Buying new wheels, thinking about weight

Yes, that cooper line-up is a good way to explore the trade-off's between weight and performance. But the choices start to get limited. The only non-E 17" tire in the LT line-up is a C-rated 265/70/17 (31.57') that weighs 47lbs, which is 8lbs heavier than the 32" SL.

 

...both the Toyo and the AT3 4S have the 3 peak snowflake...though, with the Coopers you would get an extra 1/4 inch of height for the same weight

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoi89LOvk_s&t=188s

 

I’m looking at tire weights as well, but not in 17”. Interesting discussion.

I miss my former Volvo C30 Polestar.

 

Some off road driving with Michelin Defenders with a Tacoma that had 210,000 on the clock last fall just to provide an idea of their capability.

 

another option that might fit your need and is lightweight

Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac in 255-75-17 in a S (standard load) rating at 40 lbs

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...75SR7WDT&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes




The Michelin Defender in that size is 38 lbs.

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For my sportscar I like the Yokohama A052 in 200 TW or the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in 300TW.

 

I've got the 17" TRD Pro SEMA wheels with c-rated 265/70/17 BFG KO2's and they weigh 72lbs/piece

 

Heck yes, I miss the C30. So zippy and fun but truly quick when tuned properly. Also that 5cyl burble <3

I did look at these but decided against them just based on some things I read. Super subjective of course but maybe another time. Also, I'm looking to go 265/70/17, not 255/75. Not that it makes a ton of difference.

For a 25lb wheel that makes the tires just under 50lbs a piece though? That's a bit stout for me.

 

Also, another slight negative, depending on how you use the vehicle, with that size (255/75-17) is that the rolling diameter increases incrementally over the 265/70-17.

 

That's why I was looking at the 265... They're closer to the stock tire size but one aspect ratio oversized from the factory spec and I get a more aggressive tread. Kind of goes with the minimal theme I'm after, in that if I can't get to where I need to go with 265/70 and a 1.5" lift on 6112/5160s, I probably don't need to be there.

 

That is the route I went with for my multipurpose use Tacoma including that same Billstein suspension package.

My offroad Husky FE501 will drive circles around any Tacoma offroad making it seem like a joke, unless that Tacoma it is set up for the Baja 1000 with mega coin. At 250lbs, 60 hp, 12" of suspension travel and capability to air down to 2 or 3 psi back and 7-9 psi front using Tubliss it is a formidable offroad tool.

There is no need to pretend something that won't happen with a Tacoma when you know better.

 

The difference in performance and fuel mileage with tire/wheel combo's within 10-15 lbs is mostly academic. For guys building a drag racing rig that extra 40-60 lbs might add a fraction of a second to their 1/4 mile times. That could make the difference between 1st and 2nd place. But for guys driving typical trucks and cars there are more important things to worry about.

That's assuming everything else is equal. Lots of guys buy tires 1-2" wider than stock and 3-4" taller with a much more aggressive tread then blame the fact that the heavier tire is the reason for the loss of performance and fuel mileage. It's possible to have all of the facts and still reach the wrong conclusion. Those tires hurt performance because the wider tires and more aggressive tread greatly increase rolling resistance. The taller tires force the engine to work harder. The changes because they are heavier is marginal.

The tires on both my Tacoma and F150 are 15 lbs each heavier than factory. The ones on my Tacoma are the same size with a similar tread. Fuel mileage is exactly the same as before and my butt dyno can't tell any difference in power. Both may be reduced somewhat, but not enough for me to measure it. The tires on the F150 are one size taller, with a more aggressive tread than factory. I lost 1 mpg.

I realize this is hardly scientific, but I've been buying tires since the 1970's. I've never had an LT rated tire damaged. Period, never even had to put a plug in one. But I've had 4-5 P rated tires damaged to the point where they couldn't be repaired. I had to replace tires with lots of tread left. I've lost count of the ones I've had to repair.

The ride is somewhat stiffer, but with proper tire inflation isn't enough to be an issue. I've found it cheaper in the long run to just buy E rated tires.

 

This is exactly where my head is at because I experienced what it's like riding my DRZ400 with D606 tires off-road on some pretty gnarly terrain. At that point I realized my Tacoma will never be the right tools for the job in terms of going deep and exploring. That's why I want to use it as a tool to get out there, establish basecamp, and adventure out from there.

I don't have the DRZ anymore but I've gotten into MTB, so the same methodology applies and the Taco will be a great base for exploring some cool areas on the bike. Someday I'd like to get back to moto and likely on the same bike you posted or a KTM / Husky 350. That picture is inspiring and brings me back to DRZ hooning.

 

One important issue you have left out is that the 3rd gen Tacoma has an entirely different engine and torque curve along with a 6 speed transmission that is over geared in comparison to your 2nd gen.

Throw weight, increased diameter and to some extent increased rolling resistance on that 3rd gen and the impact will be different than your 2nd gen.

Easier way to test the theory you proposed is to run the stock OEM 3rd Gen wheel/tire set up in comparison to the same time/wheel size that weighs an additional 15 lbs. Then most importantly, drive the truck with the same acceleration parameters. From my testing, there will be more than 1 mpg overall in fuel economy difference especially if running freeway speeds at 75 mph in rolling hill terrain or in heavy head winds.

Besides the MPG impact, you completely left out the impact of additional 15lbs of weigh that now must be controlled with the same suspension dampeners that typically have no compression and rebound dampening adjustments. Ever wonder why those with E load rating heavy tires complain of horrible ride?


Most that compete on mountain bikes immediately realize that just wheel/tire weight significantly impact your acceleration and constant speed. It can't be any simpler to understand than this, that rotating weight is very significant. When I install my carbon fiber wheels and light weight tires (same rolling diameter and tread width) on my mountain bike it is immediately notable vs the heavier wheelset. So noticeable, that the heavier wheels/tires sit in the garage and collect dust.

 

Motos can be a blast ... Did a 1850 mile ride last fall after the smoke cleared from the nation in western MT and then all of ID entirely offroad. Both of the two wheeled toys (mtb and moto) are blast to own. Some more inspiration for you..

 

Heck yeah that's awesome. That part of the country is the last remaining part that I have yet to explore, though I'm heading up there to pick up my camper at the end of this month. Hoping to get back this summer or next to backpack into the Chinese wall and explore that wilderness up there, I might need to throw renting a bike on the agenda after this conversation lol

 

I agree that aggressive treads are part of the mpg problem (thus my additional enthusiasm for the Cooper AT3 4s) but 60lbs converted into rotational mass is something like 180 to 240lbs? Surely starting and stopping that much more weight is going to have a noticeable impact on a Tacoma.

I do agree that I'm now entering my own grand experiment on whether or not SL tires will hold up to my style of travel - mostly long distance travel on asphalt (~80%) FSR (~18%) with some extra, harder, trails when I'm looking for that killer camping/fishing spot (~2%). Hope to be collecting plenty of data on that soon enough.

 

I definitely agree that SL are probably sufficient for most weekend warriors. I'm thinking of going SL once my LT/C Toyos wear out. I have a set of mud tires as well, but plan on only running them in the summer.

 

I got some mud for you to try with those mud tires.. LOL it is in WI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkXjv6PrnbQ