Pros and cons of wheel size

I've been checking on the SCS site almost daily for the past 3 weeks and keep resisting the urge to buy new rims but the SR8s are calling my name. My question is this, I've got stock 17" rims right now but like the 16" look with the bigger side walls. What are the pros and cons to a 16" vs 17" on and off the road? Should I even consider 18"??

Right now my gut feeling is telling me to go with 16" SR8 Gunmetal to match my MGM!

 

I like the extra sidewall with a 16" wheel as well. There are more options for lighter load tire with the 17" for whatever reason though.

I'm leaning towards stiff KO2's and hoping upgrading the suspension compensated for it.

 

It’s definitely tire options. If you like more of the stiff wall options, go 16”, if you like the light tire options, go 17”

 

I went with 16’s for more sidewall. At the end of the day I think it boils down to personal preference though.

 

More sidewall = softer ride.

 

either one should be fine for off-roading.

 

16" for me! For the reasons mentioned. Looks better, rides better. One drawback I've found is the limited brake upgrade options.

 

Yes... but on a 32” tire, 16” vs 17” is almost negligible. The #ply is more of a factor for ride. P rated tires have less side wall thickness than their E rated brothers. But P rated tires are better for gas mileage, give a smoother ride, and are more than capable of towing anything in the capabilities of a Tacoma. The max tow capacity of a tacoma is still on the P tire range. The E rated tires are thicker side walls and good for real chunky jagged off-road use, but they kill gas mileage and kill the ride quality.

16” wheels = more E rated tire options.
17” wheels = more P rated tire options.

It’s your choice.
Personally, I have 17” wheels with P rated tires. I usually go off-roading with friends so I have an escape if needed, and I still haven’t had issues with flats or any problems with my tires. Also, I love that I bumped up my wheels and tires in size and I only lost 1mpg.

 

If you stick with a 16” and grab an E-rated tire with larger side wall such as a 285 you’re going to have a stiffer ride regardless. Also expect MPG to go down, but who really complains about that when off-roading.

 

I went with 16s. Currently running cooper ATP 285 10 ply. It's a truck, if I wanted soft I would have bought a Cadillac.

 

I think it really comes down to what you like.. I don't think the average driver (myself included) can really tell a difference in rim size alone. Load ratings, tread patterns, air pressures and weight of the tires will be bigger factors on that.
I don't plan on racing in the Baja 1000 or King of Hammers in my Tacoma, so I think my 18's will be fine. Good luck with your purchase.
Edit: to add to my post
wheels: 18x9
tires: 275/70/18 (equivalent to 33×10.5)

 

If I could go back I would get 17s. Only because 275/70/17s look really good and don’t require a cmc most of the time. I’m running 275/70/16s and they would look perfect if they had that extra inch of height!

 

I got SCS stealth 6's in 17 inch and I do not regret it one bit. I love the fact that I can run 285/75/17 (33's) in P rated and have aggressive but light tires.

 

What kind of a lift do you have? I'm currently sitting at stock and considering the 275/70/17's for mine, but I really need to decide if I'm lifting it or not yet. Any pics of your current setup?

 

I’m on 275/70/16s right now do you want pics of that still?

 

Yeah! Always like to see it still, what do you have as far as a lift goes?

 

Sorry I don’t have many good pics since I got my lift installed. I have King’s front and Rears, no rear lift yet, and front is probably at about 1.5 inches of lift.

 

If your thinking about 275/70/17s though check out this thread.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...0r17-tire-thread.394460/page-32#post-17475979

 

Thats a good looking truck! Thanks for the information. I still need to do some research but I think you are right about the 17's, would be perfect looking on that. Probably take a similar route myself.

 

Yeah I would consider it. I’m going to have to accept the loss and upgrade to 17s soon.