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Wheel Size Question 17" to 16" Why?

10K views 11 replies 12 participants last post by  Coldnapalm  
#1 ·
I'm new to the FJ and forum, I just picked up 2007 FJ with 12,400 miles and a few mods. (Revtec 3" lift kit)
It has 285/75/16 American Racing Rims and Toyo Open Country MT tires.
I noticed from the sticker on the door panel that the stock wheel and tires were 265/70/17 What would be the reason you would drop to 16" rims from the stock 17". The guy I purchased the truck from has not taken the truck off road, at all. I plan to use it mainly on the road with some off road on the beach.
What tire and rim size would be recommended for those conditions. It looks like I got some time with these tire for now. Any information would be helpful.

Thanks

Mike
 

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#2 ·
Well, I'm planning on going to a 16" wheel and I can give you my reasons. First, it makes the tire look a little bigger than it actually is. It's a bit of an optical illusion. Second, with the 16" you will have more sidewall compared to the same size tire on a 17" rim. This is an advantage when offroading, because you can air down without unseating the tire. It's not a huge difference (i.e. you can obviously still air down with 17" rims.)

Anyway, those are my reasons. From what you wrote about your plans, more sidewall won't matter to you. And the "bigger" tire look is strictly personal. So, you'll have to decide on that yourself. I'm sure others will chime in here with some more info.

Congrats on the FJ and welcome to the club! (and forum.)
 
#3 ·
I've had both, and it really comes down to preference.

I do agree with the increased sidewall comment, although I don't off-road too much.

I'd also like to add that if your vehicle came with 17" wheels and it now has 16"ers, you should remain aware that your odometer is going to be a bit off but certainly not enough to make any great difference.

Some FJ's come from the factory with 17's, and FJ's with the off-road package come with 16's.
 
#5 ·
I'd also like to add that if your vehicle came with 17" wheels and it now has 16"ers, you should remain aware that your odometer is going to be a bit off but certainly not enough to make any great difference.
Actually, that's not the case - as least not as stated. The difference in wheel diameters isn't going to change your speedo or odo readings at all - it's the overall diameter of the tires used that makes the difference. If you match the tire diameter when changing any wheel size, you can keep your readings right on target.

For instance - I have the "All Terrain Pkg." on my '10, which comes with 16s, as mentioned, with 265/75-16 tires. The diameter of these is 31.6".
The 265/70-17s that came stock on yours are...31.6" in diameter!
See? The slightly smaller aspect ratio on the 17s (70 series) helps the overall diameter of a 265mm section width tire stay the same as the 16s (75 series); the 16s just have a taller sidewall to compensate for the smaller diameter wheel, which have a bit more "give" in dealing with uneven/rough surfaces, helping grip and ride off-road, which is why most hardcore 4-wheelers prefer 16s.

Now, you DO happen to have a bit of speedo/odo problem because of the fact that the tires that were put on your rig (285/75-16) are wider/taller than stock at 32.8". This is a difference of about 4%, which means that when your speedo reads 70 mph, you're actually going about 73. Not a huge difference, but enough to be made aware of.

Have fun!
 
#7 ·
It should be a percentage of your mileage. The faster you go the more "off" you are.
 
#8 ·
Another factor to consider:

For the time being there is a wider tire selection in the 16's than there are 17 (at least for offroad tires). The other consideration would be price, the 16's are usually across the board cheaper than the 17's.

:bigthumb:
 
#9 ·
I originally wanted to go to 16's, but I think the 17's will work better for me for now. I am guessing they will have better on road manners which is important to me. If I stay 17's, does it matter if I run 285's or 295's as long as I have the OME Medium lift??