More or less sidewall

Hi, first post here, so I plan on getting 33x12.5r18 tires. Just got hit hard with a thought and couldn’t find any info on if going to a lower rim size is that much worth it. I’m talking from 18s to 16s. My real question being is going down to 16s on 33s going to pose much of a difference off-road or is it fine to just continue with 18s? Thanks in advance

 

The difference between a 33” tire on an 18” vs a 16” wheel is absolutely real. There is a significant difference in how flexible and pliable and elastic the tire will be. You obviously have realized how much LESS sidewall you’d have with an 18” wheel. Now just imagine airing down that tire for off road use... do you feel more comfortable doing that with a small sidewall? You will likely hit the rim with hard hits while aired down. If you had a 16” or 17” wheel you’ll have way more “cushion for the Pushin” & your on road and off road ride will be softer and more comfortable, as well as less likely to damage the wheels. You will also save money buying 16” or 17” tires as most in that size are cheaper than the 18” counterpart. I stuck with 16’s because I wanted the most TIRE possible.


Remember, tires make the bigger difference in on and off road performance/handling/traction/stability etc. so if you choose an 18” wheel you’re sacrificing an amount of those in lieu of just “having bigger rims”


Edit, I’ll show you when I first bought my truck it had 33’s on 18’s and I put 33’s on 16’s as fast as possible. Then I put 35’s on 16’s. I’m very happy with those choices and I would NEVER trade more “wheel” for less “tire” unless it was for some specific brake upgrade reason but even then I’d never run larger than a 17” wheel if the tires were up to 40” tall

 

Thanks so much for clearing that up, I thought so just wanted a second opinion

 

Just to play devil's advocate here, going with TOO MUCH sidewall can be problematic too. Especially if you have a tall/skinny tire, it can be less stable, and easier to fold over.

That said, a 255/85r16 (tall/skinny 33") is just about perfect.

18's are (IMO) the broverlander rim of choice. If you want looks over performance, get 18s.



16's are much more ideal for the 33" size. 15's are fine too, but with Tacomas you limit your ability to do the Tundra brake conversion if you run 15's.

Tt also depends on the overall size of your tires. I probably wouldn't run 16's on a 35" or a 37".