255/80/17 or 285/70/17 on stock or minimal lift - consensus? (2 Viewers)

[jiggletits]

I can't seem to find a definitive answer here.

Got a 2006 GX470 with a Dobinsons 1" lift front/rear. Coil-rite airbags in the rear so I should be able to maintain that lift even when loaded.

Currently on stock wheels/tires. Would like another 1" clearance at the axle from the 33s... going on a set of TRD wheels. Wheels are 17x7 I believe.

Front fender liner I can deal with. Will this clear the stock front UCA and swaybar? Side steps are removed, so no worries there.

I understand 7" is a "thin" wheel for a 285, but plenty of people seem to do it just fine. The 255/80 is the sensible choice and would retain more MPGs but selection is limited.

Thanks,

 

[NJGX]

Even with the wider 285/70r17 you will gain about an inch of clearance on the inside vs stock, so control arm clearance shouldn't be an issue. However, the narrower (~1/2" on either side) 255/80r17 will have more clearance at full lock that could reduce the chance of needing a body mount chop or keeping it more mild.

As far as practicality goes, almost every 255/80r17 only comes in E load rating. Depending on the tire brand, 285/70r17 can be found in load ranges from SL to E. If you don't need the super heavy duty E rating, get one of the lighter load 285s so you can save some weight to counter the rolling resistance of the wider tire. See below for some Toyo Open Country ATIII specs as an example:

255/80 - E - 50lbs

285/70 - SL - 46lbs

285/70 - E - 55lbs

Mess around with this calculator since it shows a rough estimate of tire/wheel position vs stock: https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.p...ect2=70&wheel_size=17&wheel_width=7&offset2=4

 

[captainva]

I have chunky 285/70/17 Falken MTs which rub very slightly on the sway bar and body mount at full lock and I have a 2.5" lift plus the SPC UCA. You're going to have big time rubbing issues for sure if you're not lifted and don't have a high caster UCA with anything wider than stock. Also MTs of chunky wider offroad tires will have a harder time clearing than ATs or street tires

 

[HomersCanyonero]

There’s no definitive answer on tires.

255/75R17s are like 32” skinny tires and will require close to zero mods to fit.

However, a lot of people want taller and/or fatter tires. Now you have to deal with rubbing issues, spare location starts to be an issue, heavier tire reduces gas mileage, need the right wheel with the appropriate offset, UCAs upgrade, etc.

If you want to deal with all that, then 285/70/17s is a very popular size. It’s only like 32,7” tall and fat but lots of people like this look. I have this tire.

Sometimes I wish I had the 255/80/17s on narrower wheels, but even this 33” tire starts to have issues fitting in the spare location.

There’s a famous tire/wheel thread on here somewhere as well as a tire:wheel knowledge base at LexusGxor.com

 

[jiggletits]

Yeah I have read a lot of the threads and have been down this path on my Tundra but I fit skinny 35's on it with an OME lift, stock UCA, no CMC, and have no rubbing issues even at full articulation when others claimed it was impossible. I don't care about looks, but I hate when tires rub.

This is an overland build, more of a weekend trip or day trip vehicle so storing a spare in the rear hatch isn't a big deal. I certainly don't need $5k worth of sliding drawers and refrigerators back there. Got the Tundra for big excursions.

The GX is currently sitting on a brand new set of 265/65/17 Duratracs I got for $500 on craigslist... take-offs from a ZR2. I had these on my 2003 GX that I didn't plan to modify, swapped them onto the 2006 GX I just bought, as that's the one I'll be off-roading in. No rush to buy tires, and I don't think going to a 255/75 would be worth the effort. I like the 33" tire, seems like a sweet spot if I can make it fit.

View attachment 2797151

Even with the wider 285/70r17 you will gain about an inch of clearance on the inside vs stock, so control arm clearance shouldn't be an issue. However, the narrower (~1/2" on either side) 255/80r17 will have more clearance at full lock that could reduce the chance of needing a body mount chop or keeping it more mild.

As far as practicality goes, almost every 255/80r17 only comes in E load rating. Depending on the tire brand, 285/70r17 can be found in load ranges from SL to E. If you don't need the super heavy duty E rating, get one of the lighter load 285s so you can save some weight to counter the rolling resistance of the wider tire. See below for some Toyo Open Country ATIII specs as an example:

255/80 - E - 50lbs
View attachment 2797152

285/70 - SL - 46lbs
View attachment 2797157

285/70 - E - 55lbs
View attachment 2797158

Mess around with this calculator since it shows a rough estimate of tire/wheel position vs stock: https://www.willtheyfit.com/index.p...ect2=70&wheel_size=17&wheel_width=7&offset2=4

Curious where you found the offset for the TRD wheels? I was unable to find that, or the stock offset.

 

[NJGX]

TRD Pro wheel specs here: TRD Pro Wheels on 5th Gen 4Runner - Review and Full Overview - https://trail4runner.com/2018/10/31/trd-pro-sema-wheels-full-overview/#:~:text=Wheel%20Offset,difference%2C%20or%20approximately%200.45%20inches.

OEM GX wheel specs here: Lexus GX470 2007 17 - https://www.autorimshop.com/lexus-gx470-2007-17-oem-wheel-rim-240210.html

These are just the first Google results when searching for OEM TRD Pro/GX470 wheel specs. Lots of other sources to confirm.

 

[Adventurelife]

Hands Down the Cooper ST MAXX 255/80R17 is the best tire I've ever run, I've done coast to coast trips with them on my GX, never missed a beat. Only issue I ever had was in super deep, extremely soft sand, running too much pressure, but that's to be expected. I upgraded to 35's purely for ego, and while they are good (and still skinny), they were completely unnecessary.

Skinny tires will prevent any possible UCA rubbing issues, but you will need to reshape a little plastic.
TRD PRO Wheels are 17x7 offset 4, which is pretty much perfect for the 255's, but people absolutely run 285's on them and seem happy.

https://www.purefjcruiser.com/docs/Skinny-tire-White-paper.pdf This is helpful piece of research in making a decision.

 

[NCgamecock]

There’s no definitive answer on tires.

255/75R17s are like 32” skinny tires and will require close to zero mods to fit.

However, a lot of people want taller and/or fatter tires. Now you have to deal with rubbing issues, spare location starts to be an issue, heavier tire reduces gas mileage, need the right wheel with the appropriate offset, UCAs upgrade, etc.

If you want to deal with all that, then 285/70/17s is a very popular size. It’s only like 32,7” tall and fat but lots of people like this look. I have this tire.

Sometimes I wish I had the 255/80/17s on narrower wheels, but even this 33” tire starts to have issues fitting in the spare location.

There’s a famous tire/wheel thread on here somewhere as well as a tire:wheel knowledge base at LexusGxor.com

I was looking at 255/80, but ended up going with 255/75r17 BFG KO2s (on a 2" Dobinsons front lift & "air bag trick" lift in the rear). I really like this set-up, because it gives me good options on tires, decent ground clearance, plus I have a full size spare in the stock location with no issues.

***An interesting side note that I discovered: 255/75r17 seems to be the stock size for Wrangler Rubicons...so, I found lots of take-off options from all the Jeep guys going to 35s! I got my set of 5 with the Jeep wheels $700. So, after selling the wheels for $200 it was $500 for 5 nearly new BFG KO2s!!!

 

[captainva]

I was looking at 255/80, but ended up going with 255/75r17 BFG KO2s (on a 2" Dobinsons front lift & "air bag trick" lift in the rear). I really like this set-up, because it gives me good options on tires, decent ground clearance, plus I have a full size spare in the stock location with no issues.

***An interesting side note that I discovered: 255/75r17 seems to be the stock size for Wrangler Rubicons...so, I found lots of take-off options from all the Jeep guys going to 35s! I got my set of 5 with the Jeep wheels $700. So, after selling the wheels for $200 it was $500 for 5 nearly new BFG KO2s!!!

Thats how I got my 285/70/17 Wildpeak MTs with 500ish miles on them. Gladiator takeoffs and they came with the with the wheels for $750

 

[jiggletits]

Another thought... a true 33x10.5R17. Thinner than the 285/70 a true 33" tire, and maybe a hair thicker than the 255/80. Anyone have thoughts on that size?

Edit; my mistake, the clickbait was wrong. It doesn't appear anything other than some obscure MT's come in this size. Def do not want MTs.

 

[jiggletits]

Welp, decided to just stick with the 265/65/17 for now. No sense in spending $1400 on 5 tires when I have a brand new set on there.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Welp, decided to just stick with the 265/65/17 for now. No sense in spending $1400 on 5 tires when I have a brand new set on there.

If you can't sell the current ones to offset the cost of a new set of tires, then wait it out until the current set needs replacing. You have to be patient in terms of going offroading.

Also, look at the various tire calculators. When it comes to looking at the diameter and width of a tire, I can only think in inches like say 33x10 or 32.6x11.2. The tire calculators do a great job converting the 255/80R17 mumble jumble into inches that I can relate to. Some even have diagrams to show you how the offset moves the tire in the wheel well.

33x10 = approximate size of a 255/80R17
32.6x11.2 = approximate size of a 285/70R17

Sizes vary by manufacturer and model of tire. Not all are the exact same even though they say they are the same.

 

[jiggletits]

Been staring at tire calculators for days. If some used take-offs come along in a bigger size, I'll grab them. For now stock size is fine. I don't plan on wheeling this thing hard, that's what the Tundra is for.

 

[captainva]

Been staring at tire calculators for days. If some used take-offs come along in a bigger size, I'll grab them. For now stock size is fine. I don't plan on wheeling this thing hard, that's what the Tundra is for.

You have this backwards...the GX will do much better offroad than a tundra

 

[jiggletits]

You have this backwards...the GX will do much better offroad than a tundra

The Tundra can carry a Four Wheel Camper A.K.A. a small condo , lockers front and rear, solar power, winch, 35s. I can stay in the woods for weeks without a resupply.

My GX is a grocery getter / occasional day-tip off roader. I'm not arguing that you're wrong in general. I'm arguing that my specific Tundra is 10x more capable than my specific GX. I don't rock crawl, just like getting away from people.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

The Tundra can carry a Four Wheel Camper A.K.A. a small condo , lockers front and rear, solar power, winch, 35s. I can stay in the woods for weeks without a resupply.

My GX is a grocery getter / occasional day-tip off roader. I'm not arguing that you're wrong in general. I'm arguing that my specific Tundra is 10x more capable than my specific GX. I don't rock crawl, just like getting away from people.

I had previously missed the part where you were just trying to improve the soccer mom looks of the grocery getter. In this case, TRD Pro wheels 17x7 with some Jeep take offs (from someone upgrading to 35s+) like BFG MTs 255/75R17 should do the trick. You already have the 1" lift.

Not only would it look good, it would improve the "getting away from people" capability of the GX470.

 

[nakman]

Jumping into another tire thread... I need new tires for the GX and believe I'm going with the Firestone Destination XT in 255 75 r17. that maths out to a 32 x 10 for you English folk..

I am currently running 265 70 r17 and no complaints there other than they need replaced. I ran 255 80 r17 for a while and had just a little rubbing at full stuff in front, but the bigger issue to me was performance in the mountains, while towing, and bad mpg's. Tires being just too large for the engine/gear to be in the sweet spot. So I put those tires on the 60. this 255 75 r17 lands just below the middle of those, only .5" taller than the 265's but that should be just right with the lift I'm running, and wanting to stay somewhat efficient.

 

[jiggletits]

Quick update: even with 1.5” front lift, my stock sized 265/65/17s rub just a tad at full lock, on pavement with the trd wheels.

 

[elprup87]

Jumping into another tire thread... I need new tires for the GX and believe I'm going with the Firestone Destination XT in 255 75 r17. that maths out to a 32 x 10 for you English folk..

I am currently running 265 70 r17 and no complaints there other than they need replaced. I ran 255 80 r17 for a while and had just a little rubbing at full stuff in front, but the bigger issue to me was performance in the mountains, while towing, and bad mpg's. Tires being just too large for the engine/gear to be in the sweet spot. So I put those tires on the 60. this 255 75 r17 lands just below the middle of those, only .5" taller than the 265's but that should be just right with the lift I'm running, and wanting to stay somewhat efficient.

I couldn't tell if you're asking for input or not, but I run that 255/75r17 size. We have been on that size for 3 years now over by Wolf Creek Pass. When hauling a trailer (~3500lbs) its sluggish on hills but works well. Otherwise no complaints at all with the size. No rubbing from what I can tell other than an aftermarket bumper that was lower than it should be. I raised it about 0.5" and it resolved the rub.

 

[nakman]

Ok tires are installed, and so far so good... much quieter and smoother than the worn BFG's they replaced.