Best tires for stock 4Runner

WOW. Thats pretty funny. I had the BFG KO2 on my last Tacoma which was also a plow truck. And I installed them on my new 4Runner a month after getting it. The Load Range "C" is more than enough to handle the weight of the 4Runner ( 2470 lbs at 50psi ). The Load Range "E" is for bigger and heavier trucks ( 3195 lbs at 80psi ).

 

Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT's 265 70 17's on zero offset rims. Fantastic tire and balanced better than KO2's, which they could not do. Porter Tire did a fantastic job and were cheaper than Discount Tire..

 

It's because Toyota spec'd the 4Runner with 265/70/17 P-metric tires. From a legal perspective that's what BFG has to match, which means the KO2 doesn't fit there. I suppose if someone running K02s had an accident because of those tires and sued BFG, theoretically BFG would be on the hook for officially recommending an out of spec tire. It keeps them legally safe to only recommend what Toyota spec'd.

Now, just based on math the K02s are fine. The PSI thing has been incorrectly beat to death on forums for the last few years. Somehow everyone decided to use the load rating of the factory tire (P265/70/17 at 32psi) as the load calculations for PSI conversion, which is equivalent to a 265 K02 at 44psi. They will handle terribly in the rain like that because the contact patch is so small.

However, if you do the same math with the OEM limited tires (P245/60/20 at 32psi) you'll get 35psi. I've run that on two 5th Gens since 2016 on C-load KO2s and have never had an issue with wet traction or anything like that.

35psi in a stock size KO2 has a load rating of 1890lbs, so 7560lbs total load ability for the vehicle. The GVWR of the 4Runner is only 6100lbs (maximum load). Normal running weight is only about 4700lbs.

Toyota fitted the FJ Cruiser Trail Teams, which is essentially a 4Runner, with BFG KOs from the factory and I believe they had to overlay amended door placards with that tire spec on those.

 

Thank you for that. I have tried to point out several times how the Limited ships with a 107 load rated tire. K02 Cs @ 35 PSI have worked well for me.

 

So BFG cares, but the tire retailers don't.

 

Stock size load C KO2 for me, on and off road, on my '21 Venture. I have no issues with them

 

it's 6300# according to Toyota...unless you're talking about 2wd.

And the reason everyone uses the load carrying capability of the 265/70R17 as a basis is because Toyota decided to go with 32psi when they could have gone lower and, according to the TRA charts, you are supposed to use the original tire size and pressure to determine pressure in the replacement tires. What you're saying makes some sense except when you start talking about total load ability because that presumes evenly distributed which is unlikely. Also, I know that I for one had no idea what came on the Limited since I do not have one...

Now if you can explain why Toyota lists a payload capacity of like 850# on a vehicle with a wet curb weight of 4750 and a GVWR of 6300#, that's one I'd like to hear.

(and, FWIW, Toyo AT3's are fine in the rain at 44psi, maybe the problem is that KO2's are the most overrated tire around?)

 

My point is that there is much more to an OEM picking a tire pressure than just load capacity. There's rolling resistance, tread footprint, ride quality, etc. that goes into it.

I've read posts on other forums screaming that you're asking for a catastrophic failure if you run a C load 265 lower than 44psi because that doesn't match the load capacity of the OEM P 265. That's incorrect simply because Toyota puts a lower load rating tire /psi on the Limited, which is the same vehicle.

The crossover between the factory load rating of the limited 245/60/20 tire at 32psi is the equivalent of a C load 265/70/17 at 35psi. I've got about 100k miles on a couple sets of K02s on my 4Runner at 35psi and haven't had any handling issues. I get 18.5mpg on the dash computer and don't baby it. They've been great for me and I'm confident of the load capacity via tire pressure. I see no reason to bump up to 44psi which would, I imagine, ride rougher and wear unevenly.

 

just got through about the first 150 miles on a new set of SL General Grabbers in stock size on our basically stock OR. i hemmed and hawed for months over these, the Wildpeaks, MT Baja Boss and Destination XTs. i liked the on/off road reviews on the grabbers, the weight, they seem to balance well, made in USA and available with white lettering because i grew up in the 80's and love that look. price was competitive on TireRack. they've proven so far to be VERY quiet (although most new A/Ts are) and handled a downpour without issue. Grippy and as responsive as i would expect, and no imbalance at up to 80mph so far. i also noticed they had a build date of the week of April 27th 2023, so nice fresh stock!

i was sweating whether to go 255/80 (passed as i don't want an E Load), or considering a "big" 265 (such as the Wildpeak, Yokohama X-AT, Cooper Rugged Trek, or Baja Boss) that was closer to a real 32", even if it was not the ideal weight or tread for my needs. after sleeping on it a lot i realized that 1/4" height difference didn't matter for me.

can't wait to get 'em dirty.

 

I realize no one asked in a while, but in the brief hours of owning the Cooper Rugged Trek in stock size, I’ve been very impressed. Was on a trail beyond my skill level (although, that’s not saying much…) in an essentially stock SR5P and the tires (with A-TRAC, on occasion) bailed me out through mud, rocks, sand, deeper-than-I-should-have-been-in puddles and then drove me home through a decent thunderstorm in the Shenandoah mountains without ever a hint of breaking loose on the twisties. They are as quiet as the 40k mile stock Duelers they replaced. Time will tell how they hold up long-term, but wanted to pass along my initial experience with them as it still seems like they are new(ish) and have fewer real world experience posts than the Toyo AT3 or Wildpeaks I was also considering.

 

255/80/17 Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx are 32.8" diameter and don't rub on my stock suspension, even with 200+ lbs over the front axle.

 

Toyo Open Country AT3's in stock size.

 

quick followup on my earlier post with the SL rated Grabbers. they seem very happy at 32psi front, 31psi rear, when cold. i don't know if its the carcass construction of the tire where it maybe has a crown, or just that its stiffer than the old stock Dunlop HTs, but when i rotated the tires today after 5,000 miles i noticed some of the mold release rubber hasn't even worn off the outside shoulder yet. so, i would recommend running them no higher than stock 32 pressures or you'll be effectively driving on a 255 contact patch instead of a 265!


great tires though. went through some absolutely blinding rain at highway speeds and they are immovable. low noise, not very heavy. overall MPG is down by 1 at an 80mph cruise. i will say one downside has been that if left to sit for a couple days, they flatspot and will take a few miles to come out of it, but otherwise its not a big deal.

 

Gotta say Im loving the Toyo Opencountry RT Trails. As quiet at the BFG KO2s and they are exceptional off-road.

 

Nice shot

 

Another one for the KO2s. New tires were my first mod, I went with KO2 stock tire size 265/70/17 on stock rims.

 

So I've been thinking about tires for the last few days, and I actually think I'm liking the Nitto Nomad Grappler. They're designed as a CUV tire, but they released some new sizes including the 265 70, and even a 285 in SL.

For a 4Runner that mainly sees pavement and or dirt/ gravel roads, I think that would be a great choice. Being realistic with what I do with mine, I'm keeping them on the short list for my next set of tires.

They are three peak winter rated, and they have enough sidewall to still look cool while most likely having better road manners and MPG than most aggressive all terrains.

 

ok these are now on my radar as I have the same needs as yours. I’m now debating the Nomads vs the Yokohama Geolandar G015 P rated tire. Any have experience with the Yoko’s?

 

Stock size KO2s on my Lunar. Very similar to the OPs example image but wanted to showcase stock sized KO2 as I wasn’t sure the white lettering would look as good on 265s.

Still pops in the smaller size if you ask me.

 

I replaced my stock Bridgestone Dueler HT's (Worst tires I ever had) at 36K miles with Yokohama geolander AT's. Great investment.
They are three peak winter rated, and they have enough sidewall to still look cool while most likely having better road manners and MPG than most aggressive all terrains.

 

I was wondering about putting these on my 2022 4Runner TRD Pro how have you liked these tires and did MPG drop a lot ?

 

Moderately lower gas mileage, but they're relatively light though E load. Ride about as quiet as the factory Nitto Terra Grapplers did and have had zero air pressure drops, nails in tires, or problems. I love them and it's been 6+ months.

 

Looks like this may be your only post but if you're still around I'd love to know where you were at in the sheandoah mountains - I'd like to drive up there in the fall.

I'm running the rugged treks as well and love them so far (about 10k miles). If you are stock size, did you get the XL load? Wish they had that for the 285/70 I'm running but had to choose between P/SL or E. I chose the lighter since I don't hardcore offroad on sharp rocks

 

Cheap Chinese mud tires!

 

I'm new to 4runner. The Toyo open country in passenger spec are one of the lightest in 265/70 or 255/75 categories. But I note a listed 3lb difference between the white letter and the blackwall, that's a fair variation. Mine were made in Serbia.

Laufenn x fit specs lightweight and cheap and mickey thompson baws is the heaviest spec passenger tire with 116T. I have a friendly tire shop that I would chat with when choosing tires.

The toyo open countries have a mini block in the shoulder groove with a decent sipe through that. I will look for something at least as open in the future.

I think I like 265/70 over 255/75. I'm expecting that the wider tread and shorter sidewall gives better steering on dirt at 30mph. There are michelin defenders in 255 that could be good if you need highway profile and .2" ground clearance.

edit I don't have experience with those tires I talked about in specs, just doing comparison.

edit 2

 

my duratracs are sooooo loud. dont buy them

 

I agree with you.

 

Toyo OC RT look great but I need 3-Peak tires for an all-around tire where I live and drive.

Toyo OC AT III and KO2s have served well for me in stock size with the Toyo's winning out on the freeway and wet/slippery conditions. I have also spent miles with Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S, and if you don't plan to go past light fire roads, that is a very quiet, well handling tire that is good in dry conditions and very good in rain and snow.

 

For anyone scratching their head, this tire doesn't show up on tire rack . . . look on toyo's site

 

How are you liking these now? I have a 16 Limited that is 97% pavement and light off road the rest. I am having issues with the tires that came on my rig, Pathfinder AT, 275/55r/20, so I am looking for an aggressive looking road tire that won't vibrate at 60-65mph.