2Runner

I think it’s time to turbo the single cab.

 

Hard to believe 18's can be smaller than 17's aint it @jc968?!

Yes it is definitely a smaller diameter tire on my 18's vs the 17's according to: my eyeballs, measured tires, and measured ride height before and after, going by actual manufacturer specs for both tires used, and the best test of all - no more tire rubbing!!

In case you are still not convinced by mere words, just did this photo shoot for you mate.. be prepared for your life to change!

Big fat 18's running 255/35/18 tires..




Full tire eclipse about to take place in the Tacoma Universe.. that is a 245/45/17. (45 = Sidewall is 45% of the tire section width which makes the tire taller than say a 35 profile.)


Full tire eclipse only happens once in a lifetime, take in the natural beauty while you can!



Not an illusion of angle, and I am not trying to sell you anything here but instead give you the truth freely.. Note the inside is still not melted for the full diameter!


Now you surely are a true believer!!

 

Our thinking has started to align my friend..

I was hoping to actually try and compete in SCCA STX class at my local autocross venue this year with the truck as is, but unfortunately no one is entering this class in the last 5 or 6 months so there is no one to compete with sadly.. Seems the few guys that were running STX in custom first gen FRS's and BRZ's all decided to get the new GR86 and BRZ and move on to DS and STR class (for the modded versions).

This being the case and also since my local venue is shutting down temporarily after the events this month (I am running this weekend and the next), my plan is to run both events and then install a power adder that has been waiting in the wings and just go for more speed and experience.

Not a turbo though, as many of you know by now I always look to the OEM and Mr Toyoda himself for the answers for Trudy!!



I am just a bit sad they had to grind off the TRD for licensing, but we all know what it is.. Bolt on OEM goodness!!

 

do you know mate that comparison has actually been so helpful for me.. i appreciate the personalised photo shoot and eclipse.. far more interesting than usual sun and moon lark..

and the Conti's sidewall stood as tall as the RE71's?

on a side note, what motor do you guys have in your taco's? is it the 2.7L 4cyl? (3rz-fe)

 

Glad the photos helped and you got a dash of enjoyment as well!

I have never ran any Contis so cant really answer this.. but in the photos the 17" is the old Bridgestone RE71, while my new 18's are wrapped with the new Bridgestone RE71RS rubbers. I also ran a 17" Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in 245/45/17 that was really close to the Bridgestone in the same size (specs both state 25.7"). I have also ran Nankang CRS in 265/35/18 which were 25.3" and I plan to try the RE71RS in this size for my next set. Time sure flies when your melting tires!!

Out in this neck of the woods the Prerunner and 4wd's get the 2.7 in these years, while the 5 lugs like mine get the 142hp 2.4L 2RZ. The engine actually has a pretty decent sound with the Borla XS muffler, too bad its a bit late out here for another photo shoot, but turn up the sound and listen to this music:

 

sorry my bad mate, i actually meant the Michelin's PSS4 not continentals.. as they are the spec tyre i am looking to use. but you have cleared that up for me, both 17 inch combo's ran at about 25.7 inch.

tidy run on the auto-cross... not surprised to see you are giving higher horsepower and spec cars a run for their money.. given thats all 2nd gear, have you tried left foot braking to help with the weight transfer on the throttle to braking transitions?

 

Aluminum drop blocks are very prone to failure especially when stacking them. You're putting your truck under much harder use than most guys I've seen break them so I'd really suggest you went with steel blocks in the right size and not stacking them. Just food for thought.

 

Indeed you got it pardner - 25.7" for both sets I tried. Minor notes though for you, it was the old RE71 that is no longer made but should run the same being same manufacture and specs listed still at 25.7. If you are going low and need a bit more tire clearance, lighter weight, and lower profile for better handling this also comes in a 245/40/17 that runs a 24.7".

Good tips on the left foot braking, a multi-national champ suggested this to me too out there a while ago. I have tried this a little bit in the neighborhood going slow without traffic around to get a feel for it, and found the pedals are small and pretty close together.. but I think I should practice more and see if I can get comfortable with this and implement this into my runs. Every little bit helps Trudy get quicker! Can you tell I dont really brake too hard though?! The Truck just is not really too fast and I try to keep all the entry speed and momentum I can with her! Harding braking also upsets the balance more.. but still would be nice to be even smoother and quicker on the gas coming out of the curves!

Oh, and thanks a bunch for the driving compliments, I will try to get some more footage in the upcoming events!

 

Thanks for the warning of impending doom, my mind is nibbling as we speak!!

So the broken ones you have seen, are they cast or billet? Mine are billet so hopefully they can hold up..

Can you point me to some steelies that are one piece 2.75" (as this is where it sits)?? Oddly I found 3" blocks is where I started getting some axle wrap on hard launches and even in hard curves believe it or not, but 2.75" is the butter zone ride wise for old Trudy at least!! It also bottomed on the extreme hits once or twice at 3", so those are out of the question for me unfortunately.

Maybe a new product to add to your store is in the works?! Care to join any autocrossing in Fontana or Angel stadium coming up by chance? Sure would love to see your truck in person and IN ACTION , and so would a lot of Tacoma fans I am sure!!

 

Yes am hoping to stay with a 17 inch wheel if it clears the brakes and as wide a tyre and big a sidewall I can find, which there aren’t a lot of options in the humble 17inch diameter, thanks again for the info

 

I should also add, if you know of a bigger tyre size in a 17inch diameter that we can use than the 255/45/17 I’d be all ears!

 

I've seen both break. Wither the centering pin snaps off or the actual block itself cracks.

I've made blocks before but they're not super cost effective lol. A 2.75" block would likely have to be custom. I can check to see if I have any material left to make any.

I'll definitely try to hit up an event. Not sure it would do very well right now with my trans grinding on the 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 shifts. But once I get it all sorted I'll take it out for sure.

 

Thanks a bunch for the info and any help you can lend, I would certainly compensate you if you can whip up some steelies in 2.75" drop for me. I never wanted to run blocks at all honestly, but found it necessary to get over 5" of drop that I am at now to really get it handling right without melting the outside edges of my tires instantly on the autocross tracks! The wear was more so on the front, but the rear has to line up to of course and really helps to balance the ride.

For the grinding on the shifts, I just replaced my shifters bushings and realized how much slop I had. The new bushings had a concave part up top that my old ones did not and this really tightened things up a lot for me. I did not have grinding issues though, but had missed a shift or two and even had it pop out of gear during some "highly spirited" runs which spoils the lap times needless to say. If you are running the old bushings or the old style maybe this could be the cause? Hope its something simple and "cost effective" for you whatever it may be as it would be super fun to have 2 Tacoma's out there, folks would start shaking in their Miata boots for certain!!

 

Bigger diameter? You are not building a street truck then and hitting the trails, or what are you hoping to achieve with your tire upgrade?!

I thought you were ready to spank Vettes, Camaros, Porsches, Mustangs, Miatas, custom muscle cars, and even Lambo's like Trudy does in her spare time!!

For handling it is better to have less side wall and more width. Also think about your rim width vs the tire section width, have them close to the same as feasible for the tight fit and most responsiveness without any mushy feel of the sidewalls rolling over while turning hard. You also need to lower the truck quite a bit for serious handling if you want your tires to last at all. I am at a 4/5+ drop as this is also needed so the truck does not roll over on its sidewalls due to extreme body roll. A tall tire does not play well with a lowered truck obviously.

Here is how the Michelin PS4's came to a quick demise with only a 2/3 drop and too much sidewall for aggressive action, even with high pressure (36psi) this occurred. It was an ultra hot day though, and I failed to cool them down properly but still this shows how you can have a wide tire but only use the outside edge so you are not gaining the full advantage when your contact patch is so far out...



If you want to go wider in the rubber department, you are going to have to join me in the world of 18" wheels! I was running a 265/35/18 and I think I may be able to move up to a 275 even given all the room I still have. I actually measured my truck all around before maxxing out though and I have never seen anyone else running this combo. So measure and try to get at least a 1/4 to half inch clearance all around when turning and articulating the suspension to see what is going to work for you. I had issues with tire rubbing galore I needed to iron out as well, so be ready for this if you want the meaty rollers! A tall tire will rub right into your battery tray too, so beware of this going in as you may encounter issues and need to relocate your battery, remove inner fender wells, etc.

Of course most of the issues arise and amplify x 4 when I hit the track and drive extra hard. If you are just cruising down the road, and never load up the truck, dont hit potholes, etc. then you may be able to run those tall fatties without issues, just dont expect it to handle the curves the way mine does in the videos provided!

Here she is wearing the 265/35/18's, not too shabby heh?!







As a side note, I was stunned to find the 18's RIDE NICER than my 17's, I think due to the softer compound and lower load ratings, but this was a welcome surprise as this truck is my daily driver too! It rides nicer than stock, but also handles way better. These were my goals when I set out to build Trudy, and I think the end results have far exceeded all my expectations!

 

I'll check tomorrow to see what material I have left over I might be able to whip some up.

As for the trans she's f*cked lol. I replaced all my bushings, put in the lce short shifter, and put in some redline fluid along with some gm syncromesh that was recommended by local performance transmission builder, and it still grinds. So I'm thinking it needs some synchros. My buddy offered to rebuild it for me in exchange for some exhaust work so just waiting on that.

Definitely want to get out to some events but I have a bunch of parts to throw at it right now and I need to sort out all the issues before I do. I'll definitely keep you posted.

 

Just a friendly suggestion.

Change out your power steering fluid to Mobile DTE Light, it's an ISO 32 like DEX3/MERC but it doesn't have the friction modifiers and additives so it doesn't cavitate as easily and is rated for higher temps.

 

Ooohhh.. I like the sound of this, have you had similar issues that were rectified by this magic elixir you speak of?!

 

Not with automotive directly. I work industrial maintenance and it solved some cavitation issues in pumps and hydraulic systems where DEX/Merc was previously used. I'm not sure if you can get it by the quart but if you know anyone that works at a machine shop its typically used in lathes and mills so they probably have a 5 gallon pail of it.

 

Those 18's do look good under that truck! Was the picture of the 17's a front tire? My original stock P205/75R15 front tires had the outside blocks ripped off like too. The 16 inch Kumho Crugen tires seem to be holding up much better and they do well at maintaining grip on wet roads. That's a common thing here.

 

haha yeh mate I’m going a slightly different road. I use the Ute on the farm, and our road in is never in good shape. I also want a bit of sidewall for comfort.

so unfortunately a semi slick isn’t an option, however I might fit a set to a spare set of rims if I fancy a run out.

the 255/45/17 looks like the option for me, have you got the specs on the offset for both of your sets of wheels?

i did a bit of measuring today, and the rears are fine, but the fronts look like they will hang out the front guards and/or rub on the control arms/ball joint