The SKINNY on skinny tires

Those will be my next tire once these damn M55 wear out. 40 000 km and they are still like 75%!!

 

what are peoples thoughts on having a factory size spare with their tall skinny tires? plan on putting spare on rear if i ever need to, but cant quite convince myself to spend another $500 to get another 33" and oem rim... pic because i think it should be illegal to post on tacomaworld forums without including one

 

A full size spare is always a good idea with 4wd. Could always run the factory spare steel wheel on a full size spare on the back. It’s a good look in my opinion.

 

Same, when I bought wheels and tires for my truck I bought 5. If you wheel, its best to have a matching tire so you aren't limiting yourself if you destroy one. Even if its not on a matching rim to the rest a like size rim will do just fine.

 

I'm in the same boat as you. Couldn't afford the 5th one to match at the time. It's always on my mind though and I'm going to pursue getting a 255/85 on my 16 spare wheel.

 

IMO a correctly sized spare is important. Doesn't have to be a matching wheel and tire doesn't even have to be the same exact size as long as it's close.

If you keep an eye out on the forums you may even find what you need. I see people selling unused spares fairly often. In my instance I bought a matching spare, ran it on a steelie, then found an almost matching alloy, then finally found a matching alloy wheel. Just took a couple years to find deals on what I needed but now I'm set and will do 5 tire rotation and that extra cost for the spare tire won't be a factor since it will get used just as much as the other 4.

 

33’s or 35’s? Can’t make it out from the picture

 

I've always been comfortable with a spare thats 2-3'' smaller if actually needed and I didnt have one for some reason. Heck, drove 100 miles home on some dudes 28'' tire when my 4runner had 35s. Its fine for the most part, but its obviously not the best for the spider gears but neither is burnouts/wheeling.

 

any spare tire is better than no spare tire. I'd say its alright for a pinch, but a full size is ideal

The stock steelie is fine for putting a bigger spare on, but if you want a matching wheel to do like a 5 tire rotation, then look for someone that upgraded to flashy rims and buy the OEM set off them. Find some buddies to split up a set of 4

 

With 255/85R16s, are you guys still having to do the Cab Mount Chop (CMC) or other trimming? I'm getting ready to install Fox 2.5 Coilovers and I'm looking for the best tire combo but would rather not trim.

 

everything depends on the wheel offset and spacers etc. Most, if not all, fitment related issues are because of the scrub radius of the outside edge of the tire. Wider tires or negative offset wheels or spacers make the outside edge stick out more, increasing the distance from the steering axis to the outside of the tire. This is what causes fitment issues at the back of the tire when turning

Alignment also play into it. ie high caster arms move the top of the spindle backwards in the wheel well, also decreasing space between the tire and the body mount

for reference, I have 35x10.5s on +15 wheels, SPC arms set for low caster with LCAs pushed forward, and unchopped body mounts. Other hammering and trimming done for fitment though, but the tires clear the body mounts bump to droop and lock to lock

 

Thanks. I understand all this from reading here on TW. My post was meant to find the people who got it right with this size tire and see if I can duplicate it. Right now I'm planning on using the stock TRD OR 16" Rims and 1.25 spacers. I have Fox 2.5 Coilovers and Icon UCAs. So I'm trying to find the folks who got it to work so I can pick the right size tire. Maybe I have to rethink my parts which is fine if it saves me trouble down the road.

 

I'm using 255/80R17 (same dimensions as the 255/85R16) and OEM 4Runner wheels (slightly more offset than OEM Tacoma wheels) and didn't need to do a CMC. Did need to trim the front end of the fender liner, though.

 

No chop for me and no trimming. I'm on stock steel wheels though. (& stock suspension, no lift)

 

Not a bad idea to check with tire shops, they may have some sets that have 3 good tires due to one being unusable and may give you or sell to you for a very good price just to make something on it as the end up recycling them otherwise. Could tell them what you’re looking for and give them your phone number. It would also go a long way for the shop building a customer base!

 

Great advice! Cheers for offering it.

I totally forgot about the "3 good ones" that happen. I've even know a guy who got four new tires under warranty when only one went bad - due to the vehicle being an "all wheel drive" set-up.
I will be making shop visits this weekend...

 

I don't mind trimming or moving plastic so much as I do the CMC. What coilovers are you running and do you off road it and flex it out a lot? I off-road a lot and cycle the suspension to the limits from time to time. Want to see if I'll have any issues. If it ends up being that I have to do the the CMC no matter what tire I choose other than stock I'll just go bigger since I have to cut metal anyway.

 

I do not have the knowledge... but it has been suggested to do research on wheel spacers.
Apparently they can cause premature wear/damage to the trucks' front suspension/steering/mounts.

 

I've been running wheel spacers for 10 years and have had nothing "wear out" prematurely from them.

 

Great.