mcgaskins
SILVER Star
I recently went through this journey in my build thread, but I figured it might be easier to locate in the future on its own as more members buy and build trucks and try to determine which size tire is appropriate. I think it's safe to say just about everyone wants to go bigger when they get new tires, and the good news is it's easy to go up a single sidewall size with no issues. *In order to keep the measurements specific, I'm using the published numbers for a Nitto Ridge Grappler LT load range E for all sizes* The stock replacement LT285/60/18 measures 31.69"x11.5", and one size up LT285/65/18 fits great on a stock truck and measures 32.56"x11.5" which nets you almost a half inch of ground clearance and looks more proportional to the 200. I have not read any issues with this fitment, and I think for most people this is a great option especially if you're not doing a full build.
For those who want to go bigger and keep an 18" wheel, there is a great size in a few tires that is another step up - LT285/70/18 which measures 33.98"x11.50" and that increases ground clearance by over an inch (1.15") from stock. In my experience, the gains from this jump are pretty significant, and there is not a ton of work that needs to be done on the 16+ stock wheel and stock setup to get it to clear (16+ 18" wheels have slightly less offset than prior wheels - not sure if that would materially change the fitment). I had to remove the rear mud flaps on the front wheels and then trim the front portion of the front liners and bumper to keep it from scraping under articulation especially while stuffed and turning. IIRC there was some very slight rubbing on the KDSS, but it was totally manageable especially when just driving around on pavement. There were no issues at all on the rear tires fitting. I later added 0.75" BORA spacers which have eliminated the rubbing entirely and give the truck a nice subtle change to the stance.
While the 34s (285/70/18) fit and worked great, I have to admit I wanted more height out of the tire. It was a combination of desiring more performance, but at least equally if not more it was an aesthetic decision. As some of you may know, my buddy just lifted his LX570 and put 37s on it, so when I saw my truck next to his, my tires looked small. Even though I was perfectly happy with my 34s before, they now seemed inadequate, however it was only in appearance. The 34" Ridge Grapplers actually performed a bit better than the 37" Cooper AT3 XLT, but there could be a few other complicating factors I won't go into here.
The good news is the Ridge Grappler comes in another inch increment taller tire - the LT285/75/18 which measures 35.08"x11.50". I figured since the 34s in the same tire fit pretty well, the 35s would surely fit. I ordered them from Discount who price matched another retailer's sale that @JohnJB told me about, and they came in a couple days later.
After they were installed, the guy at Discount said they were clearing pretty well on 3 sides, but it wasn't working great on one. I knew immediately it was going to be the driver front tire interfering with the KDSS, and I figured with a little tweaking and maybe a new alignment I could get it working well on the 35s. This is one of those situations where if there is a strong will there is a way, but I quickly realized I didn't have the will. I tried 35s on a prior 200 once, and I had tried different wheels, KDSS relocation and an alignment but it still rubbed pretty bad on the KDSS. The relocation kit also puts a lot of strain on the bushings and didn't seem like a great idea in the long run, so it was out of the question this time. I also considered different offset wheels, full Tundra swap, and a few other ideas, but they all seemed like big money alternatives for incremental gains. All of the options also seemed to have compromises somewhere else - the KDSS relocation is hard on bushings, the Tundra swap requires CVs, UCAs, LCAs, tie rods, rear wheel spacers and then the track width is ~3" wider (good or bad depending on use), wheels with the right offset to clear the KDSS would likely contact the fender, etc.
I figured it would be smart to go around the truck and measure to see exactly what the gains would be with my own eyes rather than just trusting the published tire sizes and running the math. Turns it out it was exactly what you would expect and the overall clearance gains were 0.5", so the next step was figuring out if the half inch gain of clearance was worth the cost to make everything work right. On top of the cost of the 35s on the low end I figured it would be about another $1.2k to dial it with wheels and alignment, and on the high end it could be significantly more assuming I bought new/not takeoff Tundra parts.
I've had trucks on 35s and 37s in the past, and while there is no question the bigger tires make many obstacles easier as the tire just rolls over them with less drama, there are definitely downsides like the additional unsprung weight which makes all driving dynamics (acceleration, braking, handling) on the street worse, extra leverage on mechanical parts making breakage more likely, wider turning circle with the extra track width, and makes things like adding gears and lockers a next logical and $$$ step. Overall, I decided the jump to 35s wasn't worth it for my use, and I've gone everywhere I've wanted to on 34s so far going back a couple years (had nearly the same setup on my 2014 before the 2016). I love to see trucks on 35s and 37s, but for me and for most here, I don't think it's worth the trade offs and extra expense.
Here are some pics showing the visual differences and clearance difference between the 35s. Both sets are brand new (I was able to return the 35s for new 34s as I only put about 6 miles on the tires) and aired up to 37 psi on the same surface.
35s (285/75/18)
34s (285/70/18)
35s
34s (this is the most obvious view where you can see the difference in size)
35s garage clearance
34s garage clearance
35s
34s
35s
34s
35s
34s
For those who want to go bigger and keep an 18" wheel, there is a great size in a few tires that is another step up - LT285/70/18 which measures 33.98"x11.50" and that increases ground clearance by over an inch (1.15") from stock. In my experience, the gains from this jump are pretty significant, and there is not a ton of work that needs to be done on the 16+ stock wheel and stock setup to get it to clear (16+ 18" wheels have slightly less offset than prior wheels - not sure if that would materially change the fitment). I had to remove the rear mud flaps on the front wheels and then trim the front portion of the front liners and bumper to keep it from scraping under articulation especially while stuffed and turning. IIRC there was some very slight rubbing on the KDSS, but it was totally manageable especially when just driving around on pavement. There were no issues at all on the rear tires fitting. I later added 0.75" BORA spacers which have eliminated the rubbing entirely and give the truck a nice subtle change to the stance.
While the 34s (285/70/18) fit and worked great, I have to admit I wanted more height out of the tire. It was a combination of desiring more performance, but at least equally if not more it was an aesthetic decision. As some of you may know, my buddy just lifted his LX570 and put 37s on it, so when I saw my truck next to his, my tires looked small. Even though I was perfectly happy with my 34s before, they now seemed inadequate, however it was only in appearance. The 34" Ridge Grapplers actually performed a bit better than the 37" Cooper AT3 XLT, but there could be a few other complicating factors I won't go into here.
The good news is the Ridge Grappler comes in another inch increment taller tire - the LT285/75/18 which measures 35.08"x11.50". I figured since the 34s in the same tire fit pretty well, the 35s would surely fit. I ordered them from Discount who price matched another retailer's sale that @JohnJB told me about, and they came in a couple days later.
After they were installed, the guy at Discount said they were clearing pretty well on 3 sides, but it wasn't working great on one. I knew immediately it was going to be the driver front tire interfering with the KDSS, and I figured with a little tweaking and maybe a new alignment I could get it working well on the 35s. This is one of those situations where if there is a strong will there is a way, but I quickly realized I didn't have the will. I tried 35s on a prior 200 once, and I had tried different wheels, KDSS relocation and an alignment but it still rubbed pretty bad on the KDSS. The relocation kit also puts a lot of strain on the bushings and didn't seem like a great idea in the long run, so it was out of the question this time. I also considered different offset wheels, full Tundra swap, and a few other ideas, but they all seemed like big money alternatives for incremental gains. All of the options also seemed to have compromises somewhere else - the KDSS relocation is hard on bushings, the Tundra swap requires CVs, UCAs, LCAs, tie rods, rear wheel spacers and then the track width is ~3" wider (good or bad depending on use), wheels with the right offset to clear the KDSS would likely contact the fender, etc.
I figured it would be smart to go around the truck and measure to see exactly what the gains would be with my own eyes rather than just trusting the published tire sizes and running the math. Turns it out it was exactly what you would expect and the overall clearance gains were 0.5", so the next step was figuring out if the half inch gain of clearance was worth the cost to make everything work right. On top of the cost of the 35s on the low end I figured it would be about another $1.2k to dial it with wheels and alignment, and on the high end it could be significantly more assuming I bought new/not takeoff Tundra parts.
I've had trucks on 35s and 37s in the past, and while there is no question the bigger tires make many obstacles easier as the tire just rolls over them with less drama, there are definitely downsides like the additional unsprung weight which makes all driving dynamics (acceleration, braking, handling) on the street worse, extra leverage on mechanical parts making breakage more likely, wider turning circle with the extra track width, and makes things like adding gears and lockers a next logical and $$$ step. Overall, I decided the jump to 35s wasn't worth it for my use, and I've gone everywhere I've wanted to on 34s so far going back a couple years (had nearly the same setup on my 2014 before the 2016). I love to see trucks on 35s and 37s, but for me and for most here, I don't think it's worth the trade offs and extra expense.
Here are some pics showing the visual differences and clearance difference between the 35s. Both sets are brand new (I was able to return the 35s for new 34s as I only put about 6 miles on the tires) and aired up to 37 psi on the same surface.
35s (285/75/18)
34s (285/70/18)
35s
34s (this is the most obvious view where you can see the difference in size)
35s garage clearance
34s garage clearance
35s
34s
35s
34s
35s
34s
I wonder if he had Slee align it and push the front wheels further forward if the rubbing would still be there. Either way, the jump to 37s is a tremendous undertaking and IMO definitely requires gears and a bunch of other stuff that I’m nowhere near comfortable with on this truck. I do get jealous of the new Jeeps that can squeeze a 37 under a nearly stock truck though!
