33x10.50x15 or 31x10.50x15 ?

[NorthernWoodsman]

It's that time of year, time to purchase some new shoes for my little one. i'm sending my new, old wheels to the powder-coater next week i hope. need to order tires then as well so i can have everything ready to mount by mid-march when i have to remove my studded tires.

I would like to upgrade to 33x10.50x15's. I'm running a 94 Toyota pickup w/the 22RE, 5 spd. and 4.10 gears. I know that because of the gearing i'm gonna lose some power. i'm wondering if anyone can give me an idea of about how much power i will lose and how much worse my mpg's will be?

i could stay with 31x10.50x15, but i'm ready to upgrade and i don't want to have to buy new tires again in a year if i wait and re-gear first. i don't know, i suppose i could do it either way really. not sure when i'll be able to re-gear as i have some other odds and ends on my to do list before i can get to it. when i do, i plan to go with 4.56's.

i know i have enough room in the rear for the larger tires, but i think i'm gonna get OME front shocks and BJ spacers for the front as i plan on installing a new bumper in the very near future which will weigh things down a bit and the front already sits a good bit lower than the rear.

sorry this is sort of rambling, just got home from work and i'm exhausted.

thanks folks!
matthew

 

[STAGE 2]

My guess would be that your HP and mpg will take a noticable hit. 5th gear will be useless unless you're going downhill with a breeze, and 4th will likely be straining it as well. With 4.10's yota came stock with 28" tires. 29" is actually quite nice since 1st isn't so steep and you turn less rpms on the freeway. 31" is pushing the limit on diameter, but also on weight (stock tires weighed in at about 28 lbs). 33's are gonna be a dog without a regear.

 

[john101477]

31x10.5 are fine for your stock gearing and until you get into the 33 range there is no reason to regear. 33's on a stock yota is do-able but it is a fairly common practice to regear. 4.88 is the standard for 33's and 35's like a 5.29.
Depending on what you do off road and where can determine what you need or should do. the smaller your tires the more limited you will be on locations. essentially I prefer a 33 w/ 4.88 as the best general do anything option BUT I have also found with a GOOD set of 31's I can do 95% of what the 33's do. Snow brings in a whole new factor and often times the taller the better depending on type of snow, wet vs dry, fresh vs pack vs melting. I know my 31's (toyo MT) on the 4runner are horrible on melting wet snow but awesome on fresh pack and slick ice as well as almost any type of other off road situation.

 

[Tacovendor]

Stick with the 31's if you don't know when you're going do re-gear. I'm running 285/55/16 and I need to re-gear.

 

[PirateMcGee]

I run 31's and plan on regearing (or going to a 30x9.50) but I also have a 4runner which is a bit heavier. I couldn't imagine running 33's on stock gears. Even with 31's mine is a dog and I have a heavily built 22re with aluminum wheels. Honestly unless you are getting into some pretty gnarly stuff a 31" or even a 30" will get you where you want to go. These trucks have a great approach and departure angle so an extra 1" isn't going to help that much off road. Plus 33's are expensive and a 33 x10x50 isn't exactly the most common size if you find yourself in need of a spare.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

31x10.5 are fine for your stock gearing and until you get into the 33 range there is no reason to regear. 33's on a stock yota is do-able but it is a fairly common practice to regear. 4.88 is the standard for 33's and 35's like a 5.29.
Depending on what you do off road and where can determine what you need or should do. the smaller your tires the more limited you will be on locations. essentially I prefer a 33 w/ 4.88 as the best general do anything option BUT I have also found with a GOOD set of 31's I can do 95% of what the 33's do. Snow brings in a whole new factor and often times the taller the better depending on type of snow, wet vs dry, fresh vs pack vs melting. I know my 31's (toyo MT) on the 4runner are horrible on melting wet snow but awesome on fresh pack and slick ice as well as almost any type of other off road situation.

yes, i understand that 31x10.50x15's are fine for stock gearing. i know that i'll have to regear when i move up to 33's. i know the 31's will do most of what i want, but i am gonna be installing an OME suspension in the near future and with the added ~2" of lift i think 31's will look weird visually. i know it's a minor thing, but one that bugs the crap outta me. the 33's will look proper to my eye.

i am mainly trying to get first hand accounts of people with 33's and 4.10 gearing to see what the effects have been.

Stick with the 31's if you don't know when you're going do re-gear. I'm running 285/55/16 and I need to re-gear.

you also have a 4cyl. with a 5-spd if i remember correctly. what are your factory gears and how did your power and mpg's change with the 285/55/16's?

I run 31's and plan on regearing (or going to a 30x9.50) but I also have a 4runner which is a bit heavier. I couldn't imagine running 33's on stock gears. Even with 31's mine is a dog and I have a heavily built 22re with aluminum wheels. Honestly unless you are getting into some pretty gnarly stuff a 31" or even a 30" will get you where you want to go. These trucks have a great approach and departure angle so an extra 1" isn't going to help that much off road. Plus 33's are expensive and a 33 x10x50 isn't exactly the most common size if you find yourself in need of a spare.

hmmm, my truck has a stock rebuilt 22RE and i upgraded to a better AFM and with 31's mine does pretty good. it's a turtle in the mountains, but most 22RE 4x4's are regardless of tires/gearing. i know the 33 may not be the most common tire. i plan to run two spares though. i learned the hard way last year in the desert. i had only one spare and after i blew a tire and had to use the spare i couldn't risk traveling to some of the destinations i wanted to go to. total bummer. like i said above, i am gonna be installing OME suspension stuff so i will be gaining ~2" in height. 31's just don't look right on a truck up that high, to me. maybe a little picky, but we all have our things that we're ***-retentive about, right?

 

[tanglefoot]

I like the look of 31's with a little lift...

That's with OME front springs are rear add-a-leaves.

I feel that 31's with 4.10's is already too tall on the gearing. I can barely use 5th gear but I'm running a bit heavy. People do run 33's with 4.10's and a 22RE but I wouldn't want to. I think I'm going to go a bit shorter with my next set...maybe 30x9.50.

I think a 31" tire provides plenty of trail capability. In the 70's and 80's, a 31" was considered a big tire. A 33" only nets you one more inch under the axles and I've never been able to justify the loss of performance or re-gearing cost.

I've found much more capability increase with the differential locker and the 4:1 low-range gearset than a change in tire size.

Eric

 

[Box Rocket]

Get the 33's. you're gonna want them in the future anyway. Might as well not spend the money twice for tires.

 

[Chili]

I would say either get the 33's if you think regearing and lift are coming relatively soon, or get some cheap 31's that you can sell when you are ready once you get the 33's if it's going to be a little longer.. I knew I was going to be lifting my Bronco but needed tires badly. 33's would have required some cutting without a lift so I went ahead and got some cheap 31's to hold me over. Then when I did the lift and 33's I was able to recoup much of the money I spent on the 31's by selling them.

I ran Goodyear Wrangler Authority's from Wal Mart (31x10.50x15) and they ran me about $600. I sold them 9 months later (with my stock wheels since I was replacing them too) for $500 within 4 hours of putting them on Craigslist.

Or, you might look on CL for some used 31's to get you by for now.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

Get the 33's. you're gonna want them in the future anyway. Might as well not spend the money twice for tires.

This was my thinking really when I posted my original question. It's how I was raised too, if you can do it right the first time then do it so as to not waste your money.

I would say either get the 33's if you think regearing and lift are coming relatively soon, or get some cheap 31's that you can sell when you are ready once you get the 33's if it's going to be a little longer.. I knew I was going to be lifting my Bronco but needed tires badly. 33's would have required some cutting without a lift so I went ahead and got some cheap 31's to hold me over. Then when I did the lift and 33's I was able to recoup much of the money I spent on the 31's by selling them.

I ran Goodyear Wrangler Authority's from Wal Mart (31x10.50x15) and they ran me about $600. I sold them 9 months later (with my stock wheels since I was replacing them too) for $500 within 4 hours of putting them on Craigslist.

Or, you might look on CL for some used 31's to get you by for now.

So, as of this morning I found out that my finances may not pan out like I had hoped over the next few months. Since I can't count on them working in my favor I'm not sure when I'll be able to regear the truck now. Knowing this I have decided to get some 31's for now. They'll work just fine for me for the immediate future and when my financial situation changes for the better I figure I can sell the 31's on craigslist and use the money towards some 33's. Not ideal, but what I can feasibly do right now.

Thanks for the words of wisdom everyone.

 

[SunFlower]

I ran 33x12.50 's on my stock 87 toyota pickup 4cy for about 100,000 miles. Yes you will lose a little power.

Those skinnier tires in 10.5 would probably mitigate some of the power loss while still giving you the clearance though.

dont expect your truck to excelerate like a sports car.

 

[Schattenjager]

"When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice." - Saul Bellow
:ylsmoke:

 

[frobuster]

I'm bone stock in an 82 p/u and can smoke ( chirp fiercely) my 33x12.5's. My t case is low enough to crawl just fine stock. I'd recommend them but NOT the 12.5's stick with skinnier.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

"When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice." - Saul Bellow
:ylsmoke:

True....VERY True. I was definitely fishing for the answer I wanted to hear, won't lie about that.

But, also wanted to hear from folks with some real experience running 4.10's and 33's too. I use the truck as a DD and put on a good bit of highway miles. I'm a little worried about losing too much power (the 22RE ain't no race winner as it is). And some folks are making it sound like I might lose a good bit of power from 4th-5th gears with the taller tires.

I'm bone stock in an 82 p/u and can smoke ( chirp fiercely) my 33x12.5's. My t case is low enough to crawl just fine stock. I'd recommend them but NOT the 12.5's stick with skinnier.

Whoa, those are some big tires to run on a stock vehicle. Is your transfer case stock too? My truck is completely stock, everything. What gearing are you running? 4.10? How's your top end with the taller tires?....In other words, how does 4th and 5th gear work?

 

[STAGE 2]

And some folks are making it sound like I might lose a good bit of power from 4th-5th gears with the taller tires.

Its not a good bit of power, you will not have a 5th gear unless you're going downhill with a nice tail wind.