Do I need to re-gear with 33's

Currently running a 3.4 v6 manual with 31's, 3inch toytec/bilstein 5125 lift. Ko2's are wearing out, thinking of replacing with 33's. Will I need to re-gear? Also, will I experience any rub at 3 inches? Don't want to trim.

 

Rubbing, yes. I would recommend re-gear.

 

rubbing even with a 3 inch lift? What should I re-gear to?

 

Yes, it will run.

Do you eventually plan on running bigger tires?

 

Weather you want or need to re-gear your use of the truck and where you live really impact things.

Try things out first.

 

No, 33's would be max.

I daily drive my truck and will hit FSR roads occasionally on weekends/road trips in the summer. More so doing it for looks. Will it impact the ride that much?

 

4.56 would be the ratio I'll go with on 33. Then again, drive it on 33 with 4.10 ratio and go from there.

 

I would not bother with a re-gear for 33s. I’ve never heard of someone re-gearing for 33s. 35s would be a different story.

 

I have a 3in lift w the 3.4 and manual trans and 33x10.5 BF Goodrich K02's have not given me any rubbing issues. I did not need to re-gear. I have no troubles getting to highway speeds.

 

I have a 5spd, 4.56 gearing with skinny 33s (255/85r16) and the regear has helped immensely with acceleration. It's my daily and can't imagine driving it with stock gears, they're not fast trucks to begin with.

 

Not with 255/80-17’s.

 

What gears are in it now?

33s will require some clearancing. How much will depend on the wheels.

 

If you go with 285/70R17 or 285/75R16 in a tire that gives you close to "true" tire size you will rub.

In my experience there are wildly different "actual" sizes in 285. Example, my truck with 285 Duratracs made my buddies 285 BFGs look like they were 265 instead of 285.

You may be able to get away with no rub with properly backspaced 255s. I'm not sure because I've never run them.

With 285s and 3.5 backspace you will need to adjust caster forward to keep off of the rear inner fenders. It will push you forward enough that you will rub the bottom outer corners of a stock bumper with the tire about halfway up travel. If you trim the corners and go to full stuff, you will be rubbing the washer fluid reservior on the passenger side.

Yes... with a 3 inch lift. Because the 3 inch lift only sets the distance between the tire and fender at ride height. When the tire travels up (stuff), it still goes up to the same place it did before the lift. Because stuff isn't determined by, or changed by, a lift... that's your bumpstop that limits that.



Re-gear? If you absolutely are not going to be going bigger than 33s. @02hilux suggestion of 4.56 would be where you want to be at. BUT, if you are already going down the rabbit hole of a re-gear, I highly doubt you are going to stop at 33s. I ran 285/70R17 (very close to real 33s) for 3 years with 4.10. It was a little sluggish, but not a problem. When I re-geared, I went 5.29s because by then I understood I would be going to 35s... Now that I'm 35s, I'm looking for ways to get to 37s.

 

1995.5 V6 5speed. 33" Regeared to 4.88. Made highway driving too high RPM. Great for offroad. Not so great for daily. Got a dedicated offroad truck and moved the rear locked diff to it and stock 4.10 back to the Tacoma. Much better driveability. Better all around. If it was a 4cyl, maybe I would change. 4.56 sounds great but a lot of work and expense. As others have mentioned, if you go bigger than the 33 regear for sure. Otherwise I like the 4.10 better for daily.

 

I’d definitely go for 255s if I were you. I have 255/75/17 (skinny 32s), and I only barely run at full lock, but my FJC wheels have pretty crappy backspacing.

Some 4.56 gears would be nice to make the truck feel peppier around town, but highway revs are another consideration. Even with the stock 4.10s, my truck is up above 3k RPMs at 75 mph. I think I’d really want a 6th gear if my final drive ratio was any lower at this tire size.

 

Might as well skip 37 and straight to 40

 

Like others have said, both gearing and trimming depend on the exact tire size you're going with and what backspacing/offset your wheels are as well.

I've ran the a few 33" set ups on various 1st gens all with about 2.5" lift:
33x12.5 on 4" BS - Rubbed the frame, trimmed pinch weld, stock 4.10, was sluggish especially up hills and at altitude, but was tolerable
33 x12.5 on 3.75 BS - No frame rub, trimmed pinch weld, 4.88 gears on a 2.7L, was way better around town but still lacked power on top end, eventually Turbo'd
33x10.5 on 3.75 BS - No frame rub, trimmed pinch weld, 4.88 gears on a 2.7L, was way better around town but still lacked power on top end, eventually S/C'd

If I was going to do 33's on another first gen with a 3.4L, I would regear to 4.56 without a doubt. I also live at 5000ft elevation so power loss is real.

 

I'll never go to 40s on this truck

But then again... I said I'd never go to 35s... then I said I wouldn't go to 37s




I think I'd have to cut too much of my fenders to go to 40s... and I don't think 40s would play nice with CVs and a 7.5 inch front diff. (No, I've got WAY too much money in this thing to change now and go to SAS)