16 vs 17 wheels for off-roading?

I've been talking to a local shop asking questions about wheel/suspension upgrades, and he mentioned that my 2nd gen taco wouldn't fit a 16" tire due to interference with the brakes. This was confusing, because it's currently using a 16" tire from the factory. Are off-road wheels different offsets or wider or something and would hit the brakes when the factory 16" don't? I would think sticking with 16s would be best for off-roading due to more sidewall, and it would mean I could get the tires and wheels at different times to spread out the cost.

Is the shop guy just confused and maybe thinking of a different truck, or is he right about not using 16s for bigger tires on a 2nd gen taco?

 

All Tacoma’s will clear a 16” wheel on stock brakes. Some 4Runners won’t clear a 16 because they use bigger brakes.

 

All OEM 16" wheels will clear. Aftermarket wheels is a different story. Depends on the offset/backspace. Not all 16" wheel will clear the calipers. You have some reading to do.

Here are some recent threads on this age old topic.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/aftermarket-wheels.798606/#post-28614774

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/what-offset-wheels-do-i-need.791448/

I went from factory 17" to aftermarket 16". Better offroad, and more tire than wheel looks better/more offroad. 80s' Old School style. The same tire/wheel combo in 16" was significantly cheaper at the time too...couple hundred bucks saved going down to 16" I dont know about now.

 

Not true. Some aftermarket wheels will rub the caliper.

 

I don’t think I said all 16” wheels would clear. All Tacoma brakes are small enough to clear 16” wheels. The brakes aren’t big enough to mandate 17” wheels. Like anything in the automotive industry and life in general there are exceptions to the rule. Rule of thumb with any wheel should always be test fit prior to mounting a tire on it.

 

These are 16 inch wheels from FN wheels. I knew I wanted to a 255 or 285 size tire and I looked at tons of them on a 16 vs 17 inch wheel and I completely prefer the look of the 16 inch wheel in every situation. The only reason I'd choose a 17 inch is if I wanted a 285 70 17 in a SL load range for a softer ride. You can't get a 285 or a 255 in a SL load on a 16 inch wheel. As of fitting any wheel that is hub centric to the toyota was designed to fit the toyota. Be that FN wheels, scs, or OEM wheels. Other brands I don't know about. But lots of people use 16 inch methods, black rhino, etc with no problems.

 

The difference will be marginal between 16s and 17s. I just wouldn’t go any bigger than that.

 

Im starting down this rabbit hole as well. One thing to consider is availability in the size you want. For example skinny 33s have many more choices in 17 vs 16 wheel

 

While the above question has been mostly answered, I'd like to make the following suggestion when shopping for wheels.

Get on your favorite tire website and open up several browser tabs. On each tab, shop by tire size in the following sizes: 265/70R16, 265/75R16, 265/65R17, 265/70R17, plus any sizes that you might be interested in, such that width and outer diameter match in both R16 and R17. Jot down the number of tires for sale in each size. Then take your favorite three tire make/models and get an out-the-door installed price in each of those sizes.

Assuming wheels cost the same in 16 and 17 (most do), shopping tires this way ^^^ is going to determine what wheel you REALLY want.

 

This is exactly what I did. I wrote notes on price, weight, tread life warranty, etc. Plus looked at long term reviews on each tire before I bought wheels.

 

Offset is likely the tire guys thinking.

 

Yes you did say that,(can't you read your own post above?). And that statement is incorrect. If you don't know what you are talking about, don't post false information to confuse people.

 

then please post pictures of a stock Tacoma that won’t clear a 16” wheel.

 

17s only because the tire selection is much better.

 

the list so endless, here is just a few threads of 16" wheels that will fit.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/official-16-wheels-will-clear-2016-calipers-thread.398524/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/offical-16-wheels-that-clear-caliper.317358/page-2

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/back-space-offset.619811/

 

My final decider to stay with 16’s boiled down to these two things:

-Air is lighter than aluminum. All things equal, you’ll have a lighter combo with 16’s.

-tire selection, especially in non-E rated is way better with 17’s.

What’s more important to you? I was able to get the tire I wanted in 16’s, but it’s getting tougher. That would probably be the thing to get me switched.

 

Everything's a trade off.

16's: More tire to wheel ratio for offroading. Tires seem to be slightly cheaper than 17" options. Wheels might be a tad lighter. Looks beefier.

17's: More tire selection and load options due to tire manufacturers following vehicle trends that require greater tolerances for larger brakes. Some sizing options that aren't available in 16" options, like a 34" tire (285/85/17). Ability to accommodate larger upgraded brakes should you ever wish to go that route.

I have 16's on my 3rd gen 4Runner, but decided to give 17's a try for my 3rd gen Taco to change it up a bit and take advantage of the items mentioned above. I liked the idea of the option to go up to a 34" tire without having to do all the extra crap for 35" tires should I choose to go over a 33" option.