Stock 265 vs 285 tires, is it really worth all the trouble?

Notice the drivers of Monster trucks look like leprechauns. Bigger tires do you look more puny. If you have a big ole beer gut, that is an advantage.

 

This explains why I went with 295's and sometimes think about going bigger.

 

Depends on what you prioritize.

My rig has 265 K02’s for a couple of reasons already mentioned but are as follows:
- fit without any issues
- maintains effective gearing and acceleration
- avoids gear hunting on the interstate
- does not decrease braking performance
- cost less to purchase
Only downside is I give up about 1/2” to 3/4” of additional clearance depending on the brand of tire and the “look” many desire.

At the end of the day, it’s your rig so do what you want, just as I have….

Cheers,
Bob

 

Good picture!

Really shows how a stock size tire with a more aggressive sidewall can improve the look over the OEM granny tires.

 

Little ole 265's

 

I'm about to toss on a 2.5 inch lift. Been insecure that my 265s will look "puny". Other than the "looks" I don't see much of a huge advantage going to 285s. We'll see I suppose.

 

I have KO2 265s. More than half my miles are off road (defined as more than just some gravel road somewhere). Just got back from 3 days on the VCNM (deep sand and rock). No lifts either. I will go anywhere 285s go, but I don't look as (use your own adjective) at the mall. "No" is the answer to your question, op.

 

I've had 285s for the entire life of my 4runner. No regrets. When these 285s wear out I want to step up to 315 70 17s. I don't mind having to trim this or weld that. I love doing my own work.

 

What if I start an argument a wider 285/70R17 SL/Load C tire would provide more traction, better braking performance in dry conditions vs a same brand, same psi (lets say 32 psi), same weight, same road surface skinny tire, Let's say 255/80R17 Load E.
My theory the wider, not too firm tire has more surface area thus increasing coefficient of friction.
My theory 2, wider tire have more heat dissipation than skinny tire.



(Just a thought. Love to hear ideas / info)

 

I’ll pass on participating in the argument….

Cheers,
Bob

 

265 on factory OEM wheels and 3/4” spacers. Barely rubbed on reverse but resolved with adjusting wheel well liner.

 

Can comfirm. In my case i also added a slight lift .85” and bilstein 5100s all around on stock coils. The traction off road was greatly improved. I went from the bridgestone duelers to BFG ko3s, and never going back.

 

285s. Not going back. In fact, I am going to 34s soon. All in with the BMC etc. No regrets.



At 20psi during an outing in AZ.
285 can go places IMO...

 

Same lift for mine in the front, albeit with Eibach shocks. Going on 4 years, couldn't be more pleased. 265/70-17 Falken AT/4W, with no desire for a larger size.

 

Doesn’t take long for a tire thread to gain traction. Pun intended.

 

For me the only reason I added the 285’s and have no issue’s with rubbing is for looks. I added the Eibach springs on my 23 Pro. It will be quite sometime before my 285’s wear out. But after they do and since I’m running SCS wheels which give the 265’s a fatter look I maybe going back to 265’s.

 

if you want a bigger tire without alot of issues look at a 275/70r17. i had at3w, pushed the wheel liner forward and very slight trim and no rubbing even at full articulation, they also measured about 32.5 inch.
if you offroad and use your vehicle you will have alot of rubbing issues with a 285, will need a bmc, plastic trimming, minor viper cut and may still have some issues.

I went to a 34x11.5 trail grappler, 0 offset, i had to do uca, bmc, high clearance fender kit on the front, pinch welds flat, extended bump stops. A lift will not give you more clearance, thats a common misnomer. More importantly is the wheel offset, the more negative you go the more rubbing you will get. Yes a -38 looks great but its alot of work, plus the additional wear and tear on the suspension parts due to greater leverages.

youtube has a great video i came across that covers 34 vs 35 inch tires and setups on the 4runner, aired-down-overland, named 34 inch tires, very informative.

 

I'm still on 265's Goodyear Ultra Terrains and they have been great off and on road and a lot better in the rain the the BF's. But I want more ground clearance, I'll take every mm I can get. My skid plates will thank me.

 

Thanks for the info!

I'll have to check this out. My "summer" tires probably have another good season in them, and I've been debating whether to stick with 295's, or go to a skinny 34 next.

 

I recently lost some weight. I’ll keep the 265 then.
That or start day drinking to get fat.

 

285/70-17s aren’t that much trouble on stock wheels with stock upper control arms. No lift needed. Just a little plastic bumper trimming/adjusting on front of the wheel well area. A screwdriver, an sharp blade, and 20 min is all you need to take care of that.

It is more expensive to run due to the MPG hit and the cost of the bigger tires. The effective gearing change makes it accelerate like a heavier vehicle, but not by much.

Is it worth for the extra half inch of height? Probably not on paper. The ride can be a little nicer, but not by much.

Would I do it again? Yes I would. It just looks nice and right with slightly chunkier tires. And half an inch is half an inch.

 

After getting 285 Toyo AT3s and trimming the bumper today… I prefer the ride of stock sized tires.

If I had to do it over, I would have leveled the front and gone with 275s or 255/75s. But it’s my wife’s car and that’s what she wanted.

 

I like to understanding what's the difference between Toyo AT3 standard load 265/70R17 vs Toyo AT3 standard load 285/70R17.

 

Previous tires were BFG KO2 LT265/70 C-load. Overall handling characteristics were more responsive, but they looked out of place with the Eibach lift. The P285/70 SL AT3s weigh just 2 pounds more, but “feel” heavier in overall handling and acceleration. The wife can’t tell the difference, and that’s what really matters.

I’m not bagging on the AT3s; they’re probably the best tire for my application and they look nice. I would have gone more conservative with the lift and tires.

 

We went with 255/ 75 K02’s a couple years back. Slightly over 32”, relatively light and good OR performance. Obviously no mods needed, even at full articulation. (Unless a crazy negative offset). Great compromise size for those with reservations about going larger.

The 255/75 is 10 lbs lighter per tire than 285 KO3’s, while providing ground clearance only 0.35” less. If you keep your spare in the stock location, the tire will actually be nearly an inch closer to the ground with the 285’s. So ground clearance in the rear is actually more with the 255’s. This makes a difference with departure angle.

 

The problem with 275's is that they're almost all LT tires, whereas you can get a lot of 285's in SL. Obviously, if you're looking for LT tires, it's not an issue. But, if you're just looking to go bigger without adding a lot of weight, SL's are ideal.

I definitely felt the difference when I went to 285's, and even more with 295's. But, I got used to it. Mine still feels pretty nimble for the amount of weight I'm hauling.

 

I had no idea 255 were available. So many choices these days.

 

Very interesting. I didn't have back to back experience since my new TRD went from 265 GY Duratrac to 285 Toyo OC AT3 which I didn't feel the difference as far as I can remember.

My older TRD I went from 265 KO2-> 275 KO2 -> 285 KO2.

I can say Toyo 285 SL with 47lbs weight were very easy to play on pavement vs 285 KO2 with 50lbs. I play alot with 285 Toyos, almost every day I hear tire sqeeks on turns. Almost every week end they experience pretty high speeds. Hope no cops on this forum. LoL.

 

You need to look at tire dimensions. A LT265/70 KO2 has 8.8” tread width, the LT255/75 is 8.4”, those are significantly larger (wider) than other tires of the same size. I was holding out for the KO3 to be released in 255/75, but couldn’t wait any longer. Went with the Toyos instead.

also note these mods are purely aesthetic; although the Eibach suspension was an improvement over the stock ride.