Toyota Tacoma Tire Sizes - Guide

Image Credit: Bt_osu

Toyota uses a few different sizes for Tacomas. Here is a chart showing the different rim sizes.

OEM Tire Sizes - Toyota Tacoma

The above table shows the dramatic growth of OEM tire and rim sizes over the years. This is primarily due to the changing world of compact trucks. While 14″ rims were common in the mid-90s, you would be hard-pressed to find a pickup with them now. (By the way, if you want to extend the life of your tires, check out this article.)

The BIG Question - How Large Of A Tire Will Fit?

One of the simplest “modifications” you can do is to put larger tires on your truck. The Tacoma has a good amount of room in the wheel well already and larger tires can fit without much issue. Just how big? Here is a general rule of thumb to remember.

1. 2005+ Tacoma Trucks. These trucks allow you to generally pick any size from the OEM size list above. This is because the truck is made to accommodate these different sizes. However, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. There are some side effects that happen when going from a smaller tire to a  larger one. These include:

• Your truck’s speedometer and odometer read lower than reality when the tire size increases. There are software kits to reprogram these systems and it is recommended you look into them.
• Larger tires look cool, but you will lose low-end torque. The reality is that you are adding to the overall diameter of your drive wheel, which effectively raises your rear axle gearing. This translates into slower acceleration. This is one of the reasons why many off-road trucks with larger tires have their axles re-geared with lower gearing.
• Braking performance gets worse, as a larger, heavier tire has more leverage on the brakes.
• Gas mileage drops.
• Ride quality can diminish.

2. The 3% Height and Width Rule. Generally, you can increase your tire's height and width by 3% each without having to install a lift or leveling kit. This translates into about 1″ of additional height and .3″ additional width. Most tire dealers call this the “plus 1” tire size increase. It is an affordable and reasonable option for a modification without a large expense.

Note that doesn’t mean every tire manufacture makes tires that are exactly 3% larger, so this may not be an option.

3. 1″ Lift Equals 1″ Tire Height. The general rule with regards to lift kits is that you can go 1″ higher in tire height for each inch of lift. So, if you decide to add a 3″ lift, you can add 3″ of tire height. Keep in mind, this DOESN’T apply to width. Adding width is all about buying wider rims with different backspacing.

Just remember that when shopping for tires, you may not always be able to find tires that match both your width and height needs.

Over-Sized 2005+ Tacoma Tires

Image Credit: jake slatnick 

Note: These recommendations are based on the factory wheels. Using an upgraded rim with different backspacing will allow you to increase to a wider tire. Also, if you go really wide (more than 285), you will want to consider fender flares.

No Lift Kit

Max tire sizes are:

15″ rims: 265/75 R15 – A 265/80 R15 tire would fit just fine, but no one makes one to our knowledge. 265/75 R15 is the largest available size.

16″ rims: 265/75 R16 – one inch taller but same width as factory

17″ rims: 265/70 R17 – one inch taller but same width as factory

18″ rims: 265/65 R18 – one inch taller but same width as factory

2″ Leveling Kit (or less)

When installing a leveling kit, you might be able to fit some wider tires than what we have listed. It may require some trimming though, but it is possible.

Max tire sizes are:

15″ rims: …if you’ve got 15’s and have invested in a lift kit, spend a little more and get some 16″ or 17″ wheels to go with it. There aren’t any good tire sizes for 15’s.

16″ rims: 265/75 R16 – one inch taller but same width as factory

17″ rims: 275/70 R17 – 1.5 inches taller and 0.4″ wider than factory

18″ rims: 275/65 R18 – 1.5 inches taller and 0.4″ wider than factory

3″ Lift Kit

Note: If you are planning a 3″ lift, you will need to consider either a new set of wheels or some wheel spacers. The fact is that there aren’t a lot of common tire sizes that take advantage of your lift and still fit the stock rims.

After-market rims designed for the Tacoma allow you to increase the tire width to as large as 315mm (or about 12.5″). However, if you do go this large be prepared to do some trimming of the fenders and wheel wells due to tires rubbing. This also applies to 1.5″ wheel spacers. An additional risk to running tires as wide as 315's is premature front wheel bearing failure. The Tacoma front wheel bearing was not designed to handle the weight of 315's combined with the additional offset they require.

A common Tacoma tire width for 3″ lift kits is 285mm. This means 17″ wheels, 285/70 R17’s are a good choice (2″ taller and .8″ wider than factory). For 16″ wheels, 285/75 R16’s have similar dimensions as the 17″ wheels do. If you are interested in this size tire, keep in mind that you will most likely have to cut down the forward cab mount to eliminate rubbing. Also, although there are a lot of 285mm tires to choose from, most will require a wheel width of 8", which is wider than the OEM wheel.

Buying Tires

Much like everything else these days, it is beneficial to shop around. Tacoma's are relatively light trucks, and we recommend looking for a C load rated tire. D and E rated tires are more common, but the Tacoma doesn't weigh enough to get the sidewall to flex very much at those load ratings, so the truck will ride stiffer. Try online sites and your local dealer. Quite often you can find good estimates and have a better idea of the cost before you walk into a store.

Let us know if you have any questions.