Pete's Tacoma Build
- Thread starter pnorvell
- Start date
pnorvell
Adventurer
That means a lot! Thanks man! And I understand the funds man! Hahah once you get one, there's no stopping the mods!
dnorrell
Adventurer
I've gotta say, if this isn't my favorite, it's definitely in my top 3. I really like how you have kept things simple. Your thread very nearly inspired me to get a white one when I bought my '13 RC a couple of weeks ago, but ended up going with silver. I was more than a bit bummed that I couldn't do the white wheels, as the white-on-white is top-notch. Instead, I kept my base steel wheels and squirted the center caps in plasti-dip. At least I can rock the retro-80s look! Love your truck, amigo.
JohnnyS
Explorer
Have you noticed any handling/driving differences after switching from alloy to steel wheels?
I was going to powder coat the OEM alloys on our first gen taco but am leaning towards steel.
Buying 4 steel wheels (I already have one) is cheaper than buying one more alloy and powder coating all 5.
Some folks have said the alloy is easier to balance but I'm not so sure.
I doubt the weight difference would be noticeable during braking, etc...
Thought?
I was going to powder coat the OEM alloys on our first gen taco but am leaning towards steel.
Buying 4 steel wheels (I already have one) is cheaper than buying one more alloy and powder coating all 5.
Some folks have said the alloy is easier to balance but I'm not so sure.
I doubt the weight difference would be noticeable during braking, etc...
Thought?
iRunUphill
New member
Hey Pete,
Love your build. This is exactly the wheel/tire set I was thinking of putting on my '09 DCLB. Love the steelies with the 255/85/16 Cooper STs. So, for someone with some mileage on that set up, how do you like it? Performance? Road noise? Should I be concerned about gearing, jumping up to this size?
Thanks,
Steve
Love your build. This is exactly the wheel/tire set I was thinking of putting on my '09 DCLB. Love the steelies with the 255/85/16 Cooper STs. So, for someone with some mileage on that set up, how do you like it? Performance? Road noise? Should I be concerned about gearing, jumping up to this size?
Thanks,
Steve
pnorvell
Adventurer
Appreciate the kind words man! The vehicle I had before this truck was a silver '03 Land Rover Discovery. I went with Duplicolor dark grey wheel paint and clear coat. It worked very well on that vehicle! I lust after the silver time to time when it comes to keeping it clean! EVERYTHING is visible on white paint when you're anal like I am!! Hahah
pnorvell
Adventurer
This truck actually never had alloys so I can't comment on the difference. I will say I'm no expert, but these wheels did take a @#$% ton of wheel weights on one or two wheels. I think that's the nature of the game though with big, heavy tires and wheels. As for noticing the weight, I don't. I drive the truck like it's an M3 while in the city and have no complaints. The tires are more of a factor then wheels ever will be in my opinion. But again, I'm no expert. Others will know more on this, please feel free to chime in on the matter!
dnorrell
Adventurer
Like minds. I also had an '03 D2, but in the gold color, and went with the same Duplicolor gray on the wheels. It sure got a lot of compliments! The whole clean thing is the very reason I ended up picking silver.
pnorvell
Adventurer
Steve, you have good taste! Hah but seriously, I love these tires and wheels. I mentioned earlier not knowing the mileage on these but after looking over my records, I have close to 20k on them and they looks great! I don't really know the breakdown of tread depth numericals, but I can easily see myself getting another 15-20K on these if I stick with my rotation schedule, every 5k on the dot.
They perform great for what I do (80% city, 20% off road). I tend to have a little tire roll in tight turns, but I think that's more so the size then this particular tire. If I'm not mistaken, they are the only A/T in the 255 lineup, while also being the smallest in that size. I also have not come across a bad review of these tires which I think speaks for itself. Lastly, off road they are exactly what I need! I don't do too much heavy duty off roading, ie rock crawling, mudding, etc. I have yet to be in a situation off road where it was my tires holding me back, not the driver!
Road noise is nowhere near as bad as BFG KM1's, and in my opinion not really bad at all. I did a trip last summer rounding out at about 5k miles mostly highway. No headaches, no fatigue from the tire noise. They really aren't even that loud at low speeds either. The lugs are pretty tightly packed so you don't get that "chunky lug" (technical term) noise at low speeds.
As for gearing, its not even on my radar. I personally don't see the reason to spend upwards of $2k-$3K on gears, only to get slightly better mpg as a result. These trucks have tons of pep with a 6 speed, and I'm sure aren't far off with the auto. Now that's just me, but that's a lot of money that can be spent on other mods. I would spend $2k on RCV CV's to bomb proof the front end. Just think, pairing those axles with lockers front and rear... Unstoppable!!
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pnorvell
Adventurer
Way too like minded! LOOK AT OUR NAMES!! Hahaha crazy. I'm addicted to washing my truck so it's not all bad.
dnorrell
Adventurer
Ha! I didn't even notice that. Too good. Carry on with the build, the people need more. Feed us with snazzy photos.
pnorvell
Adventurer
Colonal Angus
Adventurer
Damn, Pete. Three months later and that's all you got? Let's see some pics of the Tacoma or at least some of the scenery around there. Any adventures lately?
