Steel wheel questions

[Tom n N]

I’ve got a ‘93 pre Tacoma truck, and like a lot of folks here I tend to overload it when heading out on a trip. For added safety I plan to upgrade to an E rated tire, which will require changing to 16” rims. The plan is to find some used steel Toyota rims and install 235/85R-16’s.

My research seems to indicate that all pre Tacoma 6” rims had 0 offset, and 7” had an 8mm offset. Tacoma 7” rims went to a 15mm offset up through 2004 (for larger brakes?).

So far I’ve come up with the following options. I’m using the factory part number, but omitting the first five digits, as they are all 42601:

60262
16x6 steel spoke
0 offset
Jon Hanson used these rims on a similar truck and said they worked great.
Disadvantages:
-Hard to find used
-6” size is on the small end of the 6-7.5” range of the tires I want to use, and would limit going to a wider tire in the future.
-Don’t come in the black color I want, so would have to add a couple hundred dollars to have powder coated.

OC010 or AF010
16x7 steel 16 hole
15mm offset
01-04 Taco

35750 or 35701
16x7 steel 18 hole
15mm offset
96-02 4runner
* These seem to be a little cheaper used.

Questions:
- Assuming 15mm offset (about half inch) won’t be a problem?
-Is there any difference between the 4runner 18 hole and Taco 16 hole rims other than the number of holes?
-Anything else I’m missing?

Thanks for any and all help or opinions,
Tom

 

[BajaSurfRig]

I would reconsider going with steel wheels unless you feel that you really need them. They will be heavier impacting MPG’s and will wear out front end components faster as well requiring more dampening due to more unsprung weight. I am running the 5 spoke toyota alloy rims (found on Facebook marketplace for $50) on my T100 with 235’s and love the combo. The lightest 235 I could find was the Toyo AT3 coming in at 44 pounds. I lost 2 MPG’s going to 235’s FYI.

 

[phsycle]

I’ve tested several rims from Tacoma’s and 4Runners from that era and they’ve all got the same backspacing/offset. I’d just get whatever is cheaper and in best condition.

Or just get some Pro Comp steel rims for cheap.

 

[97heavyweight]

I drive a newer 3rd gen Tacoma and I weigh 6500lbs loaded. I wouldn't dream of going back to an E rated tire. If it were me and I had a 93 pickup i'd stay with the D rated tires and rock the 15" rims. I currently roll around on a set of 34 10.5R17 BFG ATs which are load rating D. E's are too much for these small trucks.

 

[nely]

I would check out the first gen tundra steel wheels. They are 16” and probably easier to find. I used them on my 3rd gen 4runner


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PirateMcGee]

I would rethink eloads. The load rating does not necessarily correlate to increased offroad durabilty especially on a vehicle that light. I would go with c loads and a relatively light weight but durable all terrain (like Yoko G015s). Those early trucks (v6 or 4) are pretty under powered but still pretty driveable when stock. I would also go with 15" wheels. Mo sidewall with appropriate load rating will make for a far more comfortable ride on these torsion trucks.

When loaded or with big heavy tires they are dogs and terrible to drive.

 

[phsycle]

I’ve run 235/85/16’s in LR E (on a 2001 Tacoma). Just lower the pressure a bit. No big deal.

 

[Tom n N]

Really appreciate all the responses. I think maybe a little more information from me might be helpful.

I‘ve had the truck since new in 93. It’s always been a spare truck, never a daily driver. Half it’s life is spent with just a shell on the back and 15” highway tires, and we use it for (on) road trips. The other half it gets a 4 Wheel Camper on the back and is used for extended off road trips throughout the western states. During these trips it’s heavily loaded and finds itself in places no sane person would normally take a camper. For these trips I have always swapped over to a set of BFG Mud Terrains, which have always served me well. Over the years I’ve obviously gained more “stuff “ because I stopped at a truck scale on the way out of town recently and the overall weight was #6600 with #3740 of that on the rear axel. 15” tires only come in load range C, which at a capacity of about #2000 is cutting it pretty close on that rear end, especially when I think of all the times it’s had one wheel in the air on the rocks. For this reason I’m going to switch to 16” rims and 235 E rated tires for when I have the camper installed. This is a safety issue and not up for discussion.

While I appreciate the point made about the advantages of aluminum rims, I’ve never used them because I figure it’s easier to get home on bent steel than cracked aluminum.

Sounds like the 15mm offset won’t be a problem in my case, so I guess my main question now is what if anything is the difference between the 16 hole Taco / Tundra wheels, and the 18 hole 4runner wheels.

Thanks again for any opinions or advice,
Tom

 

[PirateMcGee]

Really appreciate all the responses. I think maybe a little more information from me might be helpful.

I‘ve had the truck since new in 93. It’s always been a spare truck, never a daily driver. Half it’s life is spent with just a shell on the back and 15” highway tires, and we use it for (on) road trips. The other half it gets a 4 Wheel Camper on the back and is used for extended off road trips throughout the western states. During these trips it’s heavily loaded and finds itself in places no sane person would normally take a camper. For these trips I have always swapped over to a set of BFG Mud Terrains, which have always served me well. Over the years I’ve obviously gained more “stuff “ because I stopped at a truck scale on the way out of town recently and the overall weight was #6600 with #3740 of that on the rear axel. 15” tires only come in load range C, which at a capacity of about #2000 is cutting it pretty close on that rear end, especially when I think of all the times it’s had one wheel in the air on the rocks. For this reason I’m going to switch to 16” rims and 235 E rated tires for when I have the camper installed. This is a safety issue and not up for discussion.

While I appreciate the point made about the advantages of aluminum rims, I’ve never used them because I figure it’s easier to get home on bent steel than cracked aluminum.

Sounds like the 15mm offset won’t be a problem in my case, so I guess my main question now is what if anything is the difference between the 16 hole Taco / Tundra wheels, and the 18 hole 4runner wheels.

Thanks again for any opinions or advice,
Tom

Running heavy! makes sense.