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What is the largest spare tire that will fit underneath?
Could you deflate tire to make it fit?I'm working through this right now..
I have 285/70/17 and same size spare, all relatively new tires but the spare is a mismatch so I won't be rotating it in.
I have the FJ-style hitch (cutout from center of bumper - which apparently makes the fit a little tighter compared to the weight-distributing hitch that hangs a little lower.
My 285/70/17 spare will just barely fit under the truck, cambered toward the passenger side, mostly deflated, with a ratchet strap pulling the front of it toward the hitch. But this only leaves ~1/4" room between the front of the spare and the panhard bar running right behind the rear axle. And I have to then worry about the deflation messing up the tire. I'm not totally comfy with this setup, and the width of the tire makes it hang down lower than I'd like.
I'm planning to pursue 2 different options with my local tire shop.. They are a good outfit who are willing to sell "take offs" and don't charge much to mount them. So they'll work w me to play around a little.
1. Buy a used 285/70/17 with 25-40% tread left. Might make the fit toward the panhard a little more comfy.
Or
2. Buy a used 235/85/17 (same 32.7" circumference but 2" narrower than the 285/70/17 I run on the 4 tires.) I figure it would tuck under better and would still get me home just fine. I like this idea best so far.
I've also considered a 255/75/17 or stock size 265/65/17 which are 1-2" smaller circumference. The forums seem to be split on whether a smaller spare is ok or will damage the drivetrain. Since we don't have limited slip diffs from factory I don't think it would be a big deal?? Unless the wheel speed sensors for the traction control would be confused -- but I figure in an emergency situation I could always pull the fuse for traction control and/or ABS to run a smaller spare until I made it to a tire shop..
My truck is a daily driver used for camping with moderate off road, but not extreme. So I'm a little hesitant to add a rear bumper carrier for ~$2k that will also make me have to swing the tire every time I want access to the rear (i use the rear door often for DD use with 2 small kids).
Here's a good resource for conversion from metric to inches to compare tire sizes Tire Size Conversion Chart - Metric to Inches - by Rim/Wheel Diameter
Interested to hear other thoughts / ideas..
Hey Folks,
I got 96 FZJ80 and wanted to trade it in for a 06+ GX470. Any words of advice? How reliable has it been? It will be my DD so not much off-road. Is it worth the bells and whistles or should I be looking for a 4runner instead? They all have 100k+ around here.
Any help would be great, Thanks.
I've read a bit about the NAV but is it that bad? There are way more GX470s here than 4runners...under 15k with 120k on them anyway. It seems odd that they are so much cheaper. What's the catch? Is it expensive to repair/delete the air lift system? Could it be that the market is just uneducated and has no demand? I absolutley love my 80 and am dreading the day I say goodbye. It's given me nothing but reliable service and if the 120/Prado is anything like it than I'm sold.If you like the 4runner and don't need the amenities of the GX (3rd row, leather for easy clean-up with kids, V8 standard, AWD standard) and can find one reasonably priced, go for it. You also don't have to deal with the height control (although that's simple enough to take care of) and finding one without NAV.
I was initially looking at 4th gen 4runners w/ 3rd row and AWD under 100k miles but they were very rare in my area. The only ones I could find were priced way too high for me. I found that the GX was comparably priced or even lower than similar 4r's, better maintained and never off-road.
Anyone have a "120 Repair Manual" in pdf format? I have one for my Tacoma and one for my Jetta. Just wondering if I'll have to pay the money and download one from a website.