Can you overland using stock LC200 wheels? (1 Viewer)

[sherman]

I've seen a few videos of LC200 owners offroading with their stock wheels (excluding tires, of course), which has me wondering if I could get away with that.

Some quick questions...

• Can you air down okay with stock wheels?
• Are you more likely to lose a bead?
• Anything else about running stock that might be bad?

If I keep stock, I would probably go with a KO2 or Toyo Open Country AT3 in 285/65/18 or 275/70/18, which looks like they won't rub in the wheel/tire database. I'm also planning on a 2" lift.

Overlanding will be family-oriented, nothing that would cause body damage to "my precious" (the LC, I mean).

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[teambell]

100%

• Yes
• No, beadlocks are not common for the LC
• No

I have always run KO2 LRE in 285/65/18 and now looking at a Toyo AT3

Out of the box your vehicle is ready for what you describe as family oriented overlanding, that's all I do and never worry a bit. Be careful on exceeding your average of 1 post per year tho!

 

[sherman]

@teambell I'm actually more active on the BBQ forums!

My LC is currently stock, but once I get it built up and have some experience then I'll have some of my own thoughts to share!

 

[CharlieS]

You can "overland" in a Kia. The stock land cruiser, crappy tires as delivered will get you almost anywhere and back again. The stock rims are fine for any usage you can come up with. Don't sweat the little details, just get out there and explore. Don't buy into the overlanding hype.

 

[TeCKis300]

A heck yes. The stock wheels are likely better quality and more robust than 90% of the aftermarket wheels out there.

Yes, you can air down with stockies, though best done with AT or better tires that have a stronger sidewall and taller profile. Wheel bead retention is generally not an issue unless going 10 PSI range or less with some really dynamic driving. I encourage 285 and wider tires as this also enhances better bead retention.

What @CharlieS says

 

[2021 LC200]

You can "overland" in a Kia. The stock land cruiser, crappy tires as delivered will get you almost anywhere and back again. The stock rims are fine for any usage you can come up with. Don't sweat the little details, just get out there and explore. Don't buy into the overlanding hype.

My feedback and thoughts on this are inline with Charlie's:
- The stock Dunlop AT23 tires are very good for regular on tarmac driving (quiet and comfortable) and overlanding or off-roading will still be a combination of (a lot of...) tarmac and the overland/offroad stuff
- With recent snow and icing conditions in Houston they offered great grip, which I think has to do with sufficient profile and not being to wide in combination with the overall weight of the LC
- The specific choice of Dunlop AT23's from the factory for all US supplied LC's (maybe global, this would be interesting to figure out) makes me believe it is a very good tire in combination with what the LC needs for handling or any emergency stop or avoidance maneuver
- While changing to other more off road worthy tires on the stock rims and of the same width (285mm) should be in general fine, except for some of the aspects mentioned above, any consideration of wider tires are likely to become a hydroplane liability. I have noticed this on a 2014 Jeep Wrangler I owned previously which I fitted out with wider rims and Nitto Grapplers (Other than hydroplaning I did like these Nitto Grapplers a lot)

Good luck with your choice!

 

[TeCKis300]

- While changing to other more off road worthy tires on the stock rims and of the same width (285mm) should be in general fine, except for some of the aspects mentioned above, any consideration of wider tires are likely to become a hydroplane liability. I have noticed this on a 2014 Jeep Wrangler I owned previously which I fitted out with wider rims and Nitto Grapplers (Other than hydroplaning I did like these Nitto Grapplers a lot)

In regards to rain, it may depend on the tire more than anything. Which Grapplers did you have - Ridge, Terra, etc? The Bruiser has some weight advantage, if it could be called that, on it's side.

My experience with 33x12.5s and 35x12.5s on this platform, with known AT tires that have solid rain performance, have shown nothing but aplomb in the rain. There are indeed some tires that tend to have more staggered tread blocks that don't evacuate water under their tread well. The older Toyo AT2s for example are not great in the rain. The AT3s, incredible with rain.

Help needed with A/T tire decision..

Casually researching tires as I may upsize to 35x12.5s before the end of the year. Came across these nuggets. Always great to hear from insiders. Joe Bacal particularly as he was a development test driver for the just released Toyo AT3s. Found this in his comments. Puts me right back...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[2021 LC200]

In regards to rain, it may depend on the tire more than anything. Which Grapplers did you have - Ridge, Terra, etc? The Bruiser has some weight advantage, if it could be called that, on it's side.

My experience with 33x12.5s and 35x12.5s on this platform, with known AT tires that have solid rain performance, have shown nothing but aplomb in the rain. There are indeed some tires that tend to have more staggered tread blocks that don't evacuate water under their tread well. The older Toyo AT2s for example are not great in the rain. The AT3s, incredible with rain.

Help needed with A/T tire decision..

Casually researching tires as I may upsize to 35x12.5s before the end of the year. Came across these nuggets. Always great to hear from insiders. Joe Bacal particularly as he was a development test driver for the just released Toyo AT3s. Found this in his comments. Puts me right back...

forum.ih8mud.com

Hi TeCKis300, Those were Terra Grappler G2's. Good to hear you have good experience with more off road/overland focused tires and the rain. The 2door short wheel base Jeep Wrangler JK tended to skid and aqua plane easily on these so you had to take some care not to get in trouble. I can see the LC weight advantage (and relative longer wheel base).

 

[sherman]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I'm definitely going to get new tires suitable for offroad, most likely something in the 32.5 - 33 range.

My question was more centered around the wheels themselves. If I stick with 18" (instead of 17"), is there anything wrong with the stock wheels? Or should I be looking at Method, Icon, etc.

 

[CharlieS]

Your question was already answered several times. The stock wheels are good.

Most of the aftermarket wheels are for aesthetics as far as I can tell. You may want them if you are going for a specific look.

There are some wheels that are lighter and stronger like the Rock Warriors and BBS versions on the Heritage Edition and TRD pro Sequoia/Tundra, but for your use case they aren't going to be particularly beneficial.

 

[Bunga]

Don't throw money at rims until you have driven the hell off of the factory. The picture on the left is on 20s deep in the wilds of Utah. I run 17s now for really bad roads, but the 20s got me in and out of the most stupid places.

 

[TeCKis300]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I'm definitely going to get new tires suitable for offroad, most likely something in the 32.5 - 33 range.

My question was more centered around the wheels themselves. If I stick with 18" (instead of 17"), is there anything wrong with the stock wheels? Or should I be looking at Method, Icon, etc.

18s are just fine. 17s really don't offer much more benefit unless you're really into technical off-roading and rock crawling. Even then 18s with the right tire and setup may offer more real world performance.

 

[afgman786]

The man's looking for an excuse for rims
Yes go for it, the aftermarket rims that probably have a lower load rating than the stock rims are necessary for being an overlander. You also will need maxtrax, trasharoo, snorkel, bumper, roof rack with awning and 400lbs of junk up top. But you must keep your stock steps

 

[04UZJ100]

A heck yes. The stock wheels are likely better quality and more robust than 90% of the aftermarket wheels out there.

Yes, you can air down with stockies, though best done with AT or better tires that have a stronger sidewall and taller profile. Wheel bead retention is generally not an issue unless going 10 PSI range or less with some really dynamic driving. I encourage 285 and wider tires as this also enhances better bead retention.

What @CharlieS says

What about Fuel and XD specials from the tire store on the corner? Buy 2 get 2 free!!!

 

[MDK]

No they will probably fall apart as soon as you leave the pavement

 

[sherman]

I'm not looking for an excuse to buy anything. I'm actually looking for excuses not to buy things, as it is quite expensive to start a build and I'm definitely feeling some sticker shock.

After researching tires, suspensions, skids, sliders, lockers, gearing, compressors, bumpers, dual-batteries, brake controllers, lights, fridges, batteries, solar, drawers, racks, awnings, RTTs, winches, etc., I think I've been able to make some informed decisions on what should go into the build, and more importantly, what shouldn't.

However, I couldn't figure out what to do about wheels, so I decided to reach out. Thanks to everyone who provided a helpful response, I really appreciate it.

 

[CharlieS]

Your factory wheels will serve you well, and there is no need to upgrade them. Your mod money can definitely be better spent elsewhere.

 

[JayLo]

Overlanding will be family-oriented, nothing that would cause body damage to "my precious" (the LC, I mean).

After researching tires, suspensions, skids, sliders, lockers, gearing, compressors, bumpers, dual-batteries, brake controllers, lights, fridges, batteries, solar, drawers, racks, awnings, RTTs, winches, etc., I think I've been able to make some informed decisions on what should go into the build, and more importantly, what shouldn't.

Based on your intended use your stock wheels will be 100% fine. You won't need anything listed there except some decent A/T tires. Actually, one of those camping Yakima or Thule top boxes could go a looooong way.

What is missed on there is a cooler with ice. Used that for a long time. I actually just got a fridge (like last week) and will use it for the first time this year. Quite a luxury but way more than is needed for car camping.

If you are doing a build mainly geared towards aesthetic purposes and are doing a 2" lift then I'd say why keep the stockies? In the scheme of all the equipment you mentioned above I feel like that is not the bank buster. And really all that equipment listed above is mainly for looks. The stock LC will do everything you need it to.

If this is a build for functionality, I'd look at a some sort of recovery strap to have on hand in case you get stuck. If you are not going anywhere body damage has a potential of happening then skids, sliders, lockers, gearing, compressors, bumpers, dual-batteries, brake controllers, winches, etc are extra dead weight.

But again, if the goal is to look cool with a 2" lift than get what you think looks cool!

 

[Climbingnut]

I traveled for a year on the potholed roads and rough bush of Angola with a bone stock 200 GXR. That GXR part means it came with less fancy gadgets then your VX. All I had was an air compressor, shovel, machete, tire plug kit and a caravan acting as an anchor. I got stuck in sand, slammed the factory skids into random things, scraped the underside of the front bumper up, all while carrying my family into cool places. A year later I lifted it, put on some KO2’s, swapped out the banged up bumpers for hardier ones along with some skids and added lockers (No crawl control in mine). Still exploring. Your stock cruiser is more capable than you probably realize. Take it out as is. Learn the weak areas, get some punctures, plug them up, keep driving. Figure our what you MUST have and what you really don’t need. No sense in strapping weight onto your cruiser. Our experiences will be different from yours. Your best advice will be from the experiences you have learning from driving it. Good luck and have fun!

 

[NoClue]

I've bashed the heck out of the stock rims on toyo AT3s. They've been excellent in every condition.

I'm now in the process of going to a 17" rim and a bigger tire.