3rd Gen, 3" Lift on 285/75R16's

Hello all, Newbie here to TW. I have a stock 17 Tacoma TRD 4x4 crew-cab long bed which I am going to be installing a 3" lift onto as well as 1.5" wheel spacers. I plan on going with 285/75R16 BFG KO2's I have seen posts saying no rubbing issues, and some that say CMC is needed. I seem to be loosing my mind with the do's and don'ts and just looking for people who know first hand, not what they have heard. Any clarification with this is GREATLY appreciated. Cheers!

 

This is a very subjective topic that also depends on the setup and the truck itself. Some have no rubbing with no lift while some have rubbing with a lift. At the end of the day it seems to be more trial and error than anything. I have seen multiple sources state that wheels with 4.5BS and 0 offset seem to have the most luck with this setup. Are you going to install adjustable UCA's as well? That will also aid adjusting to mitigate rubbing.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Thanks for the info. I'm not planning on hardcore trail riding, just the occasional back roads with the family. I am installing 3" Rough Country suspension lift and also installing SPC UCA's. Not sure what the offset will be with stock wheels. I guess I will find out soon enough!

 

You should be okay so long as you have spacers and don't go any wider than 285. However, I'd advise going with offset wheels instead (as most people here on TW would).

 

yes offset wheels is the way to go. An inch and a half is about 38mm so look for something with -38ish offset or so. Depends on the offset of the stock wheels. Whatever the offset is of the stock wheels subtract 38mm and get wheels with that offset, which would be the same as having 1.5” spacers.

 

Definitely more expensive than the spacers, BUT it's the better route. No vibes at highway speeds from the spacers

 

Hi OP. I can tell you first hand since I literally just went through all this. I have a 3 inch lift, 285/75R16 BFG KM3s, 0 offset wheels and 1.25 spider trax spacers which is roughly a -35ish offset and dirt king UCAs. CMC was an absolute must for me even with slightly aggressive alignment numbers. I understand that every truck is slightly different. Here’s some pics for reference. Good luck.

 

I suspect you guys are sick of the subject but I sure would appreciate help with this also. I plan on doing the exact same set up. I have a 2021 Tacoma SR5 4x4 Crew Cab with stock 245/75R16 now and I’m planning to put this level kit, spacers and tires on it. 285/75R16 BFG AT KO2 DT. I am mostly going to do highway miles but I do hit some crappy hunt camp roads. I just think these tires and a lift make the truck look awesome. I’m so confused about the set up because lots of people here have done the exact same thing with great success and then others completely slam this idea. Of course this is the first time I’ve asked about it here. Any information would be great. If anyone has done this to their own truck I would sure appreciate them to reach out to me. I don’t want any headaches. If this is a bad idea I need to know before tomorrow. Thanks everyone and thank you for this forum.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/readylift-3-front-2-rear-sst-lift-kit-0519-6lug-tacoma.html

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/g2-6x...-spacers-black-93-83-150t/_/R-FCNB-93-83-150T

 

285/70/17s. Solves all the problems and looks the same.

 

Your truck looks sick. Thanks for responding. What problem? Also I have stock 16 inch rims. I really don’t want to buy four new rims. If I did or was going to do that it would change everything and I would start from scratch.

 

I am not a professional. But I did a lot of homework. I installed an absolutely killer Icon 8 (digressive) suspension front and back. I tuned it to its sweet spot around 2” vs cranking it full up and put on -12 offset 17s with the KO2 285/70s. Adjusted camber a few times and replaced the mud flaps with zero clearance fender flairs. Fucking thing corners like an horny 23 year old and no rubbing no Chop.

 

sounds to me like you’re a professional.

anyway switching to 17 inch rims is not an option right now.

 

all these issues... I have a 2.5" OME lift and , 1" spacers have a 285/75/16 and only had to nip a little plastic from the front fender insert, and had it aligned properly. 14 seconds with a carpet knife, and done! No chopping, no aftermarket UCA's.

 

That’s not bad at all. What about the new weight of the tires. Basically the tires I’ll be replacing my stock tires with are 25 pounds more apiece. Stock tires are 34lbs and the BFG 285/75R16 are 58.49lbs. That’s just over a 40% increase in weight.

 

You are saying go with 265/75R16s? i’m not gonna change the shocks out on this truck right now. If I go with 265 would I really need spacers at that point?

 

My experience with tall and skinny 33s (255/85R16) has been that you definitely feel the weight of a heavy tire. Mine sit at 59lb a piece with stock wheels and I can definitely feel how slow I accelerate.

 

That being said you can fit 255/85R16s with stock suspension, without spacers. A zero offset wheel will bring your tires flush with your fender flares.

 

It’s funny but since there are millions of Tacomas out there I really thought all this tire/lift engineering would’ve been figured out down to the letter by now. I understand there being trial and error in the beginning but we are way past the beginning. Even the four-wheel-drive shops are winging it from what I can tell after calling many of them. All I really want is an all-terrain tire that looks as good as possible on the truck, rides well, has a decent lifetime and will do better on crappy camp roads. I wanted to level the truck also because I think it looks better that way. Lifting at the same time as getting better truck tires seemed reasonable but I don’t understand what if any possible negative consequences for doing that as far as towing, warranty of the vehicle and excessive wear and tear. Even on this very forum there guys posting pictures of their Tacoma‘s with 285s and spacers while at the same time on a different thread others are saying how stupid that is. For some reason I would’ve thought at this point all the fax would be out and we would know exactly what you canning can’t do. What’s pushing it and what’s not pushing it. I don’t want to push it. I don’t want any headaches. i’m not going to be rock climbing or doing anything crazy off-road. At least not at this point in time. I will be towing though. I will be putting 15-20,000 miles a year on the highway also. Lots of hunting trips in the backwoods but in flat country. At this stage I would pay someone for expert advice. I really want to hear from someone that knows what they’re doing that’s not at a professional shop trying to sell me something because I know I’ll get the whole truth from that individual.

 

Big tires, lift or level will increase wear and tear on your vehicle even if it's only a bit and there's really no arguing that. I wouldn't personally run spacers because it's just more room for error, human and mechanical. If you want slightly larger tires and you still want BFGs I wouldn't hesitate to just buy 265/75R16s. They look great, fill the wheel well, and they aren't as heavy as 33s. I run 265/75R16s for winters just for a tiny bit more ground clearance and they look way better over stock size. They fit on stock suspension without rubbing and you may even be able to fit your mud flaps in there if you want.