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will 33s be fine with stock gearing

Discussion in '4th Gen 4Runners (2003-2009)' started by Offroad3, Jul 9, 2021.

  1. Jul 9, 2021 at 9:51 AM
    #1
    Offroad3

    Offroad3 [OP] New Member

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    Stock as of now
    I’m upgrading to 33s and a 3 inch lift and was wondering if the stock gearing would be fine and if it would make a big difference?
     
  2. Jul 9, 2021 at 10:06 AM
    #2
    iamincrediboy

    iamincrediboy New Member

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    Picture you have looks like you're a V6, so anything larger than stock you're certainly going to feel it lag a bit. All of the unsprung weight of the rotating mass will indeed bog down your motor more than you're used to, but by no means it the runner now under-capable. Its still going to be solid and still absolutely have plenty of power, you'll just have to push the pedal a little further. You definitely will notice bit higher RPMs, bit loss of MPGs, but way more smiles per gallon
    :cheers:
     
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  3. Jul 9, 2021 at 10:26 AM
    #3
    Tuco S.

    Tuco S. New Member

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    You'll be fine. Just don't try drag racing a Prius.
     
  4. Jul 9, 2021 at 11:04 AM
    #4
    diverdon

    diverdon New Member

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    I have 285s on my 4Runner and just drove from northern NY to south Florida. I had no problem getting in and out of traffic 19mpg
     
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  5. Aug 1, 2021 at 5:54 PM
    #5
    CobraSC

    CobraSC New Member

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    Freedom OffRoad adjustable struts, UCA's, rear springs, 33x12.50 on XD 18x9's
    I have 33's on my 2006 and the gearing is fine.
     
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  6. Aug 1, 2021 at 6:01 PM
    #6
    Thatbassguy

    Thatbassguy New member? Really??

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    Like the others have said, you should be fine. I have a 2019 with 33.5" MT's and about 400-500# of constant weight. The only time I really feel it is in hilly areas and when I punch it.
     
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  7. Aug 1, 2021 at 7:16 PM
    #7
    olliechristoper

    olliechristoper New Member

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    As long as you are willing to live with longer braking distance, high center of gravity, accelerated wear of suspension components, short hub bearing life, reduced mpg, heavier steering, increased turning radius, increased wear of CV axles, balancing issues of larger tire, and all the other downfalls of 33" tires then all is good.

    The advantage is you will get a whopping .7" increase in ground clearance over the OEM size tire.
     
  8. Aug 1, 2021 at 7:27 PM
    #8
    Thatbassguy

    Thatbassguy New member? Really??

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    I counteracted the high center of gravity by adding weight underneath (skids).

    One could cause similar wear issues with heavy LT/E tires in stock size.

    Tire size cannot affect the turning radius, unless they're so big you can't turn them. :D
     
  9. Aug 2, 2021 at 7:22 AM
    #9
    olliechristoper

    olliechristoper New Member

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    Being that I assume the 33's will be wider then the turning radius will be a bit larger as well. My comments were mostly tongue in cheek as I know very few 4Runner owners that take heir rig off road keep the stock size tires. Heck even good number of rigs that don't see dirt are lifted and have huge tires.

    I have a specific plan in my mind for my own rig. Especially after getting some time in my current 2wd truck. I'm honestly blown away at the rocky terrain and non maintained roads a mildly lifted/small wheeled vehicle can navigate without issue.

    But to the specific question of the OP then yes the stock gearing will be fine as long as you understand there is a big difference. I mean big as in a very noticeable negative on the highway and positive experience when rock crawling/mud or just doing it for "the look".
     
    Thatbassguy[QUOTED] likes this.
  10. Aug 2, 2021 at 7:38 AM
    #10
    Thatbassguy

    Thatbassguy New member? Really??

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    Not really. If OP decides on 285/70/17's then it would increase track width by 2 centimeters. You could say the same for changing wheel offset at that rate. But really, without changing the wheelbase or steering geometry, you're not actually changing the turning radius. OTOH, an alignment can actually affect turning radius by moving the front tires closer to or further from the rears.

    Yes, a lot can be done at stock height and on stock size tires. The things that have added the most capability for me have been armor and tires. Armor for obvious reasons, and tires for several reasons. Better tires = better traction. Bigger tires = better flotation and even better traction.

    EDIT: I do agree that there are things to consider before lifting and throwing big tires on a vehicle. As you said, there will be trade-offs. Added wear, loss of on-road ride quality, safety, etc. I would hope most people would think about these things before making a decision, but some probably don't.
     
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2021
  11. Aug 2, 2021 at 11:37 AM
    #11
    David@Toytec

    David@Toytec New Member Vendor

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    To much
    I have 35s on stock gearing. First ran 285/70s and was great. Don't sweat the 33's - 35s sucks though haha
     
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