Another Tires question?! (1 Viewer)

[RadoTracks]

Hey team, I'm working through a specific question and would love you input. Specifically, I'd love your input on rotational weight.

Here are my two options. I think I get the benefits of the tire options but more curious about how you've seen rotational weight impact your performance and mpg. So, which option would you chose and why? I'm rocking 4runner TRD offroad wheels.

1. 255 80r17, 33.1", E rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 76lbs.
2. 275 70r17, 31.6", C rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 69lbs.

please be kind.

Dan

 

[Roody]

Hey Dan, what specific usage case is the GX subjected to? The E vs C decision might be more important than the actual weight.

To try to answer your question, there's a give/take with adding unsprung, rotational mass versus adding rotational diameter. Truth be told, from my experience and research, you'd probably net about even between those two tires when it comes to MPG. A 33.1x10" tire vs a 32.2x10.8" tire (not sure where you got 31.6" for the 275/70/17) would, in my experience, be about equal in terms of MPG given the weight difference at hand as you're trading less contact patch and thus rolling resistance in the case of the 255/80/17 for less weight but more tire on the ground in the case of the 275/70/17. As for performance, are you looking for on-road or off-road impressions comparing the two?

Backing up though... what tires are you looking at to calculate those weights? Generally those tires are in the 50-70 pound rage per tire, and 4Runner TRD OR wheels are about 31 pounds/ea. Not sure the math adds up.

 

[Hiluxforever]

I run the SAE version of 255/80R17. As long as the spare issue doesn't bother you, go for it.

 

[RadoTracks]

Hey Dan, what specific usage case is the GX subjected to? The E vs C decision might be more important than the actual weight.

To try to answer your question, there's a give/take with adding unsprung, rotational mass versus adding rotational diameter. Truth be told, from my experience and research, you'd probably net about even between those two tires when it comes to MPG. A 33.1x10" tire vs a 32.2x10.8" tire (not sure where you got 31.6" for the 275/70/17) would, in my experience, be about equal in terms of MPG given the weight difference at hand as you're trading less contact patch and thus rolling resistance in the case of the 255/80/17 for less weight but more tire on the ground in the case of the 275/70/17. As for performance, are you looking for on-road or off-road impressions comparing the two?

Backing up though... what tires are you looking at to calculate those weights? Generally those tires are in the 50-70 pound rage per tire, and 4Runner TRD OR wheels are about 31 pounds/ea. Not sure the math adds up.

This is exactly the type of input I was looking for! Thank you.
I have a typo it was a 265 for the second tire, not a 275. That is driving some confusion...sorry about that. Here is the correct info with tires added. I pulled the info from TireRack.com.

1. 255 80r17, 33.1", E rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 76lbs., WildPeak A/T3W, Tire Weight: 51lbs.
2. 265 70r17, 31.6", C rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 69lbs., K02, Tire Weight: 44lbs.

 

[RadoTracks]

I run the SAE version of 255/80R17. As long as the spare issue doesn't bother you, go for it.

View attachment 3315175

How do you store your tire? Just in the trunk? This is also a consideration but I'd really like the added height if the offsetting issues aren't too bad. I would keep it in the trunk normally but through it on the roof when going into the mountains.

 

[RadoTracks]

This is exactly the type of input I was looking for! Thank you.
I have a typo it was a 265 for the second tire, not a 275. That is driving some confusion...sorry about that. Here is the correct info with tires added. I pulled the info from TireRack.com.

1. 255 80r17, 33.1", E rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 76lbs., WildPeak A/T3W, Tire Weight: 51lbs.
2. 265 70r17, 31.6", C rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 69lbs., K02, Tire Weight: 44lbs.

Oh, one other thing. My use case is to explore Colorado and Utah for weekends/camping trips. I work from home so I don't really rack up many miles.

 

[Roody]

I run the SAE version of 255/80R17. As long as the spare issue doesn't bother you, go for it.

View attachment 3315175

Is there a rather large animal further down the road in the right side of this picture or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

 

[Roody]

This is exactly the type of input I was looking for! Thank you.
I have a typo it was a 265 for the second tire, not a 275. That is driving some confusion...sorry about that. Here is the correct info with tires added. I pulled the info from TireRack.com.

1. 255 80r17, 33.1", E rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 76lbs., WildPeak A/T3W, Tire Weight: 51lbs.
2. 265 70r17, 31.6", C rated, total weight (tire and wheel): 69lbs., K02, Tire Weight: 44lbs.

Not to nitpick, but as per Falken's website the A/T3W in question is 52.5 pounds, plus 31# for the wheel = 83.5# per corner. Not that it's a *huge* difference from the 76 stated, but that's a decent jump in weight. At 44# for the KO2 plus 31# for the wheel, we're at 75# per corner... and 8 lbs per corner is fairly substantial. You may or may not notice a difference in MPG/performance across the two depending on the CO/UT elevation you're at and what kind of roads/trails you take to the camping spots, but there's so much nuance to tire comparisons that getting details right helps every bit of the decision-making process.

That said, I think that in your case, the decision comes down more to whether you want/need the additional durability that an E-rated tire provides over a C, whether you are content with the difference in ride quality (C > E), and whether you care about gaining a little extra ground clearance over the stock tires or a little extra width of the tread, and thus a larger contact patch.

 

[Hiluxforever]

How do you store your tire? Just in the trunk? This is also a consideration but I'd really like the added height if the offsetting issues aren't too bad. I would keep it in the trunk normally but through it on the roof when going into the mountains.

If you aren't running stock offset I doubt the narrow 33s will fit. I strap down the spare for anything involving trails, otherwise I have the stock spare for commuting

 

[RadoTracks]

Not to nitpick, but as per Falken's website the A/T3W in question is 52.5 pounds, plus 31# for the wheel = 83.5# per corner. Not that it's a *huge* difference from the 76 stated, but that's a decent jump in weight. At 44# for the KO2 plus 31# for the wheel, we're at 75# per corner... and 8 lbs per corner is fairly substantial. You may or may not notice a difference in MPG/performance across the two depending on the CO/UT elevation you're at and what kind of roads/trails you take to the camping spots, but there's so much nuance to tire comparisons that getting details right helps every bit of the decision-making process.

That said, I think that in your case, the decision comes down more to whether you want/need the additional durability that an E-rated tire provides over a C, whether you are content with the difference in ride quality (C > E), and whether you care about gaining a little extra ground clearance over the stock tires or a little extra width of the tread, and thus a larger contact patch.

As a stock suspension (for now) I was wanting to the additional height that the 33.1 provides. Like a tire lift So, durability hasn't been a concern for me as much. The smaller contact patch was an easy trade off for me because of the lack of mud and sand compared to the rocky terrain around here. It's almost like a need to use a 2x2 visual work out what might be most important to me.

 

[Hiluxforever]

As a stock suspension (for now) I was wanting to the additional height that the 33.1 provides. Like a tire lift So, durability hasn't been a concern for me as much. The smaller contact patch was an easy trade off for me because of the lack of mud and sand compared to the rocky terrain around here. It's almost like a need to use a 2x2 visual work out what might be most important to me.

I have D load Range mud tires, NVH is away worse, and mileage dropped about 10-15%

 

[ericm979]

A 265/17 K02 will probably fit in the stock spare location, and the speedo will not be off by much. K02s run a bit on the small side. The larger tires will only get you .75" added height. You will need to do more plastic molding or trimming to get the larger tire to clear the fender liner. Depending on your wheel alignment you may need to do more than that. The 265s should just require a bit of molding with a heat gun.

Carting the spare in the back is a PITA. It takes up a lot of room in what's not that large a space, and it makes the car smell like you're driving by a rubber factory or an asphalt pour.

 

[volklflip88]

Speaking of E vs C rated, are most guys running an E rated tire here? From the sizes people are choosing, doesn't look like a lot of C rated options?

Was set on getting an all terrain 265/70R17 but not a lot of C rated ones? Really wanted to the Toyo Open Country but E rated seems like a real harsh ride on these trucks.
Sorry to hikack, this question felt like it fit in here.

@RadoTracks what tires were you looking at?

 

[r2m]

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about rotational weight if you're concerned with braking.
I had a Ford F350 Crewcab built out as an overlander (side note: way too big) and had 37" tires.
With all the weight and leverage of 37" tires, my braking was terrible! I was overloaded for the brakes I had on it, and that included new stainless steel braid lines, disc's and rotors, drums rear.
But even running 35" tires on my rig now, and I have a very heavy, fully outfitted rig, my brakes still feel great.

 

[RadoTracks]

A 265/17 K02 will probably fit in the stock spare location, and the speedo will not be off by much. K02s run a but on the small side. The larger tires will only get you .75" added height. You will need to do more plastic molding or trimming to get the larger tire to clear the fender liner. Depending on your wheel alignment you may need to do more than that. The 265s should just require a bit of molding with a heat gun.

Carting the spare in the back is a PITA. It takes up a lot of room in what's not that large a space, and it makes the car smell like you're driving by a rubber factory or an asphalt pour.

Now your getting me thinking about the spare tire more....

Thanks chiming in, I appreciate the perspective as I hadn't thought about the smell.

 

[Hiluxforever]

Now your getting me thinking about the spare tire more....

Thanks chiming in, I appreciate the perspective as I hadn't thought about the smell.

The smell of my Goodyear MTR was a conventional rubber smell that I didn't mind, it was nothing like asphalt or hot tar to me, but my partner is super sensitive after chemo for breast cancer so they couldn't handle the smell.

While I never worked on the flightline, I did enjoy the smell
Of JP7 and JP8 while in the chair Force, so there is that.

 

[ericm979]

Now your getting me thinking about the spare tire more....

Thanks chiming in, I appreciate the perspective as I hadn't thought about the smell.

It's not super annoying but it keeps making me look around to see where its coming from before I remember.

Maybe its different now but last year I didn't have a hard time finding 265/70R17s in C range.

 

[Rednexus]

Just my opinion and experience.....but a SL/P-rated 265/70R17r rides and performs very nice on these rigs. I have 35K on my Wildpeaks (around 46.5# per corner) and they've been great in a lot of different environments (towing, off-road, snow/ice, normal highway use). They also ride nice at 32 psi unloaded, 44 psi towing, and 15-20 psi off-road. I have a 255/75R17 spare tire that is a bit bigger than the 265/70s but a bit smaller than the P-rated 285/70s I'll get when these wear out.

A lot of folks like C's and E's, but I have not found them to be necessary in almost 3 years of GX ownership.

 

[Hiluxforever]

If you really want a C load range I highly recommend looking at 255/75R17 for a size

 

[jdam]

I kinda went down this route in the quest for lighter weight wheels and tires. And like the others stated, it really depends on the type of road/terrain you plan on doing on your trips.

I never intended to go do super crazy things with mine, so I went from a P rated 265/70/17 (27lb wheel, 47lb tire) to a P rated 285/70/17 (21lb wheel, 55lb tire) and am fairly happy with the results thus far. MPG remained about the same, if marginally worse due to increased frontal area and contact patch, and butt-dyno feels the same as well.

Those TRD wheels are heavy though. Especially compared to a lot of the competitors in the space, even the cast ones.