Tire size opinions wanted

[DrivingTacoLoco]

I overland my truck.
7000 miles in March and April. I'm leaving next Wednesday from Winston Salem NC to SD, WY, MT, ID, OR, UT, CO. Depending on conditions and how long in each place return home September - October. 50 to 75% off pavement.
I am increasing tires size I need 6 tires (2 spares)
I currently run 265/70R17 = 31.6x10.4R17

Looking to upgrade to either:
285/70R17
Diameter : 32.7"
Width : 11.2"
Wheel : 17" x 7.5-9.5" (LT Tires 7.5-9")
Sidewall : 7.9"
Circum. : 102.7"
Revs/Mile : 617

OR 255/80R17
Diameter : 33.1"
Width : 10.0"
Wheel : 17" x 6.5-8.5"
Sidewall : 8.0"
Circum. : 103.8"
Revs/Mile : 610
For now I will keep my stock wheels. To avoid rubbing I don't want to go wide and need spacers
Thoughts? Recommendations?
Thanks

 

[Shakes355]

Depending on the brand you select, either size is a crap shoot to find in stock on the road. Since you're carrying 6, it's not much of an issue.

I have a preference for skinnies and plan to move to the 255's once my current set wears out. Obviously brand and tread make a difference, but all things being equal, I find narrow tires to be more responsive. (Many people will disagree. This is only my experience.)

Neither size is excessive in any way and should wear fine. They will weigh roughly the same, though the 255s may give you slightly better fuel economy due to profile and rolling resistance.

You will have a better selection available with the 285s as it's a more common size.

Other than that, it comes down to personal preference.

 

[Patrick-A51]

I would recommend that if you are looking for a good replacement tire. I would get the OEM size tires but get BF Goodrich A/T off road tires. My JGC has Goodyear tires on it now I only have less than 500 miles on my JGC due to having been in ill health. Good luck

 

[oldmopars]

Just wondering why you want to increase the tire size? I know you are not going up much, but it looks like your truck is already very loaded, with stuff on the roof too. All of this put stress on the drive-train. The Toyota V6 is no powerhouse to begin with and going up in size is only going to make it worse.
Going up hills will require more from the engine, gas mileage will go down, stress on all of the stock parts will increase.
I am not saying to not do it, but just be sure you know what you are getting into and you see some significant benefit from doing so.
The very little that you will gain in ride height/ground clearance will be very small. (less than .75in)
Why do you want to go up in size? What are the stock size not doing that makes you think the larger size will gain you?
Again, I am not saying you shouldn't do it, but for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Sometimes the payoff is just not there.

 

[leeloo]

You say you already overland your truck. You had some issues so far with this tire size that makes you need bigger ?
I am just curious, but if you did not had problems why do it ? I would save the money for something else.

 

[Cottonwoody]

Why International Overlanders Do Not Use Large Tires. | Spiritual Travelings

www.spiritualtravelings.com

 

[ryanorr280]

On our 4Runner which is pretty similar to your taco, I did 285/70/17 for availability when I need one.

I will admit though, power loss was real, and I am now looking into a regear to get my tranny temps back down and help when pulling the camper to the lake. So, it truly is a trade off. My tranny temp hit 225 on the way home yesterday from the lake with me being careful. Highest I ever had with the camper before was 218 (NM 95F ambient), and that was an 8 hour drive. Yesterday was only 3 hours and 90F outside

 

[Smileyshaun]

Here in the pnw you will still run into snow in March and April so you should take that into account with what tire you select .

Nvm misread your post lol

 

[Smileyshaun]

Head to TireSize.com - Compare Tire Sizes, Specs, Prices & more you can find the actual size and weight of a lot of tires there to compare. You will be surprised how much difference there is in tires of the same size from different manufacturers.

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

Head to TireSize.com - Compare Tire Sizes, Specs, Prices & more you can find the actual size and weight of a lot of tires there to compare. You will be surprised how much difference there is in tires of the same size from different manufacturers.

My data came from tiresize.com

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

You say you already overland your truck. You had some issues so far with this tire size that makes you need bigger ?
I am just curious, but if you did not had problems why do it ? I would save the money for something else.

Not really. It's time to buy tires so if I'm going to make a change now is the time.

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

Why International Overlanders Do Not Use Large Tires. | Spiritual Travelings

www.spiritualtravelings.com

33" Will always be my limit. I'm not trying to do wider.

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

I would recommend that if you are looking for a good replacement tire. I would get the OEM size tires but get BF Goodrich A/T off road tires. My JGC has Goodyear tires on it now I only have less than 500 miles on my JGC due to having been in ill health. Good luck

I have KO2s on the rear Rough Terrains the 4 others. I replaced 2 tires in March do to punctures and I wanted to upgrade to KO2s or something and these were in stock at the dealer in Tuscon. I need to replace 1 more as a sidewall is damaged but not yet leaking so I have to replace 2.

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

Depending on the brand you select, either size is a crap shoot to find in stock on the road. Since you're carrying 6, it's not much of an issue.

I have a preference for skinnies and plan to move to the 255's once my current set wears out. Obviously brand and tread make a difference, but all things being equal, I find narrow tires to be more responsive. (Many people will disagree. This is only my experience.)

Neither size is excessive in any way and should wear fine. They will weigh roughly the same, though the 255s may give you slightly better fuel economy due to profile and rolling resistance.

You will have a better selection available with the 285s as it's a more common size.

Other than that, it comes down to personal preference.

I also like the idea of skinnies. They are just not common at dealers.

 

[Smileyshaun]

My data came from tiresize.com

But look at the actual manufacturer size listings. in a 315/75r16 the width could vary from as skinny as 11.9 all the way to 12.8 . That’s why you will see one rig able to fit a tire with no rubbing and another tries the same size but another manufacturer and it rubs like crazy . There is also a big difference in weights to .

 

[USStrongman]

BIgger is not always better, but moving to a 33" tire should not be too big a deal. I would be concerned about flexing especially the rear with a larger tire without a lift based on your picture. If you are heavy already with gear, moving to a heavier tire will cause the torque converter and transmission to work harder. If you have an automatic tranny, you wont need to reprogram for shift points, but will need to to correct your speedo. BFG KO2's are without a doubt my favorite do everything tire. They last forever, run well in snow, slush, mud, gravel, fine dirt/sand and are relatively quiet on the highway. They are available by nearly every retailer everywhere and are at an excellent price point.

Discount has the 285/70/17 (33") at $240 but they can be had cheaper. The 265/70/17 (31.5") which I ran for 55k miles is $208. Both come in a C, D or E sidewall. Slight weight difference between the three but not much.

https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/bfgoodrich-all-terrain-t-a-ko2

 

[USStrongman]

In addition, what the manufacturer claims means nothing. The KO2 I mentioned runs small in every size. 35's actually run about 33.8" on most JKU's, depending on weight. Here is a look at what I put together based on manufacturer info. Real world data will vary. Pricing was based on Fall 2017 prices.

 

[MidOH]

Check out the Cooper St Maxx, or the STT Pro.

Sorry, can't speak for size, am not a taco guy.

 

[Smileyshaun]

One thing I do find a little funny is there is a lot of people saying you shouldn’t go outside the manufacturer tire spec size because it will ruin the vehicle in every way but then those same people have no problem going wayyyy over the manufacturer’s gvrw With gear and add-ons .

 

[DrivingTacoLoco]

But look at the actual manufacturer size listings. in a 315/75r16 the width could vary from as skinny as 11.9 all the way to 12.8 . That’s why you will see one rig able to fit a tire with no rubbing and another tries the same size but another manufacturer and it rubs like crazy . There is also a big difference in weights to .
View attachment 160459

I keep looking for the original post where you posted this. Can you provide the link?
Presently I'm around 10.4 wide. Wider than rub will be an issue.