Anyone regret going with bigger tires?

I had about 32k on the factory Michelin At/2's and they had some outside wear from an alignment issue. Still had some life left in them, but when i saw a good deal on Prime Day for some Toyo Open County M/T in 275/70/18's i jumped on them. Absolutely love how they look.


Now, i figured that i would loose a little power and some efficiency due to the size (from 275/65 to 275/70) and weight (i think its +25lbs/tire), but dang its pretty noticeable. Around town its not really that bad (a little less power and went from 13mpg to 11mpg), but its pretty noticeable when towing our trailer.

Previously i would just put tow haul on and S5 and it would stay in 5th most of the time unless going up a grade, but now it seems to want to hunt a lot more between 4th and 5th, and sometimes down to 3rd. I also noticed that going up large grades, previously i would only see 200-205ish deg on the trans, but now i saw it around 215-220deg.
Now this was the first camping trip on with the new tires and we were loaded up pretty good because it was a 5-night'er. Normally i bring 10gal of gas with me so that on the way back from the coast i dont have to worry about filling up, this time i would have felt a little more comfortable with having 15gal of gas (i now have a 3rd 5gal can).

Now i end up really only towing the trailer around about 3-4 times a year, so the impact isn't really that bad but i'm wondering if others have had similar feelings. I've thought about grabbing a spare set of TRD OR wheels and putting my factory tires on for when i tow, but seems a little silly. On all my previous vehicles, i've always just stuck with the stock size....maybe its just a "first timers syndrome".

 

It's something you'll have to manage. 5th and 6th gears are both overdrive gears in the Tundra, and are quickly rendered unusable on any sort of grade when towing/loaded. I'm not sure what your loaded weight is with the trailer, but I've driven it at/close to GCWVR a few times since upgrading to 34s. It's definitely doable, but I would be re-gearing much sooner if I had to do any sort of regular towing on steep grades. In fact, from what I can tell the consensus in the community has been to upgrade directly to 5.29s if you're going to 35s or bigger, even though most "charts" suggest something closer to 4.88s. It's necessary to get the trucks back into the correct powerband at highway speeds in 5th or 6th gears.

With all that being said; after a few months, you'll get used to it. As long as your not towing at/over GCVWR all of the time, you should learn to love it over time.

 

I jumped up to 315/70/R17's and never looked back. I've only towed once with my truck, and it was just a little UHaul trailer when I moved across the country, but I can't say I experienced anything out of the ordinary as long as I was in Tow/Haul. Now going up and over Donner Pass instead of across the plains probably would have been a different story, but I can't officially speak to it. There's a handful of guys on here that jump all the way to 37's without a re-gear and still tow lightly without issue, but that might just be a matter of what constitutes an "issue" in their eyes.

 

I am at 275/70/18 and tow vehicles on a flat bed occasionally around town. Notice nothing bad there.

But I also keep myself to 65 and we have mostly flat land...

Towing isnt the primary use of my truck though. So I am happy with the upsize. I may see if I can get a big larger with the next set.

 

Toyos run big for their size in my experience. Also the MT pattern isnt helping efficiency either.


If you just tow in s4 it will hunt a little less, as it starts little hills with a ton more torque on hand than in 5th. Id be curious what your trans temp is in s4. Even up hills mine is locked in at 203-204 degrees

 

I figured id give it a go this year (3 more trips) and then decide which route to go. It being my first towing trip with the tires, i could have been hyper crital of any little change, or possibly the truck was still in its learning phase (if thats even a thing) since i got the new tires a few days before leaving.

I doubt i'd ever re-gear, i'd probably either go back to factory size, or put money towards a supercharger.

 

Nope

 

I want to say s4 was over 3k rpm. Probably a little high for non hill climbs, but maybe i'll lock it in 4 for any grade and then 5 down the other side.

 

Knock it down to s4 before you hit a hill

 

Nitto Terra Grappler 2 has the lightest 34s, 295/70r18 comes in 116S load index, and weights only 50lbs.

I kinda wish there's more lighter 35s for 18" wheels, I also think I'm bit of a poser, I need my cars to look as good as it perform or else I can't sleep.

 

loved my 295/70 r18 Toyo Open Country ATII... but went up to 37s just before T2S in April... did a regear to 5.29 before the jump to 37s

 

I’ve been running General Grabber APT 275/70 for ~7000 miles now on my BBS Pro wheels. I opted for the SL rating as I did not need a load E. Been great thus far and I believe they one of if not the lightest at 42lbs.

 

I stayed with the stock size cause I tow a fair bit even though it looks lame. ☹️

 

Your avatar photo is stock size?! They look beefy

 

Nope lol

 

Definitely no regrets! Stock size and structure is okay for getting off the assembly line to the dealer, but not worth a damn for truck duties.

 

That setup is moderately heavy for sure, around 97lbs vs stock 73ish for that rim. The stock steel wheels and 255s are 78lbs and the Tundra handles that well in 5.7/4.6. I have 315/70r17 Duratracs at 83lbs combined weight and mpg/power was pretty minor. Using lighter 18” rims and/or lighter tires would help alot, although the tires are already purchased, so spending 1200$ to save 1 mpg is not a great trade haha. I would likely just let it be and enjoy what you have.

 

Guess it depends on what your truck duties are. Only real advantage to larger tires is going off road.

 

Research will prove otherwise. There are several advantages that apply to daily driving as well. Maybe start with comparing traction and braking. Both are better with the larger friction patch. Stability over rough surfaces would also be good for you to compare, plenty of rough paved surfaces in every state. Don't believe me though, research and post up what you find out.

 

Funny, I’ve been driving pickup trucks for 35+years, and I certainly use them for “truck duties.” Stock size tires have always been more than adequate.

 

Mine towed fine with 35” MTs. Now with 37s I do feel it up the mountain passes but still no regrets and on stock gears. I want 38s..

 

Ahh yes need them big tires for rough paved surfaces lol and yes obviously a larger tire creates more friction allowing you to stop faster but also move slower and burn more fuel to do it. Larger tires lower fuel economy, tow capacity, put more strain on drive line components ect. If you need justification to have larger tires on pavement for pot holes then all the power to you but unless you're off roading large tires have way more negatives than positives, sure do look cool though, which is the reason people get them.

 

Yes, they move slower or fewer rotations per mile which means they run cooler and cover more distance per rotation. Less wear over distance is another benefit. Who the hell buys a Tundra for MPG??? Looks? Yes, but also performance. Research a little more.

 

This sounds like a superchargers are bad type of argument lol

 

I didn't buy a Tundra for MPG. I bought it for practicality and longevity not to make it into a bro dozer. You're argument is that larger tires last longer than smaller ones? You're definitely not gaining performance, a truck with stock tires will be faster than one with larger tires.

They're not bad, I guess it just depends on what you're purpose is. Personally I'd take the 8000 grand it costs for a supercharger and buy another motorcycle or something fun. I didn't buy a truck to drive it fast. Now if you're building a rig to race then yes the supercharger is super cool but practicality wise its not a great investment, it doesnt really add resale value unless it's to the right person and definitely doesnt increase longevity and also requires higher octane. I'm definitely not against modding vehicles, and think a lifted truck with big wheels and a supercharger is bad ass but its not practical in any sense if just used to drive on the road, just my opinion of course.

 

Stock truck with larger tires will be slower off the line only. Over distance the larger tires will leave the stock size way behind due to the distance covered per revolution being much greater.

 

That's a good looking set up, I sometimes still wanna try those super light KO2s 37s.

 

Best thing about huge tires.....
Fat chicks can't jump!

 

I had 37 STT Pro's on my stock geared 8" lifted 2010 Rock Warrior. It was decent, gas mileage went to 9.5avg, 6 when I would tow my new boat. They wouldn't wear out fast enough!! I pulled them, took a few inches off the lift, and bought a set of 35x12.50 Toyo AT3's. After a few years of an 8" lift and the 37's, I forgot how nice the truck could ride. Now I'm down to 5" of lift and 35's, def a game changer when towing. Maybe this is a young man's game, maybe it's just me... Idk