285/75R16 (33.8" measured) is the size that works on a lifted Tacoma — it clears on 2" of lift after trimming the front mud flap bracket, clears untouched on 2.5"+, and it is the last size you can run before upper control arms and re-gearing stop being optional.
The 285/75R16 measures 33.8" in actual diameter on most brands, taller than the "33" the size gets called. On a 2" lifted Tacoma it will contact the front mud flap bracket at full compression and full lock. Trimming that plastic bracket — ten minutes with a razor knife — ends the rub. At 2.5"+ of lift the size runs clean with no cutting. The 295/70R17 (33.5") is the 17" equivalent: it wants 2.5" minimum, and 3" on a 2nd gen because that generation's front fender opening is narrower where the tire swings into it.
On 2nd gen trucks (2005–2015) there are three contact points and they show up in this order: the plastic mud flap bracket behind the front tire, the leading edge of the inner fender liner, and — at full stuff with a wide wheel — the pinch weld at the bottom of the cab mount. The bracket is the common one and the cheap fix. The liner is a pull-and-mark job: back the liner inward at the front lip, drive it, and look for the polished spot that tells you where it kissed. The pinch weld only appears if backspacing is wrong (see below), which means the fix is wheels, not a hammer.
The 3rd gen (2016–2023) opening is a little more generous and 285/75R16 frequently clears at 2.5" with nothing trimmed at all. What bites 3rd gen owners instead is the front lower control arm and the sway bar end link on trucks that also went to a wider wheel; the tire clears the body and then finds suspension hardware at lock.
Backspacing is the variable that decides all of this. Factory 16" Tacoma wheels run about 5.9" backspacing, and moving to a 4.75"–5" backspacing wheel pushes the tire outward about an inch, which is what most 33" setups use to clear the upper control arm. Push further — a 4.5" backspacing or a 1.5" spacer stack — and you buy fender-lip rub and added wheel bearing load in exchange for a stance. The Tacoma bolt pattern is 6x139.7 with a 106.1mm hub bore; a wheel with a larger bore needs hub-centric rings or the assembly rides on the studs.
A set of four 285/75R16 KO2s runs roughly $980 mounted and balanced; Wildpeak AT3W lands closer to $860 for the same size and is the value pick that gives up little. Toyo AT3 is the quiet one at about $920. Add $60–100 for road-force balancing, which matters more than it did on stock tires because a 55-pound assembly telegraphs imbalance into the steering wheel. Budget four TPMS sensors at $55 each from Toyota (42607-08010) or about $35 each aftermarket if the new wheels won't take the old sensors — a $140–220 line item people forget when they price a tire swap.
Then the downstream costs. Expect 1–2 mpg lost. Expect 35,000–50,000 miles of tread from an aggressive AT in this size instead of the 60,000 a stock-size highway tire delivers. And the 33.8" diameter puts the speedometer 3–4% optimistic, which means an indicated 70 is roughly 72–73 — enough to matter for a ticket, not enough to require correction hardware.
Stock 2nd gen 4.0L V6 trucks came with 3.73 or 4.10 final drive depending on trans and package; 3rd gen automatics are commonly 3.909. A 33.8" tire on 3.73s behaves like 3.44s did on the factory 31.6" tire — the truck will hunt between gears on grades and hold torque converter lockout longer, and the transmission runs hotter for it. Most owners live with it. The point where it stops being livable is a loaded truck, a roof tent, or towing: at that combination, 4.56 or 4.88 gears restore the effective ratio, and that is a separate project worth reading before committing — start with the re-gear guide and the wheel selection guide since backspacing and gearing are usually decided together.
One more practical constraint: a 285/75R16 will not stow in the factory under-bed spare carrier on most 2nd gen trucks without a fight, and on many it won't go at all. Owners either run a smaller matched spare (a compromise on a locked or 4WD truck), relocate the spare into the bed, or fit an aftermarket carrier. Decide before the tires arrive, not on the shoulder.
| Part | Vendor | Est. price |
|---|---|---|
| BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrain T/A 285/75R16 (each) | BFGoodrich | ~$245 |
| Falken Wildpeak AT3W 285/75R16 (each) | Falken | ~$215 |
| Nitto Terra Grappler G2 295/70R17 (each) | Nitto | ~$245 |
| Toyo Open Country AT3 285/75R16 (each) | Toyo | ~$230 |
| TPMS sensor, 315MHz (each) | Toyota | ~$55 |
Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.
Trail Manual · About · Privacy · Terms · Database