285/75/16 tire on a 16x7 wheel

[Yulli]

I'm looking into tires for my Toyota Tacoma. Unfortunately they don't offer the 255/85/16 on the new BFG AT KO2. Though, Cooper has an AT that I liked offered in the 255/85/16.

My question is though, if I were to go up the next size for the KO2s, they come in the 285/75/16 and would be the closest to equal the 255/85 in diameter. Since it's a wider tire, I'd probably want to run a wheel spacer(I'm assuming) and also, would it work on a 16x7 wheel? The specs online say to mount to a 7.5 to 9 inch wheel. Does that half inch really make a difference or make it unsafe at all? I don't know a lot of people that have a Tacoma or have seen many on this site running that size. Everyone seems to have the 255/85 or something smaller. I see that the Expedition Overland guys are running the 285/75 on their Tacoma, but getting any feedback from them isn't possible.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[1stDeuce]

I don't think I'd call it unsafe, but less than ideal. You'll probably get a little more treadwear in the center than normal, and have to run a lower pressure to get full tread contact, but on the upside, it'll be nearly impossible to knock one off the bead, even at stupid low pressures!

You may or may not need spacers... While they will increase clearance between the tire and the chassis, they also make the front tires swing a bigger arc when turning, so they tend to cause issues with body mount or fender contact on Toyotas if you're not lifted a lot. I prefer a little rubbing on the chassis at full lock to rubbing the fenders... Much less damage to tires and truck.

I'm running the 255/85R16 Cooper STMaxx's on my TJ and I love them. They're not really AT's IMO, more like mild MT's... They're likely not as good in the snow as the KO2 is supposed to be, but they're studdable, and I'm sure they are superior to any "AT" style tire in muddy conditions. If snow and ice were a concern, you could always have them siped, which also helps wet and dry traction.

I was running 285's before, and I can tell you my Jeep definitely likes the 255's better. Less steering wheel feedback over the rough, less rolling resistance at speed, and much better snowy road traction.

If you really want to stick with the BFG's, you might try 265/75's, or 235/85's. They fit mildly lifted trucks VERY nicely, work better on 7" wheels, and cost quite a bit less... Yes, you gain a little less ground clearance vs. the bigger sizes, but I doubt you'll notice the slight difference.

 

[Airmapper]

That is an extremely popular combo on Xterras, and my current wheel/tire combo.

I could not speak for rubbing or clearance issues on a Toyota. As far as the tire fitting the wheel, that width difference I would say is negligible, visually you can't really tell.

 

[Yulli]

Thanks for the info guys.

I kind of wanted to see if people could persuade me away from the 255/85 and see if the 285/75 would be better. Although I only got 2 replies so far and I've to say that I think a 255/85 might be better for me in the long run. I'm not too worried on price since I had BFG MT KM2 on my Rubicon and those were close to 400 a tire. I think a local shop here can get the Coopers for mid 200 I think.

 

[marathonracer]

255/85 km2s are supposed to go back into production in June if you wanted to wait for that option...

 

[Airmapper]

Thanks for the info guys.

I kind of wanted to see if people could persuade me away from the 255/85 and see if the 285/75 would be better. Although I only got 2 replies so far and I've to say that I think a 255/85 might be better for me in the long run. I'm not too worried on price since I had BFG MT KM2 on my Rubicon and those were close to 400 a tire. I think a local shop here can get the Coopers for mid 200 I think.

If they made Duratrac's in 255/85/16, I would have a set. I would greatly prefer that size, KM2's are a bit aggressive for daily driving in my situation, and I think pizza cutters are the way to go on a Overland build as opposed to a wheeler.

If you like the tire selection in 255/85, personally I would go for it.

 

[marathonracer]

Same here with the duratracs if they had them in 255/85 id have a set for sure. Great at/ mt cross tire and its absolutely beastly in the snow (I run them on my work truck)

 

[Yulli]

I heard the KM2 would be back in a 255/85 but I'm looking to run an AT tire for the Tacoma.

I may go for the Coopers in the 255/85 size. I read some good reviews so I think I will give them a try once I have the lift ordered and installed.

 

[codesertrat]

Use 255/85r16 if that is your preference, but don't shy away from the 285/75r16 due to the 16x7 wheels. There is only a little over an inch (30mm) difference in width between the sizes. The 285's fit perfect on that size wheel.

Most folks who spend a significant time off road tend to use rims narrower that the manufacturer "recommended" width range to pull in and protect the sidewalls a bit, and hold the beads on better when aired down. I have run 31x10.5 on 6" wide rims, 33x10.5 on 6" wide rims, 32x11.5 on 7" rims, and 33x12.5 on 8" rims, and never had any treadwear or other problems.

An older Toyota pickup that had 32x11.5" tires with 10" wide rims when I bought, and it wore the outer tread edges horribly no matter how much you inflated them. You could physically see the bow in the tread pushing the outer edges down. Swapped out to 15x7 and problem solved.

In my opinion, observation, and experience:
Rims a bit narrower than recommended range = no worries
Rims at the wide side of the recommended range = problems with sidewall exposure in rocks, bead problems aired down, and uneven treadwear.

 

[shopkins]

not sure how it would sit in the wheel well on your truck, but i have 16x7 with 285/75r16 on my silverado, no issues with tire on wheel.

-Shaun

 

[shabba]

285/75/16 on stock tacoma steelies

 

[redthies]

Yulli, you didn't mention what year your Taco is, but I ran 285/75-16 on my '01 Doublecab with no issues. Stock wheels, no spacers. I did have 2" Revtek lift.

 

[Dibblit]

Stick with the 255/85 if you can. I just switched from 255/85R16 km2s to 285/75E16 duratrac son my Tacoma 2011, better mileage with th skinny tires. If I could have found a true a/t tire in 255/85 I would have gotten it in a heartbeat. I am also running wheel spacers and rub on the fender slightly during suspension compression while turning. Icon mid travel in the truck.