32 replies to this topic

[Tom n N]

I’ve got a 93 Toyota extended cab 4x4 (pre Tacoma) with a built out 4WC Eagle shell. I’ve always run 31 10.5 x15 BFG Mud Terrains and been very happy with them. They are ready to be replaced, but decided I’d take them on one more backcountry trip to Utah. On the way out of town I figured I’d stop at the feed store and see how much it weighed fully loaded. Unfortunately my 3,000# rated rear came in at 3,700#. Spent the whole two weeks worrying about my overloaded worn out tires. Fortunately nothing worse than one flat this trip, but I’m now wondering if going from ‘C’ to ‘E’ rated replacements might be a good idea.

 

So a couple questions:

 

I’m thinking about going with 235/85x16’s. Anyone know if that would work on an unlifted  truck? They need to not hit at full stuff, as this truck regularly goes places it has no business being.

 

When going to an E rating, how will that affect my ability to effectively air down when needed?

 

Anything else I should consider? Any and all comments will be appreciated 

Thanks

Tom

[rubberlegs]

This topic recently came up in https://www.wanderth...etter/?p=283303

 

We just bought 235/85R16 (BF Goodrich KO2, E rated) a week or two ago but haven't used them with the camper yet. Ours is an un-lifted 3rd gen Tacoma so it may have different dimensions, but everything I've read says that fits better than 265/75R16  which also fits (same dia, wider) without any changes. (Stock size for ours is 265/70R16).

 

I'll have more to say when we return from a trip in about a month. We will likely do some pretty rough roads and exercise the suspension.

 

Here's how I plan to pump up the tires based on the placard 30 psi for P-rated tires: 46 psi front and 66 rear. I'm not sure the air down pressures yet, but thinking of trying about 18 front, 24 rear. Our previous tires were the same brand and we often used 15/20 psi. We thought they worked great on bad roads, and lasted 56,000 miles. But realize that this is our first truck and we really can't compare to anything else.

Edited by rubberlegs, 26 October 2023 - 05:14 AM.

[57Pan]

I recently switched from 265/75 16 ko2s to 235/85 16 ko2s on my 2005 Tacoma . I like them just fine, don’t really notice any difference in ride quality at all. Recently did a 4000 mile road trip on them, they worked great. It does take a bit to get use to the narrow look of the tire, because most people run really wide tires,but I’m not most people.

[Tom n N]

This topic recently came up in https://www.wanderth...etter/?p=283303

 

We just bought 235/85R16 (BF Goodrich KO2, E rated) a week or two ago but haven't used them with the camper yet. Ours is an un-lifted 3rd gen Tacoma so it may have different dimensions, but everything I've read says that fits better than 265/75R16  which also fits (same dia, wider) without any changes. (Stock size for ours is 265/70R16).

 

I'll have more to say when we return from a trip in about a month. We will likely do some pretty rough roads and exercise the suspension.

 

Here's how I plan to pump up the tires based on the placard 30 psi for P-rated tires: 46 psi front and 66 rear. I'm not sure the air down pressures yet, but thinking of trying about 18 front, 24 rear. Our previous tires were the same brand and we often used 15/20 psi. We thought they worked great on bad roads, and lasted 56,000 miles. But realize that this is our first truck and we really can't compare to anything else.

Screenshot 2023-10-25 215829.png

Looking forward to hearing how they work for you. While a slightly different truck, I imagine the weight is about the same.
Thanks for your input,

Tom

[Tom n N]

I recently switched from 265/75 16 ko2s to 235/85 16 ko2s on my 2005 Tacoma . I like them just fine, don’t really notice any difference in ride quality at all. Recently did a 4000 mile road trip on them, they worked great. It does take a bit to get use to the narrow look of the tire, because most people run really wide tires,but I’m not most people.

Appreciate your reply.

Glad to hear they’re working out for you. Like you I’m all about function over form. Been running 235/85x16’s on my old Chevy for years, and figured it’s time to try them on the Toyota. I’ve always been of the opinion that big lifts and wide tires belong at the mall, not on the trail.

Thanks for sharing your experience,

Tom

Edited by Tom n N, 27 October 2023 - 02:34 AM.

[Tom n N]

Anyone out there that’s still driving a pre Tacoma Toyota tried this size? Love to hear from you.

[rubberlegs]

I have some preliminary thoughts about the narrow, taller tires, after a thousand plus miles on various road surfaces with 235/85R16, load index 120, 1" taller and 1.2" more narrow than stock size (which were 265/70R16, load index 121, although stock tires were load index 112 and P-rated):

• Appearance: They look a little skinny. But not as skinny as WWII jeeps. Maybe the current fashion of wide tires is affecting my eye. The tread has a noticeable crown at 42psi that the tire dealer pumped used (should have been 47psi per the tables). So I measured the tread depth, which was 15/32 in the middle, but 12/32 at the edges. One of these days I'll go into a tire shop and measure wider tires.
   
• Pavement: We are using 47psi front, 67 psi rear based on 2700 lb front axle weight, 3600 lb rear axle weight. It feels pretty similar. Gas mileage seems similar to our previous tires. Too early to tell. Speedometer is less than 1 mph below GPS measured speed (I never measured the old tires).
   
• Mud: we've done more mud on this trip than ever, and it seems ok. It wasn't deep mud. I probably won't have an opinion due to lack of mud experience. Clearance felt good, hard to compare so many months apart though -- psychologically it "feels" like we have a skosh more clearance.*
   
• Gravel: feels the same. I've heard theories they might roll easier due to smaller width, but we won't be able to do a direct comparison -- my memory isn't that good.
   
• Rocks: We drove some pretty bad roads, rolling over up to 10" rocks. We lowered to 22psi front, 30psi rear which felt quite comfortable. Later we tried lower pressure on a pretty nasty road which was also pretty comfortable. These are higher pressures than we used on the wider, less tall tires. A few easier rock crawling moves worked fine. I did scrape a rock which damaged the wheel a bit... oops.
   
• Sand: we did some sand, some deep enough to affect steering in ruts. We need more time on sand to comment further, but they worked ok. Similar theories are espoused that narrow rolls easier.
   
• Clearance: no issues yet.

Generally we have no complaints but need more miles for a full opinion. Possibly sand may be an area of slight concern. We've only been stuck once, in powdery sand between Eureka Dunes and Dedeckera Canyon. (No, we didn't drive up Dedeckera, as conditions were more difficult than we're interested in driving, but it was a nice hike.)

 

* We had never tried the Tacoma MTS function before, using the mud setting. It seemed like we had better traction with it turned on.

Edited by rubberlegs, 14 November 2023 - 02:12 AM.

[JHanson]

We had 235/85x16 BFGs on our pre-Tacoma Toyota pickup. They worked perfectly. Certainly no clearance issues.

 

The size is fine for sand; airing down lengthens the tire footprint far more than widening it. We traversed the Abu Moharek dune chain in Egypt in Land Cruisers on 235/85x16s.

[Tom n N]

I have some preliminary thoughts about the narrow, taller tires, after a thousand plus miles on various road surfaces with 235/85R16, load index 120, 1" taller and 1.2" more narrow than stock size (which were 265/70R16, load index 121, although stock tires were load index 112 and P-rated):

• Appearance: They look a little skinny. But not as skinny as WWII jeeps. Maybe the current fashion of wide tires is affecting my eye. The tread has a noticeable crown at 42psi that the tire dealer pumped used (should have been 47psi per the tables). So I measured the tread depth, which was 15/32 in the middle, but 12/32 at the edges. One of these days I'll go into a tire shop and measure wider tires.
   
• Pavement: We are using 47psi front, 67 psi rear based on 2700 lb front axle weight, 3600 lb rear axle weight. It feels pretty similar. Gas mileage seems similar to our previous tires. Too early to tell. Speedometer is less than 1 mph below GPS measured speed (I never measured the old tires).
   
• Mud: we've done more mud on this trip than ever, and it seems ok. It wasn't deep mud. I probably won't have an opinion due to lack of mud experience. Clearance felt good, hard to compare so many months apart though -- psychologically it "feels" like we have a skosh more clearance.*
   
• Gravel: feels the same. I've heard theories they might roll easier due to smaller width, but we won't be able to do a direct comparison -- my memory isn't that good.
   
• Rocks: We drove some pretty bad roads, rolling over up to 10" rocks. We lowered to 22psi front, 30psi rear which felt quite comfortable. Later we tried lower pressure on a pretty nasty road which was also pretty comfortable. These are higher pressures than we used on the wider, less tall tires. A few easier rock crawling moves worked fine. I did scrape a rock which damaged the wheel a bit... oops.
   
• Sand: we did some sand, some deep enough to affect steering in ruts. We need more time on sand to comment further, but they worked ok. Similar theories are espoused that narrow rolls easier.
   
• Clearance: no issues yet.

Generally we have no complaints but need more miles for a full opinion. Possibly sand may be an area of slight concern. We've only been stuck once, in powdery sand between Eureka Dunes and Dedeckera Canyon. (No, we didn't drive up Dedeckera, as conditions were more difficult than we're interested in driving, but it was a nice hike.)

 

* We had never tried the Tacoma MTS function before, using the mud setting. It seemed like we had better traction with it turned on.

Thanks for the update. Glad they are working out well for you. Found the rims I want and test fitted, all looked good. Going to go with a stock steel Toyota 16x7”, the black ones with 18 small holes like most Tacomas had for spares (keeping it cheap and simple). Have to wait for tires though, as I really want to stick with BFG Mud Terrains for off-road, they have served me well for many decades. Unfortunately they will not be making them in the 235 85R 16 size until the first of the year. Fortunately no real trips planned until February, so should work out.

 

 I can understand hesitation to go all the way up Dedeckera Canyon. Done that road several times over the years but always going down hill, gravity is your friend on that one. Also a little tight with a camper at the stair-steps.

 

Appreciate all your input,

Tom

[Tom n N]

We had 235/85x16 BFGs on our pre-Tacoma Toyota pickup. They worked perfectly. Certainly no clearance issues.

 

The size is fine for sand; airing down lengthens the tire footprint far more than widening it. We traversed the Abu Moharek dune chain in Egypt in Land Cruisers on 235/85x16s.

Love the picture of your old Toyota pickup, paint it green and that’s our setup. If 16’s worked for you on that rig they will definitely work for me.

 

Checked out your very informative website. While I have read a lot of your stuff in various magazines over the years, there was definitely much more there that I haven’t seen. Do you have any other pictures of that Toyota and camper hidden on your site? Would be great to see and read about all you probably did to and with it while you had it. I’ve had mine since new, but unlike most sane people, I will be driving it until they wrench the keys out of my cold dead fingers. Always interested in how others use and improve that model. Can’t tell you how many people tell me that’s the truck they most regret selling.

 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge,

Tom