Max Tire Size for Stock FJ40?

[FloridaLife]

In the sand it help to stay on the top

Thank you

 

[FloridaLife]

I'm still trying to figure out what size tire to run. My FJ40 appears to have at least a little bit of a lift. I was thinking about putting as big of a tire as I could on it, but I recently watched the Top Gear Bolivia Special because someone on here said there was an FJ40 in it, and when they got to the part they were going to be driving on dirt and sand they put the biggest tires on that they could on the FJ40 Land Cruiser and the Land Rover and they said it ruined their performance. No pep at all. From searching I've done, the FJ40 came originally with 205/75/R15 tires which would be 27.11 inches tall. What are your thoughts on the best tire size to run that won't make it a gutless wonder? If I run a 31" or 33" is it going to kill performance? I know the FJ40 was not known for speed performance, so I don't want to make it way worse.

 

[B y r o n]

You know how it feels now as far as being gutless. If you put taller tires on it, it will only make it worse. Your only option if you do is to use lower gears. Other things to consider; if running on a lot of sand than wider tires will float on top easier, if running in mud or snow than narrow tires usually perform better.

Going up one size from stock is usually no problem, going more usually means clearance issues without making modifications. A lot of folks us longer shackles to raise a vehicle but can lead to handling issues.

Determine how you are going to use you vehicle and then make your selection.

 

[Grayscale]

My owners manual says H78-15 came with the vehicle. I installed a set of 215/75/R15, (not 205/75R15 as in post #102) on stock wheels, no lift. I stay off of the freeway. Coker Tire cross-references H78-15 to about a 225/75R15, but that is usually a trailer-tire when I was shopping for shoes, not typically mounted on a passenger vehicle.

Because the ball joints, aka 'steering knuckle,' on the front axle are angled, not vertical to the car, or what we call the 'kingpin angle,' it allows the weight of the vehicle, and the rolling resistance of the road to make the tires point straight. On a flat surface, the car will somewhat center itself if you let go of the steering wheel. It is tuned to the tire-radius and width of the stock wheel. You can install a wider wheel, and it will allow you to also install a taller tire, while essentially maintaining the factory axle's kingpin-tune, aka 'scrub radius.'

I did 33x12.5 on 8-inch aftermarket wheels - fun ride at slow speeds, but all over the highway, back in the day. Low speeds, it was tons of fun, especially from the driver's perspective being so up there. When I bought it, the ride came with 265/75/r15 on 8-inch wheels, and that was decent for stock springs with longer shackles - it needed wedges to change the camber angle between the front spring perch and the stock leaf spring. Tighter steering components, a Saginaw steering conversion, a change in camber angle with spring perch wedges, those will also help if you are doing big tires like 33s. However, I ran out of time, money, and my rear driveshaft was a vibration nightmare on the highway.

I really think that the stock wheels look cool, but when stock equipment is paired with a taller tire, it allows the rolling resistance of the road, and the car's weight to steer for you. Lifts are nice, but, the modifications are often beyond what is often sold in a kit. I had rubbing issues with the (Rancho) lift springs that I put on with 33s. A double cardan u-joint for the rear driveshaft might have helped the vibration. I flipped the vehicle for a beater sedan, years later, during a moment of inspiration and regret, I bought my current LC.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

You know how it feels now as far as being gutless.

I could be wrong but I don’t think it’s operable yet.

 

[brian]

33s 10.50.....no problems no negative side effects.

 

[FloridaLife]

You know how it feels now as far as being gutless. If you put taller tires on it, it will only make it worse. Your only option if you do is to use lower gears. Other things to consider; if running on a lot of sand than wider tires will float on top easier, if running in mud or snow than narrow tires usually perform better.

Going up one size from stock is usually no problem, going more usually means clearance issues without making modifications. A lot of folks us longer shackles to raise a vehicle but can lead to handling issues.

Determine how you are going to use you vehicle and then make your selection.

Thank you

 

[FloridaLife]

My owners manual says H78-15 came with the vehicle. I installed a set of 215/75/R15, (not 205/75R15 as in post #102) on stock wheels, no lift. I stay off of the freeway. Coker Tire cross-references H78-15 to about a 225/75R15, but that is usually a trailer-tire when I was shopping for shoes, not typically mounted on a passenger vehicle.

Because the ball joints, aka 'steering knuckle,' on the front axle are angled, not vertical to the car, or what we call the 'kingpin angle,' it allows the weight of the vehicle, and the rolling resistance of the road to make the tires point straight. On a flat surface, the car will somewhat center itself if you let go of the steering wheel. It is tuned to the tire-radius and width of the stock wheel. You can install a wider wheel, and it will allow you to also install a taller tire, while essentially maintaining the factory axle's kingpin-tune, aka 'scrub radius.'

I did 33x10.5 on 8-inch aftermarket wheels - fun ride at slow speeds, but all over the highway, back in the day. Low speeds, it was tons of fun, especially from the driver's perspective being so up there. When I bought it, the ride came with 265/75/r15 on 8-inch wheels, and that was decent for stock springs with longer shackles - it needed wedges to change the camber angle between the front spring perch and the stock leaf spring. Tighter steering components, a Saginaw steering conversion, a change in camber angle with spring perch wedges, those will also help if you are doing big tires like 33s. However, I ran out of time, money, and my rear driveshaft was a vibration nightmare on the highway.

I really think that the stock wheels look cool, but when stock equipment is paired with a taller tire, it allows the rolling resistance of the road, and the car's weight to steer for you. Lifts are nice, but, the modifications are often beyond what is often sold in a kit. I had rubbing issues with the (Rancho) lift springs that I put on with 33s. A double cardan u-joint for the rear driveshaft might have helped the vibration. I flipped the vehicle for a beater sedan, years later, during a moment of inspiration and regret, I bought my current LC.

Thank you. So, with my 15 inch stock wheels and probably a little bit of a lift (previous owners added 3 leafs to the front and 2 leafs to the back), what size tire would you recommend?

Thank you

 

[Grayscale]

Thank you. So, with my 15 inch stock wheels and probably a little bit of a lift (previous owners added 3 leafs to the front and 2 leafs to the back), what size tire would you recommend?

Thank you

I now just glanced at the entire thread. So, when I answered before, I was thinking about a stock 40... A 4-inch lift is quite a bit of lift, in my opinion.

I can't answer about recommendations for that wheel / spring combo. Maybe those extra leafs are for the winch? How do you plan to use the truck? How much do you want to tinker with it? How much money do you want to invest? V8?

Personally, at about 130lbs, I really can't mount a 33x12.5 BFG Mud Terrain on an axle hub. The tire is 58 pounds without the wheel. I recall struggling to remove and install from the hub, the 15x8 steel wheels BFG Mud Terrain combo. Too much cantilever, and my back was never up for that. Getting it from the spare tire carrier is no problem, but the crouched position required to change a tire is risky, in my opinion.

 

[FloridaLife]

I now just glanced at the entire thread. So, when I answered before, I was thinking about a stock 40... A 4-inch lift is quite a bit of lift, in my opinion.

I can't answer about recommendations for that wheel / spring combo. Maybe those extra leafs are for the winch? How do you plan to use the truck? How much do you want to tinker with it? How much money do you want to invest? V8?

Personally, at about 130lbs, I really can't mount a 33x12.5 BFG Mud Terrain on an axle hub. The tire is 58 pounds without the wheel. I recall struggling to remove and install from the hub, the 15x8 steel wheels BFG Mud Terrain combo. Too much cantilever, and my back was never up for that. Getting it from the spare tire carrier is no problem, but the crouched position required to change a tire is risky, in my opinion.

I know what you mean. I've had 5 spine surgeries (2 in my neck and 3 in my low back) so crouching to do that would not be good for me either. I'd have to call roadside assistance.

No V8, not yet anyway. I'm going to run a '78 2F engine with a 4 speed transmission and an overdrive unit. If the clutching and shifting gears becomes too painful on my low back and/or hips (had surgery on both hips 39 years ago) then I'll do a swap for an automatic transmission and possibly a V8.

I'm retired so I do not drive to work daily or anything like that. I'll drive it to the grocery store or hardware store once in a while, go fishing in it, and to the beach once in a while. Probably do a little off-roading once in a while but being in mid Florida for the past 4 years I doubt there's anything like rock crawling around here. Probably more sandy and/or muddy off road stuff around here. I have even thought about having the additional leafs removed to get it back to stock height, which would make it easier for me (with my hips and back) to get in and out of.

 

[Grayscale]

I know what you mean. I've had 5 spine surgeries (2 in my neck and 3 in my low back) so crouching to do that would not be good for me either. I'd have to call roadside assistance.

No V8, not yet anyway. I'm going to run a '78 2F engine with a 4 speed transmission and an overdrive unit. If the clutching and shifting gears becomes too painful on my low back and/or hips (had surgery on both hips 39 years ago) then I'll do a swap for an automatic transmission and possibly a V8.

I'm retired so I do not drive to work daily or anything like that. I'll drive it to the grocery store or hardware store once in a while, go fishing in it, and to the beach once in a while. Probably do a little off-roading once in a while but being in mid Florida for the past 4 years I doubt there's anything like rock crawling around here. Probably more sandy and/or muddy off road stuff around here. I have even thought about having the additional leafs removed to get it back to stock height, which would make it easier for me (with my hips and back) to get in and out of.

Call? For an FJ40? All I have to do is stand outside of the truck, or prop the hood, and here comes someone asking, "What year is it?" "Need any help?" It is amazing what driving the oldest Toyota in town will do for garnering attention.
Tires age pretty quick, so unless you plan on spinning the odometer pretty soon, I'd wait a bit on new shoes. How old are the current treads?
I'm certainly in the minority, as far as running small, stockish tires, here on Mud. So, maybe I'm out of the loop as far as what to do with an FJ40? However, with overdrive (which is a tight fit on a 4-speed and 2F) and Florida freeways, I'd want the build to be as nimble as possible. Perhaps the extra leafs were there for the winch?
I feel like the independent front suspension systems make a better vehicle to push around with bigger than stock tires, as the double wishbone suspensions have a non-static camber, as the suspension articulates with terrain, maintaining driver confidence.
An FJ40 is not like driving a modern vehicle at all, and at times, it is hard to keep up with traffic on the switchback mountain roads that I play around on. Also, having leaf springs up front makes for a harsh ride. A lack of sway-bars is kinda archaic. I'm often braking for deer around blind bends. A tube containing my fly rod makes it easy to open the passenger-side kick-vent when I'm buckled in the driver's seat.

 

[FloridaLife]

Call? For an FJ40? All I have to do is stand outside of the truck, or prop the hood, and here comes someone asking, "What year is it?" "Need any help?" It is amazing what driving the oldest Toyota in town will do for garnering attention.
Tires age pretty quick, so unless you plan on spinning the odometer pretty soon, I'd wait a bit on new shoes. How old are the current treads?
I'm certainly in the minority, as far as running small, stockish tires, here on Mud. So, maybe I'm out of the loop as far as what to do with an FJ40? However, with overdrive (which is a tight fit on a 4-speed and 2F) and Florida freeways, I'd want the build to be as nimble as possible. Perhaps the extra leafs were there for the winch?
I feel like the independent front suspension systems make a better vehicle to push around with bigger than stock tires, as the double wishbone suspensions have a non-static camber, as the suspension articulates with terrain, maintaining driver confidence.
An FJ40 is not like driving a modern vehicle at all, and at times, it is hard to keep up with traffic on the switchback mountain roads that I play around on. Also, having leaf springs up front makes for a harsh ride. A lack of sway-bars is kinda archaic. I'm often braking for deer around blind bends. A tube containing my fly rod makes it easy to open the passenger-side kick-vent when I'm buckled in the driver's seat.

What tires are you running?

I have no idea how old the tires are. The tires say "BUCKSHOT WIDE MUDDER" on them. I bought the '71 FJ40 at the end of May. The tires look pretty old, but there is a lot of tread. When I bought it the engine was disassembled and in the back (which is why in pics the back looks lower than the front) and supposedly all there, but it turned out the crank and pistons were missing. That's when I sourced the 2F and 4 speed. I only had it here at the house for 2 days before having it towed to a shop to get the a couple of rust holes cut out of the bed, new metal welded in, and then the underside, bed & floor pan sprayed to prevent future rust and corrosion. Then I had it towed to the paint and body shop. The tires are going to have to come off the wheels so the wheels can be blasted and then repainted. I wanted to get them powder coated but that was pretty pricey. I'll attach a couple of picks to try to show the tires that came on it. And before anyone teases me about them, the auxiliary lights have already been removed from the fenders and welded in metal at the holes, and the awful aftermarket side mirrors removed, as well as the gigantic front bumper. It came with a GIANT old winch that weighs a ton, but I will probably replace it with a newer, lighter, better winch.

You mentioned dodging deer (I hit one at 75 mph at 3am one time, exploded it!). If you want this deer / cattle / brush / zombie / mother-in-law guard of a front bumper you can have it if you cover shipping.

 

[FloridaLife]

What tires are you running?

I have no idea how old the tires are. The tires say "BUCKSHOT WIDE MUDDER" on them. I bought the '71 FJ40 at the end of May. The tires look pretty old, but there is a lot of tread. When I bought it the engine was disassembled and in the back (which is why in pics the back looks lower than the front) and supposedly all there, but it turned out the crank and pistons were missing. That's when I sourced the 2F and 4 speed. I only had it here at the house for 2 days before having it towed to a shop to get the a couple of rust holes cut out of the bed, new metal welded in, and then the underside, bed & floor pan sprayed to prevent future rust and corrosion. Then I had it towed to the paint and body shop. The tires are going to have to come off the wheels so the wheels can be blasted and then repainted. I wanted to get them powder coated but that was pretty pricey. I'll attach a couple of picks to try to show the tires that came on it. And before anyone teases me about them, the auxiliary lights have already been removed from the fenders and welded in metal at the holes, and the awful aftermarket side mirrors removed, as well as the gigantic front bumper. It came with a GIANT old winch that weighs a ton, but I will probably replace it with a newer, lighter, better winch.

You mentioned dodging deer (I hit one at 75 mph at 3am one time, exploded it!). If you want this deer / cattle / brush / zombie / mother-in-law guard of a front bumper you can have it if you cover shipping.

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I zoomed in and I "think" I can read N78/15LT on them too.

 

[Pighead]

I have no idea how old the tires are.

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There might be a date code on your sidewall, could look something like this...

 

[Grayscale]

What tires are you running?

I'm running Ironman RB-12 NWS 215/75/R15 all-season. They are to spec for the OEM 5.5-inch steel wheels, as far as rim width.

I think that in '71 they came with riveted wheels? So if you are thinking about a future disc brake upgrade, then there are reported clearance issues. New 'welded' Toyota wheels would probably be far less expensive than powder coating your old ones, consider the effort it would take to strip off the paint and treat any surface rust.

 

[FloridaLife]

I'm running Ironman RB-12 NWS 215/75/R15 all-season. They are to spec for the OEM 5.5-inch steel wheels, as far as rim width.

I think that in '71 they came with riveted wheels? So if you are thinking about a future disc brake upgrade, then there are reported clearance issues. New 'welded' Toyota wheels would probably be far less expensive than powder coating your old ones, consider the effort it would take to strip off the paint and treat any surface rust.

I did a search on your tires and the result I got said they are 27.68 inches tall. Is that correct? I searched the tires on mine and got a couple of different results. One said 31 inches and another said 29 inches. Although I like the look of a bigger tire that fills more of the wheel well, I do not want to make the mistake they made on Top Gear and ruin the performance, and I don't want to tweak my back or make my hips hurt trying to climb in and out of it. I'm thinking with more of an original size tire and maybe taking the lift kit off it might be very comfortable to get in and out of, about like sliding right into my 25 year old Toyota 4Runner I recently sold. It was very comfortable getting in and out of it.

Good to know on the wheels, because I have thought about possibly doing disc brakes in the future. Not right now though, as my wife is already about to have a stroke over the money I've spent on this thing. I have to remind her I sold my motorcycle and my 4Runner to help finance this, so our out of pocket isn't insane.

Can anyone out there confirm if the '71 FJ40 (build date DEC '70) wheels are riveted or welded?

Thank you.

 

[FloridaLife]

There might be a date code on your sidewall, could look something like this...

View attachment 3695115

Next time I go by the paint & body shop I'll take a look and snap a pic to share.

 

[brian]

Can anyone out there confirm if the '71 FJ40 (build date DEC '70) wheels are riveted or welded?

Thank you.

Just look at them.

 

[Grayscale]

Yes, my tires are like 27.5-inches. Now, in reality, my air pressure, psi is a ratio, and I have less area on my smaller tires. My vehicle actually makes the sidewall squish, and the tire conforms to the road, way more than it does with bigger tires, at the same pressure. Part of that is that the sidewall thickness is proportional to the overall tire, bigger tires are for more massive trucks. Sure you probably need to run big tires at slightly lower pressures.
Without removing a wheel, what does the back of the spare tire carrier look like? MIG welding was developed in the '70s, before that, riveted wheels.
Ask in the 4Runner forum about seat and running board height? I'm a big 4Runner fan, as my buddy certainly out-wheeled my cool-looking lifted 40, back before Gen2 Runners were classic. Somewhere between 84 and 86 4Runner / Pickup remains Toyota's state-of-the-art 4wd, imo.

 

[FloridaLife]

Just look at them.

Uh... I would, but as previously stated it is not here where I can look at it. It is at the paint & body shop. Next time I'm over there I will try to look.