Tire/Wheel Decision Paralysis

Heyo! 2021 TRD OR... I went all winter up here in New England on stock tires because I can't make a decision to save my life and am utterly overwhelmed (and confused) by the choices :/ but I *need* to pull the trigger and upgrade!!

Truck is my daily driver (wfh/short commute), ski trip transport (New England ice/sleet - highway and ice road), and camp/hike transport, with a big ask being the ability to drive into our camp which is about 2 miles down an unmaintained "logging road" (loose term - was last logged 15+ yrs ago) - with some problematic sections of deep mud trenches (between trees so I can't go around) with hidden rocks in places (yay).

I love the look of the BFG KO2's, but worry they may be overkill for my day-day. Wondering what people's experience is in terms of ride/gas mileage/day-day between these vs tires like Pirelli Scorpion AT, Destination A/T2, or Toyo Open Country III.

Sizing... any difference I should consider (aside from look and availability) between:
- 265/70R16 (stock)
- 265/65R17 (which I think should be about equivalent?)
- 265/70R17 - technically larger but still avoids rubbing/issues?

I'll likely keep my stock 16 rims and put winter specific tires on eventually out of habit, but would love input/advice/guidance to help me narrow my choices so I can get these rims & tires off ASAP. Thanks in advance (& apologies for being lengthy, as usual!)

 

K02’s suck in the rain and snow.... but they look so good lol.

Your best bet is a 265/75 or 265/70 SL falken wildpeak at3w if you want to keep your stock wheels. Id personally go with the 265/75, looks a lot better and doesn’t seem to affect drivability and mpg. I’ve had many different sets of tires and I always find myself going back to the wildpeaks. They’re amazing in the snow, on road, and in the dirt. I take corners way too fast with them since they give me so much confidence lol

ps: If you’re concerned about mpgs, get OVTune! (The truck will drive 10x better as well)

 

You might try posting and looking in here if you haven'talready? Lots of wheel, tire and combo setups.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/wheels-tires.15/

 

he probably looked at them all, which is why he’s in paralysis

 

My Fallen Wildpeaks were awesome in the winter this last season. We didn't get much in the Sierras this year but they chewed up the snow on the days we did. Great daily driver AT imo.

 

Gah sorry @20tacoma17! I am awful with forums / posting That's the thread (forum?) that has cost me actual **weeks** of my life stressing over details and options that I previously didn't know existed. I will see if I can move this there. I keep seeing pictures that look FANTASTIC, but can't decipher which ones are suitable for someone like me, vs. those that require a bit more know-how to ensure fit/management vs. those that just are not the right tire for my goals.

@Hofmann’s Tacos - good to know about rain performance on the KO2's - I'm paranoid driving in wet weather so may look for something a bit more confident there. I don't plan to keep the stock rims (unless I decide to have a full winter swap out - I have historically always had 2 full sets) - I strongly dislike the plastic-silver look, so I am open to whichever rim size works with whichever tire .

 

what replacement wheels do you want? Do you prefer the look of a 17” wheel with less tire sidewall?

 

Also, if you stick with a 265/75r16 or 265/70r17 you can fit anything without trimming. No need to worry about that until you step up to 285’s.....

Pardon me for causing you more paralysis, but it sounds like you like the look of bigger tires:
consider a 255/80r17 tire with some new 17” wheels. It’s 33” tall but doesn’t require trimming to fit.

 

I like my 265/75/16 KO2s. They are okay for highway use and they are good in dirt and snow. Rain is debatable and there seems to be a lot of tire slippage on wet roads.

 

No worries. You can post it anywhere. Just helping a newer member if I can. Lots of members here to help.

 

Show her your RC truck, it’s still one of the coolest things I’ve seen on TW lol

 

oooh.... I do... but dang I don't think I'm confident enough to go that far "off book" from the boilerplate options... What rims are those? I was eyeing a set with similar color but couldn't decide if I liked or disliked that it gave a pop of "color" against the mag gray. Seriously, I need help... haha

 

The wheels I have are the RRW RR5-S 16x8 -12 offset in Matte Bronze. It’s a very uncommon wheel but they look great.

Looks gold in the sun and almost black in the shade which is nice.

 

OP,

Don't worry about being indecisive, asking tire questions or posting long. Anyone who has a problem with it, has plenty of other forums here and can just walk on by this one ... Lots of good folks here and many of them, like me, are suckers for tire discussions! Heck, we are not bothered by them even when it is the 50th time ...

A few general observations / questions and we can go from there. Lots of good people here and you will get all kinds of help.

First, in general, asking for tire advice is tough. Say you present a list of five tires and I comment, hey, those Tires from X are the best. How can I really know that unless I have a reasonably good experience with all of the five tires you are asking about? It is impossible. So you have to take tire fans with a grain of salt. For example, I am partial to Nitto. I have had several set of those tires. But how can I say they are better than every other tire when I haven't had all of the others on my truck for a prolonged period of time. Something to keep in mind.

Second, you will not fail and you cannot fail. All of the tires that you listed are great options and you really can't go wrong with any of them. I was really curious about those Pirellis and have heard great things about them but unfortunately they were not available when I was tire shopping so I went with my tried and true Nittos.

I am a little confused about your post though. Do I have this right. You are going to keep your stock rims and put snow tires on them and then get a new set of rims and tires for your daily driving?

If that is the case, you are looking at snow tires and you are also looking for a set of daily driving tires? Is that correct?

Finally, are you looking for pure function in your daily driver or are you looking for that rugged truck look?

 

@averagejp - thanks for being kind!

I am looking to replace my rims & tires - for at least 3/4 of the year - preferably with a more rugged truck look, without going too overboard since I still drive to the grocery store more often than anywhere else, unfortunately.

*If* the tires I get are not so great in the winter, or if I love my new rims too much to risk exposing them to the joys of brushing ice-chunk / rock laden snowbanks when dodging the plow coming the opposite direction (usually cruising at a smooth 45) on the narrow dirt/ice lane to the local ski hill.. I'd be happy to toss some winter-specific tires on my stock rims as a sacrifice (vs buying steels)-- but that's a decision for 4 months from now... If I get tires that work well year-round my wallet of course appreciates it, but winter performance is not a current must-have. Heck, I made it this winter with the stock tires...

Definitely wanting black or matte bronze (not super glossy/blingy) rims - 16 or 17 inch. Definitely wanting her to look like, and act like, a responsible truck that puts in some good work on the road to camp

 

You can also browse on here to see different wheels on Mag Grey trucks.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-magnetic-gray-thread.394569/

 

Got it!

I am not an expert on rims. I get that people really get into it but that has never been me. My overall philosophy is that I change things for function but when I do I want the best option. So to me the stock rims look perfectly fine. I do admit that the Toyota OEM rims look pretty good:

https://parts.elmhursttoyota.com/oe...ruiser-tacoma-oem-ptr20-35110-bk-ptr2035110bk

As far as tires, you really can't go wrong with any of the options discussed here. I am preferable to Nitto but really like the Toyos, the KO2s, the Wildpeaks, etc.

Do you have a really good tire shop where you can to and talk to the folks there?

I personally drive on the Nittos year round in heavy snow and on the street and they are a good all around tire. Honestly, I think with any of the tires you are considering, they will be fine for a daily driver and will be decent in the winter. If you really need to go on some winter trails and are concerned you can always toss on a set of snow chains and be more than fine.

The Toyota OEM rims can really take a beating so I think they would be fine on your truck all year and would not be damaged by the heavy snow. You should be able to get a new set of those rims (selling the stock ones) and one set of tires and be completely fine. Like I said, I have driven my Nittos in NY during the summer and Northern Quebec during the crazy winter and they were perfect. So it is very possible.

And, you know, the stock tires are not terrible at all. Probably not the best for the snow but I had mine on for a bit and they were just fine. I now that is not a popular opinion ... and I did change them out (sold to a friend who wanted them with less than 3,000 miles on them) but they seemed fine.

Good luck ... see if you can find a good tire shop that has a lot of experience and can find you a solid year round tire. Those Pirellis look great and they make a fantastic tire. I have a set on my BMW and they are really great. Rugged looking, too.

Definitely post back on what you decide ...

 

I'm really liking the Goodyear DuraTracs I had put on before winter last year. They did well in the snow, slush and packed snow we get up here in Minnesota. This is my daily driver as well and they aren't super loud. I Haven't taken them anywhere off-road this spring but I'm not concerned, they're a very capable tire.

 

Just save some coin and keep your stock wheels for DD use and pick up some stock steelies for dirt cheap. Found a set locally for $50. Hell, there's a guy on the "pay it forward" thread giving away some.

Throw on some 265/75 snow tires and call it a day.

That's what I did for my Sport. I just run them when I need them.

 

I love the stock wheels it was the OEM Good Years I did not like especially the way it ' Dived ' on corners, and have never had an issue with the BFG's since the 80's

The first mod I did was upgrade the tires



And they don't stick out the side