2017 Toyota Tacoma SR

I just want to give you my two cents on this...

You can play around with your tire size, but it always comes at a cost somewhere...

For instance, I decided when buying snow tires to stick with the factory TRD OR size..... It kinda screwed me... The 265 is not near as good "handling" wise as the 245 would have been in the snow...

I find in certain snow densities that my steering isn't the greatest, its like the wide tires want to stay on top of the snow instead of cutting through to bottom..

The GM 1500 I had was on 245's and she cut like a hot knife in butter.. My 1500 and this new Tacoma are so close in weight... Believe it or not, the Tacoma is heavier.. 4850lbs vs 5000lbs...lol

As for changing tire height I'd caution with that as well.. Tall and skinnier is what you want for winter... But when you change your height, you change your final drive ratio... It can be really thrown off..

This 3rd gen I have I will not be changing tire size due to the transmission... It is a unique little fella that likes to lock the torque converter in all gears but 1-2.. There is a reason why Toyota has no gear indicator other that manual mode in these trucks... people would be so confused and lined up out the dealer asking why does my truck shift to 4th when its in 3rd??? lol I believe changing the tires would really hinder the factory performance of the trans.. 3rd gen anyway..


Stick with your factory 245/75/16... For winter atleast..

 

That makes a whole lot of sense there, last thing I need to do is compromise shit ...time to buy tires/add weight...as it is Mr Truck & I have gone "ice skating" a couple times

 

Im looking into this:
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...X&ved=0ahUKEwiGs_m8tZbZAhVs64MKHVjGAb4Q8wIIbw

 

thats cool and probably works great but there is no need to spend that kind of money just for weight.

you can go to a lowes, home depot, or even walmart and buy 40lb bags of sand for about $3 each.
The plus side to that is, if you slide off the road you can open a bag of the sand to pour around your tires for traction.

 

Places around here actually sell "traction" sand in a tube bag... 23kg.. for $3.50-$4...

I usually cobble up a frame with wood to set the sand in so that it doesn't float around the back... You want it right over the axles..

If you cantilever the weight to the back of the truck, it has adverse effects when you get "squirrely"..

Its like a counterweight pendulum effect...?...lol...

 

Lol, well that's exciting...both of those sound more cost effective...now to keep it in place...what about 1 large weight so to speak...something that just lays straight across evenly so you don't worry about weight distribution...anyone have that going on?

 

Its sucks thes trucks don't have the 2x4 slots like half tons do..


Get some wood bud and make a simple little cradle..

make a box out of 2x6 and have a board that is a stopper run to the front..

Or.. you could make up a couple straps straps as hold backs if you slam on the brakes... Just attach them to the bed cleats.. Then run a couple small pieces of wood back to the tail gate to keep the strap taut..


Its easier to see it in my head then describe it... I had this sort of setup in my 1500.. It could all come out so easily and in...

 

Here is my little cradle I made for the bike..

Just make a bigger maybe shallower version with tie backs to those cleats on the flat part of the bed.. If you fasten the straps to the cradle half way in height, if you hit the brakes it won't roll over or flip...

I wouldn't strap it like I have in this picture..

 

Ahhh, I gotcha...nothing like a visual.

 

Just idea... Its overkill, but 15 years of 2wd, I did a lot of trial and error..lol

I'm trying to find a picture of how I did it in my GM.. She may be a lost cause though..

 

How does your Tacoma weigh 5,000 lbs? Factory specs say TRD OR AC weighs 4,300lbs. Do you have a plow or other mods?

I've actually had the opposite experience with skinny vs wide tires. 235's tended to wander more. Falls into "ruts" left by other vehicles, leading to some pucker moments. 265's had better road manners, especially in "slush to freeze" conditions. They also had better lateral traction as well.

 

95% chance some sand bags or quickcrete is not going to slide around in the bed, or my kayak would slide out without as much effort as it takes.

but if you want to "secure" the weight you can get creative. use the anchor points in the truck or bed cleats if your model has them.



if you feel like building something


even found a taco pic



you get the idea

 

I have no 4x4, using the OEM Open Country Tires.

no issues in the snow so far.

The KB Voodoo bedrack and 200lbs of sand seem to help.

if the ass end ever steps out, i just reel it back in. Owning an FR-S for 4 years helped in that area

 

Nice!!!

 

I must have screwed something up then... I was going off the door jamb with some calculations.. I'll have to see what I did wrong...lol

Thank you for that information.

Where are you driving and how much snow?

 

That little cradle in the middle pic is exacty what I had in the GM.. Except it locked intot he bed liner as there was slots..

The box on the double cab shorty is perfect for weight...lol

 

Utah and Wyoming. Not much snow this year, but I've been here through the monstrous seasons as well. Most of the time, any good A/T tire will get you where you need to. But I've also been buried up to the frame as well. You probably have your own likes of what you expect from a snow tire. Not saying my preference is be all/end all. I just never experienced any advantages from a skinny tire.

 

Skinny and wide have advantages and disadvantages..

I love the wide tires when I'm on a hard pack surface.. Super traction... When its cold and crisp... Deep fluffy snow... No problem!

Not so much in the deep slushy stuff when the salt has half melted a snowy road... That's where the skinny's count..

I wish they just sanded instead of the salt..

 

I live in Ohio and so far I have had very little trouble driving in the snow. I have the original tires still on my 17 Sr Tacoma with 2 wheel drive. I put 8 40 pound bags of dirt over the back wheels and it seems to help it a lot. Ill use the dirt this spring in the garden. I seldom spin the tires.

 

Chains/cables are not legal everywhere, check local laws.