OME Lift and new tires: doing it right

[Road Bull]

265/75/16 KO2 fits in stock spare location A-OK! Ask how I know.

 

[John7M7]

265/75/16 KO2 fits in stock spare location A-OK! Ask how I know.

That's good to know, surprising though. Do you have the hitch receiver? Because my 30" spare is touching the receiver.

 

[JayRolla]

I don't want a crazy suspension neither, but I don't like body lift like many here, and the 2" OME kit allows me to carry heavy loads, which I will do at some point.

Body lift can be a good option. You get tire clearance without raising center of gravity. Stock suspension with disconnected sway bar links performs good offroad. Drives great on road. No reason people should not like body lifts.

32" tire fits with the hitch I believe no problem. Research it.

 

[MandAtaco]

Sounds like you've got it figured out, but just a couple other things to things to throw in.. If your not planning on doing any rock crawling, and more exploring/expo style stuff, I'd stick with the 265/75 R16. It will fit in the factory spare location, and stock gears will turn them just fine. For me, the jump from 265's to 285's turned my truck into a dog and warranted a gear change. Even then I should have went with a deaper gearing than I did.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

That's good to know, surprising though. Do you have the hitch receiver? Because my 30" spare is touching the receiver.

Take a look on the foreword side of the tire. The hoist is able to move off-center, so if you have 2" to spare on the front side of the spare, it will fit fine.
If [MENTION=119532]Road Bull[/MENTION] says it fits his, it should fit yours as well!

 

[p nut]

Just wanted to mention about the "skinny tire" thing:

That Expedition Portal article has been floating around for quite a while. I admit, I bit on it hook, line and sinker when it came out. I had a Tacoma then, and went with 235/85/16. Price was cheap. Back then, all 4 tires (BFG KO) came out to $600 installed. Went on my merry way, excited about better mileage, performance, etc. But what I found was totally different. First, the on-road performance sucked. With the skinnier tire, the lateral grip suffers. There is a reason why sports cars have WIDE tires, not skinny. Tires squealed at almost every turn, and I wasn't even pushing it. The MPG didn't get better, either. Going to 32" from stock, you expect about 2MPG loss, which is what I experienced with 265/75/16 tires. I thought it would be better with 235/85, but that wasn't the case. Second, off-road wasn't any better. The lateral grip still played a factor, which made for some high-puckering moments on any off-camber trail. Climbing prowess or ability to get over obstacles easier didn't happen, either.

It's of my opinion that the Expedition crew experienced benefits of a TALLER tire than a skinnier tire. 255/85 is taller than 285/75. Perhaps the benefits came from that--I don't know. But for 32" applications, I would stay away from skinnies. Plus, personally, the 265/75's look SO much better on the truck.

EDIT: Last thing to mention: For overlanding/no rock crawling, honestly, stock 31" tires will work fine as well. KO2's come in that size (265/70), I believe. Your MPG won't suffer, power will be better, and I doubt you'll see much difference in off-road performance, since you'll mostly be on fireroads or mild trails. Heck, my ATV has 26" wheels and does just fine! Just something to think about.

 

[Hepar]

Load rating load rating load rating. Don't forget about the load rating.

 

[JayRolla]

Just wanted to mention about the "skinny tire" thing:

That Expedition Portal article has been floating around for quite a while. I admit, I bit on it hook, line and sinker when it came out. I had a Tacoma then, and went with 235/85/16. Price was cheap. Back then, all 4 tires (BFG KO) came out to $600 installed. Went on my merry way, excited about better mileage, performance, etc. But what I found was totally different. First, the on-road performance sucked. With the skinnier tire, the lateral grip suffers. There is a reason why sports cars have WIDE tires, not skinny. Tires squealed at almost every turn, and I wasn't even pushing it. The MPG didn't get better, either. Going to 32" from stock, you expect about 2MPG loss, which is what I experienced with 265/75/16 tires. I thought it would be better with 235/85, but that wasn't the case. Second, off-road wasn't any better. The lateral grip still played a factor, which made for some high-puckering moments on any off-camber trail. Climbing prowess or ability to get over obstacles easier didn't happen, either.

It's of my opinion that the Expedition crew experienced benefits of a TALLER tire than a skinnier tire. 255/85 is taller than 285/75. Perhaps the benefits came from that--I don't know. But for 32" applications, I would stay away from skinnies. Plus, personally, the 265/75's look SO much better on the truck.

EDIT: Last thing to mention: For overlanding/no rock crawling, honestly, stock 31" tires will work fine as well. KO2's come in that size (265/70), I believe. Your MPG won't suffer, power will be better, and I doubt you'll see much difference in off-road performance, since you'll mostly be on fireroads or mild trails. Heck, my ATV has 26" wheels and does just fine! Just something to think about.

Only thing ive found a skinny tire do better is cut into the mud till it finds a dry spot. If they dont your screwed.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

Good info [MENTION=9510]p nut[/MENTION] [emoji1360]
Skinnier tires- on any vehicle- are "known" to get better fuel economy, so that's interesting you didn't experience that. Nothing better than a first-hand experience comparison.

 

[phattyduck]

Good info [MENTION=9510]p nut[/MENTION] [emoji1360]
Skinnier tires- on any vehicle- are "known" to get better fuel economy, so that's interesting you didn't experience that. Nothing better than a first-hand experience comparison.

Might be a rolling resistance thing going to AT's from LT tires?

-Charlie

 

[John7M7]

MandAtaco: Thanks for the feedback, I would definitely prefer to avoid re gearing the truck, as it will be pricey as hell. Then 265/75 it is!

Interesting feedback on the skinny tires too, i wasn't hot about it in the first place, that reinforces my feeling in that matter.

Hepar: that's my next assignment; understanding the load rating. At first I was thinking about going E, but is that a bad choice and will it give me a terrible ride?
My truck will be carrying a lot of stuff, so it will be heavy - which is why I'll probably skip big bumpers etc.

 

[JayRolla]

MandAtaco: Thanks for the feedback, I would definitely prefer to avoid re gearing the truck, as it will be pricey as hell. Then 265/75 it is!

Interesting feedback on the skinny tires too, i wasn't hot about it in the first place, that reinforces my feeling in that matter.

Hepar: that's my next assignment; understanding the load rating. At first I was thinking about going E, but is that a bad choice and will it give me a terrible ride?
My truck will be carrying a lot of stuff, so it will be heavy - which is why I'll probably skip big bumpers etc.

Lowest load possible for best ride. If you tow a lot E load is the wya to go.

 

[phattyduck]

MandAtaco: Thanks for the feedback, I would definitely prefer to avoid re gearing the truck, as it will be pricey as hell. Then 265/75 it is!

Interesting feedback on the skinny tires too, i wasn't hot about it in the first place, that reinforces my feeling in that matter.

Hepar: that's my next assignment; understanding the load rating. At first I was thinking about going E, but is that a bad choice and will it give me a terrible ride?
My truck will be carrying a lot of stuff, so it will be heavy - which is why I'll probably skip big bumpers etc.

The load rating for C-load tires is already above the GVWR of the 4Runner. Stick with C's unless you can't get the size you want in them. Just remember to air them up appropriately when loaded.

-Charlie

 

[John7M7]

OK guys, thank you!
I'm planning to tow at some point but nothing crazy, probably a small off road camper (about 1,800 pounds top, probably less).

As far as towing goes by the way, I should have a transmission fluid cooler installed right?

 

[reelamin]

Might be a rolling resistance thing going to AT's from LT tires?

-Charlie

AT (All Terrain/Season) is tread pattern....LT (Light Truck) is construction....could loose MPG if going from a P series (Passenger) to a LT series as they are heavier and stiffer.

 

[John7M7]

I'm probably gonna go with the Dick Cepek Fun Country, good balance between A/T and M/T.
The reviews are really good and it seems to give a quiet ride on roads.

It will definitely be LT, but my current tires are too, so the MPG shouldn't be too affected.

 

[Road Bull]

That's good to know, surprising though. Do you have the hitch receiver? Because my 30" spare is touching the receiver.

The hitch is a bit of a variable. My hitch seems to be a factory hitch. But I have seen a few hitch variations. Perhaps some of these cut into spare tire clearance. But my squared style hitch does not interfere with my putting an aired up totally new BFG KO2 in the spare location.

If you lived near me, I would be happy to let you come by and see if you can fit my spare in your spare location. Maybe someone closer could assist if they have a 265/75/16 spare.

Take a look on the foreword side of the tire. The hoist is able to move off-center, so if you have 2" to spare on the front side of the spare, it will fit fine.
If [MENTION=119532]Road Bull[/MENTION] says it fits his, it should fit yours as well!

Yeah, I would say as long as you don't have a goofy hitch or aftermarket rear bumper that invades that space, people should be fine.

 

[phattyduck]

OK guys, thank you!
I'm planning to tow at some point but nothing crazy, probably a small off road camper (about 1,800 pounds top, probably less).

As far as towing goes by the way, I should have a transmission fluid cooler installed right?

Offroading in 4L is harder on the trans than towing such a small trailer. Monitor those trans temps and you'll know what you need to do. Turning OD off when needed to keep the torque converter locked at slower highway speeds when towing goes a long way to keeping the trans happy.

-Charlie

 

[John7M7]

Offroading in 4L is harder on the trans than towing such a small trailer. Monitor those trans temps and you'll know what you need to do. Turning OD off when needed to keep the torque converter locked at slower highway speeds when towing goes a long way to keeping the trans happy.

-Charlie

Good to know, thanks for the advice!

The hitch is a bit of a variable. My hitch seems to be a factory hitch. But I have seen a few hitch variations. Perhaps some of these cut into spare tire clearance. But my squared style hitch does not interfere with my putting an aired up totally new BFG KO2 in the spare location.

If you lived near me, I would be happy to let you come by and see if you can fit my spare in your spare location. Maybe someone closer could assist if they have a 265/75/16 spare.



Yeah, I would say as long as you don't have a goofy hitch or aftermarket rear bumper that invades that space, people should be fine.

Thank you for the offer, yes you're a little far, but I'm just going to order 4 tires, see if they fit in the spare's location and if yes I'll order a fifth one.

My hitch receiver is the factory one, I still have the sticker from 2000 that summarizes all the equipment and options of the truck, which is cool!

 

[Hepar]

Hepar: that's my next assignment; understanding the load rating. At first I was thinking about going E, but is that a bad choice and will it give me a terrible ride?
My truck will be carrying a lot of stuff, so it will be heavy - which is why I'll probably skip big bumpers etc.

It will be a bit stiffer, but I wouldn't say they would be terrible. Where it will be noticeable is in the power loss you'll feel as well as the drop in mpg's.