17" RW vs 18" stock opinions

[Markuson]

I believe the outer circumference is not the issue with RW's (unless you're talking 35s+?), but rather the spare tire 'holding bracket' which slips through the center of the wheel when raising/lowering the spare. There are other threads somewhere describing a simple mod for this, but I couldn't find it easily...

edit: another thread with RW spare mod references: 2013 LX 570 Rock Warrior Install

Yes. It's a 5 minute fix with a Dremel tool. Suuuuper quick/easy.
All you do is lop off an inch or so of the metal piece that hangs at the end of the chain.
When you lower the chain and compare the end piece to the hole in the middle of your rock warrior, it will be obvious what to do (POP the TRD hub cover off, of course--if it has one).

Done

 

[Reckless]

Before:

AFTER BFG KO2 UPGRADE:

My Cruiser is turning into a Bruiser! Next question: BP51 or ICON Stage 5?

 

[ikeb]

they're not in the same price point, but if price isn't a driver... my money would be on icon. i think the BP51 is probably a good product, but the nagging issues with clicking and the shock guard that multiple mud members have had recently would drive me nuts. i haven't heard any complaints about icon but i doubt there are as many folks running them either.

 

[Reckless]

they're not in the same price point, but if price isn't a driver... my money would be on icon. i think the BP51 is probably a good product, but the nagging issues with clicking and the shock guard that multiple mud members have had recently would drive me nuts. i haven't heard any complaints about icon but i doubt there are as many folks running them either.

Thanks for your opinion. The clicking would drive me nuts too and with the 20% off icon special, it has me thinking about them. Otherwise I'd be an OME man.

 

[Markuson]

Before:
View attachment 1356431

AFTER BFG KO2 UPGRADE:
View attachment 1356432

My Cruiser is turning into a Bruiser! Next question: BP51 or ICON Stage 5?

Isn't it amazing how just wheels and tires can transform the character of the LC?

Looks great!

 

[Reckless]

Isn't it amazing how just wheels and tires can transform the character of the LC?

Looks great!

Yeah, I have only driven 50 miles on them but they do seem to soak in the bumps and pot holes on the road much better then the coopers. I took it through the pot hole heaven near my office and it glided over some of the worst streets I know. I drove real fast over the water filled potholes, spraying water 4-5 feet in the air and we didn't feel a thing hitting pothole after pothole. The street is soo bad it is usually avoided by most vehicles.

Discount tire screwed up the TPMS sensors so I have to go back but I repeatedly told them to set the tire pressure to 40 psi. The ride is a bit firm, so I may air the tires down a bit. Going down a smaller wheel size did affect handling slightly. We noticed steering wheel is much more firm, also voltage is slightly down by 0.5V especially in idle (maybe from aftermarket TPMS sensors?). Lane changes aren't as natural as they were before but drives just like my LX470 with 16" wheels. We didn't notice any difference in acceleration or braking. I was able to drive in the rain last night 90mph before I started feeling any hydroplaning resistance. Tires are very grippy, it could be because they are brand new or maybe that's how they are normally. So far the mpg is showing 13.5 mpg. I am driving 400 miles over next 24 hours to Springfield and back so will know better how accurate that figure is.

My friends are trying to convince me to paint the wheels. Since my car is black, they wanted to paint the outer rim black and the inside gun metal. I prefer to keep the RW wheels stock looking even though it doesn't match the vehicle perfectly.

 

[Tierra Cruiser]

Reckless, which aftermarket tpms sensors did you go with? And you went with 285/70/17, correct? I've been sitting on some RWs for a while now and contemplating whether to finally have them installed. Our LC is my wife's daily driver so it spends 90% of it's time on road, but those wheels are calling my name every time I'm fumbling through the garage. Plus, I just came across a great deal on the KO2s at my local Sam's Club. Overall, I'm still not sure it'd be very practical to have them installed yet for the foreseeable future. The LC won't get passed over to me full-time for another 2-3 years.

Also, curious on the mpg you've been averaging since install?

Lastly (for anyone out there that can chime in), I'm kind of a noob when it comes to this, but I'm assuming that having two sets of wheels and tires (OE 18" and 17" RW) with separate sets of tpms sensors still requires a visit to the dealership to have them reprogrammed every time you switch between the wheel/tire sets? Wondering if I should just go ahead and install the existing OE tpms sensors on the RWs for now.

 

[Markuson]

Reckless, which aftermarket tpms sensors did you go with? And you went with 285/70/17, correct? I've been sitting on some RWs for a while now and contemplating whether to finally have them installed. Our LC is my wife's daily driver so it spends 90% of it's time on road, but those wheels are calling my name every time I'm fumbling through the garage. Plus, I just came across a great deal on the KO2s at my local Sam's Club. Overall, I'm still not sure it'd be very practical to have them installed yet for the foreseeable future. The LC won't get passed over to me full-time for another 2-3 years.

Also, curious on the mpg you've been averaging since install?

Lastly (for anyone out there that can chime in), I'm kind of a noob when it comes to this, but I'm assuming that having two sets of wheels and tires (OE 18" and 17" RW) with separate sets of tpms sensors still requires a visit to the dealership to have them reprogrammed every time you switch between the wheel/tire sets? Wondering if I should just go ahead and install the existing OE tpms sensors on the RWs for now.

What you want is to have your TPMS sensors on your second set CLONED so that they appear to your 200 as the same set of sensors...meaning no reprogramming. Just swap them on and off you go. I do not have a cloning device, but installers often do.

 

[Tierra Cruiser]

Gotcha, makes sense. Thanks!

 

[Reckless]

I can't give a high enough recommendation for RW with KO2's. I love them soo much I bought two more sets in the last two weeks. Over past month I have been able to drive in conditions that my lifted 100 with fat Michelin LTX Mud and Snow tires couldn't handle. In fact, after this upgrade I have lost alot of love for my 100. I don't want to sell it as I upgraded mine with a Tundra iForce motor which makes it faster and stronger but it is not getting much use.

TPMS sensors were the ones Discount tire sells @ $45/ea. I had to get a fifth TPMS sensor for spare as TPMS sensors weren't working. I went with 285/70/17. It is the perfect size from what I can tell. Although I did have a desire for an even bigger tire but don't think the vehicle can handle it nicely. I am getting 13-13.5 mpg which is a 1-2 mpg drop for me. For me the gains are totally worth it. There is no point in keeping your stock wheels and tires. There is a reason why Toyota recommends these wheels and tires. As someone else aptly said, it looks way better on the LC then it ever did on the Tundra. I was worried it would look bad on the black car but it looks perfect. My friends and I can't get over how nice the car feels with these tires. For me it changed my land cruiser from a mall cruiser to a bruiser.

The first 500-1000 miles the tires are extra stiff but have loosened over time now.

 

[Tierra Cruiser]

Pretty much in line with what I was hoping to hear. Guess I'll be putting these wheels to use sooner rather than later! My local Sam's has the KO2s @ $195/ea at the moment, so it's almost too good of a deal to pass up.

 

[teambell]

Pretty much in line with what I was hoping to hear. Guess I'll be putting these wheels to use sooner rather than later! My local Sam's has the KO2s @ $195/ea at the moment, so it's almost too good of a deal to pass up.

Are those the 10 ply, load range E? Great price if so.

 

[Tierra Cruiser]

Are those the 10 ply, load range E? Great price if so.

Yup!

 

[teambell]

Confirmed local Sam's club price is the same! Not to get Discount Tire to match it...