Do I Need to Regear? 285/75/17s

I’ve got a 2016+ Tacoma TRD Off-Road and I’m starting to add more weight up front. Running a C4 Fab hybrid bumper (~145 lbs), front skid, and rock sliders. Planning to move up to 285/75/17 tires soon and wondering if I need to regear or if the performance hit won’t be too bad for now.
Anyone running similar setup without a regear? How bad is it on highway and around town? Appreciate any input or gearing suggestions from those who’ve been down this path. Thanks!

 

IMO that size is borderline. Some would be OK with that size and factory gears. Some wouldn't be happy with the power loss. I wouldn't be happy with the loss of power and won't pay for a re-gear so 265/75/16's are as big as I want. If you drive in mountains or tow anything then a smaller tire or a regear is more important.

 

Need - no

 

All are matter of opinion and how much you offroad.

I have a mild build for weight and 295's and tow semi regular ones stock gears and it's ok. You notice the weight but with the tune it's more than manageable.

 

i regeared at 285/70/17 cause i wanted to get my 6th gear back. but its my personal preference

 

i think it depends on where you drive. if you live where its flat you might be fine but in significant rolling hills or mtn passes you are gonna suffer without them. by suffer i mean sticking the right lane in third gear.

 

Getting 4.88s in two weeks. Auto, dcsb, 285/70R17, 385 lbs in bumpers and sliders, tuned with an outdated version of kdmax.
Lots of hills and mountainous roads around here and I do plenty of highway driving. Like tommygs3 I just want my 6th gear back.
Good tune will do a lot, regear isn’t necessary though. I still average about 18mpg in the summer currently

 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen my 6th gear

 

Downhill with a tailwind that's the only time.

 

Regear skip 4.88s and go straight to 5.29s. They should have came with 5.29s stock

 

4.88’s on 32’s rig isn’t heavy

 

Need?
A re- gear is not needed for 285/75/17s, but after having my 2020 DCLB on the same setup + 4.29s and an OTT tune, I virtually guarantee, you are going to want a re-gear if you leave things OEM.

This all day.

Forgot about towing too......if you do any towing at all with your 285/75/17s it's going to go from a want to a need IMHO.

 

I did not. It doesn’t really bother me.

But… there are plenty of variables to consider.

• How many hills / mountains in your life?
• Tire AND wheel selection
• Do you see yourself as race car?

I have full steel skids and sliders as well as a canopy. But, I also selected one of the lightest wheel / tire combinations available. Unsprung rotational weight will have a big impact on overall performance and your perception of sizing up.

start looking at wheel weights and tire weights and you’ll soon see a huge difference in some of the options that are out there.

 

It's all subjective. I have a bunch of armor, cap and carry tools and am regeared.. I don't need a supercharger but want one.

 

^this wheel and tire weight play such a huge role in what you will experience. I just from a light tire on a heavy wheel in a 285/70 and wrnt to a 295/70 with a lighter wheel but a heavier tire and experienced basically no notable difference in drivability. Once i swap to a 285/75 i will be able to shed a few more lbs yet off tire weight.

 

Just to throw my experience out there. I have 295/70/17's on my 23 AC Tacoma with the AT, and have not felt the need for a re-gear. I do drive mountains, with my snowmobile in the back pretty regularly.