Best tires for stock 4Runner

I am looking for tires that will make my 4Runner look a little meaner but won’t rub. Any recommendations? I am a big fan of the build attached but I’m not sure if it’s possible to accomplish without causing a rub.

 

Looks like that pic has the answer. BFG KO2 265/70R17 Load C might be a good choice. To me BFG KO2 Load C tires are the best do it all tire. I have lot of confidence in trails with rocky terrain, deep snow, long gravel roads, etc.. Keep some distance driving in icy conditions on pavement as BFG KO2 doesn't perform goon on pavement as my Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac.

This a based on my experience with BFG KO2, Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac, Falken Wildpeak AT3W, Nitto Terra Grappler, Toyo Open Country AT3.

Edit-
As for the wheels I would keep SR5 wheels as no gain changing to TRD Pro wheels since both are 17x7in wheels.
I'm a fan of 17x7.5in TRD Offroad wheels as the extra width meets the specs for bigger 285 tires.

 

165SR15 on Empi 8 spokes are guaranteed to not rub

 

Toyo AT3 in 265/70/17 on Icon Rebounds with 0 offset. Only had to push small portion of front liners forward.

 

Falken wildpeaks 265 70r 17" is what I put on my off road. They a tad heavy but great on and off road performance. Look pretty tough.

 

is there a huge difference between the 265 and 275 im in the same boat as op.

 

Size wise, not that much. But look into the weight difference if considering 275s.

 

Nitto Ridge Grappler.

 

Another vote for BFG KO, in the stock size. You get an iconic tread pattern with a tire that wears very well and isn’t prone to balancing problems.

I’ve hundreds of thousands of miles over the lifetime of 4Runners and can vouch for them.

Enjoy
Mike

 

I'm not a fan of BFG KO2 275/70R17 Load E. It was a very noticeable feel when I switched from BFG KO2 LT265/70R17 Load C to LT275/70R17 Load E. It was too firm for my taste.

IMO, I would say skip 275/70R17 BFG KO2. Get a small lift and go 285/70R17 BFG KO2 Load C.

Just for the record I'm running Toyo Open Country AT3 285/70R17 SL now and my confidence level on rocky terrain is no where near as BFG KO2 Load C. I'm trying my luck / taking the risk and see how it goes. BFG KO2 Load C took some good beating and never gave me a headache. BTW I'm not denying that Load E are the best protection on trails but didn't satisfy my on road comfort needs.

 

I went with BFG at ko2 in 265/70/17 on stock tires load range C. E load rated tires were out of the question due to ride quality. I have had multiple sets of BFG at ko2 over the years. They are not perfect but very good compromise for me on road and off road.

275 didn't really have many options I was interested in and 285 too much tire for me to turn on the interstate. The 265 in C meets all my needs. I just have to be aware of the compromise with less sidewall off road. I would stuff 285's if I was not doing as much interstate driving as I do.

Same BFG at ko2 on my gen 1 Tacoma.

 

As a counter point to prior posts, i hate KO2. Yes, i have gotten over 50,000 miles on them. Balance has been a problem from the beginning. At best it once went about 8,000 miles without needing a rebalance to fix vibration. On trails, chunks of tread were taken off worse than other tires i've had in same trails. They performed well enough but i'm done with the constant balance issue.

edit: was load C in 285/70-17

 

Any 265/70-17 will fit fine.
Load rating E will ride rougher.
Load C is good compromise on comfort and strength.
A Passenger rated (non LT sizing) will feel most compliant or smooth on road. Stock were this rating. Also called "SL" load rating.

Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT is most aggressive looking in a passenger rated All terrain now i think. The side lugs are less chunky on it than on the LT sizes but still looks good in my opinion.

 

One call out to OP on going to AT tires strictly for looks. AT tires are going to be noisier and offer worse pavement traction than a road tire. This is a needed trade off most people going to an AT tire are willing to accept. On road a set of Michelins will ride better and have better traction than any AT. Yes they will also not look as aggressive. Trade offs comparing each tire and picking which characteristic is important to you.

 

Michelin Defender LTX tires are E rated and I don't find them to ride rough at all, but maybe I'm just used to them as I put a set of them on my 2 previous vehicles and they just happened to be what was on the used 4Runner I bought. The original owner put them on in the 40's to replace the OEM tires and they should have another 30-40K miles in them. I've driven on a lot of rocky washboarded roads with the Michelins in my previous 2 vehicles for 7-8 years and only had one slow leak that required a repair, so I'm going to keep them on the 4Runner and see how they do off road.

 

I have been happy with 255/75 KO2’s. Larger diameter than stock, fairly light, no fitment issues.

 

I'm a big fan of my 265/70r17 Falken Wildpeaks. I am 99.9% on road with a couple off-road weekends a year with dirt road driving here and there. Didn't really need them technically but they look great and I haven't noticed any dramatic drop in MPGs ever since install.

 

This guy seemed to have good results off road with the AT3s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgBqXsKNRGs

 

I plan on trying the Toyo AT3 on either 4runner or Tacoma. Gets great reviews and looks to meet the criteria I have. Assuming I can find it in size and load range that works for me.

I think the on road wet traction might be better than the BFG at ko2. That's one thing I expect from the BFG. As the tread wears down the wet traction reduces as one would expect. I have replaced the BFG in past before they were fully worn out because of wet on road traction starting to notice not what I wanted.

 

Falken Wildpeak AT3's for me. Getting good milage (~20.2 hwy) and perform well in both light offroading and wet/rainy conditions.

 

You using SL or LT type tire?

 

Don't think they're the LTs, I don't do enough heavy offroading to warrant it. I run them at 35.5 psi.

 

That's a very nice review but the problem is he is having Load C Toyos vs I'm having mall rated Standard Load, that's why I don't feel much confident on mine (been standard load tires).

 

When I upgraded my stock tires I didn't want to go too heavy (E load) and kill mpg and ruining my ride comfort. I do a decent amount of off-roading, but not enough to have to go crazy. I ended up going with Good Year Duratracs in C load since they are really good in the snow and are decent in the rain compared to many. Very popular here in CT and all/many of the work truck plow guys, let alone the Jeep guys use them.

But with most AT tires they will be much noisier. So far the Duratracs have been fine, but it appears the Falken Wildpeak may be a better medium for an aggressive look but normal road manners.

My Duratracs when i first put them on.

 

Nice looking tires, are those a “hybrid” tread design?

 

Yes. They are more like a Mud tire, but much quieter and better road manners than a real Mud tire. Great in snow and wet, plus they are not overly noisy or harsh riding compared to a real mud tire.

 

A good one to try is probably the M/T AT Baja Boss in XL rating which I guess is between standard and C load.
https://www.mickeythompsontires.com/light-truck-tires/baja-boss-a-t

 

Ko2’s

 

I think a hybrid tread design is the future. My Nitto Ridge Grappler’s are a hybrid. They are very quiet on paved roads.

 

I love that blue!