Land Cruiser Tire Upgrades?

[snipereagle8]

I have the Stock Michelin LTX Trail 265/70/R18 setup on LC PP.

Is it worth keeping the same wheels and swapping the tires out for Michelin Defender LTX MS/2 in 275/70/R18?

I am hearing: 1) Defenders have better ride quality 2) 275/70 is ~1" larger in diameter and improves the stance.

Cost is about $1850 out of the door with tax including the spare.

 

[peloncito]

Hopefully picking up my LC tomorrow. Its coming with 18s and whatever the stock tire is. I plan to get something a little more capable off road, but don't need anything crazy. Most of the driving will be on road, but we camp a lot and go to Tahoe in the winter. The tires I'm looking at are the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent. America's Tire (Discount Tire for you guys in the East) has two varieties listed. They have an Light truck and a standard load version. I'm leaning towards the SL version due to probable better mileage on highway and ride. I'm also trying to decide whether to change right away and sell the stock tires on marketplace, keep the stock tires for now, run them until I need the off road tires, then swap out, but not be able to sell as "new" tires. I'm also torn on whether I want to keep the stock wheels, or swap them out for something different. If I do this, I'll probably wait until later to buy the tires because I'm sort of set on the Method 703s and they don't come in 18s. So I have some questions about the Ascents and despite digging on this and other threads I can't seem to find the answers.

1. Do most people on her have the LT or the SL version? I found the amazing spreadsheet that someone painstakingly created and only the SL is listed.
2. If people have experience with one or the other, other than the weight difference how do they perform. I'm assuming the SL version is the option that most people have bought and referenced here.
3. I guess I'm open to other wheel options and if I can get them in the same size as the stock wheels, I'd prefer that so I can get new tires now and wheels later. Any suggestions on alternatives to the 703s that come in 18" and would fit the same tires if I buy those now.

 

[Markarian421]

Hopefully picking up my LC tomorrow. Its coming with 18s and whatever the stock tire is. I plan to get something a little more capable off road, but don't need anything crazy. Most of the driving will be on road, but we camp a lot and go to Tahoe in the winter. The tires I'm looking at are the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent. America's Tire (Discount Tire for you guys in the East) has two varieties listed. They have an Light truck and a standard load version. I'm leaning towards the SL version due to probable better mileage on highway and ride. I'm also trying to decide whether to change right away and sell the stock tires on marketplace, keep the stock tires for now, run them until I need the off road tires, then swap out, but not be able to sell as "new" tires. I'm also torn on whether I want to keep the stock wheels, or swap them out for something different. If I do this, I'll probably wait until later to buy the tires because I'm sort of set on the Method 703s and they don't come in 18s. So I have some questions about the Ascents and despite digging on this and other threads I can't seem to find the answers.

1. Do most people on her have the LT or the SL version? I found the amazing spreadsheet that someone painstakingly created and only the SL is listed.
2. If people have experience with one or the other, other than the weight difference how do they perform. I'm assuming the SL version is the option that most people have bought and referenced here.
3. I guess I'm open to other wheel options and if I can get them in the same size as the stock wheels, I'd prefer that so I can get new tires now and wheels later. Any suggestions on alternatives to the 703s that come in 18" and would fit the same tires if I buy those now.

I have no experience with that particular tire, but I hear good things about it. The LT E load version is overkill for your application, it will be heavier and ride stiffer. Go with the SL. (At some point I stopped adding E load versions of new tires to the spreadsheet because of that.)

You probably won't get more than about $50/tire for your stock tires, if that helps your calculation.

 

[theregoesmybus]

We just got our 1958 last week and have made the wheel/tire switch (on stock suspension). Prinsu Pro roof rack and CBI step rock sliders are on the way…

Method 703 17” +35 wheels
Falken Wildpeak AT/4 285/70/17 tires

 

[Altitude]

Hopefully picking up my LC tomorrow. Its coming with 18s and whatever the stock tire is. I plan to get something a little more capable off road, but don't need anything crazy. Most of the driving will be on road, but we camp a lot and go to Tahoe in the winter. The tires I'm looking at are the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent. America's Tire (Discount Tire for you guys in the East) has two varieties listed. They have an Light truck and a standard load version. I'm leaning towards the SL version due to probable better mileage on highway and ride. I'm also trying to decide whether to change right away and sell the stock tires on marketplace, keep the stock tires for now, run them until I need the off road tires, then swap out, but not be able to sell as "new" tires. I'm also torn on whether I want to keep the stock wheels, or swap them out for something different. If I do this, I'll probably wait until later to buy the tires because I'm sort of set on the Method 703s and they don't come in 18s. So I have some questions about the Ascents and despite digging on this and other threads I can't seem to find the answers.

1. Do most people on her have the LT or the SL version? I found the amazing spreadsheet that someone painstakingly created and only the SL is listed.
2. If people have experience with one or the other, other than the weight difference how do they perform. I'm assuming the SL version is the option that most people have bought and referenced here.
3. I guess I'm open to other wheel options and if I can get them in the same size as the stock wheels, I'd prefer that so I can get new tires now and wheels later. Any suggestions on alternatives to the 703s that come in 18" and would fit the same tires if I buy those now.

People have both. I think many choose the LT version because those have tougher sidewall strength. Not wrong but in my experience they also have a substantially rougher highway ride, all else constant.

I’d bet that there is a pretty narrow subset of us who do enough rock crawling to make the LT construction pay off, the rest of us buy LT because they seem superior but SL would be a better choice for our use case.

 

[fftfk]

Hopefully picking up my LC tomorrow. Its coming with 18s and whatever the stock tire is. I plan to get something a little more capable off road, but don't need anything crazy. Most of the driving will be on road, but we camp a lot and go to Tahoe in the winter. The tires I'm looking at are the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent. America's Tire (Discount Tire for you guys in the East) has two varieties listed. They have an Light truck and a standard load version. I'm leaning towards the SL version due to probable better mileage on highway and ride. I'm also trying to decide whether to change right away and sell the stock tires on marketplace, keep the stock tires for now, run them until I need the off road tires, then swap out, but not be able to sell as "new" tires. I'm also torn on whether I want to keep the stock wheels, or swap them out for something different. If I do this, I'll probably wait until later to buy the tires because I'm sort of set on the Method 703s and they don't come in 18s. So I have some questions about the Ascents and despite digging on this and other threads I can't seem to find the answers.

1. Do most people on her have the LT or the SL version? I found the amazing spreadsheet that someone painstakingly created and only the SL is listed.
2. If people have experience with one or the other, other than the weight difference how do they perform. I'm assuming the SL version is the option that most people have bought and referenced here.
3. I guess I'm open to other wheel options and if I can get them in the same size as the stock wheels, I'd prefer that so I can get new tires now and wheels later. Any suggestions on alternatives to the 703s that come in 18" and would fit the same tires if I buy those now.

I had SL rate tires on my tacoma and just put them on my Land Cruiser. I did a number of light off-roading trips in my tacoma and never had a problem with SL rate tires. I went to Ouray for 5 days, windrock in TN for a weekend, Badlands in IN, and a few different trips to Northern Wisconsin without issue. The only time I would look at e-rated is if I was loading up really heavily with overloading stuff, hard rock crawling, or heavy towing. I really believe E-rated tires are overkill for most people. I had a friend who used e-rated KO2 and all he did was complain about the noise and rough ride.

 

[Altitude]

I had SL rate tires on my tacoma and just put them on my Land Cruiser. I did a number of light off-roading trips in my tacoma and never had a problem with SL rate tires. I went to Ouray for 5 days, windrock in TN for a weekend, Badlands in IN, and a few different trips to Northern Wisconsin without issue. The only time I would look at e-rated is if I was loading up really heavily with overloading stuff, hard rock crawling, or heavy towing. I really believe E-rated tires are overkill for most people. I had a friend who used e-rated KO2 and all he did was complain about the noise and rough ride.

I had e-rated Wildpeaks on my 2016 Tahoe. Considering the awful quality of the highway surfaces in Colorado and I-70 in particular, I came to regret the choice.

 

[Blue Bear]

I had e-rated Wildpeaks on my 2016 Tahoe. Considering the awful quality of the highway surfaces in Colorado and I-70 in particular, I came to regret the choice.

I have E-load Falken WildPeak AT4Ws in 255/80R17. Compared to the OEM 20" tires, the E-load tires ride just slightly firmer than the 20" Dunlops. Even better, they are very quiet and not a hindrance to an enjoyable ride, even at highway speeds. I'm sensitive to loud tires, so I'd absolutely notice if they were loud.

 

[arash]

I have SL 285/70r17 Nitto Terra Grappler g3. Not much noticeable noise, but when at highway speeds, I feel a very slight vibration through the steering wheel. It’s not shaking or intense at all, but I notice it. Is this just normal for all terrain tires or could the tire balancing be off? Contemplating whether or not to take them back to the tire shop to have them look at the balance.

 

[Altitude]

I have E-load Falken WildPeak AT4Ws in 255/80R17. Compared to the OEM 20" tires, the E-load tires ride just slightly firmer than the 20" Dunlops. Even better, they are very quiet and not a hindrance to an enjoyable ride, even at highway speeds. I'm sensitive to loud tires, so I'd absolutely notice if they were loud.

To be fair, that Tahoe had 100K on it with the original shocks when I mounted those tires. No doubt the worn suspension made it feel worse than it was on bad roads. They felt fine on good highway.

I’d had Defenders on it for 65,000 miles prior. The Wildpeaks were absolutely noisier, though not distractingly so.

 

[Blue Bear]

I have SL 285/70r17 Nitto Terra Grappler g3. Not much noticeable noise, but when at highway speeds, I feel a very slight vibration through the steering wheel. It’s not shaking or intense at all, but I notice it. Is this just normal for all terrain tires or could the tire balancing be off? Contemplating whether or not to take them back to the tire shop to have them look at the balance.

Yes, I'd have the balance checked. I definitely don't get any vibration through the steering wheel, regardless of the speed. I'd also make sure you are running the correct pressure. Falken has load tables to determine the appropriate psi. I don't know if Nitto provides the same information.

 

[LCOceans]

Myself, as many here I think have had same questions. I decided to keep the 18" wheel and looking for an SL tire in 33"-34" range as I feel this will be the sweet spot. SL keeps weight low for improved mpg's even if only 2-3mpgs more. Keeping my stock 265/70/18 Nitto Grapplers for a while as would get almost nothing for them and they are basically new.

 

[zgr8One]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum and looking for some advice and support. I have a 2017 LC76 V6 here in Ethiopia for touring. It has just over 105,000 kilometers on the clock. My main question is about widening the rear axle. As many of you know, the rear track on the 76 Series is narrower than the front, and I'd like to make it equal for better stability and handling. Any suggestions on how to achieve this?

 

[arash]

Yes, I'd have the balance checked. I definitely don't get any vibration through the steering wheel, regardless of the speed. I'd also make sure you are running the correct pressure. Falken has load tables to determine the appropriate psi. I don't know if Nitto provides the same information.

I'm going from the stock 245/70r18 rated by Toyota for 33PSI to 285/70r17. I put this info into the tiresize.com calculator and it suggested 28 psi which is what I'm currently running: Tire Pressure Calculator

I did find some charts on Nitto's website: https://www.nittotires.ca/sites/default/files/2017_load_and_inflation_tables.pdf

According to them, the SL 116 load index can support 1830 lbs per tire even at the lowest pressure listed of 22 psi. 28 psi would get at 2216 lbs per tire which seems plenty for this weight vehicle. When they installed the tires, they had them inflated to around 33 psi, and I noticed the bumps in the road were a bit more pronounced. Lowering to 28 psi seems to have softened the ride. Also, since I'm using a narrower 7 inch wide wheel on a wider tire I'm erring on less PSI to get more even tread wear.

 

[Bird]

Hi Guys, first post here.
Just installed these.

Icon Recon SLX Charcoal 18x9 +40 offset
Toyo Open Country A/T III EV 275/70R18 116H
No lift.

They are SL tires at just 43 lbs per tire. Good ride so far but too soon to talk about fuel consumption. The tread is fully under the flare, but even with +40 offset, almost 1'' of the sidewall is poking outside... spreading some mud on the doors.

Sorry, the truck is dirty and I just notice that I'm parked on uneven terrain giving a strange look on the rake !

 

[shs.1990]

I have SL 285/70r17 Nitto Terra Grappler g3. Not much noticeable noise, but when at highway speeds, I feel a very slight vibration through the steering wheel. It’s not shaking or intense at all, but I notice it. Is this just normal for all terrain tires or could the tire balancing be off? Contemplating whether or not to take them back to the tire shop to have them look at the balance.

I have that tire and don’t notice any shake, although mine are on the stock 18.

 

[arash]

I have that tire and don’t notice any shake, although mine are on the stock 18.

Thanks. I'm going to try increasing pressure a bit, and if that doesn't solve it will have discount tire try to rebalance it.

 

[Blue Bear]

I'm going from the stock 245/70r18 rated by Toyota for 33PSI to 285/70r17. I put this info into the tiresize.com calculator and it suggested 28 psi which is what I'm currently running: Tire Pressure Calculator

I did find some charts on Nitto's website: https://www.nittotires.ca/sites/default/files/2017_load_and_inflation_tables.pdf

According to them, the SL 116 load index can support 1830 lbs per tire even at the lowest pressure listed of 22 psi. 28 psi would get at 2216 lbs per tire which seems plenty for this weight vehicle. When they installed the tires, they had them inflated to around 33 psi, and I noticed the bumps in the road were a bit more pronounced. Lowering to 28 psi seems to have softened the ride. Also, since I'm using a narrower 7 inch wide wheel on a wider tire I'm erring on less PSI to get more even tread wear.

That's an excellent resource. Reading through the Nitto material, they actually show how to calculate the correct inflation pressure. Sweet.

From what I see, SL tires with a 116 Load Index matches to 2579 lbs (not 1830 lbs - not sure where you got the lower number.) I had the 20" OEM tires with a 112 Load Index matching up to 2469 lbs. Based on what I see in the Nitto load tables, I agree with you that the load tables from Nitto suggests a pretty low psi (around 28-29 psi) compared to the 33 psi we've been running on the OEM tires. Nice.

 

[bkral]

Hi Guys, first post here.
Just installed these.

Icon Recon SLX Charcoal 18x9 +40 offset
Toyo Open Country A/T III EV 275/70R18 116H
No lift.

They are SL tires at just 43 lbs per tire. Good ride so far but too soon to talk about fuel consumption. The tread is fully under the flare, but even with +40 offset, almost 1'' of the sidewall is poking outside... spreading some mud on the doors.

Sorry, the truck is dirty and I just notice that I'm parked on uneven terrain giving a strange look on the rake !

Man... I've been looking at these. I had the AT3s on my 4Runner and enjoyed them, but would love to try them as an SL.

They're just a bit more expensive than the normal non-EVs, and reviews for them are basically only for the Rivian.

 

[arash]

That's an excellent resource. Reading through the Nitto material, they actually show how to calculate the correct inflation pressure. Sweet.

From what I see, SL tires with a 116 Load Index matches to 2579 lbs (not 1830 lbs - not sure where you got the lower number.) I had the 20" OEM tires with a 112 Load Index matching up to 2469 lbs. Based on what I see in the Nitto load tables, I agree with you that the load tables from Nitto suggests a pretty low psi (around 28-29 psi) compared to the 33 psi we've been running on the OEM tires. Nice.

Maybe I’m reading things wrong. I was looking at the ETRTO Standard Load Inflation Table. At 116 load index at 28psi, that lists 2216 lbs.

Also, the 245/70r18 stock tires are 110 load index I believe, which puts them at 2183 lbs at the suggested 33 psi.

So yeah, it seems like we could be fine running lower pressures since the load ranges line up that way. Higher pressures could improve handling and possibly improve fuel economy at the expense of a harsher ride. I’m going to experiment in the range of 28 - 33 psi to try to find a sweet spot, but first I need to get discount tire to properly balance these tires!