How big of a deal is tire rub?

Specs of my build are below, but what I really am having a hard time understanding is the consequences of rubbing. It goes without saying that it generally isn't a good thing to constantly rub your tires against a fender well or a cab mount, but what I have yet to see is a story of a Tacoma owner who suffered any loss from rubbing on a 3rd gen. I recently installed my lift, wheels, and tires. Periodically I'll get that noise from rubbing. So far it has been 3 times. Once while wheeling and twice pulling into a gas station. Hitting your pinch weld or rubbing your cab mount is unnerving for sure, but is anyone really damaging their tires or risking their weekend joy by rarely rubbing to the extent doing these modifications are necessary? I feel as though a quarter inch more of clearance, I'd be good to go and I'm willing to explore these options, but just looking for some perspective.


OME 888 Coils
5100 @ 0 setting
5100 rear
Dakar Medium Leafs
Icon Tubular Upper Control Arms (Delta Joint)
255/85r16 ST MAXX
SCS Ray 10 (16x8, 4.5BS, -12mm Offset)

 

I was just about to ask this when I found your post. The “it’s going to rub” police are always out in full force but you never really hear of any consequence of it.

 

It’s going to rub police The local negative nancies here amaze me. This forum along with all other forums is typically a user to user interface to gain knowledge. That knowledge be through experience preferably or from the guy who stayed at a holiday inn express last night making him the know all of everything. Through all the reading I do here on a daily basis it absolutely amazes me how many 16-25 year olds there are (at least I hope they’re this age) on here who know everything there is and through my reading I’ve learned:

1. Don’t ask about lift. It’ll be a bashing thread within 3 posts

2. You have to have OVTune or shiftsense pro.

3. Gas mileage is a no-no. This site isn’t for fuel economy. You bought a truck, it should get -38 mpg or else it doesn’t belong here

4. Don’t mention much about tire sizes you can fit. If so, you need cab mount chop, upper control arms, and a Tacoma world sticker.

5. Don’t ask about exhaust. Tacoma’s aren’t v8 engines and therefore you’re not allowed to want to hear a decent sounding exhaust.

6. Meso mods are required to be unique. Yet after how many people have the same thing when is it no longer considered unique?

7. Spacer lifts should get you removed from a Toyota Tacoma. Not the forum just your truck because it’s so bad and everything about it is bad which makes you and your truck bad. Yet an uncountable amount of people have them and they’re fine. Shhhh don’t tell the tw cops though!!!

just bored and waiting around til it’s time to leave for work and this topic cracked me up about the going to rub police had to chime in.



Anyway on the topic mentioned, I haven’t got a lift or bigger tires yet. Looking underneath my truck I know I’ll be able to have bigger tires with no cutting of anything as long as the proper wheel offset is done. There’s plenty of room for me and I’m not asking here if it’s allowed or not. Just going to do it one day and learn from experience rather than ask. I stopped at a local place by me and their company is called ‘nothing but lifts’. Looking at how busy this company is 6 days a week I’m sure his experience is above and beyond 99% of the tw police and I went to him for advice. That being said my selected tire size will be added later and won’t rub.

As for what will happen if it rubs and if that’ll be bad for truck? Yes I’d say. If anything rubs while turning it could potentially be a big problem. That’s not my professional opinion but my personal one. For me anything that rubs when turning or when compressing of the shocks and springs is bad. I won’t have it myself and won’t have the risk. Your choice though to say if it’s acceptable or not.

edit: guy above me dug up a very very old post. I didn’t notice so original poster will likely never read this. Despite that I still laugh due to the second guys comment

 

Exhaust on a NA v6 sounds turrible.

 

@newdles you forgot one, asking a question about anything that has been previously discussed in any older thread. And not searching prior to asking or making a new thread.
Oh I'm sorry I have all the time in the world to sit here and read through thousands of pages that may not pertain to my question to find my answer or just create a new thread and re-ask even though you may find it annoying.

 

You have a valid concern but at the same time, I think you could probably answer your own questions when you sit and think about it. How 'drastic' are your off roading conditions that you will be putting a lot of force on the front tires at odd angles going over big/large rocks (like the backend almost off the ground where all the weight is shifted forward). That would be the biggest concern based on your comments. A little rubbing while turning sharp, eh, you eventually learn to make bigger/wider turns when you can. A slight rub will not destroy anything. Think about the extreme conditions you would get that rubbing on it... if you don't off road that extreme... carry on and enjoy the truck.



I was going to tell a story of a guy that had a slight tire rub, and died the next day. But that can wait till another day.

 

Not a big deal unless you are diving in to turn 1 at Talladega Superspeedway at 197mph.

 

Wasn’t really on my to do list.

 

See. It’s because I learned the TW rules and used the search function.

 

Starting to feel like a Friday question. Wait! Rule #? Don’t ask a Friday question other than on Friday..,

 

Well then your rub is fine. Go with it!

 

Can't speak to the Tacoma; but, I put 285/75R16 on my 2000 Chevy 1500 and it rubbed where the cab mount is on our trucks. The down side was if I was at or near full lock the tire would catch there, the steering wheel wouldn't move and it would kill the engine. I would have to rotate the wheel back/unstick the tire before I could get the engine to turn over again. It would have sucked to have that happen in a spot where I couldn't move the wheel (i.e. offroad in some situations). Additionally, after some adjustments it would rub the pinch weld and it created some gouges in the tire. Nothing a grinder and a BFH couldn't remedy though. I would say that was in the extreme case though.

That was rubbing on a hard spot. When it rubbed the liner/windshield wiper fluid tank... It just ate through it. No damage to the tire; just couldn't use my wiper sprayer anymore.

 

I once heard that if you rub it too much you’ll go blind.

 

No, that would be hairy palm disease.

 

Severity depends on how bad / what you rub.

My tires rub the plastic wheel liner on the front side of the wheel well. NBD. Plastic flexes, and I keep going.

Severely rubbing the cab mount could potentially cause tire damage, metal fatigue, etc depending on the rub.

I suspect your severity falls between those 2 bookends.

 

I thought people ran skinnies to avoid rubbing.

Everything I know is a lie!

 

A friend of my wifes nephew rubbed a hole in his frame. So I heard anyway.

 

Pretty much has to be on stock wheel or stock wheel spec to make it not rub.

 

I tore the hell out of the outer tread on my STMaxx tires when they were new because they rubbed the pinch weld when stuffed into the wheel well offroad. It's not a fun thing to see happen to your brand new $1000 set of tires.

Minor rubbing on some plastic is one thing but if they rub occasionally on the street, they are going to rub bad offroad (if you do that sort of thing). Eventually they will rub to the point where either the tire will damage the truck or the truck will damage the tire, depending on where it's rubbing.

 

Dang I was hoping to run 255 80 17 on 17x8.5 -12 ray 10 which have 4.30" backspacing. I was hoping for no rub but it looks like I might.

also op i think your wheel specs might be wrong? on scs website 16x8 -12 has a 4.00" backspacing

I might just go with 255 75 17 instead to play it safe