Are 235's right for me? PLEASE HELP

So I popped my tire last night, and decided it's time to get my truck a whole new set since she has 40,000 miles on the set right now.

I have a Regular Cab, 4 Cylinder, 5 Lug. I drive almost ALL highway miles, and want to keep my truck running strong for at least 300,000 miles. That being said, I also don't care for the baby tire look, and want to have a truck with more robust tires. The stock tires right now are 215/70/R15 and I am looking into 235/75R15's. It snows heavily where I live during the winter. I am a newb when it comes to tires so I would appreciate some answers to my questions.



Will the bigger tire have a noticeable impact on my drive line in the long run? Will it hurt anything to a noticable/significant degree.

Will the loss in MPG/power be worth it for a vehicle that will never off road, but rather only stay on the highway?

Would ride quality and road noise be affected to a noticeable degree?

Based on what I have said, would you recommend sticking with the stock 215's or going up to 235's.


PS: I know this has been asked before, but the threads on this have such few answers I don't feel confident enough to make the jump.

 

You can run those tire sizes through this calculator to see quantitatively what the difference will be. http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-comparison/ You will also need to pay attention to the weight difference, if any, because tire weight increase makes a huge difference. Look up threads here with "tires" and "rotating mass."

 

Most 235 tires are load E for fleet vehicles, from what I've seen. Much heavier and harder to get going - especially for the little 5 lug. There are, however, many benefits. I thought about going to the Toyo M55 in that size, but went 255/85 instead (I'm V6 man trans) and am very happy with the tire in all respects (traction, mpg, looks, durability,...). I would highly suggest that tire, if you go to a 235 load E tire.

Edit: I forgot the 5 lug is R15...

You should have many good options which will improve looks, keep ride quality, and not hurt longevity.

 

You're looking at a wider tire, by about .75" and a larger diameter tire, about 2" (Your truck will sit an inch higher). This height difference will require an alignment. http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-calculator/

But, your first concern should be fit. Not knowing dimensions of OEM wheels on this version Taco makes it hard to say.

Your odometer reading will also change. It will show you traveled less miles than you actually traveled. Same for speedometer; your velocity will display slower than you are actually traveling. The tire calculator shows about 5mph difference at 60 mph. You can measure the actual difference with a gps.

As for performance, a wider tire will help in the snow, especially if you air down. But, it will be a heavier tire, so expect mpg to drop a bit. When calculating mpg, don't forget to factor in the tire size difference - remember, you will have traveled further than the odometer indicates. About 7.8% if I'm reading the tire calculator correctly. (When your odometer reads 100 miles; you will have actually traveled 107.8 miles.)

Ride quality should improve. You'll have a larger tire, and that's always better than a smaller tire to soak up bumps and such.

If no fit issues, I would prefer a 235/70 tire. It will help with traction in snow and the odometer/speedometer issues are minimized.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, will update as I decide, further discussion appreciated

 

Decided to go with 235's.... F*** it! Posting pics tomorrow when installed

 

If you'll look in the 5 lug forum you'll see that several have done 235's on stock rims.

You will have some issues with things you mentioned, but mostly loss of acceleration responsiveness.

While your truck may need an alignment for other reasons, it won't be because you change wheels and tires. The hub is what's aligned; the work can even be done with no wheels on the vehicle.

Don't assume it will be better in snow. Since you say it snows a lot, a dedicated set of wheels with proper winter tires would do much better than any 3 season tire. Taller and skinny too.

 

Before


After

 

They look really nice. How do they feel compared to the old ones regarding acceleration? Just curious.

 

Haven't drove around much since I got them. Truck definitely rides alot smoother, but I haven't noticed any real acceleration issues/differences. Will post again tomorrow after I drive some more.

 

Looks good.

 

I was just wondering exactly what rims you have on your tacoma? I have a 2014 5 lug and really don't like the stock steel wheels with the 217 70 15 tire.

 

Cragar Black Window D's

4in BS.

0mm Offset

Available at http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crr-3425712

Awesome freaking rims for the price. Steelie's too.

 

235s are fine, just keep away from load range e. P or C rated will do you favors.

 

The 5 lugs should have come with 235s, the 215s felt all wrong when I went back to them while I was painting my 16s.

 

How do you tell your load range on the tires

 

It will be listed on the side. P235..... for p rated. Then LT235..... c or e for the others

 

only thing I see is 35 psi Max

 

What size and brand tire did you get? There should be a 235/75/15 on the side. Is there a p or lt in front of it?

 

Thanks for the link for the Cragar wheels. What did you do about the TPMS? Also, with the 235's did you regear?