Power with 33" tires on 2017 model

Hey guys and gals. I currently own a 2016 Tacoma double cab with the new 3.5 motor and an automatic trans. I lifted it 3 inches and installed 33" Ko2's. I live in Utah and have to go up several mountain passes to basically go anywhere. I absolutely hate the way this truck drives with the larger tires. I cant even hold 65 on some of the passes i.e. going up to PC. Ive been toying with the idea of trading for a new '17 4Runner Off-road and want to hear from people that have lifted and added 33" tires and actually live in places that aren't flat, how the power is and what it is like to drive on the freeway at 65-70 mph. Do you still have power with those 33" tires? are you constantly shifting from 3rd gear to 4th just to make it up mountain passes? Is it not a good idea to put 33' tires on the 4runner if you still want to do road trips? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

I was worried about the exact same thing. I had a 2009 Tacoma double cab and I hated the way it felt after I put 33's on. So I was really worried when I opted to do the same thing with my 2016 T4R. It has been nowhere near as noticeable with the T4R. I constantly was aware of it with the Tacoma, now after I have had 33's for about 6 months on the T4R I hardly notice a difference from stock.

I do keep the transmission in sport mode "4" when driving around town to keep it from shifting into overdrive around 40mph. Had to do the same with the Tacoma.

FYI. I am running Nitto Ridge Grapplers in load range "C".

 

Do you feel like it drives poorly on the freeway? Can you use overdrive on the freeway or is it constantly in 4th. My Tacoma lives in 4th ever since I put the 33's on, never shifts to overdrive, but I do have a different trans 5th and 6th gears are both overdrive. I'm at about 3100 rpms on the freeway at about 68-70mph. Going up one of the big passes it will shift to 3rd which is about 5500 rpms, my mph increases and then I back off the throttle and then it shifts to 4th and I start to slow down 64-63-62 then I give it more gas and it goes back to 3rd. Its like a constant shift from 3-4 the whole time and its garbage. Before the 33's I had 265/75/16 (32's) Ko2's with the lift and I could pull that hill in 4th gear. I've decided to drop back to that size, but it should be able to handle 33's with almost 300hp. Its just the way this trans is geared, I think, that kills the drivability. Can you tell me more about the freeway drivability?

 

Drives like stock on flat freeway. Driving over the mountain passes here in OR/WA it does shift a bit more than stock but nothing that bothers me. The 5speed in the T4R's really wants to be in overdrive as much as possible. Hard to compare the new Tacoma trans to the T4R though, two totally different setups. Watch your load rating on whatever tire you get. The higher the rating the heavier the tire. Tire size isn't the only reason you will feel power loss, tire weight plays just as big of a role. I believe the Ko2's you have are the heavier load range E which technically is more for a full size pickup. Overkill for a daily driven T4R.

Have you driven a new 4runner yet? It will definitely feel more sluggish than your Taco at first. The throttle response in the T4R's is kind of weird (one of my only complaints). You really need to step on the pedal to get it moving. It has plenty of power though it just takes some getting used to.

 

Yeah I did notice that when I drove one on Saturday. It felt really heavy, but felt like it had more torque than my truck. I have seen the guys from XO tow with their T4r's and they are running 33's and they seem to be ok. I know that the 16 truck they have they had to get regeared, but I don't know if they regeared the 4runners. Im really torn. I like the truck for the truck aspect i.e. putting all my camping gear in there with poo shovels, firewood, and shovels. But I have dogs and the suv makes more sense for them and I want to run 33's without messing with the diffs. Have you regretted going from a truck to the 4runner at all?

 

Zero regrets. The reason for our change was a 3rd child and to be able to keep the dog inside the vehicle on long camping trips. I always worried about the dog in the back of the Tacoma being too hot/cold (mastiffs overheat pretty easy). We tow a small very light tent/utility trailer and it tows much more comfortably than the Tacoma did even with the 33's. Fully loaded with 3 kids and a 190lb Mastiff in the back while towing I can stay in overdrive comfortably on flat freeways. The interior on the T4R while not huge is roomier than the Tacoma.

Many folks run 275/70/17 KO2's on our rigs, and I think they look good. Slightly smaller diameter than the 285's but they only make they in a load range E so they are still a pretty heavy tire. I really concentrated on the tire and wheel weight when purchasing my current set up to keep the power loss to a minimum. I think the "C" rated Nittos and the lighter weight SCS wheels have paid dividends for me.

 

I had 33s on my 2016 automatic 3.5 also. The 3.5 is NOT a truck engine and should never have been used in the Tacoma. It has no low end power and the transmission shifts way too soon. I never allowed my truck into 6th and would usually end up in 4th going uphill. Really the only thing you can do is regear to 4.88 gears which is about a $2000 job It helps but there is no cure for the lack of low end power unfortunately.

 

Is your truck running stock gear ratio? 3.73? It was my understanding regearing was necessary at 33" and above.

Also, 275/70/17 is only available in E range from all brands? Is that stamped on the sidewall?

 

Yes stock gearing for me. Regearing is not NECESSARY for my uses. It may be for some but most don't with 33's. Technically 285/70/17 isn't quite a full 33" tire, it's something like 32.7". There may be some 275's out there that are less than load range "E" but none of the more popular ones (ko2's, ST MaXX, etc.) that I am aware of are. It would be stamped somewhere on the sidewall, almost all websites have the load rating on the tires descriptions as well.

 

I have a 3" Toytec boss with trd wheels and 295/70/17 toyo rt and live in Denver. I frequently head west and do a lot of mountain driving. If I get decent momentum, as in not stuck bumper to bumper, and initial incline I can gain speed but it's nothing special. Chalk it up to a trade off of buying a vehicle that is more offroad capable than v8's. Even in my 5.3 liter vortec v8 Tahoe I would down/up shift going up the same roads but with more power/higher speeds.

I really feel you can't get the best of both worlds with a Tacoma or 4runner.

2 cents

 

I have a 3in lift with 285 tires on trd pro rims, just a little sluggish from a complete stop, but other wise the power is fine, the north GA mountains are no issue for me.

 

Owned a 16 Taco for 2 months. Ended up dumping it for the 16 Runner due to the horrible engine/trans combo and other quality issues. The 4R drives like it should in all terrains. Generous power and a very, very good quality Japanese build.