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Help with choosing the right tires

B

BaboonFury

2️⃣ Bronze
Joined
Feb 21, 2021
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Hi all - I just ordered an Icon Stage 3 lift today for my 21 DCLB OR and will be ordering some method 704s with 0 offset in the coming days. One thing I'm struggling with is choosing the right tires for my driving profile and I could use some help. I'm looking at getting 285/75/16s, or 295/75/16s if I can get them to fit. Outside of doing the upcoming lift, my truck is stock and I only have rock sliders in my near future. The truck is a near daily driver for me and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. I'm thinking about 85% of my time in the truck will be on road while the remaining 15% will be off road. That said, I would like to have a moderate off road focus with these tires. I'm in Northern California and most of my off road driving will be desert with the occasional trips to the snow. I'd like to keep added noise to a minimum and avoid any cutting or chopping. Appreciate your suggestions!
 
285's. Bfg KO2's will serve you well.
 
I'm liking my 10-ply Nitto Ridge Grapplers so far. They are quiet on the highway for how aggressive they are.
 
I love my Falken Wildpeak A/T3Ws. They are great on road, where I spend 90% of my time, and they are great off-road where I am the rest of the time.
 
BaboonFury said:
Hi all - I just ordered an Icon Stage 3 lift today for my 21 DCLB OR and will be ordering some method 704s with 0 offset in the coming days. One thing I'm struggling with is choosing the right tires for my driving profile and I could use some help. I'm looking at getting 285/75/16s, or 295/75/16s if I can get them to fit. Outside of doing the upcoming lift, my truck is stock and I only have rock sliders in my near future. The truck is a near daily driver for me and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. I'm thinking about 85% of my time in the truck will be on road while the remaining 15% will be off road. That said, I would like to have a moderate off road focus with these tires. I'm in Northern California and most of my off road driving will be desert with the occasional trips to the snow. I'd like to keep added noise to a minimum and avoid any cutting or chopping. Appreciate your suggestions!
Click to expand...

hay i have method nv305 16 inch wheels and 285\75\16 bfg km3 mud terrains great combo not sacrificing too much extra weight, its close to same weight as stock off road wheels. The km3 well its a mud terrain so its gonna have some weight. I have almost got 2 years of life outta of the tires, i currently have 13\32 tread right now they came with 18\32 brand new so i say im doing pretty good i have one last road trip to put on them . I cross rotate cause its a 4wd, every 5,000 miles or every oil change which i change mine at 5,000 miles. They have been a magnificent tire really dependable and i sacrified road noise to have a dependable aggressive tire . I drive 100+ miles a day during the week all highway and interstate and thats alot of miles on a mud terrain but its my set up. Im sure normal person would put bfg ko2's or some other type of all terrain but not me I travel gravel on the weekends dealing with wet conditions all the time here in Washington state. Recently had a crap ton of snow did some wheeling and didnt air down and i was impressed with normal air pressure of 35psi and they did pretty good in the snow. I have stock gearing and with stock tune I kept about 19.5 mpg on average, now with new ov tune still have quite got good enough numbers on that still having fun with the tune so not good mpgs right now floor it lol
 
shotgunbilly420 said:
hay i have method nv305 16 inch wheels and 285\75\16 bfg km3 mud terrains great combo not sacrificing too much extra weight, its close to same weight as stock off road wheels. The km3 well its a mud terrain so its gonna have some weight. I have almost got 2 years of life outta of the tires, i currently have 13\32 tread right now they came with 18\32 brand new so i say im doing pretty good i have one last road trip to put on them . I cross rotate cause its a 4wd, every 5,000 miles or every oil change which i change mine at 5,000 miles. They have been a magnificent tire really dependable and i sacrified road noise to have a dependable aggressive tire . I drive 100+ miles a day during the week all highway and interstate and thats alot of miles on a mud terrain but its my set up. Im sure normal person would put bfg ko2's or some other type of all terrain but not me I travel gravel on the weekends dealing with wet conditions all the time here in Washington state. Recently had a crap ton of snow did some wheeling and didnt air down and i was impressed with normal air pressure of 35psi and they did pretty good in the snow. I have stock gearing and with stock tune I kept about 19.5 mpg on average, now with new ov tune still have quite got good enough numbers on that still having fun with the tune so not good mpgs right now floor it lol
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Is there any drawback to running more aggressive off road tires than weight and noise? Also, how much extra noise would you guess it adds?
 
well if you have never owned mud terrain type tires they will be noisy to you . yes mud terrains do weigh more than a highway tire or passenger tire. Personally i researched to run bigger tires and different rims so i didnt have to do wheel spacers or a big lift kit so i knew i was getting a heavy tire but again with my set up I still can maintain factory mpg if not better . Now I have done many more mods for added engine power and with these mods combined my truck is set up just right for me and my driving . I have no complaints about my truck anymore its what i pictured my tacoma would be like.
 
shotgunbilly420 said:
well if you have never owned mud terrain type tires they will be noisy to you . yes mud terrains do weigh more than a highway tire or passenger tire. Personally i researched to run bigger tires and different rims so i didnt have to do wheel spacers or a big lift kit so i knew i was getting a heavy tire but again with my set up I still can maintain factory mpg if not better . Now I have done many more mods for added engine power and with these mods combined my truck is set up just right for me and my driving . I have no complaints about my truck anymore its what i pictured my tacoma would be like.
Click to expand...
Awesome that you can improve on the factory MPG while doing some upgrades. I'm new here so not the best at navigating the site just yet. Do you have a build thread I can check out? Interested in seeing your mods and the engine ones in particular.

My aversion to added road noise is due to my experience with my car where it's a bit of a nightmare on long road trips. I got it with a second cat delete and it just drones like crazy. Realize that tire noise is going to be different but the idea of driving 8+ hours to Death Valley or something with the truck and having it be noisy will annoy me. Wish there was a way I could hear what it would sound like in advance of making a purchase. How much noise, ride quality, etc. someone can tolerate is totally subjective.
 
I love my ridge grapplers. Good in the desert and nice ride on the road plus good longevity on the hot roads here in Las Vegas
 
Started with 285 ko2s, went to 295 Open Country R/T then right back to Ko2s but in a 295.
Cant go wrong w KO2
 
When I was researching tires for my Tacoma I ran across an article on a website called Expeditions West. That site seems to be defunct now, but fortunately at the time I had saved a copy of the page for future reference because I found it useful and informative. I don't see a way to attach the article, but if you would like to read it I'd be happy to send it to you. Meanwhile, here's their chart for tire sizes. The chart is backed up with fairly solid scientific and practical info. For instance, Mixed terrain would include virtually all of North America. The example they gave for 'soft surfaces' was for cases where you might want to drive across the Gobi Desert.

1614287370124.png
 
hubcitytaco said:
When I was researching tires for my Tacoma I ran across an article on a website called Expeditions West. That site seems to be defunct now, but fortunately at the time I had saved a copy of the page for future reference because I found it useful and informative. I don't see a way to attach the article, but if you would like to read it I'd be happy to send it to you. Meanwhile, here's their chart for tire sizes. The chart is backed up with fairly solid scientific and practical info. For instance, Mixed terrain would include virtually all of North America. The example they gave for 'soft surfaces' was for cases where you might want to drive across the Gobi Desert.

1614287370124.png
Click to expand...
Thank you for this, I'd love to read the article. Can you attach via PM?
 
MJ'sTacoma said:
Started with 285 ko2s, went to 295 Open Country R/T then right back to Ko2s but in a 295.
Cant go wrong w KO2
Click to expand...

so i have been eye balling these 295\75\16 ko2's and i see you use this size really interest on your true opinion
 
shotgunbilly420 said:
so i have been eye balling these 295\75\16 ko2's and i see you use this size really interest on your true opinion
Click to expand...
Oh amazing! Did come with a little bit of trimming but its bigger than a 285 and its definitely noticable when next to a truck with 285s on.
I think its the biggest I would go without re gearing.
 
I have Wildpeak A/T after virtually a lifetime of BFG. The Wildpeaks are leaps and bounds ahead of the BFG on wet roads. They also cost less, but that's a secondary concern of mine.
 
I am a Toyo, and a Cooper Fan, I have had both, on this, and my last Tacoma. My new tires yet to be installed are also Toyo's All Terrain III. I have always been happy with both tires. Not of fan of the good year tire I used once. never went back.
 
I use to be a magazine delivery person....2000’s...I would read every Off road magazines...
Almost everyone truck w/ pictures had BFG’s were running either A/T’s or Mud....today it still seems KO2older just as popular...my choice A/T’s. For all around....since you do more highways...
My 2nd choice is the Ridge grapplers..
Aloha
 
shotgunbilly420 said:
well if you have never owned mud terrain type tires they will be noisy to you . yes mud terrains do weigh more than a highway tire or passenger tire. Personally i researched to run bigger tires and different rims so i didnt have to do wheel spacers or a big lift kit so i knew i was getting a heavy tire but again with my set up I still can maintain factory mpg if not better . Now I have done many more mods for added engine power and with these mods combined my truck is set up just right for me and my driving . I have no complaints about my truck anymore its what i pictured my tacoma would be like.
Click to expand...
What have you done to increase engine power?
 
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