Dave's 05 Tacoma Build

Status
Not open for further replies.
One thing. Availability. I wanted an AT tread, and the choices in a 255 are pretty slim pickings
 
Got it. I have my jeep ready to go for 285's, 255's or 235's... and have seen the same thing. I expect when the time comes (spring) it will be a matter of availability and best deal.
 
jscusmcvet said:
Any rationale to the switch to a slightly wider tire? I am headed to the 255's next go round I believe.
Click to expand...
I have put about 75k miles on 255/85/16s (skinny tire) and about 100k miles on 285/75/16s (wider tire) on two different rigs. Plus about 200k on other sized 75% aspect ratio tires.

My observations: The skinny tire provides better fuel economy, hands down, due to less mass. It needs more air on the street due to smaller contact area, so isnt as comfy a ride, IMO. It is also more capable in tough terrain, due to a better "bite." however, this better bite comes at the expense of stability. The rig will feel much more tippy on the skinny tire. The wider tire outperforms the skinny tire in stuff like sand and snow, and seemed to help the suspension on both of my rigs cycle better on gravel / dirt / washboard roads. I can only speculate that this is due to a different ratio of sprung vs. Unsprung weight.

All in all, for a daily driver /highway pounding rig, I prefer the wider tire for the stability and comfort (especially with the family on board). A 75% aspect ratio (70% for 17 inch wheel) is the more versatile option of the two and will perform well enough in whatever terrain you find yourself in (good at everything, best at nothing). The skinny tire is better suited to the weekend warrior rig that doesnt see much daily driving and doesnt have to deal with sand or snow on a regular basis. Where the skinny tires really shine is in the rough stuff.

EDIT: I forgot to add braking. No contest, wider tires slow you down better than skinny tires. Another reason why I have a wider tire size on my current "large and in charge" rig.
 
Mr. Leary said:
I have put about 75k miles on 255/85/16s (skinny tire) and about 100k miles on 285/75/16s (wider tire) on two different rigs. Plus about 200k on other sized 75% aspect ratio tires.

My observations: The skinny tire provides better fuel economy, hands down, due to less mass. It needs more air on the street due to smaller contact area, so isnt as comfy a ride, IMO. It is also more capable in tough terrain, due to a better "bite." however, this better bite comes at the expense of stability. The rig will feel much more tippy on the skinny tire. The wider tire outperforms the skinny tire in stuff like sand and snow, and seemed to help the suspension on both of my rigs cycle better on gravel / dirt / washboard roads. I can only speculate that this is due to a different ratio of sprung vs. Unsprung weight.

All in all, for a daily driver /highway pounding rig, I prefer the wider tire for the stability and comfort (especially with the family on board). A 75% aspect ratio (70% for 17 inch wheel) is the more versatile option of the two and will perform well enough in whatever terrain you find yourself in (good at everything, best at nothing). The skinny tire is better suited to the weekend warrior rig that doesnt see much daily driving and doesnt have to deal with sand or snow on a regular basis. Where the skinny tires really shine is in the rough stuff.

EDIT: I forgot to add braking. No contest, wider tires slow you down better than skinny tires. Another reason why I have a wider tire size on my current "large and in charge" rig.
Click to expand...

However, the 255 size tires fit on stock width wheels and don't need as much or any body mount or fender clearance (typically)...
 
So I have a big trip coming up that I'm getting ready for...

DVX15.png


This means more maintenance, and a few upgrades :D

First up, I'm revamping my phone mount in the truck to the Mob Armor one sold by @Raul B at XpeditionOutfitters

I'm also adding a 2M radio for better trail comms in the form of a Yaesu FT-2900R and a Diamond antenna. If I have time after gutting the cab for that install, and the removal of my old Cobra CB, I'll be upgrading my rock lights to some new ones by Rigid.

I have a LOT of work to do to get ready for DVX15!

image.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Huh. Would have pegged you for a dual band, detached faceplate kind of guy... any reason you went this particular route?
 
I'm with Jeremy. Want to see this mounted. Looking at similar.
 
Last edited:
Dave said:
Simplicity. Giant heat sinks. No fans. 75 watts. The AK-47 of 2M radios. Price.
Click to expand...

Makes sense, I still have my 1800 for these reasons, minus the 75 watts. Purchased an 8800 used from @sdnative however never installed it and he bought it back, making both of us happy. The 75 watts is tempting.
 
Some other things I like are built in speaker, NOAA alerts, 4 power levels from 5 to 75 watts, EASY to program on the fly without Internet or PC BS, users report routine repeater access at distances of over 90 miles in mobile configuration, and setup was a snap. I hooked it up, added an antenna and boom it was working. No muss no fuss.
 
Dave said:
Some other things I like are built in speaker, NOAA alerts, 4 power levels from 5 to 75 watts, EASY to program on the fly without Internet or PC BS, users report routine repeater access at distances of over 90 miles in mobile configuration, and setup was a snap. I hooked it up, added an antenna and boom it was working. No muss no fuss.
Click to expand...
Any details on the install?
 
@Jeremy M. here you go. Power is coming in the firewall behind the glove box, antenna cable is run under the carpet to the rear and goes out the rear sliding window to the magnet mount on the roof. The radio itself is mounted to the center console, all this required the center console, passenger seat and glove box to be removed.

image.jpeg
 
Dave said:
@Jeremy M. here you go. Power is coming in the firewall behind the glove box, antenna cable is run under the carpet to the rear and goes out the rear sliding window to the magnet mount on the roof. The radio itself is mounted to the center console, all this required the center console, passenger seat and glove box to be removed.

View attachment 19911
Click to expand...
Looks good, what antenna are you using?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom