285 75/r16 vs 285/70r17

Hi guys,

First post here! Picked up a tundra a couple months ago and super excited to get working on it.

Comparing 16" and 17" packages: going with the SCS Ray 10s in Matte Gunmetal, and I would love to keep 16"s. Brake upgrade isn't in my future so not a concern.

I spend 95% of my time on east coast, potholed roads. These are light trucks, and I don't ever tow anything that would require a E range tire, but (as I've read on these forums) there aren't any ~33", C/SL range tires for 16" wheels. Rotating mass is another concern.

Bigger tires mean a softer ride, but SL/C tires also mean a softer ride. My question is, will a E rated 16" ride significantly worse than an SL rated 17"?

Follow up q, is there a particular A/T (maybe I'd be open to an R/T that doesn't scream on the highway) tire 265/75r16 that's softer and lighter than most?

Weight wise, 17" set up is 73lbs and 16" is 79lbs. Another point for the 17"s, but I like the look of 16"s better.

thanks all

 

285/70/17 tire options are much more plentiful and often cheaper to find. You will find better load range options in 17" and also more wheel options. If I didn't already have my 16" wheels (got them 19 years ago) I would be running 17s.

 

Before you dig in too deep... https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

If you haven't already caught that thread, hit the Suspension Wheel & Tires section of the 1st reply. That's the gist of everything our community can share with you to avoid headaches.

It doesn't answer this question - I feel like you're asking "more meat, or less meat" - if that's the case, for a better ride, I'd want more rubber at a slightly lower tire pressure myself, but wheel options are lesser. At the end of the day, I think your suspension choices are going to have the biggest impact.

 

E rated 16” are very different on road than more realistic tires. They kill off road, but very heavy on the road

 

Welcome from TN!! All I can comment on is the tires I have. 305/55R20 Nitto Grapplers. Love'em!!

 

I have LT265/75R16 load range C tires on both my FGT's. Stock suspension, no rubbing. I will be using this size from here on out. Very nice ride. The 2004 came with LT265/70R17 10 ply and they were very stiff so I sold them.
I also run Billstein 5100 shocks, they help a lot.

 

@Dook55, what tire? Couldn't find anything in that size under load E

 

Thanks all. Lookin like I'll probably wait for the 17" wheels to come back in stock. For reference, I'm running the Eibach pro truck lift - it's super comfy but also completely eliminated body roll, truck feels super planted. I wish it was a little softer over bumps, but the bigger tires might help with that in the future. Only complaint is the rear is still up higher than the front, might have to bite the bullet and go up a click on the front. The 2.35" of lift on the front advertised isn't really accurate here, maybe on a 2wd.

For tires, really like the Recon Grapplers in SL, but bummed they dont have the 3 peak rating. Any other recommendations for something that aggressive looking, but that quiet on the road? The dream is K03's, but I don't leave the pavement enough to justify that I don't think. Added weight and road noise wouldn't be worth it

 

I've been eyeballing the Toyo AT tires for my next set. They are 3-peak snow rated and have good reviews and are lightweight. For a e-rated 285 they come in at 56 pounds with outline white letters, and 59 for Black letters. I have no idea why black letters adds 3 pounds. Everything else in that size and snow rating is usually 60-67 pounds.

 

It's pretty slim pickins. I use Les Schwab Open Range Mazama tires which are expensive and only available regionally. Cooper discoverer makes load range C tires in that size. I don't know who else has them.