In need of some Tire Wisdom...

Just got my first Tacoma a week ago... Inferno Sport DCLB. Was thinking about swapping out wheels/ tires before the purchase, and maybe a small lift (something like 5100's with 885's in front and possibly 5100's in the back with some type of aal). Have decided to hold off a bit on the lift, and am looking at wheels/ tires first. I've perused 50+ pages of people's tires and wheel setups, and done some searches on tires, but haven't seen much input on tire preference and performance. I am looking at slightly bigger tires than stock (265/70R17 vs. 265/65R17) b/c it sounds like that's the biggest tire that can safely fit with out rubbing issues on a stock setup, and they would likely fit my preference anyways for the small lift I MIGHT do down the road. Wheels would likely be 17x9 or 17x8.5 when decided on. Looking for a more aggressive tire for looks/ infrequent off road use.

Background info on the use of the truck: Not a daily driver and likely would be putting 5-7K on it a year at the most. Large majority would be on-road use. I tow a 2k pound ski boat 100 miles twice a year, and a small trailer for dirtbike trips. I'd use 4Wd for mostly fire road/ trail type stuff, snow trips, putting the boat in & out on a sketchy ramp/ dirt, and regular 10 mile gravel road trip to our cabin. Nothing too serious at all. From that, am looking at an A/T tire that is not too loud on the road, doesn't KILL my mpg, and is a decent off road tire when called upon for light duty.

Been looking at the Cooper Discoverer A/T3, General Grabber AT2, Toyo Open Country AT II, ProComp AT Sport, and Falken Wildpeak AT3... Also some really GREAT deals popping up for Labor Day right now! Not too interested in the BFG KO2's from a price standpoint and honestly don't love their look all that much... *ducks*!

Thoughts? Input? Experiences with these tires?

Two other newbie questions... 1) Anything else to worry about/ consider moving up that small a size tire from stock, truck functionality-wise aside from a bit different speedometer reading? and 2) Given my use and preferences, is there any real need to get LT (C or E) rated tires vs. just P rated?

Thank you for reading this long drivel, and appreciate any input in advance!

 

Nothing really to worry about from that small of a jump in tire size, but you're going to want to make sure the rims you get have appropriate backspace and offset (which can be confusing to figure out). I regret getting the 265/75/16 KO2 really only because I didn't realize it was an E Load tire and it makes the ride pretty rough. Regarding the speedometer I think the 265/75/16 (which is basically the same diameter as the 265/70/17s you're considering) actually improved the accuracy of my speedo based on driving past road-side speed radars signs (or whatever you call them). I'm now on 255/85/16 KM2 which are still an E-rated tire but seem to ride better than the K02s did and I think are the perfect size tire for our trucks and they don't add much weight, but based on your needs I think getting a good lightweight AT tire in 265/70/17 combined with allow rims (to save more weight) would be great for your needs.

 

You shouldn't have to worry about much with only 1 size difference other than your speedo being off by a few mph and maybe a little bit worse fuel economy. On my first gen, I have the GG AT2's and I like them a lot for looks and funcionality at a good price point. They are noisier than many other all terrain tires, however. For your use, I'd go for the Cooper Discoverers. They are supposed to be extremely good on-road for an all terrain tire and they will do fine on gravel/forest service roads/light offroading. I see no reason to go for an E-rated tire for your needs, since they'll be heavier than an equivalent p-rated or load range C tire, and you aren't hauling enough weight to need the extra plies.

 

If you live and drive when there is snow, ice, slush on the road and can only have one set of tires, please make sure that you read about 3Peak rated tires https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=125

 

Have come across this topic a couple times during my research here... Sounds like those tires that have that rating are few and far between. I don't live in the snow by any means. Take 2-3 trips to snow country for boarding a year. Most of the time no snow on the roads. So actual driving in snow may happen once a year or so. I see the Falken's have this... (and Grabbers)

 

I heard the terra grappler g2 is a solid tire as well I've seen some members getting those, you can also fit a 265/65/18 tire as well.

 

Oh yeah, one other newbie question... how about the spare? If I end up going up such a smaller size, is there any worry keeping my stock tire as my spare?

 

I always recommend having a matching spare, You can use a different size spare if you roll it in the front with 4x4 off. Unless you want to shred gears. But get a matching rim and tire, do a 5 tire rotation. Way cheaper and less stress than having to deal with any other $$ saving option.

 

People can often use the spare that's under the bed as a way to weigh down leaf packs in the rear when they go to upgrade their suspension. I've seen some people go with a much bigger tire size in the spot of the spare under the bed.

 

Interesting approach... Seems from all the whining on here about how sluggish the 3rd gens are, not many people would be wanting to add "useless" weight to these things!

 

Yeah but its good if someone had a heavy duty leaf pack

 

FYI - if anyone else is in the same boat Discount Tires Direct is having a great sale this weekend for Labor Day... $75 off from DTD for a set of 4, and up to another $100 off if you purchase some Cooper's.

I still am grappling with going P rated or LT rated... Sounds like from another thread that the P rated Discoverer AT3 wears really quickly compared to the E-rated.

 

TerrainContact A/T
New tire worth a look at, low on road noise. 60K !
http://www.continentaltire.com/product/terraincontact-22560r17-99h

Reviews so far show excellent wet braking and snow traction.
Looks aggressive too.

 

I am so extremely against this! Not only are you paying more for a tire, but getting one that you would never use. The purpose of a spare is to be used, not to be a lead weight. If you want to add weight, add it to the bed. Also, keep in mind the largest tire you can fit under is around 33". I currently have a 32.3" tire, at full PSI, and its a tight fit. Watch the clearance on the rear diff.

Edit: please note this is IMO, and regarding a 2nd gen. Is the undermount tire size different in a 3rd gen? Dunno.

 

So DTD has 265/70 R17 Cooper Discoverer AT3's in Non-LT (SL, 115T rating) for $560 for 4 tires plus a $70 and $75 rebate. Am I missing something? Seems like I HAVE to buy them! Almost free tires... I know the LT (C Rating) have a much better wear life according to another main tester on this site, but they are $200 per tire...