What 33" tires do you recommend? Also what about tire load range?

[RidingDirty]

Hey I’m finally finishing my 4runner project and am ready to purchase some tires. I’m looking for some tire recommendations from people because I’m a little confused as to what tire specs I need due to the upgrades I’ve made to the vehicle. So here is some background info.

As you guys already know the OEM 4runner wheels (16”x7”) use 265/70R16 tires (~31”x10”). But I bought a set of FJ80 wheels (16”x8”) from somebody locally and plan on installing 33” tires, so I’m not using the stock 4runner wheels and tires. The FJ80 wheels I purchased already had the original 33” tires on them (285/75R16), but they are dry rotted and not safe to use. However it was great to be able to install them on the 4runner to determine if I liked that tire size before spending all this money on 5 new tires. So I do plan on buying new 285/75R16 tires (33”x11”) for the FJ80 wheels. But if you guys recommend the skinnier 255/85R16 tires (33” x 10”) let me know. I made all the proper suspension and brake upgrades to accommodate the tires size increase. In the front I have JBA high caster upper control arms, Tundra coilovers and Tundra 13WL brakes. In the rear I have Dobinson 210V springs and Bilstein 5160 4runner Gen 4 shocks. I have not done anything about the front wheel well pinch welds yet, but I will handle that when the time comes.

I live in the Northeast and will be using these tires in all conditions (pavement, mud, snow, sand). Mall crawler during the weekdays and off road on the weekends. Backcountry, offroad trails and surf fishing in the spring/summer. Fishing the Great Lakes tributaries and snowboarding in the fall/winter. It’s important to me that the tires have the 3-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) rating.

So here are my questions.

1. What tire brands do you recommend?

Through my own research I’ve narrowed it down to these 3 options. Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT, Falken WildPeak A/T4W and BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3. They all have the 3PMSF rating and it appears a lot of Toyota guys already recommend these options. But I’m leaning towards the Falken WildPeaks because of what I’ve read on all the 4runner/Tacoma forums. If you have other recommendations let me know.

Basically from all the comments I’ve read people are saying the Falkan Wildpeaks A/T4W have slightly better wear, traction and are quieter than BFG KO3s. The comments about the Goodyear Wranglers just say they are great, but no reasoning provided; just that they are great and the lightest tire of the 3.

2. What is the deal with the tire load range?

The original 4runner tires (265/70R16) have load range “SL” (standard load, 4 ply). But all the 33” tires (285/75R16) have load range “E” (10 ply). I just don’t know how that will affect everything. I believe I read the load range “E” tires have a stiffer sidewall and will provide a rougher ride, so people compensate for this by airing down their tires for normal use. Is that correct?

The 4runner has a curb weight of 3,820 - 3,845 lb and the FJ80 with stock 285/75R16 tires has a curb weight of 4,510 - 5,313 lb. So after adding metal bumpers, winch, tire carrier, spare tire, skids plates and rock sliders; the 4runner would be around 4,400 lb. So I think the load range “E” will be fine. Can anybody comment on this logic? And maybe let me know what psi they use for their 33” load range “E” tires?

3. Do you guys recommend the skinnier 255/85R16 tires (33” x 10”)?

I’ve read that they don’t need modifying to the front wheel well pinch welds. Not sure of the validity to that statement; or if that even matters to me at all. I feel like with all the additional weight installed on the 4runner, I want a wider footprint on the ground surface for traction; so I will probably stick with the 285/75R16 (33”x11”). But I would like to hear other people’s opinion.


Let me know what you all think. Attached is a photo of my current wheel and tires. And you know I had to add the manual locking hubs.

 

[Hungryhawk]

Now you get into the big opinions-side wall flex, side wall cut resistance, tire load carry, tire weight. LT ( C, D, E) and SL and XL. All have a different range of benefits. Do not forget comfort ride on pavenent, washboard, dirt. I found this chart educational.

 

[JWaldz]

1. What tire brands do you recommend?

Of the 3 you listed, I personally prefer the Wildpeaks. I have the same size tire (for 17's) on my 5th Gen 4Runner. They've been amazing tires all around. I also had the Duratrac's. Nothing terrible to say about them, but so far I like the Wildpeaks in the snow better. Can't say much about BFG, was never a BFG fanboy haha. You could also look into Mickey Thompson (I am biased here). I have the Baja Boss AT's and they've been my favorite tire in my nearly 20 years of ownership of my 3rd gen. I've also owned every single All Terrain tire they've ever offered, along with a couple of their M/T's. Albeit my current tires are 35's, I don't actually know what sizes and ratings they have for smaller tires.

2. What is the deal with the tire load range?

Ideal for the 3rd gen is probably a C rating at minimum and maximum of D, for offroad use. I highly recommend staying away from E rating. I have a VERY heavy 3rd Gen with all the additional steel, and can personally say that even then, E rated tires never felt good, nor did they wear that great. They did not do great for me even aired down to lower PSI for normal driving and they certainly did not perform well aired down to extreme low PSI for offroad use. This could have been the tire itself as well (Maxxis Trepador Radials), but general consensus in the 3rd Gen Community is to stay away from E rating.

D rating is the sweet spot especially for overall road use + offroad. They just seem to be more difficult to find in smaller tires.

3. Do you guys recommend the skinnier 255/85R16 tires (33” x 10”)?

Never was a fan of the "Pizza Cutter" look. I also don't feel like they perform as well offroad. They offer less contact area when aired down. I'd also feel like stability is compromised, as the more narrow track width on an already top heavy vehicle is concerning to me. I'm sure they have benefits, but I honestly don't see them for the 3rd gen.

Food for though:
I think it's worth mentioning that with the rise of larger factory wheels from most automobile makers, it might be advantageous to look into 17" wheels. There are A LOT more tire options when going up to this size. Just my .02

GOOD LUCK!

 

[JohnMc]

I've been through 3 sets of tires on mine so far.
1) Michelin LTX AT2 - in just over 32" height. These are, as you'd expect, better on road. OK off road, but they'd pack up and slither at the first sight of mud.
2) BFG KO2 - 285/75/16 - just under 33" height. These are a great tire for a daily driver that gets wheels pretty hard. A great balance between not being horrible on pavement and doing quite well off road.
3) Current tires - BFG KM3 - 255/85/16 pizza cutters - just over 33" tall. These are definitely well past the balancing act for on/off road performance. They're quite vague and mushy feeling on pavement. Despite them being far narrower than the KO2's they still weight the same because they have very tall lugs. I've tried them at hi/med/lo pressures, they're just big mushy marshmellows on pavement. And the payoff is off road, where theyre' great. Superior to the KO2's everywhere I've been with them (we do summer trips to Colorado and Utah). Even in deep loose Moab sand where I thought the skinnier footprint would finally cause issues, they still did better. Just a tire for more of a weekend warrior truck, less so for a daily driver.

Tire load ranges: Basically, you're choosing between C and E for a 4Runner. And that mostly comes down to the sidewall construction (to oversimplify). And I've been running E's on mine the whole time. They're heavier, they don't flex as well when aired down, but then theyr'e a little tougher. I've wheeld with friends running C tires and perhaps it was just luck/driver skill/whatever, but they've very occasionally torn a sidewall on a rock. And despite some occasional bone headed riving on my part and some occasional fairly deep looking cuts and gouges on my tires, never a flat. Only flat I've had to change on a trail was when I bent a rim, bumping a ledge a bit too hard with the tires aired down a bit too much (10 psi). It flatted, I changed the spare on, and later in camp that night I hammered the dented rim back into shape and it aired back up again.

Pizza cutters: With the latest KM3's on mine, I went to a pizza cutter side - 255/85/16. Here's the old wider Ko2's being swapped out for the KM3's:

The KM3 lugs are cut in on the edges, making the tire look even narrower than the measurement would indicate.

So far, I'm a fan. it's not apples to apples, of course, because I went from a KO2 tread to a KM3 tread (KO2/3's are not made in a pizza cutter size tha wuold work). So is it the KM3 tread or the pizza cutter size? Either way, they are better in every place I've tried them off road. Crawling ledges and going through deep dry loose sand in Moab. Going up wet granite on Colorado mountain passes. This is comparing back to back with my wife's similarly modded 96 4Runner with 295/75/16's on it. So same day/same trail/pretty much the same vehicle (both lifted, manual trans, crawler boxed, double locked, etc), mine just seemed to work a little better, she'd struggle a bit more on the toughest stuff we did. Again, it's not apples to apples, the KM3 tread vs KO3 tread might be a bigger difference than the width.

Here's a great video where narrow vs wide tires are compared: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wAJAOxh8LE
I love his analytical looks at various subjects related to off roading.

Fat vs skinny:

I think it's almost more down to a style preference. I'm using 1.5" spacers on the PIzzacutter, same as I was on the previous 285's.

 

[whyzee125]

Hey I’m finally finishing my 4runner project and am ready to purchase some tires. I’m looking for some tire recommendations from people because I’m a little confused as to what tire specs I need due to the upgrades I’ve made to the vehicle. So here is some background info.

As you guys already know the OEM 4runner wheels (16”x7”) use 265/70R16 tires (~31”x10”). But I bought a set of FJ80 wheels (16”x8”) from somebody locally and plan on installing 33” tires, so I’m not using the stock 4runner wheels and tires. The FJ80 wheels I purchased already had the original 33” tires on them (285/75R16), but they are dry rotted and not safe to use. However it was great to be able to install them on the 4runner to determine if I liked that tire size before spending all this money on 5 new tires. So I do plan on buying new 285/75R16 tires (33”x11”) for the FJ80 wheels. But if you guys recommend the skinnier 255/85R16 tires (33” x 10”) let me know. I made all the proper suspension and brake upgrades to accommodate the tires size increase. In the front I have JBA high caster upper control arms, Tundra coilovers and Tundra 13WL brakes. In the rear I have Dobinson 210V springs and Bilstein 5160 4runner Gen 4 shocks. I have not done anything about the front wheel well pinch welds yet, but I will handle that when the time comes.

I live in the Northeast and will be using these tires in all conditions (pavement, mud, snow, sand). Mall crawler during the weekdays and off road on the weekends. Backcountry, offroad trails and surf fishing in the spring/summer. Fishing the Great Lakes tributaries and snowboarding in the fall/winter. It’s important to me that the tires have the 3-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) rating.

So here are my questions.

1. What tire brands do you recommend?

Through my own research I’ve narrowed it down to these 3 options. Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac RT, Falken WildPeak A/T4W and BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO3. They all have the 3PMSF rating and it appears a lot of Toyota guys already recommend these options. But I’m leaning towards the Falken WildPeaks because of what I’ve read on all the 4runner/Tacoma forums. If you have other recommendations let me know.

Basically from all the comments I’ve read people are saying the Falkan Wildpeaks A/T4W have slightly better wear, traction and are quieter than BFG KO3s. The comments about the Goodyear Wranglers just say they are great, but no reasoning provided; just that they are great and the lightest tire of the 3.

2. What is the deal with the tire load range?

The original 4runner tires (265/70R16) have load range “SL” (standard load, 4 ply). But all the 33” tires (285/75R16) have load range “E” (10 ply). I just don’t know how that will affect everything. I believe I read the load range “E” tires have a stiffer sidewall and will provide a rougher ride, so people compensate for this by airing down their tires for normal use. Is that correct?

The 4runner has a curb weight of 3,820 - 3,845 lb and the FJ80 with stock 285/75R16 tires has a curb weight of 4,510 - 5,313 lb. So after adding metal bumpers, winch, tire carrier, spare tire, skids plates and rock sliders; the 4runner would be around 4,400 lb. So I think the load range “E” will be fine. Can anybody comment on this logic? And maybe let me know what psi they use for their 33” load range “E” tires?

3. Do you guys recommend the skinnier 255/85R16 tires (33” x 10”)?

I’ve read that they don’t need modifying to the front wheel well pinch welds. Not sure of the validity to that statement; or if that even matters to me at all. I feel like with all the additional weight installed on the 4runner, I want a wider footprint on the ground surface for traction; so I will probably stick with the 285/75R16 (33”x11”). But I would like to hear other people’s opinion.


Let me know what you all think. Attached is a photo of my current wheel and tires. And you know I had to add the manual locking hubs.

Those are all solid choices, each in their own way. If I were to remove one option from the list, it would easily be the BFG.

My top recommendation is actually the Toyo A/T III, but the Falkens are very similar. Toyos are made in Japan and typically require less weight to balance and road force.

My take:
- Toyo A/T III - The best all around A/T on the market right now
- Falken A/T4W - Very similar, not made in China, QC very good but not quite the Toyo's level
- BFG KO3 - Great tires, iconic history, improved vs KO2 but still has balancing and out of round issues
- Goodyear Duratrac - Excellent tire, balances well, looks aggressive, but gets loud with some miles on it

Some people really like the way load E tires ride but I don't like it at all. It's just too much tire for a 4runner. Then they have to air down to pressures the tires aren't designed for to get the ride tolerable, leading to more heat. It can work, but i s really not ideal.

Load range goes like this:
P ie P285/75R16 is standard passenger load

LT is then broken into
C
D
E

with each having additional plies and thicker sidewalls.

TL;DR

My top recommendation would be Toyo or Falken in either a P metric or a C load.

 

[Endlessblockades]

Since you mentioned you have 16x8 wheels, I'll mention that I am running 33s on 16x8 Methods and I went with FWP AT/4s in 255/85/16. I wanted to try 'skinnies' and haven't found a reason to regret that yet. The Toyo A/T III are beautiful, top of class tires IMO, but at the time they didn't come in the size I wanted (as mentioned, there are many more options for 17" wheels) and they were also a lot more than the Falkens (I was buying 5 and price mattered). The ones I got are load range C and tout some kind of 'Duraspec' 3-ply sidewall protection, FWIW. I have run them for hours at 10PSI with no issues at all. Seem pretty compliant and stay on the rims. I do have the Beadgrip rims. I'm not sure if either technology is really a game-changer, but it makes me feel a little better.....

Edit - I did need a bit of plastic trimming (Flares), a little grinding, & did the pinch welds. What helped most was setting the Caster to 'Max within spec' at the next alignment.

 

[T4R2014]

Personally on my 80 I run these exact wheels with Falken Wildpeak H/T's in the 285 flavor since my primary use is on pavement. Didn't have issues in snow, and they are quieter than any A/T ever will be. That's a good wheel choice for a 3rd gen since they are quite lightweight.

 

[hawkcharmer]

I've been through 3 sets of tires on mine so far.
1) Michelin LTX AT2 - in just over 32" height. These are, as you'd expect, better on road. OK off road, but they'd pack up and slither at the first sight of mud.
2) BFG KO2 - 285/75/16 - just under 33" height. These are a great tire for a daily driver that gets wheels pretty hard. A great balance between not being horrible on pavement and doing quite well off road.
3) Current tires - BFG KM3 - 255/85/16 pizza cutters - just over 33" tall. These are definitely well past the balancing act for on/off road performance. They're quite vague and mushy feeling on pavement. Despite them being far narrower than the KO2's they still weight the same because they have very tall lugs. I've tried them at hi/med/lo pressures, they're just big mushy marshmellows on pavement. And the payoff is off road, where theyre' great. Superior to the KO2's everywhere I've been with them (we do summer trips to Colorado and Utah). Even in deep loose Moab sand where I thought the skinnier footprint would finally cause issues, they still did better. Just a tire for more of a weekend warrior truck, less so for a daily driver.

Tire load ranges: Basically, you're choosing between C and E for a 4Runner. And that mostly comes down to the sidewall construction (to oversimplify). And I've been running E's on mine the whole time. They're heavier, they don't flex as well when aired down, but then theyr'e a little tougher. I've wheeld with friends running C tires and perhaps it was just luck/driver skill/whatever, but they've very occasionally torn a sidewall on a rock. And despite some occasional bone headed riving on my part and some occasional fairly deep looking cuts and gouges on my tires, never a flat. Only flat I've had to change on a trail was when I bent a rim, bumping a ledge a bit too hard with the tires aired down a bit too much (10 psi). It flatted, I changed the spare on, and later in camp that night I hammered the dented rim back into shape and it aired back up again.

Pizza cutters: With the latest KM3's on mine, I went to a pizza cutter side - 255/85/16. Here's the old wider Ko2's being swapped out for the KM3's:

The KM3 lugs are cut in on the edges, making the tire look even narrower than the measurement would indicate.

So far, I'm a fan. it's not apples to apples, of course, because I went from a KO2 tread to a KM3 tread (KO2/3's are not made in a pizza cutter size tha wuold work). So is it the KM3 tread or the pizza cutter size? Either way, they are better in every place I've tried them off road. Crawling ledges and going through deep dry loose sand in Moab. Going up wet granite on Colorado mountain passes. This is comparing back to back with my wife's similarly modded 96 4Runner with 295/75/16's on it. So same day/same trail/pretty much the same vehicle (both lifted, manual trans, crawler boxed, double locked, etc), mine just seemed to work a little better, she'd struggle a bit more on the toughest stuff we did. Again, it's not apples to apples, the KM3 tread vs KO3 tread might be a bigger difference than the width.

Here's a great video where narrow vs wide tires are compared: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wAJAOxh8LE
I love his analytical looks at various subjects related to off roading.

Fat vs skinny:

I think it's almost more down to a style preference. I'm using 1.5" spacers on the PIzzacutter, same as I was on the previous 285's.

Hello, Do you have 295/75/16 Ko3 mounted on one of the 4Runners? I’m thinking of going with this size. Is it an E rated tire? Is it a true 33 or more? Are you happy with them? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[JohnMc]

Hello, Do you have 295/75/16 Ko3 mounted on one of the 4Runners? I’m thinking of going with this size. Is it an E rated tire? Is it a true 33 or more? Are you happy with them? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you

They're on my wife's Azure Blue '96. E rated, so they're stiff and heavy but also far tougher sidewalls. They're a bit bigger than 33, 33.4 per the specs. She's been OK with them, but when they wear out she's says she's going back down a size to the 285/75/16's. These just rub a bit more with no improvements in exchange. She'd try pizza cutter sizing if they made KO3's in that size, but it's only the KM3's. And KM3's really do suffer on pavement.

PS: Now I'm wondering if they're KO2's instead of KO3's? I forget.