Topic: Tall, narrow tires

[zombie_stomp]

I am looking for my ultimate set of tires. I don't wheel really, I am new to the idea. I am new to owning a 4x4 truck. I basically wanted to be able to get around and have the Toyota truck that could do everything and never get stuck. I guess what really set it off was getting stuck in a ditch with my 2wd 'yota.

So now I'm rolling on a set of BFG A/T tires, which are pretty near the end of their life cycle.

I'm looking for something NARROW, TALL, and about 50/50 on/off road. I may get further along in catching the offroad bug, but I want to be 50/50 versatile for now. I'm taking a cross-country highway route and moving to the west coast very soon, so I want to dial in MPG without having street-only tires.

I really like the tallest and narrowest tires in the 50/50 range that exist. If anyone can point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated. Then I can look around for the specific tire I want, even if a tire shop has to order them for me!

[emsvitil]

What's your current size tire and wheel (+ width) ?


BFG has 33 x 9.50s and 33 x 10.50s which will fit on a 15x7 rim.

[Snowtoy]

Narrow and tall on 4x4 isn't really a good idea handling wise.  Since you aren't sure what your future plans are, I would go with the BFG AT's in the current size you have now, if still on stock tire size, I would go with 31x10.50's.

[zombie_stomp [OP]]

I appreciate the replies and suggestions so far. I have photos, which is at least for me as a forum browser, sometimes the best part of the post.

I may not have mentioned size in the original post. These 31"x10.50x15 BFG ATs are mounted on are 15" stock chrome "5-spoke" style Toyota rims. I think those are 8.5" wide. So I'm looking for something a little more stock-ish, a little more on-road with perhaps a little bit of an off-road "edge" to them. Maybe a degree or two towards on-road than the BFG ATs.

Well, I am sure that my future plans involve traveling across the country in my truck, with all my tools and possessions in the back.

I'm looking for something narrower than what I have now, by how much, I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure the tires that would have been on this truck when it was rolling off the dealer's lot would have been narrower than what I have now. The reason I may seem obsessed with the width is that I want to boost fuel economy for the big moving adventure, and will realistically be doing 90% city driving when I move, well, to the city. After a few months and I get settled in, I will have more money to spend on weekend trips to the coast, mountains, and places like Tillamook where I have a chance to go up logging trails and maybe even bust out the dirtbike.

So it's mostly on-road for the forseeable next 3-6 months or so, and "off-road" will most likely be logging roads to unload a dirtbike or just camp out. I might unload a dirtbike in some places just to scout an unknown trail before me and my friends try to wheel it. The logging trail in Tillamook I went to was pretty civilized as far as dirt roads go. That's the kind of terrain I see myself starting out on.

PHOTOS!
A night time view of the width. I imagine an inch or two narrower is what I'm looking to achieve in a new set. Not much, but makes a difference.

Side views. So you know what kind of rims I'm talking about.

Since this is a 4-speed, I definietly didn't have the SR5. I don't know what kind of rims came stock on this particular package, but I imagine it was the painted white ones that are the same as the spare full size rim on most yotas. I picked these and a spare rim as previously described for ~$200 at a salvage yard. The truck came with some super swampers on Eagle alloy rims, which were way too much for what I wanted and needed. 
I thought you might be able to read the sidewall in this one, but I think not!

How about now?

It says: "31x10.50R15LT   109S"

   

[zombie_stomp [OP]]

What's your current size tire and wheel (+ width) ?


BFG has 33 x 9.50s and 33 x 10.50s which will fit on a 15x7 rim.

They are stock rims for this '82 now, so (from the VIN plate inside the driver's side door,) 15x5 1/2"

Narrow and tall on 4x4 isn't really a good idea handling wise.  Since you aren't sure what your future plans are, I would go with the BFG AT's in the current size you have now, if still on stock tire size, I would go with 31x10.50's.

All the original military jeeps had relatively narrow tires as far as I know. I think the idea was that they would cut down into the mud until they reached solid earth that they could gain traction on. I'm not sure. The truck I own now came with really wide super swampers, which I've never been into and don't understand. I think that if one is rock crawling, or wheeling on extremely uneven surfaces (which I don't plan to do in the near future), width is good for balance and wide range of traction. I've seen some photos of these kinds of trails and trucks on them, and understand the benefit of wide tires in certain situations. But if I were to take a photo of myself every day for the next 3-6 months with my truck and what I'll be traveling on, most of them would probably have a paved road in view. I may venture outside of that soon after, but Toyota 4WD was my next goal after owning the 2wd Toyota truck because of getting stuck in a ditch, and the potential for snow, ice, and having more fun doing donuts. By the way, the truck is not currently equipped with power steering. I hope to soon convert it to power steering, and know how to do it from a few conversion posts I've read. I laso know where to get the components locally. Money, time, and getting my birfield joints rebuilt first are the only things holding me back from that project right now. Once power steering is installed, I may be more pliable in accepting a new set of tires just like the ones I have on the truck now. But when handling conditions are questioned just because my truck is 4WD, I have to ask, "handling in  what conditions, on what kind surface"?
Just a pragmatic type of question, nothing personal. This is just an internet forum. But internet forums are a powerful tool in gaining valuable information! I really appreciate everyone's input so far and what else there may be to come!

[emsvitil]

A H78-15 is somewhere between a 225 /75 15 and 235 / 75 15

My 86 came stock with 225/75 15s.


If you haven't regeared, going to the smaller tire will give you better mileage. 


And if those are 15x5.5 rims,   a  31 10.50 tire is too big for the rim width......

[Cheesemaker]

First of all, where are you living now?  And when are you planning on coming this way?  (I live in Tillamook!)


Because, like said in earlier posts, for traveling across the country loaded with everything you own, its gonna be a slow and sluggish drive, when your are not in the flats.  You are gonna hate the long steep climbs.  Your gonna be stuck with the truckers in the SLOW lane.  So, what I would do, if I were to travel across country like you are planning.  I would buy a good used, or inexpensive set of tires in the LT235/75-15 A/S size.  Then later sell them for some better tires once you get established.  But this is if your still running stock gears.  If you had 4.88's, you would be good with 31's.  But I would recommend upgrading to at least 8" wide wheels. 
I have a stock 87 22RE with 31 BFG's on 8" wide wheels, and I can go to Bend in Central Oregon loaded and get an average of 20+ mpg easily.  But with 31's, I find that in  climbing Santiam Pass, I have to do 3rd gear and running 4500 rpm's just to keep moving.  Because once you lose your rpms' and speed, your crawling, and hating the fact that your motor just doesn't have 20 more hp.

And later if you really still want to upgrade to skinny tires, I'd recommend going 16" and looking at the 265/75-16 variety in 6 ply.  They are taller, and still are slightly skinny enough without going too wide.  And Tillamook State Forest, (TSF) you will want some aggressive tread design.  Like the Goodyear MT/R's or BFG M/T.  Because there is enough slimy mud, that your are gonna need traction tires that can clear themselves easily.  But there is ALOT of Motocross trails there too.    http://www.oregon.gov/odf/tillamookstateforest/pages/ohvtrails.aspx 

[counterfitter]

The latest issue of Toyota 4wd Owners has a great article on these. http://www.herculestire.com/tire-gallery/passenger-and-light-truck/light-truck/terra-trac-dt/#loaded

[zombie_stomp [OP]]

A H78-15 is somewhere between a 225 /75 15 and 235 / 75 15

My 86 came stock with 225/75 15s.


If you haven't regeared, going to the smaller tire will give you better mileage. 


And if those are 15x5.5 rims,   a  31 10.50 tire is too big for the rim width......

Yes, the tires are, technically speaking, too wide for these rims. Before I got them the flat spot in the middle was already starting to form, and they were off wider rims. I did have to do some asking around on Yotatech to make sure they'd fit before I passed them on to the mechanic. I had traded other tire/wheel setup for them, so I kind of just decided to roll with what I happened to have now, while looking for the perfect tire for me while I get the last few miles out of these. Then I can take the best one and swap it as the spare tire.

Now do you mean a smaller diameter tire or a narrower one affording me better fuel economy? My logic was that at highway speed the final gearing would be higher with larger diameter, but up hills and for torque reasons, it may suffer, so I see that side of the coin as well. And narrower would mean less contact with the road and possibly less weight depending on the aspect ratio/ outer diameter being a weight factor. More road contact does mean better traction to an extent, and too much can add weight.

The latest issue of Toyota 4wd Owners has a great article on these. http://www.herculestire.com/tire-gallery/passenger-and-light-truck/light-truck/terra-trac-dt/#loaded

Those Hercules Terra Tracs look like a great tire. I'm pleased with the looks of the width of the Tacoma they tested in their YouTube video. And it climbed a wet, muddy leafy hill with no problems whatsoever. I can't imagine that they would be any noisier or worse off on the highway with a loaded truck than a new set of BFG ATs.

Then again, maybe I'll ride these out on the trip and consider them worn out around when I get there, then go to Les Schwab or something, a place with a warranty I'll be able to actually use since I'll be there permanently as far as I know. Speaking of which...

First of all, where are you living now?  And when are you planning on coming this way?  (I live in Tillamook!)


Because, like said in earlier posts, for traveling across the country loaded with everything you own, its gonna be a slow and sluggish drive, when your are not in the flats.  You are gonna hate the long steep climbs.  Your gonna be stuck with the truckers in the SLOW lane.  So, what I would do, if I were to travel across country like you are planning.  I would buy a good used, or inexpensive set of tires in the LT235/75-15 A/S size.  Then later sell them for some better tires once you get established.  But this is if your still running stock gears.  If you had 4.88's, you would be good with 31's.  But I would recommend upgrading to at least 8" wide wheels. 
I have a stock 87 22RE with 31 BFG's on 8" wide wheels, and I can go to Bend in Central Oregon loaded and get an average of 20+ mpg easily.  But with 31's, I find that in  climbing Santiam Pass, I have to do 3rd gear and running 4500 rpm's just to keep moving.  Because once you lose your rpms' and speed, your crawling, and hating the fact that your motor just doesn't have 20 more hp.

And later if you really still want to upgrade to skinny tires, I'd recommend going 16" and looking at the 265/75-16 variety in 6 ply.  They are taller, and still are slightly skinny enough without going too wide.  And Tillamook State Forest, (TSF) you will want some aggressive tread design.  Like the Goodyear MT/R's or BFG M/T.  Because there is enough slimy mud, that your are gonna need traction tires that can clear themselves easily.  But there is ALOT of Motocross trails there too.    http://www.oregon.gov/odf/tillamookstateforest/pages/ohvtrails.aspx

I'm in Chapel Hill, NC and moving to Portland around may 1st.

I will be back to Tillamook whenever I get a chance once I'm re-established. I love it there. I grew up for some time in Wisconsin during my youth and sometimes miss the dairy farm scene, and your area has COAST, MOUNTAINS, WOODS, TRAILS, AND... wait, what else does it have that I was about to write....oh yeah! for a smallish place, there is still great coffee shops and very friendly grocery clerks!! I absolutely LOVED the trail my friend and I found. We took turns on my 600cc Yamaha XT. We just kind of found the offroad logging trail and found some pine wood laying around and cooked up a nice skillet of food we brought using rocks as little props. It worked out great. We smothered the fire with dirt and rode some more. The previous night we camped out on the beach and had a bonfire and drank beer. I was so happy that they were laid back about the camping and fire. I was so worried at first because of how restrictive beaches in Nc are about those things. I once had a cop flashlight come upon me telling me to get off the beach in Wilmington while I was mere FEET from my parents' beach timeshare condo back porch! A little too close to their precious endangered sand dunes, I guess!

Anyway the west coast rules and I belong there.

I know all about being with the semis as we and a buddy were trucking us and our stuff in my 4 speed 22r '83 2wd shortbed yota I sold to get the one I have now. It was slow and easy driving. Let them pass. Use an orange triangle on the tailgate for safety if you have to. But only drive as fast as is comfortable and safe. States with 75 and 80mph zones can be scary, but usually allow a minimum speed that is 20-30 below that.

Maybe that is a good reason to go with small diameter instead of "tall" like I originally wanted.

Cheesemaker, maybe one day we go on an adventure? The friend I mentioned earlier is really cool and safe and responsible about stuff. He's got a yota with a mercedes diesel in it he adapted himself. Wants to put a turbo one from a sprinter van in it or rebuild an older turbo one he has on an engine stand. Hmmm...

[twistedtoy92]

I run 34x9x15's on my 93... they get down to business quick!!! Click below for a sneak peak 

http://s264.photobucket.com/user/twistedtoy92/media/NCM_0161_zps62e023d0.jpg.html

[emsvitil]

The 225 & 235 are both smaller diameter, less width and less weight....


Lots of 235s out there, you should be able to get a deal.


And I off-roaded just fine with my 225s before I went to 31s

[1985CRAWLER]

I basically wanted to be able to get around and have the Toyota truck that could do everything and never get stuck.

go grab some 37s or 35s and never look back

[slander]

Love the look of a toyota truck on tall skinny tires.  I have 255/85/26 (33.4 x10) on my tacoma and i love them.  I wheel in mixed terrain and they have not let me down.  Truck is a DD as well. 

[zombie_stomp [OP]]

Love the look of a toyota truck on tall skinny tires.  I have 255/85/26 (33.4 x10) on my tacoma and i love them.  I wheel in mixed terrain and they have not let me down.  Truck is a DD as well.

What is a DD? What brand and model of tires of those dimensions do you have?   

[1985CRAWLER]

What is a DD? What brand and model of tires of those dimensions do you have?

well a DD can be two things lol

in this case it means Daily Driver.

[Dingman.]

well a DD can be two things lol

in this case it means Daily Driver.

  

[slander]

Ha DD's i wish!!  I cant complain though..

My tires are BFG km/2's

[85Buckett]

I ran 235/85/16s on my T100 with stock Steel FJ Cruiser wheels. I liked the way they worked out. The were Cooper Discover ST/MAXX great tires all around. I did a bunch of street driving to and from trails and off road they were great.  My current Jalopy is a trail truck so it runs 34x10.50 TSLs ( Yes TSLs they are OLD ) so its great off road but on pavement its not so cool