New tire options after sidewall puncture on Trailhunter.

[Barak]

Hi all,
Today, while driving up to Engineer pass in the San Juans, slowly, tires deflated to 25 PSI, I heard a pop. Tire instantly deflated. Sidewall puncture. It seemed way too easy for that to happen. These are the original Toyo Open Country AT 265/70 R18. Truck has 3,000 miles on it.

Since this tire is non-repairable, and this is the kind of driving I intend to do I have decided to just buy a new set of tires. I have used BF Goodrich KO2s on all of my previous 4Runners and loved them so I'm inclined to use those again, and also go larger, probably 285/70 or 285/75.

So:
Any cons with this tire size besides reduced fuel economy? I assume these will still fit with no rubbing? Open to other tires but the BF Goodrich ones I have used in the past were 10 ply, much better sidewall protection. This Toyo tire felt very squishy to me, not up to the task of heavy duty off-roading.

Thank you!

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[BillyG4Runner6G]

Nitto Recon Grappler 295/70R18 SL is what I am going to when mine are shot.
PFYC.com > Nitto > Nitto Recon Grappler A/T Performance Tire - 295/70R18 116S

 

[Van Solo]

Perhaps upgrade to C or D ply Tires?!
10 Ply may ruin your driving experience.

 

[fur_runner]

1. I wouldn't be quick to go right to 10-ply because of one blowout. I would check what size those OEM tires were, because if they don't start with "LT" they're SL rated. Going from SL to E rated (10-ply equivalent) tires is more than doubling the structure. The Toyo LT 265/70/18 has more than 1000lbs higher load rating *per tire* than the SL ones. Maybe thats what you want, but maybe its overkill

2. I don't know about on a TH, but I strongly suspect the 285/75/18 will def rub. Thats 2" taller than the OEM tire

3. Also just keep in mind that going to a LT285/75/18 E rated Toyo Open Country is 25lbs *per wheel* heavier

 

[odins_beer'd]

Hi all,
Today, while driving up to Engineer pass in the San Juans, slowly, tires deflated to 25 PSI, I heard a pop. Tire instantly deflated. Sidewall puncture. It seemed way too easy for that to happen. These are the original Toyo Open Country AT 265/70 R18. Truck has 3,000 miles on it.

Since this tire is non-repairable, and this is the kind of driving I intend to do I have decided to just buy a new set of tires. I have used BF Goodrich KO2s on all of my previous 4Runners and loved them so I'm inclined to use those again, and also go larger, probably 285/70 or 285/75.

So:
Any cons with this tire size besides reduced fuel economy? I assume these will still fit with no rubbing? Open to other tires but the BF Goodrich ones I have used in the past were 10 ply, much better sidewall protection. This Toyo tire felt very squishy to me, not up to the task of heavy duty off-roading.

Thank you!

I have 285/70r/17 Wildpeak M/T's C load on my SR5 with no chub rub. About a 2 MPG hit. I still get 22 on the highway. And they have answered everything I've asked offroad.

 

[John2112]

Hi all,
Today, while driving up to Engineer pass in the San Juans, slowly, tires deflated to 25 PSI, I heard a pop. Tire instantly deflated. Sidewall puncture. It seemed way too easy for that to happen. These are the original Toyo Open Country AT 265/70 R18. Truck has 3,000 miles on it.

Since this tire is non-repairable, and this is the kind of driving I intend to do I have decided to just buy a new set of tires. I have used BF Goodrich KO2s on all of my previous 4Runners and loved them so I'm inclined to use those again, and also go larger, probably 285/70 or 285/75.

So:
Any cons with this tire size besides reduced fuel economy? I assume these will still fit with no rubbing? Open to other tires but the BF Goodrich ones I have used in the past were 10 ply, much better sidewall protection. This Toyo tire felt very squishy to me, not up to the task of heavy duty off-roading.

Thank you!

I also have the Trail Hunter, didn't even consider airing down going over Engineer pass or Poughkeepsie gulch since the these Toyo tires aren't even c-rated. I was surprised at how well they did on Poughkeepsie gulch, not as well as my Jeep Wrangler did but pretty darn well. Since I want to keep on-road drivability, I'm going to keep the same size and go to bf Goodrich ko3s and replace those ugly bronze Wheels with some matte black Methods. I'm going to let these Toyo's wear down a bit since they're fine as long as you don't air them down and they are really good on the highway. Engineer pass is a very easy Trail compared to most, My Wrangler came with street tires and did Engineer pass with no issues as long as it's not wet or snow covered. Since 98% of my driving will be on highways, I'd rather keep that drivability and keep the same size. Just my two cents.

 

[John2112]

Hi all,
Today, while driving up to Engineer pass in the San Juans, slowly, tires deflated to 25 PSI, I heard a pop. Tire instantly deflated. Sidewall puncture. It seemed way too easy for that to happen. These are the original Toyo Open Country AT 265/70 R18. Truck has 3,000 miles on it.

Since this tire is non-repairable, and this is the kind of driving I intend to do I have decided to just buy a new set of tires. I have used BF Goodrich KO2s on all of my previous 4Runners and loved them so I'm inclined to use those again, and also go larger, probably 285/70 or 285/75.

So:
Any cons with this tire size besides reduced fuel economy? I assume these will still fit with no rubbing? Open to other tires but the BF Goodrich ones I have used in the past were 10 ply, much better sidewall protection. This Toyo tire felt very squishy to me, not up to the task of heavy duty off-roading.

Thank you!

Hi all,
Today, while driving up to Engineer pass in the San Juans, slowly, tires deflated to 25 PSI, I heard a pop. Tire instantly deflated. Sidewall puncture. It seemed way too easy for that to happen. These are the original Toyo Open Country AT 265/70 R18. Truck has 3,000 miles on it.

Since this tire is non-repairable, and this is the kind of driving I intend to do I have decided to just buy a new set of tires. I have used BF Goodrich KO2s on all of my previous 4Runners and loved them so I'm inclined to use those again, and also go larger, probably 285/70 or 285/75.

So:
Any cons with this tire size besides reduced fuel economy? I assume these will still fit with no rubbing? Open to other tires but the BF Goodrich ones I have used in the past were 10 ply, much better sidewall protection. This Toyo tire felt very squishy to me, not up to the task of heavy duty off-roading.

Thank you!

I also have the Trail Hunter, didn't even consider airing down going over Engineer pass or Poughkeepsie gulch since the these Toyo tires aren't even c-rated. I was surprised at how well they did on Poughkeepsie gulch, not as well as my Jeep Wrangler did but pretty darn well. Since I want to keep on-road drivability, I'm going to keep the same size and go to bf Goodrich ko3s and replace those ugly bronze Wheels with some matte black Methods. I'm going to let these Toyo's wear down a bit since they're fine as long as you don't air them down and they are really good on the highway. Engineer pass is a very easy Trail compared to most, My Wrangler came with street tires and did Engineer pass with no issues as long as it's not wet or snow covered. Since 98% of my driving will be on highways, I'd rather keep that drivability and keep the same size. Just my two cents.

 

[jimr]

1. I wouldn't be quick to go right to 10-ply because of one blowout. I would check what size those OEM tires were, because if they don't start with "LT" they're SL rated. Going from SL to E rated (10-ply equivalent) tires is more than doubling the structure. The Toyo LT 265/70/18 has more than 1000lbs higher load rating *per tire* than the SL ones. Maybe thats what you want, but maybe its overkill

2. I don't know about on a TH, but I strongly suspect the 285/75/18 will def rub. Thats 2" taller than the OEM tire

3. Also just keep in mind that going to a LT285/75/18 E rated Toyo Open Country is 25lbs *per wheel* heavier

My first comment is I love your ADORABLE corgi pic!

Second comment/question is my 2025 Offroad came with Michelin "LTX Trail" tires (see attached pic). Does anyone know if these have sidewall reinforcement?

Apologies, I am completely ignorant about how to read tire specs. I don't know how to translate xxx/yyRzz numbers into anything meaningful. Nor do I know if LTX Trail is good or bad. What I do know is sidewall reinforcement is important for doing things like going over Engineer pass (I've done it twice in my 3rd gen 4r).

The only writing on my tires I understand is "M+S" means "mud and snow", and is required for wintertime driving in Colorado mountains.

 

[Roach011]

I have had excellent experiences with Toyo tires. Both the AT3 and RT trail. Both are exceptional in my experience. I just put on 285/75/17 At3 on my TRD ORP. With a +25 wheel I had very minor rubbing on the front wheel well liner. Slight adjustment and removal of the rear brackets for good measure to ensure no more rub even at full tuck/lock.

C load rated on the AT3.

I also highly recommend carrying gluetreads when offroading.

https://www.gluetread.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqUAd5z8yM4scZYLWkGDd6I6YkDo6nfSZNYnyEoExoGsaIlnLi9

 

[fur_runner]

Hey! Heritage Blue brothers!

If you look at the sidewall there at 3 o'clock you see the important stuff (in small text closer to the sidewall.) 265/70R18 means the tread is 265mm wide, the sidewall is 70% of that (ie 185.5mm), its radial construction, and the hole is 18". From there is says 116S, which means the load range is 116 which is rated for 2756lbs per tire, and the S is the speed rating of 112mph maximum speed.

The load range for "regular" tires (ie, doesn't start w LT, or end w XL) is measured at their maximum pressure. That is where the problems come from with airing down these types of tires (like the OP has as well) you could lose 500lbs in load capacity per tire by airing down 5psi - its not a linear scale but you can run into issues fast. Especially when you consider that our "regular" pressure is 33psi compared to the 51psi max pressure for the LTX Trail. Air down to 25psi and you're at half the max pressure and maybe in the range of 25% of the load capacity

 

[fur_runner]

And before someone is like, well dang, I'm getting 14-ply F-rated tires then, keep in mind that the load rating for ALL tires is measured at max pressure. Toyo makes a "regular" Open Country A/T III and an LT version. The regular support up to 11,024lbs between all four, and the LT support 14,560lbs thanks to jumping from the 116 to 125 load index.

BUT the LT version have a max pressure of 80psi, which is where that load rating is measured at. Drop that pressure down to 33psi (much less something that starts with a 2) and you're already at a lower capacity that the "regular" version.

Way more important than the "ply rating" is looking for a tire w a high enough load rating *at a realistically low pressure* if you plan on running them aired down. I really wish there was a scale that would help know the load capacity at specific psi, but I don't think we live in that world

 

[fur_runner]

Looking into it further, Toyo publishes load charts for their regular tires (as a single cohort), their LT tires (again, singularly) and the Open Country MT 2.

	26	29	32	35	45	55	65	75	80
P265/65R18 112S	2116	2238	2348	2469
LT265/65R18 122 e-rated				1830	2180	2510	2835	3120	3305
35x12.5R17LT 125Q e-rate	1875 (25psi)	2155 (30psi)		2405	2840	3235	3640

There isn't an Open Country MT in their table which is a 33", and their ratings are different by 1psi for the MT vs everything else. The LT has a max pressure of 80psi, the MT of 65psi, and they don't rate the regular one beyond 35psi

All this to say that nothing here compares the abrasion resistance and thickness of sidewalls and whatnot, but if the OP had load blowout while airing down a 112S passenger tire, the other options are going in the wrong direction

 

[Barak]

Thank you all for the insightful responses. I have been driving 4 generations of 4Runners for over 25 years and never experienced a puncture like this.
The rim had a chip-ding right next to what almost looked like a pinch flat. (I’ll post a photo later) As I mentioned, I was being careful as usual with tire placement and heard a pop, like you would hear if your tire slid sideways off of a rock. Deflation was instantaneous.
I don’t claim to be a specialist when it comes to tires, but my 10 ply BF Goodrich KO2s on my previous 4Runners were awesome, and I didn’t mind the stiffer ride.
although going from 265 to 285 sizes carry an extra cost bump of around $120 per tire (!) I’m leaning towards 285/70R18s for the slight bump in ground clearance, and I don’t think I need to take off any parts for those to fit if I go with BF or Toyo. The Toyo’s seem to be a lighter tire with lower rolling resistance as well

 

[kzrman]

I also have the Trail Hunter, didn't even consider airing down going over Engineer pass or Poughkeepsie gulch since the these Toyo tires aren't even c-rated. I was surprised at how well they did on Poughkeepsie gulch, not as well as my Jeep Wrangler did but pretty darn well. Since I want to keep on-road drivability, I'm going to keep the same size and go to bf Goodrich ko3s and replace those ugly bronze Wheels with some matte black Methods. I'm going to let these Toyo's wear down a bit since they're fine as long as you don't air them down and they are really good on the highway. Engineer pass is a very easy Trail compared to most, My Wrangler came with street tires and did Engineer pass with no issues as long as it's not wet or snow covered. Since 98% of my driving will be on highways, I'd rather keep that drivability and keep the same size. Just my two cents.

"replace those ugly bronze Wheels with some matte black Methods."
Oh, you mean like mine!?

 

[John2112]

Exactly

"replace those ugly bronze Wheels with some matte black Methods."
Oh, you mean like mine!?

Exactly, those look great.

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