Biggest Tires On Stock Tacoma!

Bigger tires on your stock Tacoma make your rig look tough and it can help you get through some crazy terrain!

The biggest tires you can fit on a stock 3rd Gen Toyota Tacoma are the following:

• For the 16 inch wheel it is 265/75R16 
• For the 17 inch wheel it is 265/70R17
• For the 18 inch wheel it is 265/65/18  

For the people that are not so inclined with tire sizing, those values equal a 31.6 inch tire.  Almost 32 inches but not quite!  

These sizes assume that there has been no lift kit applied to the truck and that there has been no work done to the fenders/wheel well because that is the only way you will get larger tires onto the truck without having any issues. 

Read on to find out more about tire sizes, wheels, and typical setups for your Tacoma!

Why Can’t You Fit Bigger Tires Onto the Stock Tacoma?

While you can fit a larger tire than a 32 inch tire onto the stock Tacoma the issue comes when you are turning with your steering wheel at full wheel lock. Meaning you have turned the wheel as far as you can.  At this point, you will start rubbing on the fender liner and the fender flair. 

Quickly a lot of people say:

“so it’s a little rubbing no big deal”

The unfortunate thing is that rubbing can be dangerous for you and your vehicle.  Tire rubbing can eventually lead your tire to a blowout or even cause crazy driving conditions if you were to hit a bump in the road.  That bump could cause your tire to hit the fenders at force and cause an unwanted turn that could lead to a crash.

That is an extreme condition, the least it can do is cause an annoying sound while you are driving down the road.  But that sound could cause you to lose your mind eventually!

These are definitely case-to-case situations because tires vary so greatly but it’s better to have enough clearance for your tires to ensure that can’t happen. 

How to Fit 33 Inch Tires On The Tacoma

There are some videos out there that show how to cut the fender flares and fender liners to fit your 33 inch tires but be careful with these.  They show that there is no rubbing after doing all this work but that is great when the Tacoma is in the Garage.

When the Tacoma is out on the trail your wheels and tires will be flexing and the truck will be using its suspension to get over obstacles on the road.  That is when you will see even more rubbing than your garage floor.  I guess the answer to that is to cut even more so it’s up to you but cutting into the Tacoma seems like a bad idea. 

Again, depending on the tire maybe this will work for you but sometimes it’s best to do what’s right and that is getting a lift!  Or if you are only street cruising then you are probably fine just be careful on those speed bumps!!

Also, if you have a brand new Tacoma call your dealer and get it in writing, if you can, that cutting the Tacoma or putting larger tires on will not affect any of the warranties or extended warranties you currently have.  

What About The Spare Tire?

A 33 inch tire will fit in the spare tire location under the bed of the truck.  Of course, we can’t be certain that all tires will fit but in general, most 285/70/17 tires will snug in there just enough.  Most likely you will have to air it down and be ready to air it back up on the road or the trail in case of an emergency.  

This means that you will need an air compressor and if you are on the road the factory jack will work or if not you will need a Hi-lift jack.  

Other hard core Taco owners will get a tire carrier for the bed of the truck. Another option is to get a swing-out tire carrier that can fit into your hitch. This option allows full use of your bed which is one of the reasons you got a truck anyway. 

Either way, it’s probably best to get the tire out from under the truck if you are off roading because in certain situations on the trail your spare may not be accessible!  

Stock Tacoma Tire Size

The Toyota Tacoma stock tire sizes vary per the trim that you have.  Here is a breakdown of the following sizes your 3rd Gen Tacoma could come with for the following trims:

• SR & SR5:  245/75R16 = 29.5 inch tire with a 16 inch rim
• TRD Sport: 265/65R17 =  30.6 inch tire with a 17 inch rim
• TRD Off-Road: 265/70R16 =  30.6 inch tire  with a 16 inch rim
• TRD PRO: 265/70R16 = 30.6 inch tire with a 16 inch rim
• Limited: 265/60R18 =  30.5 inch tire with a 18 inch rim

Please note that the trims mentioned above were only for the 4×4 trucks with 5’ beds. The other options may vary. 

So in comparing these sizes to the max tire size, all you can do is increase the diameter of the wheel by one inch or about two inches if you have the SR & SR5.  

True 33 inch tire size

Now there is a lot of rounding when people talk about tires so that is why you need to look at the actual measurements provided by the tire manufacturer. 

This is important because if you are doing some modifications and reading up on what tires will fit your Tacoma someone’s “33 inch” reference might not fit your needs. 

Let’s take a look at an example.  A lot of people love BF Goodrich AT KO2s.  They are an awesome-looking all-terrain tire that is top class.  The “33s”  at 285/70R17 are actually 32.7 inches in diameter.

If someone likes the KO2s and calls them “33s” but they are the 285/75/17 then they are actually 33.8 inches. Closer to 34 inch tires.  So just be careful with the sizes of tires that are called out in inches and always refer back to the actual measurements from the manufacturer. 

Biggest Tire On 3 Inch Lift Tacoma

The biggest tire you can run on a 3 inch lift is a 33 inch tire.  A lot of people will argue that they are running 33s on their stock Tacoma, but the question is what did you have to modify to your truck to get that to fit?  Or how much rubbing do you have while off roading?

There are many factors that come into play with fitting 33s onto your rig.  If you have certain wheels they may not fit because of the offset of that wheel.  If the wheels have a big negative offset then 33s have the potential of not fitting due to rubbing and hitting your fenders.  Plus you could have issues with handling and suspension. 

On the opposite side if you have too much positive offset then you run the risk of rubbing against your upper control arms, brakes, and suspension.  

What is Wheel Offset

Essential wheel offset is the measurement from the hub to the center line of your wheel.  There is positive and negative wheel offset and it is measured in millimeters.

Let’s take a quick look at the three offsets your wheels can have. 

Negative Wheel Offset

With a negative offset, your wheel will have a bowl-like shape and the hub is inset deep into the rim.  A lot of people love the look of this for their Tacomas. Plus it pushes your large wheels away from the internal part of your truck. 

A quick thought to go with the largest negative offset so that you can put on big tires is a common one.  Unfortunately, there are issues if you push your wheels and tires out too far from the vehicle. Here are some of the common issues:

• More stress on your axles, wheels, suspension, and driveline
• Poor Handling
• Wheel Kick Back

As you shop for wheels and tires you will most likely end up with a 0 or small negative wheel offset.  This is because you want to be able to have larger tires move away from the internals of your wheel well. 

Positive Wheel Offset

If your wheel’s hub is more flush with the outside of the rim or at least closer to it, this is most likely a positive wheel offset.  

Zero Wheel Offset

The hub is even with the center of the wheel. So there will be a little dish to it but not as much as a negative offset. 

Issues With Offsets

As you start to upgrade your wheels and tires this becomes important to understand because you don’t want to have a wheel with too much positive offset because you could start to hit the internal components of your vehicle when you turn the wheel.  

If you have too much negative offset rubbing issues with the fenders come into play as well as issues with your handling and suspension as mentioned above. 

It’s good to check out setups that other have already done but it’s still great to double check with the manufacturers of the lift, wheels, and tires to ensure compatibility.  Companies typically don’t take wheels or rims back if they have been used. 

If you are going to use your stock Tacoma wheels and put on larger tires you may have issues with your upper control arms and internal components next to the tires.  Normally you will need to update to a wheel with a negative offset to get the tire away from your important internal parts.

Also, remember it may not rub now but what about when you are hitting the trail hard and the suspension is flexing?

Where to find the Offset?

The offset for your wheels will typically have it imprinted into the backside of the wheel.  It could be on the hub or one of the spokes.

What is Backspacing?

Backspacing is the distance from the vehicle side of the hub to the edge of the wheel on the vehicle side. It is measured in inches. 

This is what is typically used in off road wheels to get the correct fitment you need for your vehicle and what you plan to do with your vehicle. While backspacing is used more frequently in offroading it is still good to understand both options of measurement.

Typical the more backspacing you have the more you are going to push the wheel towards the inside of the vehicle. In off roading, this means you are most likely going to be rubbing on your internal systems of the wheel well and body. 

The less backspacing you have the more you are going to push the wheel away from the internals but closer to the fender flares and edge of the wheel well.  

Which Wheel Offset/Backspacing Is Preferred for the Tacoma?

Here are some typical builds we see for Toyota Tacomas so you can get a sense of what has been done and the options for your build. We have provided the offset and backspacing so you can see what can be done with no trimming of the wheel well for no lift up to a 3.5 inch lift.

Tacomas With No Trimming No Lift

Wheel Name: Anthem Off Road Avenger

• Wheel size:  17 inches x 9 inches
• Offset: 0
• Backspacing: 5
• Tires: 265/70/17 Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires (check out our write up on who makes Falken tires)
• Diameter: 31.9 inches ( this is pushing it!)
• Width: 10.7 inches

Tacomas With No Trimming & Leveling Kit

Tacomas With No Trimming & 2.5 Suspension Lift

Tacomas With No Trimming & 3.0 Suspension Lift

Tacomas With No Trimming 3.5 Suspension Lift

Remember these are some typical builds for wheels, lifts and tires it is always best to confirm with the manufacturer that there will be no issues.  Most of the manufacturer websites have great search functions but the list above is a great start on your journey to lift your vehicle and get the largest tires you can!

Conclusion – Biggest Tires on Stock Tacoma

So while you can’t put a 33 inch tire on your stock Tacoma without doing some serious work you can bump up your tire’s diameter to at least an inch. And for some that might be big enough! 

But for those of you that want to get bigger remember to double-check the sizes of your wheels and tires and make sure there will be no rubbing on internal components or the wheel well and just put a lift on it!  The lift is going to make your Tacoma look amazing and will match the aggressiveness of your wheels and tires.

Additional Tire Resources

If you need a tire calculator this is a great one to reference.  Tiresize.com.

While this calculator is great for general terms remember that each manufacturer will have a little float to the actual size of their tire.  So double check the manufacturer’s website to get the correct sizing. 

Check out our article about off road treads that dives into the different types of treads that are out there.

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