Glad I found this video. On my new 2023 Tacoma Ted off road truck I might go ahead and buy pizza cutter size 255/85R16 tires to go on my stock 16" wheels. I want the 33" tall tires so I can go ride on the off roaring and forestry trails we have in the northeast TN and western nd mountains by Johnson city and Greenville, TN areas.
Been running 255/80/R17 for several years on my 2017. Great tire size for a 33 on the Tacoma. If you go to a 17-inch wheel it will open up your options for tires. The Toyo Open Country ATIII is a great option.
Haha absolutely! Seems like 16s are a blank landscape for tire choice. I played with the idea of switching to 17s for the sheer increase in tire variety, but settled for my shock wheels + the Coopers
I'm going to drop down from 18s (factory) to 17s just to have a lot more options in tires. 17x7.5 is arguably the most versatile wheel size around, can run as narrow as 235s all the way up the 315s if you're a glutton for suffering.
Look at the old Jeeps, tall skinnies. My grandfather and uncles have been running as tall and skinny bias ply snow tires as they could find for years in the Michigan woods, no contest compared to wide tires in the swamp mud or the snow. Deep sand gets interesting however airing down is the key. I run 235/85-16 on my up north CJ-7 Jeep and 255/85-17 on my daily driver 04 Grand Cherokee which took a 4" lift and some trimming to fit.
Absolutely - looking at African safari rigs = tall skinnies! I’ve also noticed that semi trucks use skinnies as well. I haven’t taken the time to look at their actual sizes but it seems like skinnies are more practical than wider tires for long haul cargo applications as well.
Excellent choice! Smart choice! Under some circumstances a wider tire may have a slight advantage but for most people under most circumstances the narrow tire has distinct advantages. Also for off road the smaller rim diameter is better. ( 16inch- to 17)
I've been running 255/85-16 Dick Cepek Extreme Country muds on my LX470 for years. They were the lightest tires I could find in that size (50lbs) and have more traction than I need in just about every terrain (except bottomless mud). Not only do they perform well offroad, they have minimal impact on your road handling as well. Less rolling resistance, less wind drag, less weight than wider tires means better road performance, less MPG hit and less wear on suspension components. It's been an absolute win for me and I'm glad it works on Tacomas as well, since I've been considering one as a daily.
I remember reading that about the Extreme Countries on Tacoma World - and that post had almost the same feedback. Sounds like, despite their mud terrain tread, they feel like an all terrain tire. I ultimately ended up pulling the trigger on some Cooper ST Maxx. Wow I just checked and the Coopers are a whole 10lbs heavier than the Extreme Countries! I'll likely need to consider re-gearing anyway with the extra weight i'll add to the truck. Stay tuned ...
@@davidanderson8469 not good enough sound insulation to drown them out unfortunately. They've been great aired down in the sand though. I'm planning on going with Mickey Thompson Baja Bosses next. They're available in 34s with the same 255 width and they're ATs.
I run 255/85×16 Cooper ST MAXX on my 05 Tundra. On my 3rd set tells you everything you need to know. Great in snow, bush roads and good serviceability on pavement.
I run 265/85R16 on my 1980 GMC 25OO 4WD, and I can go anywhere those 33s and 35 can go. The narrow tire seems to grip better on wet and muddy off road inclines.
I've run pizza cutters for years, 255/80/17's currently. Fit with minimum trim, less weight. The new M/T's seem to have less noise than in years past. Skinnies have more psi on the contact area but do have slightly less contact area.
I wish there was a 275/75/16. Or a load range C 255/85/16 yoko MT. But there ain't 😢 I'm considering 255/85 wildpeaks next in the future. I have 265/75/16 load C AT3Ws and they've been great, offroad, never even had a puncture. Climbed, went through mud and water just at 35 psi. Epic. I go maybe 65 mph max with this 98 4runner. Steers great but I don't even need to hit 70. Used to go 120 in the Tacoma. No need for that crap anymore haha
Another option is 235/85R16 or 235/80R17. 31.8-32.1” depending on model. So the skinny replacement of a 265/75R16. Similar advantages to the 255 but far more common size and options and ability to run tire chains too. I run a Tacoma with 255 Toyo MT in summer and 235’s studded Nokian winters. Big fuel economy difference from 255 to 235 also.
funny you should mention tire chains ... something i didn't consider when upgrading to 255s. someone else also commented about the 235/85s. had no clue about that size until after i posted this vid. since my 255s just arrived this week, i'll prob start thinking about regearing to 5.29s in the next few months. i'll upload a vid with my research and why i think a regear makes sense money-wise
@@unpavd I have 4:88 and really not sure 5.29 is the way with 255’s. it means driving at higher revs so more power but costs fuel anyways. The Tacoma transmission gear ratios are simply brutal for real world driving. 5,6 are super close and then big jump down to 4 and bigger to third. Regearing doesnt change this problem. 5.29 wasn’t available when I did mine but I feel it would be too low unless you run 34-35” tires and heavy loads. My Tacoma is about 7,200lbs and works ok with 4:88 and 33’s. Just my two cents although I haven’t driven a similar spec with 5.29’s
@@gregsheridan that's good insight! aside from 33s at 58 lbs each, i also have 130 lbs of skid plate and just ordered a 95 lb bed rack. that's about as much extra weight i expect to be rolling with so 4.88s might be up my alley. I'll hop on the phone with Nitro gears and see what they have to say about the 3rd gens. I just read that once you go up to an additional 1,200lbs of weight on the truck the 5.29s likely help, so maybe i'm overshooting with that ratio. thanks for the tip!
This even skinnier, if somewhat shorter, version is what I'm looking at too. All the off-road advantages mentioned at a downside "cost" of slightly less "lift-less" clearance. Plus, there's less rolling resistance with a 235, so on-road gas mileage decrease is offset by better mileage at speed.
can't agree more but don't know why the wide tyre trend seems to have taken over manufacturers. brands that keep making 255/85R16 and 33x10.5R15 are so scarce
ive ran these tires. they ride great for the suspension and power and such but one thing thats never talked about is the wet off camber traction. or any weight up added to the vehicle is super noticeable in loaded corners in the wet. they will slide and loose grip like crazy. not a big fan of them in the wet for daily as much. but way better gas mileage lol
A Tacoma is so light in comparison to a full size truck that a tall narrow tire would not be an issue. I would recommend going with at least a three ply sidewall for more stability on an 85 series tire and would not exceed the 255 width . I would actually go with a 17 Inch wheel and then go with a 245 85 17 in an 8 or 10 ply tire . As far as off road torque you will gain some when you air down to increase your patch on the ground. More sidewall means more exposure to it being punctured so good side biters and plies will help mitigate that on the trail. As far as on the highway the narrower tire equals less drag or friction on the pavement which equals better fuel economy though you may be hard pressed to get in high gear. Ring and pinion changes may be required depending upon how you drive as your low gear take off will be effected .
Power isn't so much an issue with our trucks in the 33" range as is braking. Seems like once you cross that 55lb range, you really need to start planning ahead and driving more cautious. Other than that, I can tell you from experience that pizza cutters for all applications except sand, are far superior offroad. I'm lucky enough to be able to buy a new set of tires each year and be able to experiment with different brands and sizes. Best all around offroad and on the hiway= Mastercraft MXT Best snow= Yokohama Geolandar G005 Best deep or slick mud= Federal Couragia MT (C rating) Least hiway noise= Yokohama Geolandar G005 Most predictable/safest hiway= Mastercraft Mxt Biggest waste of money= Toyo open country mxt I'm currently testing out some Kumho Adventures 71 Mt, so far okay. Haven't been impressed with the deep mud. Hiway handling is good on wet and dry but upon hard braking they want to slide and skid easy. General offroad traction has been nice and they clean easily with their large open lugs. The Ko2's don't even make my list because they turn into slicks super easy and have almost zero traction when offroading on the winter. They're fine for hiway and overland work but not for any type of serious trail running. Ive had to pull to many people out who ran them lol. Hope that helps somebody!
Im a Minnesota native, so have plenty experience driving in the snow and in my experience the ko2s are pretty good in the snow, but I also don't have experience with that many different tires. The truck came with Goodyear wrangler ats, which were awful in every aspect in comparison to the much better ko2s
I'm building a 1980 C30 into a K30 recovery rig, doing some research. Might look into the pizza cutters where everybody is doing wide tires. Seems like an underrated advantage. Thanks
Thanks a lot for your review. I got a 3.5ton Landcruiser troop carrier. I bought it with 35x12.5r15 on it... Hated that tires... They were too wide for every situation (even the looks). Currently I'm running 285/75/16 km3 and they are ok.. lots of rolling resistance and they aren't great on sand. (too much digging). I'm considering mount the 255/85 for steering/economy. My question is... On a 3.5ton car, are they wide enough?? I drive 50-60miles/h top
I think you should be good, especially since you’re not traveling at super high speed. I’ve been super happy with mine both on and off-road. They’re definitely wide enough for my 4.5 ton car at both high and low speeds. Hope that helps!
@@unpavd Definite advantages of a 255/85r16-255/80r17 over a 285/75r16-285/70r17 of the same tire model: 1. Easier to pick up 2. Less fuel consumption 3. Little less wear and tear on the vehicle 4. More PSI on the contact patch, equaling better traction on hard packed snow or ice. 5. Less hydroplaning. 6. Directional(steering) traction in soft surfaces(except deep mud) as the contact patch is shaped more like a rudder 7. More room inside the fender well. Other situations to consider: A 255/85r16-255/80r17 All Terrian will have simular psi on the contact patch compared to a 285/75r16-285/70r17 Mud Terrian(MT's have more space between lugs). A 255/85r16-255/80r17 MT will have more psi on the contact patch than it's AT counterpart. But for hard packed snow or ice, AT's will perform better because of more bitting edges from more lugs/more sipes and possibly a tread compound to get a 3 peak snowflake rating. Definite advantages of a 285/75r16-285/70r17 over a 255/85r16-255/80r17 of the same tire model: 1. Availability in remote, less modern, different tire markets and in the inverse situations. 2. Dry pavement handling given that the track width(center of one tire to the center of the other side's tire) is equal or wider 3. Flotation on all substances(equal length of the contact patch(given same side wall height) + wider contact patch = more surface area). Taking the conversation a step further: 235/85r16 tires under 2.5 tons, 285/75r17 tires under 3.5 tons and 37x13.50r18 tires under 4.5 tons will have same psi on thier contact patch, equaling the same flotation ability. Looking through some comments you made: 1. Is your Tacoma 4.5T/9000lbs, thats a little more than what a current model 1500 full size truck are rated for and more appropriate for a current model 2500 full size truck? 2. You said a 8 inch wheel width would be great for airing down a 255/85r16 tire. The proper wheel width for off roading is determined by the tire width and profile percentage. A 255/85 or 255/80 needs a 6.5 to 7 wheel width, a 255/75 or 255/70 needs a 7 to 7.5 wheel width, a 255/65 needs a 7.5 inch wide wheel, a 255/60 or 255/55 needs a 7.5 to 8 inch wheel. A 255/85r16 tire on a 8 inch wide wheel would not be able to air down to as low of psi vs a 7 in wide wheel and not have the tire lip unbead it's self from the wheel lip. A 255/85r16 on 7 inch wide wheel can be used safely with 10 less psi than on a 8 inch wide wheel. Also a 8 inch wide wheel for a 255/85r16 tire would push the sidewall further out for a greater risk of puncture.
Wow are you rocking 8inch wheels? That’s gotta be great for airing down. I don’t mind the look of 285s, but after learning that taller, skinnier tires are overall more functional (less rolling resistance, less weight compared to 285, larger footprint measure ink front to rear when aired down and less truck mods - like cab mount chop, spacers and wheel well trimming) it just doesn’t make financial or performance sense to me. Even though I upgraded to the 255/85/16s (shown in another vid on my channel) I wouldn’t be adverse to upgrading my wheels in the future to something that gets my closer to a 0mm offset. Right now I’m sitting at 25mm and that works just fine, but if I need to expand my wheel base in the future I’d rather depend on wheel offset than popping spacers on (fewer moving parts).
@@unpavd 8in wide wheels. Lol but yeah I run SCS F5 16x8 0 offset and they are perfect. Zero rubbing and the extra half inch in width over factory wheels makes them look a little less skinny
Yeah, after averaging 17mpg I’ve noticed I’ve gone down to around 14mpg. I expected this specifically because I went with the Cooper ST Maxx tires which weigh in at 58lbs each. I also have about 120lbs of skids plates on so that contributes in its own way to mpg loss. However, if you’re considering 255s then take a look at the Tokyo Geolanders. They’re the same size but they’re C load tires and I believe they weigh in around 48lbs so my guess is they won’t bog as much energy/mpg. The reason I didn’t go with them is that I was looking for all terrains and Geolanders are mud terrain.
I put 255/80-17 Falken Wildpeak at3w on my 2ND Gen Tacoma. Since I already had a 2in lift, all I had to do is trim about an inch off the inside back corner of the fender flares. No cab mount chop needed. IMO, based on my experience, unless you only drive on pavement, and or have a completely empty truck, 33s will rub hard without at least a 2in lift when fully flexing the suspension on rough trails (3rd Gen Tacomas have a more symmetrical front wheel well opening, so my above statement may only apply to second gen trucks). The Falken Wildpeak at3w 255/80-17 is an E rated tire that only weighs about 4 pounds more than the old tire (265/75-17).
@@GMauriceGuinouard my biggest request to tire manufacturers is: Please make an E rated skinny tire for 16” wheels! That extra 10lbs per tire took a bite out of my mpgs 😪
@@unpavd The E rated tires for me, is a mixed bag but watch the tire pressures. My truck is on the heavy side so they do handle better when aired down than lighter rated tires, less squish and squirm. I did test various street pressures using the chalk method for wear patterns. Even with my truck is pushing 6000lbs the street/ highway pressure is best at 30 to 31 psi with and absolutely flat contact patch.
I know this was two years ago but, how are the tires performing? I am looking to do this exact same size on my FJ for all the same reasons you were going the 255 route. Over all on highway and off road, sand, rock etc. how were they?
That psi comment on skinnier tires is a bad argument. It’s pounds PER SQUARE INCH. If you have less square inches of contact on the ground, your pounds of pressure are still the same. 32 psi is still 32 psi no matter what size tire you have, and the same for when aired down. Plus, the biggest reason for airing down isn’t extra width, but for LENGTHENING the contact patch. When you calculate area, adding to the longer sides of a rectangle will always add proportionally more area than adding to the shorter sides. Yes, a wider tire will have more area, but not as drastically much as you might assume. Plus, as an added benefit, a skinnier tier will have slightly less road resistance when aired to proper pressure so you will take a slightly less penalty to your power and mpg lost (again, it’s not a huge difference, but it is there.
I hadn't considered that size mostly because I'm going for a 33 inch diameter and looks like the 235/85 clocks in at 31.7 (let's say 32). I'm not sure what the suspension specs are for the second gen tacomas, but hey if the 235/85 fits without rubbing then go for it! I just checked TacomaWorld and looks like the 265/75/16 is the "biggest" tire you can fit on your second gen. Comparing KO2s (because I'm biased and love these tires) looks like the 235/85 is 48lbs and 31.7 inch whereas the wider 265/75 are 31.6 and 53lbs so looks like either option could work for you
On D.D.Tacomas and 4runners I don't even think of 255 as pizza cutters. IMO 235s are the real pizza cutters. I would consider 235/85R16. The 235s are amazing on hard icey snowpack found on typical city streets.
Yeah good question. I'm not familiar with the frontier, but checking frontier forums might give you a safer bet on whether they'll fit without a lift 😬. Sorry for my non-answer
Skinnier tires are used by old school land rovers for a reason. I don’t know the science, but wider tires seem to be better on tarmac, but for off-roading, it seems the skinnier tire while counter intuitive, perform better.
Absolutely. If you take a look at safari rigs, skinnies all the way. Here's some of the research I dug up: skinnies have less rolling resistance so they can "cut" through mud and snow more easily than thicker tires. Also, when they're aired down you actually get more traction "tire footprint" which measures the amount of tire making contact with the ground going from the front to the rear of the car.
Maxxis bighorn in 255/85r16 is c rated. In my opinion anyone that is going do any significant off road/mountain road driving especially with added weight on the truck should go E rated 10 ply.
Nah Geolander G003 MT’s are the best 255’s in this size because they are literally the same weight as stock tires. The main problem with the few AT options in 255/16’s are that they are all absurdly heady, completely negating the most important benefit of skinny tires. Everyone is hesitant to go MT over an AT, but looking at the numbers the AT’s make no sense. The G003 are stock weight, more aggressive tread, & E rated, all while being the same weight as the stock 265/75/16 BFG AT tires that came on my FJ. The amount of power loss and decrease in reliability due to wear & tear on engine and suspension components makes the jump to the G003 MT worth it like 10 fold over imo. They also get rave reviews. Anyway, just my 2 cents after doing a ton of research on tires this size. & hey, it’s not super important to me, but the MT’s just look way more badass on any vehicle. These just happen to have none of the downsides of a normal MT.
@@unpavd Thanks! How are you liking the tires so far? Do you wish you went with 285s? What would you say are the pros and cons you’ve experienced so far.
@@switzmoto The 255s are great! I wouldn’t go to 285s since the 255s seem to be superior in performance (less rolling resistance so better at cutting through snow and mud), the have a larger front to back footprint than 285s, and press down on the ground with greater PSI due to their width. If I were to magic wand it - I’d like to see lighter weight 255s like in the 48lbs range. These are heavy (still lighter than 285s) and I’m quickly learning that weight is the enemy. More weight = less efficient use of engine power. I’m thinking about getting my truck regeared to 4.88s but that’s like $6k so ...yeah maybe down the road. I wish there was more variety in the 255 class - especially for 16in wheels. It’s pretty bleak and most of the tires out there are mud terrain. Not my cup of tea. If I cared more about looks (negligible at this point in time) I’d consider getting different wheels with a 0mm offset to push the tires out a little bit more for a wider stance and more aggressive look
Any issues with the spare tire touching the exhaust heat shield. Mine is touchung the shield with no more wiggle room due to multiple hinges (one being the leaf spring mounting bracket) preventing the tire from being adjusted.
You prob figured it out by now but I seen people just relocate the spare tire mount. You can still use 2 of the original mounting points and it is reversible. You will get a few more inches.
Love how this dude says looking for a shop to do a cab mount chop would take to much time. Proceeds to make a 14 minute video presenting a ridiculous amount of info about tire sizes.
Yeah I looked at the Open Countries! Good looking tire, but I wanted to stick with 16” wheels. Jealous of ppl who have 17 and 15 inch wheels. You all have way more variety to choose from in the 255/80/17 category than 255/85/16. Overall I’m happy with the Coopers - I just wish they weighed less (about 58lbs each)
@@ronniecochran8366 yup they’re equivalent - also you get more variety in the 17in wheel category! Loving the Coopers so far, they’ve got some serious tread and yet they’re fairly quiet on the highway. I was rolling with these tires on stock suspension for a few months before i upgraded suspension and had no problems.
@@unpavd outstanding, I was told by the financial advisor, ie wife unit, that I could only have 1 project car at a time. My ISF is almost done, then I'll start the suspension on the truck 😂🤙
@@unpavd I ran the 255/80 in the Cooper ST Maxx previously (great tire but heavy) and when they wore out, tried the Toyo.s I will say that after 1 year on the Toyo's, they run quieter and smoother on the highway and don't seem to give up anything off-road.
I put 285s on my tacoma with a alignment a CMC is not needed trimmed a little plastic. I only have a 2 inch lift. I think it is the perfect size fits the truck well and no trouble on or off road. Again the alignment is the most important part.
I also am running 285/75/16 nittos, only had to cut a small amount of plastic on the front fender well and use the heat gun to push it back. Almost no rubbing and I off road it often too. The 2017 Trd pro wheels have the offset to make it happen
I got 255/85/16 maxxis big horn on my fzj80 1996 and love them. I also Owen a 2020 Tacoma TOR and as soon as original tires wear out I’ll be installing the same tires.
Jealous of that fzj80! I get my pizza cutters delivered this week. Will post another vid on installation and fitment notes - especially with the 5th/spare tire. I saw a TRD Pro thread on TacomaWorld where the owner had to do some pounding underneath his pro to get the 255/85 to fit. Not sure if the OR or the SR5 would have the some prob. Guess I'll find out this week.
@@Falcon_Overland I’m waiting on this maxxi s tires to wear, my next tires for the 80 will be some Kenda Klever RT (35” skinny!!!!!!!!!!!! 35”x10.5x17)
This video is great…. On Min 10:10 I can add a little bit of my experience and knowledge to anybody out there that may need it… so I got an 02’ Mitsubishi Montero sport. I run 33’s skinny… and my pops has a 2018 F150 33s as well. His tires are regular fat rubbers 😂 mines are skinny… and this is where the PSI comes in handy…(we did this in snow&mud with 4x4 and w/o) What we noticed was the print on mines were more noticeable than his. We noticed the tire sits and covers a bit more of ground when touching the floor. Another thing we noticed was that although his thread was perhaps “wider” if you wanna say that, it didn’t made a difference in performance compared to mines having a more compacted thread. (Also depends what kind of tire and season you run) Although I run skinnies, I just can’t get over the beefy and rugged look on regular 33s… my 3.5 can easily run them since I have a SOHC but the point is running big without any mods and if I did that, I think I would have to tweak my gear ratio
In terms of with you are good down to a 245 tire as long as you are not trying to do some insane Off-roading. That will be better on your fuel economy because of the rotational mass and unsprung weight. With wider tires you win on toughness and contact patch on hard surfaces. If you are looking for the absolute best grip on rocks and pavement then go for the wide ones, but if you are trying to get only a better ground clearance and go through some mussy ans slipery trails you will find your pizza cutters get more traction because of the PSI from the tyre to the ground. In terma of the tire footprint it is longer, not wider and it really is not significant. I personally prefer wide tires for their performance in terms of traction on hard surfaces cuz mine is a daily driver and for toughness because I am very prone to go fast and let the vehicle take the punishment. So, If I tend to drive as if I had a Baja Prerunner and I use my truck as a daily to commute and have road trips I benefit from the with (and I pay that in the price and the fuel economy). 255 to 285 seems like a very nice with for any truck. And 33" tires on 17" wheels are the aftermarket minimum on my book if I plann to take it to a trail, camping, etc.
Most 255/85r16's I've seen are load E and weigh about 53 lbs & up. Alternatively, you could opt for size 285/70r17 and choose from several quality brands that come in load C. I'm considering the K02's, in C, which are only 51 lbs in that size. That said, might need more trimming to make room for more rubber.
17 inch rims also weigh more though and almost always the difference between 16 and 17 inch rims is over 3pounds weight difference often closer to 5pounds
@@camstocky2019 Yeah it's hard to find lighter 17s that look good. I bought set that are as light as stock 16s, but of course they've already discontinued them.
How many serious off roaders or overland tacomas do you see with skinny’s ? If skinny is only to save money on mods, then you probably had to borrow money to “buy” the truck. I see 2 mistake here
Or maybe he's just reasonable with money overall and doesn't want to waste money? Why do u assume it's only because he cannot afford it maybe he just wants to save.
