Going from 18's to 16's

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paflytyer

paflytyer

Toyota Trails Editor / 100s in the Hills
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I know there are a ton of tire/wheel threads.... too many probably! However, I'm currently running 275/70/18 BFG's (which are almost brand new) but I have an opportunity to pick up a set of Land Cruiser 16's with 295/75/16 BFG's and I'm giving it some thought.

I like the idea of the slightly larger tire (for looks) and the slightly larger sidewall (for offroad use)

Weight wise, the tires are almost exactly the same. I'm guessing the 18's are a bit heavier than the 16's, so I may actually lose a little overall unsprung weight, but I assume the 295's will require more force to turn over.

My questions:

For those of you who have gone the 18's to 16's route, what did you like/dislike? Has anyone done this exact swap? If so, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Who else is running 295/75/16's? According to our search feature, I couldn't find too many 100 owners running that size. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :cheers:

Stan
 
I think most choose the 18's for cosmetics.

The 16's will have better tire size choices, cheaper tires, and you will be able to air them down more. Also the larger sidewall is a HUGE plus.

That being said, I have 18's, and would love to take those BFG's off your hands. Let me know if you want to sell them :D
 
I have a set of 16s in the garage. I bought them because of price of rubber (I was able to buy 5 wheels and tires for less than the cost of 18" tires in the same size) and added sidewall. I really don't like how the 18s do with very low 15-18psi pressures, not enough sidewall.

My plan is to run MTs on the 16s during the summer (wheeling season) and ATs on the 18s during the winter (skiing season). I'm going to run 315s on the 16s and have 285s on the 18s. This will also let me keep a reasonable tire for long road trips. Something worth considering.
 
littlehandegan said:
I think most choose the 18's for cosmetics.

The 16's will have better tire size choices, cheaper tires, and you will be able to air them down more. Also the larger sidewall is a HUGE plus.

That being said, I have 18's, and would love to take those BFG's off your hands. Let me know if you want to sell them :D
Click to expand...

It's possible they'll be for sale very soon. I'm not totally decided one way or the other yet. Seems like more people like the 18s over the 16s, but I don't know if I'm in that boat. I kinda dig the beefy tires and little wheels......but at what cost to my rig? More wear and tear overall from the larger tire, gas milage(not that big of a deal, we're not driving Prius' here),less power? All legitimate concerns.
 
paflytyer said:
It's possible they'll be for sale very soon. I'm not totally decided one way or the other yet. Seems like more people like the 18s over the 16s, but I don't know if I'm in that boat. I kinda dig the beefy tires and little wheels......but at what cost to my rig? More wear and tear overall from the larger tire, gas milage(not that big of a deal, we're not driving Prius' here),less power? All legitimate concerns.
Click to expand...

Give me a heads up if you decide to part with the BFGs. Local pick up and all, lol.
 
I didn't notice much difference between the two. I had some Tundra 18's and my stock 16's. Eventually, I sold the Tundra's, as I didn't like the pricing of the 18" tires.
 
paflytyer said:
I know there are a ton of tire/wheel threads.... too many probably! However, I'm currently running 275/70/18 BFG's (which are almost brand new) but I have an opportunity to pick up a set of Land Cruiser 16's with 295/75/16 BFG's and I'm giving it some thought.

I like the idea of the slightly larger tire (for looks) and the slightly larger sidewall (for offroad use)

Weight wise, the tires are almost exactly the same. I'm guessing the 18's are a bit heavier than the 16's, so I may actually lose a little overall unsprung weight, but I assume the 295's will require more force to turn over.

My questions:

For those of you who have gone the 18's to 16's route, what did you like/dislike? Has anyone done this exact swap? If so, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Who else is running 295/75/16's? According to our search feature, I couldn't find too many 100 owners running that size. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :cheers:

Stan
Click to expand...

You can find all the data on Tirerack. There's "specs" tab. The 295 is only slightly larger than the 285, and only comes in a "D" rating.

I dont know why that tire exists in the inventory. If you find yourself in need of a similar sized tire in an emergency, you wont find a different brand in 295. It's an oddball.
 
i went from 18's to 16's because i like the options on the tires for the 16's vs the 18's and the price was considerably less. if you wheel it and run very low psi then you want 16's over 18's any day but if you enjoy your wheels spinning when you're at at stop light then keep the 18's
 
georgec said:
You can find all the data on Tirerack. There's "specs" tab. The 295 is only slightly larger than the 285, and only comes in a "D" rating.

I dont know why that tire exists in the inventory. If you find yourself in need of a similar sized tire in an emergency, you wont find a different brand in 295. It's an oddball.
Click to expand...
Nitto Terra Grapplers come in 295. I just put a new set of 'em on in November. Discount usually has them, or can get them in a day.

Personally, the "emergency-replacement-gotta-have-it-now" criteria is way, way down on my list in terms of choosing a tire size. The size you buy is with you every single time you turn the key, on the street or the dirt. So what if you have to spend an extra day in BFE waiting for a tire once every 15 years or more? Compare that to how many times you wished you had XX size tire when you go wheeling over the 4-5 years you have them on your rig.

:meh:
 
re_guderian said:
Nitto Terra Grapplers come in 295. I just put a new set of 'em on in November. Discount usually has them, or can get them in a day.

Personally, the "emergency-replacement-gotta-have-it-now" criteria is way, way down on my list in terms of choosing a tire size. The size you buy is with you every single time you turn the key, on the street or the dirt. So what if you have to spend an extra day in BFE waiting for a tire once every 15 years or more? Compare that to how many times you wished you had XX size tire when you go wheeling over the 4-5 years you have them on your rig.

:meh:
Click to expand...

I like to have a more common size for extended periods out of the country, and there's nothing gained going from 285 to 295 (75r16). All I see is a 2% loss in torque for no real ground advantage. :meh:
 
I went from 18's to 16's on my previous 100, and ran 1 set of Nitto TG's and 1 set of Toyo's (both in 295/16). I really liked them (both the wheels and tires). Certainly tires are more readily available, and less expensive. The 18's probably look better to most folks.
 
Just picked up the LC 16s today. Now to decide on tires.....there's gotta be a tire thread around here somewhere.
 
I went to steel 18s for a new look. I want to switch to 285/70 R 18s KM2s next which are 33.7. Closer to 35s without all the hassle.
 
I'm gonna take a little time and do some more research on tires. I don't want to turn this into a tire size/brand/color/taste thread. I'll say this though, for me, I like the looks of the smaller wheel and larger tire combo. I plan on getting a bigger tire than the 275/70/18's I'm currently running. I have a few in mind.

I'm toying with the idea of refinishing the 16's and doing Dupli-color graphite.
 
If any one in Socal is currently running a 18 in a 33-35" tire and wants to go to a 16.... let me know. I want to go the other way......
 
gearguywb said:
I went from 18's to 16's on my previous 100, and ran 1 set of Nitto TG's and 1 set of Toyo's (both in 295/16). I really liked them (both the wheels and tires). Certainly tires are more readily available, and less expensive. The 18's probably look better to most folks.
Click to expand...
I replaced the 70-series Michelins with toyo's 285-75x16. Fantastic in snow and slush, great going fast or slow on fire roads. Have not hit mud up to the axles yet so no report on that.

Great ride and no noticeable road noise. I'm happy;)

Steve
 
paflytyer said:
I know there are a ton of tire/wheel threads.... too many probably! However, I'm currently running 275/70/18 BFG's (which are almost brand new) but I have an opportunity to pick up a set of Land Cruiser 16's with 295/75/16 BFG's and I'm giving it some thought.

I like the idea of the slightly larger tire (for looks) and the slightly larger sidewall (for offroad use)

Stan
Click to expand...

Do you already have a set of 16s?

I have an extra set of 2000 OEM 16" Wheels. Let me know if you decide to go to 16s and if you're interested
 
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