New Tires - sizing question - 2016 LC (1 Viewer)

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Apr 6, 2006
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Location
Baton Rouge, LA
I'm the proud owner of a 2016 LC and Im in a little bit of a pickle, but I'm trying to turn it into a good thing. I got a flat tire today due to a nail in the tire... of course it is almost in the sidewall so the tire will need to be replaced. I have almost 30K miles on them, so I feel like I have gotten enough wear out of them to replace all four (or 5). I have the spare on now but need to take care of this relatively quickly since I don't have a spare now. I've searched through a lot of threads, but I just wanted to be be sure I was on the right track for my shopping trip tomorrow.

It sounds like 285/65R18 will fit with little to no problems on a stock suspension. I wouldn't mind doing a little bit of a lift at the same time... I'd love to do the BP-51 kit. If I were to go that route, is the aforementioned tire size the right one for stock tires?

I know this question has been beat to death.... I apologize for asking it again. I'll buy y'all some beers if I ever get to meet you in person. Thanks so much for your help.
 
The stock tires are 285/60r18 but the 285/65r18 is an excellent replacement and should work just fine even without a lift. Which tires are you thinking about?
 
285/65R18 Is th size you want if you are sticking with the stock wheels. No lift is required for this and from others I hear nothing will rub. That being said, you are going to spend $1000+ on tires and have them the next 40k+ miles so I think you are much better taking the opportunity to switch to 17” wheels and getting 285/70R18 tires which the majority of 200 owners who off-road do to get the extra sidewall. These as well will fit with stock suspension with no running and you get almost a full 33” tire this way. The #1 choice for wheels is 17” TRD Rock Warriors but being discontinued they have become hard and expensive to find on EBay and Craigslist. I scored a set of 4 for $600 but whenever they pop up they sell within a day. I found. 2008 LC Catalog at some point and these were actually available as an option. Later they were sold on the TRD Tundra Rock Warrior edition which is where most of them come from. The Alternate easy option is go for a new set of Icon Six Speed 17” wheels which look real nice and are pretty affordable. The xOverland crew went this route on their 200’s. You can also probably still get some $ from selling off your stock wheels. I personally think since you have the opportunity it’s not worth pouring more money into your 18s to end up with a smaller tire with less sidewall. Pics of both attached.

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Thanks for the info guys. I like the idea of switching to a 17 inch wheel, but I have a couple other projects going on right now and I wasn't looking to drop a lot of money into my LC right now. I was hoping to do the tires now and a suspension upgrade in the future. I was thinking of either the BFG KO2 or Nitto Ridge Grappler.
 
There is a spreadsheet listing different sized tires by rim and tire manufacturer in a thread here about Tires, which you may have already read. I think BFG AT KO2 275/75/18 have been used by many with no lift or rubbing. They are about 2 inches taller than the stock tires which gives you 1 inch of net lift. BFGs should turn in 50k of usage or more. People report the stiffer sidewall of the KO2 makes the LC handling in turns feel better. A set of five runs around 1,500 installed.

Other tire types are preferred by some, eg. nitto ridge grapplers, Cooper Discovery ST/Maxx, Goodyear Duratracks, etc....

I dont know how to copy and paste a link to the thread or database on my phone. So search the 200 forum for the thread entitled :

200 series tire and wheel size database

And click on the database link in the first post. Look at lines 11 - 20 or so, which are reports from people with factory rims and no lift using different makes and sizes of tires.

Or follow the link in the FAQ section to the same thread.

EDITED: my bad, the database spreadsheet says 285/65/18 for KO2s.
 
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I have a 2016, intend to never switch out my wheels, and here are the sizes you can look at bone stock:

Stock: 285/60/18

Taller tire, gives less than half an inch extra height on your vehicle, no width change, your actual speed will be 2-3mph above your speedometer: 285/65/18

Tallest tire, gives close to an inch extra height on your vehicle, width is decreased (less wheel touching the ground at all times, less stability when turning on pavement at speed), your actual speed will be 3-5 mph above your speedometer: 275/70/18

All of the above are known to work in BFG KO2, bone stock 2016.
 
Here is the link to that database thread:
200 Series Tire and Wheel Size Database

I skimmed the thread and saw this so based off that I don’t see how 275/75R18 mentioned above would NOT rub:

I'm running the Goodyear Duratracs 275-70-R18's, thanks (and the only rubbing I have is on the lower control arm in the front, but theclearance on the UCA's is really tight, but not touching...

My view is out of wheels, tires, and suspension you mentioned, the wheels themselves are the smallest expense so it’s worth it. $500-$1000 for wheels, $1400 for tires, $3400 plus install for the BP51 suspension. Also the aspect that you could probably get $500-$700 of that money back by selling your like new 18” wheels making your new wheels practically free. Much more benefit to the 17’s being that you are spending $1400 for tires either way. I did a ton of this same research when my Original 18” tires wore out and the far majority whether lifted or not go with 285/70R17. This as well is also the only other size approved by Toyota with stock suspension (it’s what the Australian 200s come stock with). I went with KO2’s and love them. If you are set on keeping your 18s the only size I know won’t rub is 285/65R18 even though this still isn’t approved size to use from Toyota.
 
Taller Taller tire, gives less than half an inch extra height on your vehicle, no width change, your actual speed will be 2-3mph above your speedometer: 285/65/18

Tallest tire, gives close to an inch extra height on your vehicle, width is decreased (less wheel touching the ground at all times, less stability when turning on pavement at speed), your actual speed will be 3-5 mph above your speedometer:

There is a recent thread here talking about how the speedo is off by 4 mph +/- (higher than actual) from the factory but the odometer is right. Once you put on 2" larger tires the speedo is right within 1mph but the Odo reports less than actual mileage. So, larger tires, whether on 17 or 18 rims, might have the effect of extending your warranty a bit.

The owners manual does list an approved 17" rim and tire combo which might be because there were optional 17" rims available early in the 200 series. Not sure if using a "non-approved" size would void some aspect of your warranty.
 
Went with BFG KO2 in a 275/70R18. Turns out there is a Discount Tire not far from my house. Watching them put them on right now.

Thanks for all the help guys. Normally, I️ like to obsess about decisions like this for a few weeks. Having to make a decision in 1 day was not fun but I️ think it will end up great.
 
Also the aspect that you could probably get $500-$700 of that money back by selling your like new 18” wheels making your new wheels practically free.

I wouldn't say free but you can definitely offset half the cost of the wheels. I bought 5 of the Icon Six Speed wheels delivered with lugs for $1100, and sold my stock 18" wheels on craigslist for $500 and the unused spare tire for $100. Probably could have gotten a bit more if I waited it out but I was impatient with them taking up my office space in my basement.

It sounds like 285/65R18 will fit with little to no problems on a stock suspension. I wouldn't mind doing a little bit of a lift at the same time... I'd love to do the BP-51 kit. If I were to go that route, is the aforementioned tire size the right one for stock tires?

285/65R18 will fit without rubbing
285/70R17 will fit without rubbing (though you need 17" wheels)
285/70R18 and 285/75R17 will fit but will rub in various places, even with a lift. If you go this route you have to be willing to remove mud flaps, trim some of the inner plastic liner, possibly use wheel spacers, etc.

Note when I say "will fit without rubbing" I mean "it should be able to fit without rubbing on stock wheels or Rock Warriors with the right alignment specs". If you use an aftermarket wheel with a lower offset like the Icons you may need to remove the mud flaps, front air dam (or whatever that little 2-bolt plastic piece is called) or make other minor modifications.

I was hoping to do the tires now and a suspension upgrade in the future. I was thinking of either the BFG KO2 or Nitto Ridge Grappler.

Nitto Ridge Grapplers are about $300 per tire in 285/75R17. IIRC 285/70R17 is similar cost.

Whatever tire and wheel combo you buy, if you're changing the final diameter at all by stepping up, you'll want to do all 5 tires including the spare.
 
The owners manual does list an approved 17" rim and tire combo which might be because there were optional 17" rims available early in the 200 series. Not sure if using a "non-approved" size would void some aspect of your warranty.

If you had a warranty claim, the Magnuson-Moss Act says that a manufacturer would need to prove that your modification caused the specific issue that they refuse to cover. So if you went to 35" tires and added a 2-3" lift with the BP51s, and then you blew out your rear diff or tore a front CV they would likely argue it was due to increased lift angles or drivetrain stress. But if your radiator/water pump/cam towers/etc leak they would still have to cover it under warranty.

Truth be told my limited experience with Toyota warranty service is that the dealers try to avoid covering anything under warranty because they get a lower labor rate. I know some others have had great dealer experiences, even so much as dealers replacing torn CV boots on lifted trucks, but I can say personally that I have not had great warranty experiences even on some really minor stuff.
 
Thanks for the info on warranty law and experience!

Cajun Transplant, I apologize. Someone pointed out the Mud tire database says no rubbing for KO2S at 285/65/18 NOT 275/70/18.

There are some other brands at 275/70/18 that report no rubbing and others that say yes rubbing (Duratracks).

When your tires are on you should check for rubbing and if the tires don't work for you (eg rub) get them swapped.
 
285/65R18 will fit without rubbing
285/70R17 will fit without rubbing (though you need 17" wheels)
285/70R18 and 285/75R17 will fit but will rub in various places, even with a lift. If you go this route you have to be willing to remove mud flaps, trim some of the inner plastic liner, possibly use wheel spacers, etc.

Note when I say "will fit without rubbing" I mean "it should be able to fit without rubbing on stock wheels or Rock Warriors with the right alignment specs". If you use an aftermarket wheel with a lower offset like the Icons you may need to remove the mud flaps, front air dam (or whatever that little 2-bolt plastic piece is called) or make other minor modifications.



Nitto Ridge Grapplers are about $300 per tire in 285/75R17. IIRC 285/70R17 is similar cost.

Whatever tire and wheel combo you buy, if you're changing the final diameter at all by stepping up, you'll want to do all 5 tires including the spare.

Just to offer clarity here, there isn't a 285/70R18 listed available in BFG KO2, there may be in other vendors. There *is* a 275/70R18 in BFG KO2 and they've been reported by sources here to fit with no rubbing bone stock.
 
Went with BFG KO2 in a 275/70R18. Turns out there is a Discount Tire not far from my house. Watching them put them on right now.

Thanks for all the help guys. Normally, I️ like to obsess about decisions like this for a few weeks. Having to make a decision in 1 day was not fun but I️ think it will end up great.

Good luck with your new tires! I trust you elected to replace all 5 tires so that there would not be a big diameter difference should you need to use the spare.

FYI, the Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressure for your new LT275/70R18 125/122R E tires on your 2016 200 Series LC is 41psi Front/Rear.

Please keep us posted on your impressions of the new tires.

HTH
 
Congratulations on your beautiful new tires!

Again, I apologize for contributing to the confusion about the tire size.

There is a KO2 285/65/18 listed in the database on stock suspension as NOT rubbing.

BFG does make an AT KO2 in the 275/70/18 size. There is NOT a listing for it in the tire database. However, as LALC says, I think I saw some threads about KO2 275/70/18 saying there is no rubbing.

Cajun Transplant, if you stick with the 275/70/R18s on your stock suspension, please add your info to the database spreadsheet for the benefit of the rest of us and note whether there is rubbing or not.
 
I will reply with details once I live with them for a bit to ensure all is ok. Are you part of the High Desert Cruisers crew in Abq? I used to live out there and I was a member. I had a yellow FJ Cruiser at the time.
 
Not yet... I just picked up my '18 today and just dropped it at the tint shop. I don't plan to take it off road for a few thousand miles, which will give me some time to upgrade the suspension, tires, bumpers, etc...
 
Thats cool. I lived there for a couple years post Hurricane Katrina, but we moved back to Louisiana in 2007. HD Cruisers is a good group of guys, whether you are going to wheel with them or not.
 
I will reply with details once I live with them for a bit to ensure all is ok. Are you part of the High Desert Cruisers crew in Abq? I used to live out there and I was a member. I had a yellow FJ Cruiser at the time.

If you don't mind, would you post your thoughts on them after 24 hours or so? I'm going to get a set Saturday since Sam's will have them $140 off ($80 for the tires, $60 for installation/warranty/lifetime rotation) a set of 4.
 

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