265-75-16 vs. 245-75-16 vs. 265-70-16 photos (Michelin MS2/X-radial)

For those that are thinking of upgrading to a larger tire size from stock 245's... I thought I'd post a few photos comparing these tire sizes in a very popular tire. Keep in mind that 265-75-16 is the largest tire you can fit on stock wheels/suspension with no rubbing. Wish I had three MS2's for this comparison, but I didn't. Nonetheless, this should give you a fairly accurate comparison. I used 2 Michelins (biggest and smallest) and 1 Bridgestone (the "middle" size) for these photos.

265-75-16 MS2 vs 245-75-16 X-radial (2 photos- a fairly substantial change in size)





In comparison, here is the same 245-75-16 X-radial vs Bridgestone 265-70-16. For those wanting a larger "look", without changing diameter, this is your solution. The 265-70 looks fatter.


And here is the 265-75-16 MS2 vs. the 265-70-16 Bridgestone.


Observations: the "middle" tire size (265-70) looks much more like the 265-75 than it does the 245-75 (even though the 265-70 and 245-75 are approximately the same height). I was expecting it to be the other way around due to equal heights. But the extra width really makes a difference.

 

I have a 2014 Reg cab 4x4. Can I also upgrade to 17" or 18" wheels? Do you know if those fit without creating problems? Thx

 

As I understand it, on a 17" stock rim on stock suspension, you can do a 265-70-17. On 18" rims on stock suspension you can do a 265-65-18". Because you have a regular cab, I'd recommend verifying this before purchase. See this link regarding 5 lug trucks.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/largest-tacoma-tire-sizes-on-stock-suspension.67550/

 

Great info - thanks for the quick follow up!

 

Its all about the overall diameter of the tire combined with the offset of the wheels.

 

Any issues that you know of with the computer when going with a bigger wheel? I don't know much about that coming for the age of carbs and V8's but I here about computer changes being necessary if you mess with size.

 

Also keep in mind that different width tires change shape once mounted on the same width wheel (compared to before it's mounted) just like the same size tire changes shape when it's mounted on different widths of wheels.

 

I figured that would be the case to some degree. Can you comment on how the 265-75 and 265-70 might change? Like, will they both get taller once mounted? Or both wider and shorter? Just curious. My guess would be that they both would get taller and skinnier?

 

My 2013 DC Off Road came with P265/70R16 BFG Rugged Trail T/As stock. I may try to bump up when those wear out.

 

Could you post a photo of the truck from the side? If it's a hassle don't worry about it.

 

Here's a few

 

Thanks. I've been wanting to see pics to help me decide on tire size.

 

No problem. I threw another pick in there for you.

 

The struggle is real for me on this whole tire thing. Finally got my rims, 17 inch 4 runner, now do I go with the 265 70 17s that they have on now, or do I go to a 265 65 17 for a little more street feel. Or do I go to a 245 65 17 and get a little throttle response back and maybe help my city mileage .1 percent. Holy shit I am sick of it. Awesome thread though man, very helpful. Here is a pic of my truck with the new rims and worn out 265 70 17s.

 

The 245/75 looks different from the 265/70 only because the tires are *different brands and style*. The Bridgestone tires have "busier" sidewalls, giving it a falsely larger look. If you compared the two sizes to each other using exactly the same model of tire, they would look identical, except when compared end-on.

The important piece of information to recognize in comparing the 265/70 with the 265/75, is that the added *utility* of the 75 is only HALF of the actual difference in diameter. I.e., the difference in diameter is 1 inch, so the added utility is only HALF inch -- the amount that it raises any component of the vehicle off the ground compared to the smaller tire. That is really a very small amount, and IMO not worth the trouble that it brings.

In comparing the tread widths of 245 vs 265, the utility depends on the use. 265 will yield marginally greater flotation, which is a hindrance when driving in ice and snow. I can't actually imagine a situation where the extra width of the 265 would be useful, since it isn't a large enough increase over the 245 to provide a meaningful improvement in flotation when dealing with marginal conditions like sand or mud.

 

All good things to point out. I agree, the "busy-ness" of the 265-70 Bridgestone sidewall makes it look a little bigger than the 245-75 MS2. But the section width is a FULL 1-inch larger on the 265-70, as well (sidewall to sidewall measurement). In person, that makes a huge difference in appearance (I've since looked at the two sizes in the same tire- MS2's). The 265-70 is a much "fatter" tire than the 245-75, even though the height (~circumference) is the same. So saying they look identical wasnt the case in my experience. But yeah, circumference is the same (well, within 1/10").

And yes, a one inch taller tire (265-75) only raises the ground clearance of the truck 1/2".

Due to the Tacoma speedos running fast from the factory, it sounds like our speedometers will actually read correctly with the 265-75. And I clocked my odometer today (gps and mile markers compared to odo) and it's also 2% fast. So the larger tire would also correct my odometer.

What are you referring to when you say the size increase isn't worth the trouble that it brings?

 

I think the 245-65's would look pretty small on your truck. Big drop in section width. Won't be much sidewall there. I'm currently running 245-75-16's on mine.

 

@harpolith I've used both the 245/75r16's and 265/70r16's on Tacomas. The research and predicament you're in are exactly the place I was in before I swapped my PreRunner (245/75's) for the TRD (265/70's).

IMO, 265/70 is the sweet spot for our trucks when running stock suspension. You get the look/stance of a wider tire, without any real negative effect. Moving up to a 265/75 has the potential to throw off odometer readings and hurt gas mileage depending on the tire you choose.

After running both, the 265's hugged the road better and offered better stability in corners. I can't compare exact apples to apples because the 245's were Dunlops and the 265's are BFG's, but I do feel more confident on the road with the 265's.

Also just an FYI, all TRD Off Road's come stock with 265/70r16 BFG tires, so any visual comparisons you're doing that should help you visualize.

245/75/r16:


265/70r16:

 

Thanks much for the advise. So... My 2014 speedometer is 2-3mph fast (at 75mph on GPS, my speedo says 77/78mph). I hear everyone on the forum talk about how the speedo reads about 2-3mph fast from the factory, but the odometer is right on. Well, i clocked my odometer today and it is also running fast. When my odometer read 100 miles, I had only traveled 98 miles according to both GPS and mile markers. I lucked out I guess- Looks to me like both the speedo and odo will be right on for me with a 1" larger tire.

So, besides those two things- would you still choose the 70-series? I'm mostly concerned about performance. Acceleration and shifting (or gear hunting), primarily. I'm leaning toward the 70, but the 75 sure looks more aggressive. That 1/2" in radius is a lot of surface area. Can you comment on the drive-feel aspect?

 

245 vs 265, traction-wise I felt like the 265's handled city driving better. Couldn't really tell a difference on the highway.

The deciding factor for me between 265/70's and 265/75's would be gas mileage more than much else. If you're at all worried about MPG's I'd stick to 265/70's. If not, take the small hit and go with 265/75's. I can't really speak on performance differences between the two as I've never ran 265/75's but I'm sure someone else will chime in and help you out there.