Recommendations for street wheels/tires (1 Viewer)

[LexusSnob]

As much as I would love to say I'm wheelin every weekend, at the moment my truck is 99% street. I got it for what I think was a good deal but it came with some aftermarket wheels I don't care much for and on top of that one is rusting to the point where there is a slight leak in the winter when the air is thinner. Leak stopped once it warmed up. Either way, it's time for new wheels. Since this truck is mainly used for errands, transporting my large dog, and road trips with said dog, I think it makes sense to get a dedicated street wheel/tire combo for now and get a dedicated dirt set when I am able to try off-road fun.

All that being said, from what I have found so far it sounds like the Michelin Defender is what I want for street. As for wheels I'm fine with finding some used OEM wheels from someone for cheap as I think they look OK. However, if there is a noticeable benefit to a wider, larger diameter wheel I'm willing to entertain some aftermarket options. SCS F5s look cool but seem like they would be a better choice for when I get an off-road set.

I'm pretty new to trucks in general so I am not very familiar with the brands and vendors available. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[LexusSnob]

I should also mention the truck is stock other than these wheels and the crappy head unit (and amp delete...).

 

[shane431]

I’d sell it and get a Honda Accord. Much more practical for street and a lot better MPG! Or if you need more room a Minivan is a very practical solution. Hope this helps.

I’m partially kidding but if really aren’t going off pavement there are a lot of cheaper options to own.

 

[YotaWagon]

I’d sell it and get a Honda Accord. Much more practical for street and a lot better MPG! Or if you need more room a Minivan is a very practical solution. Hope this helps.

I’m partially kidding but if really aren’t going off pavement there are a lot of cheaper options to own.

No need to gatekeep. Anyone who wants a Land Cruiser should own a Land Cruiser.

Get the 18" OEM wheels. They're stronger, lighter, and cheaper than aftermarket alternatives. It drives me nuts how many brand new Tacomas, Tundras, etc. that I see with cheap aftermarket crap.

As for tires, I'd just read the reviews, I'm sure the Defenders would be a good set.

 

[LexusSnob]

I’d sell it and get a Honda Accord. Much more practical for street and a lot better MPG! Or if you need more room a Minivan is a very practical solution. Hope this helps.

I’m partially kidding but if really aren’t going off pavement there are a lot of cheaper options to own.

I have an Altima for daily commuting. We needed a big vehicle for moving the dog around and hauling things. What is a more reliable vehicle for $7k that you would actually want to own?

I plan to hit some trails in the future, but right now time/money isn't permitting. Also, this is the first truck I have ever owned. So I suppose I should already know all the trails in my area and be embedded in the culture within days of purchasing the truck.



Yota,
Thanks for the real advice. Sounds like I had my head in the right place already. Keep it stock on the street, get some off-road wheels/tires when I have the time to start trying that. I want to get hooked up with the local scene and get some pointers before I venture out. Maybe the local meetups in NoVA have started up again.

 

[shane431]

@LexusSnob I was probably too harsh in my reply but really meant it in more of a joking manner. Seriously, there are a lot of options for mainly street commute. The Michelin Defender LTX were on my vehicle when I purchased it. They seemed to be a well made tire and would probably take you wherever you'd like to go.

I'd probably go a cheaper route though, maybe some Yokohama Geolanders.

 

[planomateo]

Spend the money and get the right tires once.

 

[bucfl]

I going with these after my current set wears out...

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Defender+LTX+M%2FS&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=875R6DLTX&tab=Sizes

 

[OwnerCS]

I like the SCS F5 for being lightweight, providing a wider stance, and ease of maintenance. F5s are very popular with 100 series owners.

Here's a thread about SCS F5 wheels.

5x150 SCS F5 Wheels 16x8

I was super happy to see that @SCSPerformance made these in 5x150 as the market was lacking in wheels options I liked for 100s. I could only find a few pictures on the forum, so I thought I'd add these if that would help anyone. I wanted to stay with 16s or 17s for bigger sidewall, so it came...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[LexusSnob]

@LexusSnob I was probably too harsh in my reply but really meant it in more of a joking manner. Seriously, there are a lot of options for mainly street commute. The Michelin Defender LTX were on my vehicle when I purchased it. They seemed to be a well made tire and would probably take you wherever you'd like to go.

I'd probably go a cheaper route though, maybe some Yokohama Geolanders.

Whatever man, s*** gets lost in communication through text. Honestly, I might have said the same type of s*** in a different scenario. All good. I understand where I am and most people here are heavily biased towards off vs on-road.


Thanks all. Maybe my decisions are being based on a false premise since I'm new to off-road. My understanding has always been off-road tires suck on-road and are loud and wear quickly on pavement. Maybe (definitely) I don't know what I'm talking about. Even with a fully built rig and all the free time in the world I can't see myself hitting the dirt more than once a month, and to be honest that seems optimistic. I figured if I was only going off-road a few times a year it would make sense to have two sets of wheels/tires. All my experience is from cars though so I'm basing it on track tires vs street tires.

Maybe that is not necessary here and I am overthinking it. I was always assuming I would end up with something like the OEM wheels with the Michelin Defenders and something like the SCS F5s with K02s for off-road excursions. I figure it would be "best" to hit both extremes. Most quiet/longest lasting on road, beefy knobbies for off. But if there is a better middle ground or if K02s last fine on pavement and aren't deafening then I'm happy to go that route. Or maybe the Defenders do just fine on green trails and that's all I need to get started and learn the basics. I always assumed people were swapping wheels to go off-road if their rigs were serving multiple roles but as I said I'm new to trucks and off-road in general.

 

[MissouriLC]

Whatever man, s*** gets lost in communication through text. Honestly, I might have said the same type of s*** in a different scenario. All good. I understand where I am and most people here are heavily biased towards off vs on-road.


Thanks all. Maybe my decisions are being based on a false premise since I'm new to off-road. My understanding has always been off-road tires suck on-road and are loud and wear quickly on pavement. Maybe (definitely) I don't know what I'm talking about. Even with a fully built rig and all the free time in the world I can't see myself hitting the dirt more than once a month, and to be honest that seems optimistic. I figured if I was only going off-road a few times a year it would make sense to have two sets of wheels/tires. All my experience is from cars though so I'm basing it on track tires vs street tires.

Maybe that is not necessary here and I am overthinking it. I was always assuming I would end up with something like the OEM wheels with the Michelin Defenders and something like the SCS F5s with K02s for off-road excursions. I figure it would be "best" to hit both extremes. Most quiet/longest lasting on road, beefy knobbies for off. But if there is a better middle ground or if K02s last fine on pavement and aren't deafening then I'm happy to go that route. Or maybe the Defenders do just fine on green trails and that's all I need to get started and learn the basics. I always assumed people were swapping wheels to go off-road if their rigs were serving multiple roles but as I said I'm new to trucks and off-road in general.

If you’re not dead set on the Defenders, you might take a look at the Toyo Open Country H/T 2. We had these on our Sequoia before switching it to the A/T 2, and they were great tires. More reasonable cost than the Michelin’s.

FWIW, I’ve also heard great things about the Cooper AT3, with the consensus being it more of an AT/HT hybrid… off road capable but without the downsides of most all terrains. I’ve not run these though, so no first hand experience.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I'd get some LC or Tundra take offs from your local classifieds and then Michelin tires, they last forever.

 

[GTV]

I'd get some LC or Tundra take offs from your local classifieds and then Michelin tires, they last forever.

X2

If you buy tires don't bother with the stock 275/60r18 size. Go a step up to 275/65's (same as Tundra/Sequoia), much more common size so they are much less expensive.

 

[jLB]

I had the Michelin Defenders on my 06 LX470 for a number of years. They did ride and wear fairly well. For me the last straw on the Defenders was the 3rd flat, in two months, on city streets. The last one, was from someone's bumper bracket, left in the middle of the street. I've got ~7 years on (this vehicle with) LT tires, which don't ride quite as nice, but don't pop like a balloon, over every sharp rock, or piece of metal... YMMV.

 

[spc7669]

I had a set of the Michelin AT’s on my Tacoma. Calling them AT is a bit of a stretch but they rode great and wore great. When these KO2’s that came on my LC wear out, I’m going back to them.