Intro
Since most vehicle owners only buy a few sets of tires for any given vehicle they own and the price of good offroad tires can be relatively high, choosing the correct tire for your truck without wasting alot of time and money on trial and error can be difficult. Hopefully after reading this article you will be able to make an informed decision instead of taking a gamble the next time you go to the tire shop.
Wheel Size
For offroading, smaller/ wider wheels are better. A shorter wheel means that there is more rubber between the rim and the tread surface making it easier for your tires to flex and form around features on the ground. A wider wheel means your tires will be able to spread out better on the ground. Both provide better ground traction. 16" rims are the smallest that can be fit on a 4wd/ Prerunner 2005+ Tacoma. Using rims larger than 17" is not recommended.
Lifts and Tire Size
Installing a quality 3" lift will allow your tires to have the same amount of up travel as a stock suspension. Installing inferior top plate spacer lifts will limit up travel and allow for bigger tires, but trading wheel travel to fit a slightly larger tire size is less than ideal for offroading. It is assumed for the sake of this article that you will be choosing a quality lift.
Gearing and Tire Size
Putting bigger tires on your vehicle means your engine will have fewer rotations to produce the power required to move your vehicle. Changing the gears in your differentials is the best way to regain your power. For Tacomas with a 4.0L and Auto transmission, installing 33" tires without regearing will be tolerable without re-gearing. For all other vehicles it is recommended that you re-gear when installing 33" or larger tires.
Most Common Tire Size Fitment guide for 2005+ Tacoma
265/75/16
265/70/17
These ~32" tires are the biggest tires you will be able to fit on your truck without modification. Though, depending on how your truck has been aligned, you may experience some slight rubbing on your front mud flaps when going into a steep turn. This minor rubbing is easily remedied by trimming or removing the mud flaps.
285/75/16
285/70/17
These wide ~33" tires will fit your truck with some modification. The width of these tires means they will rub your Upper Control arm no matter the position of the steering wheel. This can be fixed by installing wheel spacers or replacing the stock upper control arms with aftermarket ones. With a tire this large you will also experience rubbing on the frame where the cab mounts to it. Rubbing on the cab mount can be eliminated my cutting a section out of the frame, or by installing wheel spacers. Lifting the truck 3" of more will keep the tire from rubbing the cab mount while you are on the road, but once you get onto uneven terrain and the tire gets stuffed up into the wheel well, the rub will return. At full stuff, these tires will also rub the front and rear fender flares. Most drivers don't find this to be a very big problem If it is for you, trimming some of the plastic out of the front wheel wells and moving the rear axle back by installing axle relocation plates will fix the problem.
255/85/16
At ~33.5" this is the tallest tire you can fit on your truck without significant modification. Since they are relatively skinny, they will not rub your upper control arm or frame at the cab mount. Some trimming/ removal of plastic and mud flaps may be necessary in the front.
35s
35" tires will easily fit on your Tacoma if you have a 4-6" drop bracket lift. Depending on the width you choose, cutting the frame at the cab mount or installing wheel spacers may be necessary to avoid rubbing at full stuff. If you don't have a 4-6" lift it is not recommended that you buy 35" tires since it will be more than a little bit difficult to keep the tires from rubbing/ destroying the body of your truck.
Since most vehicle owners only buy a few sets of tires for any given vehicle they own and the price of good offroad tires can be relatively high, choosing the correct tire for your truck without wasting alot of time and money on trial and error can be difficult. Hopefully after reading this article you will be able to make an informed decision instead of taking a gamble the next time you go to the tire shop.
Wheel Size
For offroading, smaller/ wider wheels are better. A shorter wheel means that there is more rubber between the rim and the tread surface making it easier for your tires to flex and form around features on the ground. A wider wheel means your tires will be able to spread out better on the ground. Both provide better ground traction. 16" rims are the smallest that can be fit on a 4wd/ Prerunner 2005+ Tacoma. Using rims larger than 17" is not recommended.
Lifts and Tire Size
Installing a quality 3" lift will allow your tires to have the same amount of up travel as a stock suspension. Installing inferior top plate spacer lifts will limit up travel and allow for bigger tires, but trading wheel travel to fit a slightly larger tire size is less than ideal for offroading. It is assumed for the sake of this article that you will be choosing a quality lift.
Gearing and Tire Size
Putting bigger tires on your vehicle means your engine will have fewer rotations to produce the power required to move your vehicle. Changing the gears in your differentials is the best way to regain your power. For Tacomas with a 4.0L and Auto transmission, installing 33" tires without regearing will be tolerable without re-gearing. For all other vehicles it is recommended that you re-gear when installing 33" or larger tires.
Most Common Tire Size Fitment guide for 2005+ Tacoma
265/75/16
265/70/17
These ~32" tires are the biggest tires you will be able to fit on your truck without modification. Though, depending on how your truck has been aligned, you may experience some slight rubbing on your front mud flaps when going into a steep turn. This minor rubbing is easily remedied by trimming or removing the mud flaps.
285/75/16
285/70/17
These wide ~33" tires will fit your truck with some modification. The width of these tires means they will rub your Upper Control arm no matter the position of the steering wheel. This can be fixed by installing wheel spacers or replacing the stock upper control arms with aftermarket ones. With a tire this large you will also experience rubbing on the frame where the cab mounts to it. Rubbing on the cab mount can be eliminated my cutting a section out of the frame, or by installing wheel spacers. Lifting the truck 3" of more will keep the tire from rubbing the cab mount while you are on the road, but once you get onto uneven terrain and the tire gets stuffed up into the wheel well, the rub will return. At full stuff, these tires will also rub the front and rear fender flares. Most drivers don't find this to be a very big problem If it is for you, trimming some of the plastic out of the front wheel wells and moving the rear axle back by installing axle relocation plates will fix the problem.
255/85/16
At ~33.5" this is the tallest tire you can fit on your truck without significant modification. Since they are relatively skinny, they will not rub your upper control arm or frame at the cab mount. Some trimming/ removal of plastic and mud flaps may be necessary in the front.
35s
35" tires will easily fit on your Tacoma if you have a 4-6" drop bracket lift. Depending on the width you choose, cutting the frame at the cab mount or installing wheel spacers may be necessary to avoid rubbing at full stuff. If you don't have a 4-6" lift it is not recommended that you buy 35" tires since it will be more than a little bit difficult to keep the tires from rubbing/ destroying the body of your truck.
Last edited: