Skid-Plates, Tires, or Lift to start light Off-Roading?

265 75 R17 absolutely would rub haha. Yes I’ve seen the guidance, no it isn’t accurate.

 

This 100%. When I go on trips I want to get to cool places AND back…little shit matters.

 

For the OP (and others) - I neglected to link this post in my initial reply, so if you're wondering WTF is a "pizza cutter"...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-skinny-on-skinny-tires.529656/

I'm a fan of the 235/85/16, which is not quite a 32" tire depending on exact model. Most are about 31.7-31.75".

 

I'll caveat this with, I'm not a serious offroader. For me it costs too much if I break something, would rather take out a dirt bike or ATV in serious stuff. Most of my offroading is fun on my farms or getting to back country for fishing, hiking( Colorado 14er)

The stock 4x4 with good tires will go through alot. It worked well for me in normal conditions (steep hills, sandy, muddy, snow, etc) I want to point out a few different scenarios that hit me in Wyoming and Colorado with clearance and rocks.
The first time in a really Rocky place in Colorado, the traction was easy, but a rock actually dented my skid plate. Luckily just the skid plate, so I wouldn't go on a trail like that without good skid plates.
Another time in Wyoming, lots of big loose rocks again. Traction was easy but washouts and clearance was an issue. I broke the wiring harness on the end of my trailer hitch with a bottom out. I added 1" bigger tires and about 2" lift. I went on same trail again the next year and there were no problems.

So make sure truck is serviced well, be careful on offroad trails with deep ruts, big rocks etc, unless you are equipped.

 

Genuinely interested to hear more about your situation bud. Me nor any of my buddies have ever had them rub. Are you sure you don't have soemthing else going on?

 

Look up Ronnie Dahl. I'm not sure that's the correct spelling but his videos are really good. He's an Ausie.

 

Also recommend a tire patch kit (I think someone recommended air pump already), and maybe practice on your old tires so you know the drill if you haven't before..yes I am indeed suggesting intentionally driving a drywall screw or something in your tread, removing, and then plugging it. Maybe deflate or lower the pressure a lot beforehand just to be safe.

Also-also, check up on your spare to make sure it's in good shape and holding air (and the hoist isn't rusted stuck), in case you get an unrepairable puncture..

 

Don’t bud me guy

 

I realllllly want bigger tires, but I recently bought this truck about 2 months ago and the tires are pretty much brand new Michelin Defender LTX M/S 245/75/r16. Feels like a waste to switch tires + wheel set up already, but I would if that is the right way to go.

What do you guys think about starting with a 1.5-2" lift with Bilstein 5100 front and rear on these stock tires to get that extra ground clearnace and also bringing with me a way to de/inflate tires as needed on the road? The idea is when the tires wear out then I'll switch to bigger tires

 

If you lift, then you'll really want new wheels and tires..

Assuming you fall in to the majority of owners whose time off pavement represents 90%+ of your driving, you could sort of justify a 2nd set of off road wheels/tires specifically for trips where that's the focus. Will save you a bit of gas money on the day to day driving. But honestly if you're just getting started and you're skipping the mud, those Michelins will get you around a lot of places, maybe just less "gram worthy" than going big.

 

A lift doesn't give you max clearance - your low spot is still the differentials (on an IFS front truck like the Tacoma, the rear diff specifically) the height of which is determined by the size of your tires. A lift lets you put larger tires on (as well as altering your up/downtravel, but that gets complicated quickly), which gets you farther from the ground.

 

This is all so helpful! Maybe silly question, but will 265/75/16 tires fit on my current wheels? Still wondering if this stock 245/75/16 setup will give me enough clearance with the potential of some beach/sand, gravel, fire/service type roads on this trip I have coming up. Seems like some people really think stock can do it all and some think not.

I love the look of even bigger tires like 285/75/16, but realistically and sadly, I probably dont need them since I mostly am driving my truck around town, with some camping road trips thrown in there a handful of times a year

 

The "16" part of those tire sizes is the wheel sizes, so yes, they will fit. The stock tires should be fine for everything you've mentioned, but be aware that sand, like mud, can be a lot of "fun" no matter what tires you have.

Air down and bring a couple of cheap collapsible snow shovels if you're going through deep loose sand.

Most people with larger tires don't need them, and they do have significant drawbacks on a daily - increased weight, gas mileage hit, and expense.

 

Something to consider is picking up a set of spare wheels to put dedicated offroad tires on. You can find a full set of OEM wheels for cheap and sometimes even free - check your regional forums here on TW and I have good luck with wheels on Craigslist. I would recommend another set of 16s for wheeling - more rubber is more better, and there is a wider assortment of makes and sizes in 16" as far as offroad tires go.

That way you can throw them on when you're going on a wheeling trip, and keep your dailies for better mileage and on-road performance, and not worry about smoking expensive knobby tires with daily driving.

With a little practice you can swap all four in about 20 minutes.

As far as strength and weight goes, its actually really hard to beat Toyota factory alloys without spending a LOT of money on aftermarkets, and if you get some that are really thrashed paint-wise, its a great opportunity to paint them however you want, since prep and paint while the tires are off is much easier to do.

 

There's so much to learn world of trucks in general, and definitely also with tires and wheels, both together and individually, sheesh! Still learning about offset, figuring out how wide the wheels need to be (not just radius), what bolt pattern I need, when to air down and how much, etc etc. Sorta intimidating, HUGE WORMHOLE!

I love the idea of having a set ready to go depending on my needs, but unfortunately I dont have a garage or way to store them besides outside in the yard. I wonder if just putting them on a pallet with a tarp on top is enough to protect from the elements? I'd imagine that I'll probably just fork over the $ for a new set of tires and wheels that is a middle ground compromise for my daily driving and camping adventures. Ill keep scouring FB Marketplace and Craigslist for any deals on wheels just in case. Thanks for all your tips and tricks!

 

Stack them on plywood face side up and stick a spare tire cover on the top one. Wrap them in a cheap tarp first if you like. Before I tamed wheel mountain this is what I resorted to with several pairs for years.

As for direct fit, FJ and most 4Runner wheels bolt right up. If you end up with pizza cutters, the slightly different offset on FJ wheels brings the faces out just about perfectly to the factory track width, and FJ alloys 16s look pretty nice. They will also use your factory lugnuts and center caps if they don't come with. eBay is a good source, I pay about $150 each shipped when I mutilate one bad enough to need replacing. FJ 17s are about the same, and also use the same nuts and caps.

 

Find a good group of guys in your area to go wheeling with… you will learn more in one weekend on trail with experienced guys than you will in 2 months searching threads.

 

You could post in the regional thread that best fits your location and maybe meet up with some people for trail time. It's cool to meet new people and get hands on experience and questions answered. Folks are pretty friendly and helpful, especially in person.

 

I'd still prioritize tires.

Remember, you're asking about "performance" modifications here. Specifically, things that will improve how your truck performs off road. We're not talking about replacing tires because they're worn, we're talking about replacing them to improve performance, so the fact that the tires are near new is kinda irrelevant. The part that is relevant is that your current tires are all season tires tailored most for on-road driving. I'd ditch those things in a heartbeat. If they're near new maybe you can get a few bucks for them on Craigslist.

To keep cost down you can keep your current wheels. Or, find some cheap, OEM wheels. Personally, I really think there's a huge advantage to running 5 matching wheels/tires but if you won't be offroad that much it isn't a huge concern as long as the tires are at least the same diameter.

I would 1000% recommend getting a compressor. Airing down makes a huge difference in not only performance but also comfort.

I'd definitely do tires before suspension. But for suspension, I feel like 5100's are a waste. They're not really that much better than stock but cost almost as much as better upgrades. They're popular because they are so height adjustable not because they're actually good shocks. To me they have zero bang for the buck.

On the cheap, you can get 3rd gen take offs + an add-a-leaf. This will cost a fraction of the 5100's while getting you similar amounts of lift and performance. I ran this setup (plus a 3/8" thick top hat spacer) for a couple years and it was great.

After that I'd skip everything and jump straight to Bilstein 6112/5160. This is consistently the best bang for the buck setup for a Tacoma. After the 3rd gen suspension on my truck I got some Bilstein TRD Pro suspension which is essentially the same as 6112/5160 and they have been fantastic.

Here's some mandatory viewing for Tacoma suspension options:
Budget Shocks: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv1-VB8s4vOvWzFw7tbhVTLnxsbPCjo_c&si=1cmoVSjIRNZo4Csp
Mid Price Shocks: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv1-VB8s4vOtDaL9ysZwNjbHZUl7nqi_D&si=rH9wIFzeW2ommVrL

And here's some mandatory viewing regarding fitting tires and just generally Toyota's suspension setup (IFS):
Toyota Suspension: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1k07Og-0sYW5XSPx_g_yJsdpBXKh1w-2&si=WQyUj4Tz9xvPWGj3
Wheels and Tires: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1k07Og-0sYW5XSPx_g_yJsdpBXKh1w-2&si=WQyUj4Tz9xvPWGj3

 

Also, there's an offroad park sorta near you which may be worth a look: https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1189