Pros and Cons of going from 18" wheels to 17" wheels?

Hi guys,

I searched and read through many threads but didn't see anything specific to this. I also used the tire calc here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=265-60r18-265-70r17

But I don't really understand what it is telling me.

I have a 2013 Limited that came with the 18" chrome wheels. There is a local deal on Craigslist someone trying to get rid of their 17" TRD wheels. Is it crazy to go from 18" to 17" and what are the pros and cons? The tire calc makes it seem like the 17" rims and tires would be wider than the 18" rims and tires I have now. Is this good or bad?

I am mostly just street driving and plan to add Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 tires when my tires wear out.

 

Just street driving? The difference will be in choice of available tires. Stick with 265/70-17’s or the stock 265/65-17’s The calculator is telling you the “diameter” (not width) is about 1” larger with the selected 17’s vs the selected 18’s. For this application not good or bad, just style/look/preference.

 

Yeah I am just street driving. Tbh I don't really understand the numbers. I currently have 265/60R18 tires on my 18" chrome wheels. The new tires would be 265/70R17.

Would there be a difference in gas mileage up or down or anything like that?

 

MPG has several factors, my issue is moving mass. My current tires weigh about 56 pounds each. OEM was 36 pounds. I do see a mileage difference.

I think you are over thinking this, you’re choice of perspective tires and size are well within the norm.

 

Here's a crash course, then, using your current tire as an example.

265 - this is the tire section width (sidewall to sidewall, not contact patch), in millimeters.
60 - this is called the aspect ratio, and is a percentage of the section width. It determines how much sidewall you will have, and how tall the tire will be.
R - means it's a radial tire (not a bias ply)
18 - indicates the wheel size (diameter), in inches, it's to be mounted on.

So if you were to step down to a 17" wheel from an 18" wheel, but wanted to keep the same overall size tire (for speedometer/odometer accuracy, etc.) you'd need to step up 5% on the aspect ratio to account for that 1" loss in wheel diameter = 265/65R17

 

Going with 17's will provide much more available tire size choices and pricing. Going from your current 18 tire size to the 17" tire size will net you 1/2" lift but mph will read 1-2mph slower than actual speed due to tire diameter increase.

 

Appreciate all the help guys!

 

You can get the same exact overall tire dimensions (height and width) with 15", 16", 17", 18", or even 20" wheels by selecting the proper tire size. The only difference is the size of the hole in the middle and how much rubber is between the road and bottom of the wheel.

In the same overall tire dimensions a 17" wheel will mean more rubber between the road and bottom of the rim than an 18" wheel. That is helpful for off road driving. It also means a softer ride, but more lean in curves if driving aggressively. Your 18" wheels mean less rubber between the road and bottom of the rim. That means less body lean when driving aggressively on the road. You'll be able to get a more sports car like ride with the 18" wheels. Actually 16" wheels are better for off road and truck use. The 17's are somewhat of a compromise.

Unless you upsize significantly 18" wheels would generally be a better option for driving on the road. Of course you can upsize to a bigger tire on an 18" or 20" wheel and get lots of rubber between the ground and rim.

 

Do any of the Tundra 18in TRD wheels fit the Tacoma then? I like the idea of TRD wheels.

 

Tundras have a different bolt pattern than our 6 lug tacomas. You should look into the TRD wheels for tacomas. Those are very sharp looking. Personally, I would go with 16 or 17s. Mine road smoother when I swapped 18s to now 16s many yrs ago. I can run lower psi along with many more tire choices.

 

Get the 17 trd wheels and be done eith it.

 

Found a nice set of GX460 take offs available near me. Does anyone know if the Lexus center caps for these wheels are the same size as any of the TRD center caps?

 

The first defense against a bump in the road is in the tire. Larger side walls will give more flex and absorb road imperfections. Small sidewalls will give a rougher ride or make the shocks flex more. Smaller, low profile sidewalls do not flex right or left as much and so you get better performance at cornering. Do you need performance cornering in a truck? Most low profile tires are for looks only. I prefer a higher profile tire to give more a comfortable ride and better off-road use. You can get a tire in any of the rim sizes you are looking for that keeps the same diameter at the tread. Any tire shop can tell you which to get.

 

Uh
well I don't know why in the hell anyone would have an 18 on a 2nd gen Tacoma
pros? None
Cons? Ugly

16 or 17 is normal for it
18 is not

 

17 inch rim and tire combo will have a taller sidewall, which will usually help with ride quality as there is more sidewall to absorb road jolts. Plus, it's better to have that give for hard impacts and off road driving.

I have 17s and I personally wouldn't want a shorter sidewall.

I run 265/65R17s. I would have gone to 265/70R17s, but l couldn't find them in the tire l wanted at the time l was buying them.

This is just my 2 cents.

 

The 2nd gen Limited trim came with 18” wheels. I had them on mine & changed them out ASAP, not a good look for the Tacoma. OP- the 17” TRD’s will work great on your truck & lots of tire options too.

 

Oh, good Lord, 17" TRD over 18" chrome? No brainer, buy the 17s assuming they are the correct bolt pattern.
You'll have plenty of tire choices.

 

17” TRD Grey with 265/70/17 AT3s. 16s has more tire contact on the road than 17s but I can’t do 16s. They just look to small to me