but I woulda put on a more agressive tire too.

Do you think that the tire feels stiffer than the other A/T's you've had because a 17" rim is running a higher PSI than a 16" wheel, hence why they fell stiffer? Just curious.

 

[sibanez]

I've wanted to see those on a 3rd gen too. I think they look great, but I woulda put on a more agressive tire too.

Do you think that the tire feels stiffer than the other A/T's you've had because a 17" rim is running a higher PSI than a 16" wheel, hence why they fell stiffer? Just curious.

I ran 17s on my 2005 Tacoma and 2003 4Runner in the same size (265/70/17) and I'd say that the Pirellis are definitely the stiffest. I ran Icons (front) /OME (rear) on both my previous rigs and only have Bilstein HDs on this truck so that could be part of it. The Pirellis has a fairly aggressive thread which 'hides' itself in photos. I'll post a review after 1,000 miles in the appropriate board to keep people updated.

 

[96743runner]

I too was waiting to see someone run those TE rims on a 3rd gen and I like the look. They would be even more awesome if they were 16's but still, those are good looking rims.