99 4runner Build Questions And Another Tire Size Question

outdoorjunky

New member
First I'd like to introduce myself and say thanks for all the wonderful posts full of information on here. I've gained a lot of knowledge from lurking but now I'd like to participate in the forum as I am about to partake in a 4runner Expo build and need some clarification on a few things I think I've learned from reading the information provided here.

I'm in the market for a 99 4runner, I've always been a hilux/Tacoma guy but never have had 4wd on any of my trucks. I do a lot of waterfowl and upland bird hunting and this requires driving in conditions ranging from desert washboard trails with some heavy obstacles when upland hunting to dealing with heavy mud, ice , deep water, and snow when out waterfowling. I have a 2011 Subaru outback that I've been forced to take on a lot of these trips because it has somewhat of a 4wd capability and even though I know it's not ideal it's gotten me there, however, it is still extremely limited as far as where it can go. Since I'm getting married soon and kids will undoubtably be on the horizon the 4runner appeals to me for the 4 seats plus the 5speed manual option with e-locker. The gen 1 Tacoma doesn't come with a manual trans option with 4 doors unfortunately so I've ruled it out...

anyhow I'm pretty well decided on a a 3rd gen 4runner and I have some questions about lift, tire size in regard to rubbing, and whether I need to stiffen the suspension to accommodate winch bumpers and sliders on the truck.

Question 1 pertains to tire size and function not brand... I plan to put Cooper Discoverer ST MAXX tires on the rig but it's a toss up between 235/85/16 and 255/85/16. From what I have gathered 255's will rub and require hammering of the wheel well skirting to make it work ... will 235's also have rubbing issues?
I am considering a 2" lift but I also have gathered that suspension lifts do nothing for rubbing and a body lift is what would solve that ... I don't want to do a body lift so I'm looking to find a tire that will work without having to modify the body on the chassis. I also like the idea of the skinny tires .. I read some convincing articles and think it make a lot of sense especially since I'll be traveling long distance with the 4runner, not trailering it so less wind resistance and better mileage are appealing on top of the other advantages. My only concern is road manners in regard to snow, ice, and wet .... how do 235's hang in that regard?

In regard to Lift ... it seems like one of the solid options is going with bilstein shocks and tundra springs in the front and the OME springs with blistein shocks in the rear to give a 2" lift ... with that said I also plan to equip the rig with a tube winch bumper up front, a tube bumper with tire holder in the rear, and sliders. Do I need to rethink the lift option with that extra weight or will the progressive tundra springs accommodate that weight and still provide a 2" lift? Would I just need to tweak the adjustable blisteins in front to accommodate the extra weight? I'm going out on a limb and thinking maybe the same shocks would work but springs might need to be stiffened? Seems like the OME kits have a stiffer spring option for trucks that have extra added weight from off road bumpers but many praise the tundra lift for the front so I'm wondering what my options are.


Last question: will running a 2" suspension lift require me to drop the diff or is that only needed with 3" of lift and above?


Disclaimer: I have read many posts on here and gathered a lot of info to the point I may have overloaded myself so excuse me if my questions come across like a broken record.

Thanks in advance!
 

4runnerteq

Explorer
I run the Sonoran Steel 1.2 on my 97 with 285/75s. They did sub the upper control arms at full lock in reverse. Added spacers to the front only & no more rub. I like the 255s also, but, that size is not very common. If you have issue you may be down waiting for a tire to be ordered. Its hard to go wrong with OME as well and it is a bit more economical. Toytec has good spacer set ups also. I have the diff drop but I cant say I really need it. It does make me feel better though. The SS setup is bilsteins with TRD Tundra coils in front & Land Cruiser shocks & springs in the rear. The ride and articulation are great. I would also say it rides better than I think than my buddies 4runner with OME. The wheel spacers made me a little nervous at first, but not any more.
 

outdoorjunky

New member
I run the Sonoran Steel 1.2 on my 97 with 285/75s. They did sub the upper control arms at full lock in reverse. Added spacers to the front only & no more rub. I like the 255s also, but, that size is not very common. If you have issue you may be down waiting for a tire to be ordered. Its hard to go wrong with OME as well and it is a bit more economical. Toytec has good spacer set ups also. I have the diff drop but I cant say I really need it. It does make me feel better though. The SS setup is bilsteins with TRD Tundra coils in front & Land Cruiser shocks & springs in the rear. The ride and articulation are great. I would also say it rides better than I think than my buddies 4runner with OME. The wheel spacers made me a little nervous at first, but not any more.

I was reading about the LC 7 coil lift for the rear but many reported that they were getting 3.5 or 4" lifts out of them. I'm looking for a modest 2" lift that is fairly level from front to rear. seems like the Tundra Bilstein 5100's all the way around with tundra TRD coils in front and OME 906 coils in the rear would accomplish a 2" lift all the way around but what compensation needs to be made for the extra 100+ pounds the steel bumpers and winch will add to the front and rear of the truck? Maybe it's not an issue with the Tundra bilsteins? Reason I ask is I was originally looking at the complete OME kit and they have several options for added weight, I assume this is to accommodate winch bumpers etc?? By the way thank you for your input!
 

4runnerteq

Explorer
Yep. Like you said, the OME markets really more for load carrying and the lift as a by product. My truck sets pretty much level, it had just a little rake when first installed a few years ago. If I were going OME Id go all the way around. I think it would work out better as a matched set.


I don't think theres 4" there.Maybe overall with tires and lift
 

Attachments

  • photo (7).jpg
    photo (7).jpg
    579.6 KB · Views: 11
Last edited:

pillguy

Observer
I have a 3rd gen 97 with 255/85/16 and sonaran lift kit. Minor rub on the frame, but I have never worried about it. Its a great tire size.
 

4runnerteq

Explorer
Id y almost go with 255s if I could get it in BFG AT. I'm very partial to that tire. Lots of people like the Coopers, but the few Ive seen just didn't seem to last like the BFGs and chopped out horrible on the edges.
 

Elbee

Adventurer
255/85 will rub slightly with a 2" lift. Also at 85 size, there is a noticeable loss of power

255/70 will not rub (even stock, i think)

I have around 2" inch lift up front and 2.5" in the back that levels out when loaded heavily and i didn't do a diff drop. Ive been running it for almost 20k miles.

For your needs... Get the e-locker stick shift 4runner and get some KM2 BF goodrich 255/70 tires, and upgrade the suspension to something below 3". This keeps reliability and MPG and will fully suffice your needs. Tire and locking differential are the things that add the most to capability.

virgin ut 4runner.jpgScreen Shot 2015-07-06 at 6.34.30 PM.jpg
 
Last edited:

outdoorjunky

New member
255/85 will rub slightly with a 2" lift. Also at 85 size, there is a noticeable loss of power

255/70 will not rub (even stock, i think)

I have around 2" inch lift up front and 2.5" in the back that levels out when loaded heavily and i didn't do a diff drop. Ive been running it for almost 20k miles.

For your needs... Get the e-locker stick shift 4runner and get some KM2 BF goodrich 255/70 tires, and upgrade the suspension to something below 3". This keeps reliability and MPG and will fully suffice your needs. Tire and locking differential are the things that add the most to capability.

View attachment 383081View attachment 383082

Ahh you see! You answered the question I forgot to ask with 4.30 gear ratio and 85's will a re gear really be needed ... seems like perhaps it will ... 4.30 is pretty close to spec for a 235/85/16 but not on the money so I was curious.

Also your rig looks just about perfect ... are those 255/70?
 
Last edited:

Elbee

Adventurer
Quick clarification:

235 is width of tire / 85 is sidewall distance / 16 you know 16 is ;)

Width of ire does not affect gear ratio, the middle number does.

Yes, the tires currently on my truck are 255/85, i suggest you go with 255/70 or 75 (not sure what is being manufactured). This will help with gearing especially at altitude and on the highway. With the 85's anything past 65 kicks up the revs and shift points in a weird way, especially with truck fully loaded. At altitude and loaded down puts a lot of stress on the truck with 85s, IMHO.

That being said, the tires are sweet and have gone through alot! From thick mud, snow, and hundreds of miles of desert track and rocky roads.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
The middle number is sidewall aspect ratio, so a 235/85R16 means a 235mm (9.25") wide tread and the sidewall is 85% of this, IOW 200mm (7.87') tall. So the overall height is 16" + 2 x 7.87" = 31.79".

I run 235/85R16 KO2 and they are only about 3.5% bigger in circumference than the 265/70R16 I had stock. The difference is marginal in performance from my seat of the pants, but I'm running a 4.0L/6 speed stick Tacoma. Also zero rubbing with roughly 2.25" of lift. But again, different truck. Happy with the tires, although they are little narrow appearing on 7" rims.
 
Last edited:

outdoorjunky

New member
Quick clarification:

235 is width of tire / 85 is sidewall distance / 16 you know 16 is ;)

Width of ire does not affect gear ratio, the middle number does.

Yes, the tires currently on my truck are 255/85, i suggest you go with 255/70 or 75 (not sure what is being manufactured). This will help with gearing especially at altitude and on the highway. With the 85's anything past 65 kicks up the revs and shift points in a weird way, especially with truck fully loaded. At altitude and loaded down puts a lot of stress on the truck with 85s, IMHO.

That being said, the tires are sweet and have gone through alot! From thick mud, snow, and hundreds of miles of desert track and rocky roads.


right... but with that said 235/85 have a diameter of 31.7" and 255/85 are a hare over 33" ... my reasoning for leaning toward 235's was the diameter is closer to stock than 255/85 and it seems like 235 won't run at all and provide room for snow chains. Actually a lot of people say no need to regear with a 32" or under tire ... others say go to 4.88 gears. It seems very subjective and 255/70 just strikes me as a bit small ... 255/75 are only about 2/3 of an inch less in diameter than 235/85 ... who knew selecting a set of tires for such a wide range of purposes could be so technical :) anyhow I've been saving $$ for this project for a while so I have some money I can invest ... I want to make this truck as reliable as possible for its function so maybe I'll get regeared assembled 3rds and swap them myself ... seems like everyone does this via east coast gear supply and then sends back their old 3rds for core refund . I'm still going to look hard at the 255/70 ... need to judge scale with a 2" lift somehow.
 
Last edited:

p nut

butter
I've said it many times in the past, but 235/85/16 will not result in better MPG than other 32" tires. I had both 235/85/16 and 265/75/16 on my old Tacoma. There was zero difference in MPG (both returned ~19mpg highway). I really don't see any reason NOT to choose 265/75/16's in your scenario. 255's seem to be overkill.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
You are probably just overthinking it. If you can't do what you want with a 235/85R16 then you're probably not going to do it just because you have a 255/85R16. It's an extra inch of sidewall height, not Earth shaking. I went with the smaller tires because I did not want to rub or have to trim anything. I also wanted AT tread and not MT, so the 255s were not an option from BFG. C'est la vie.

So far the KO2 has been good for me on dirt, mud and snowy roads without killing my mileage or being too obnoxiously loud. Honestly, you can't really go completely wrong with any of the options, the Coopers are good, the BFGs are good.

IMO you need to focus on matching the tread design to your intended use and then just find a brand and size that most closely works. So what if it's an inch taller, narrower, wider or shorter than perfect. It'll work.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I've said it many times in the past, but 235/85/16 will not result in better MPG than other 32" tires. I had both 235/85/16 and 265/75/16 on my old Tacoma. There was zero difference in MPG (both returned ~19mpg highway). I really don't see any reason NOT to choose 265/75/16's in your scenario. 255's seem to be overkill.
My mileage is slightly worse with the 235/85R16 than it was with the stock tires. But my old 265/70R16 (never have tried 265/75R16) were original KO tread in load range C, so about 10 lbs lighter per tire. I was also not lifted. What really seems to have dinked my mileage was the bull bar, that seems to have taken 1~2 MPG from I assume the big flat profile... FWIW, one reason I went narrower was I prefer the handling of them in snow. I don't like the sensation of floating with wider tires.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,533
Messages
2,875,612
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top