I'm new to Land Cruisers and off roading in general. I picked up an LC250 base model that unfortunately came with 20" rims. I'm looking into picking up a set of 18" wheels and either 265/70r18 or 275/70r18 tires.
I've read online that adding more weight to wheels and tires can expose the suspension and steering components to additional wear. At a high-level, my question is how serious of an issue is this?
Regarding tires, If I opt for the KO3s in 275/70r18 size or the Falkens Wildpeaks in the same size in the E load range, how negatively will the additional weight and width affect my setup in terms of handling and suspension/steering component wear? I'm in California and worried about sharp, volcanic rocks hence my interest in E rated tires. I would happily consider the Falkens in SL if they are sturdy enough to be reasonably resistant to flats/puncture from very sharp, volcanic rocks out here in CA.
Also, I'm having a hell of a time finding 18x7.5 wheels at 60mm offset to match the stock wheels and minimize poke. I'm not even really able to find a lot of options at 50mm offset in the 7.5" width. Regarding wheels, at what point should I worry about wheel width and tire poke causing wear/tear and performance issues with my setup? For example, if I went with an 8" wide wheel with the 275/70r18 KO3s, when is poke going to be an issue wrt to wear/tear & handling and what offset would I aim for with a setup like that?
Finally, I've read that when switching to different wheel/tire sizes & weights one may want to get a new alignment done. Is this true? And if so, at what point of weight/size difference between the new/old setup is this required? My motivation for asking is that I plan to only run the AT tires when I plan on going off road. I plan to keep my 20" rims and highway tires that came stock with the rig, at least until the tires wear out.
I tried searching around the forums and web and cannot find a good source that clearly answers my questions above. If I've missed an obvious source, feel free to link me there. Thanks again for any advice you folks can offer to someone new to the community.
I've read online that adding more weight to wheels and tires can expose the suspension and steering components to additional wear. At a high-level, my question is how serious of an issue is this?
Regarding tires, If I opt for the KO3s in 275/70r18 size or the Falkens Wildpeaks in the same size in the E load range, how negatively will the additional weight and width affect my setup in terms of handling and suspension/steering component wear? I'm in California and worried about sharp, volcanic rocks hence my interest in E rated tires. I would happily consider the Falkens in SL if they are sturdy enough to be reasonably resistant to flats/puncture from very sharp, volcanic rocks out here in CA.
Also, I'm having a hell of a time finding 18x7.5 wheels at 60mm offset to match the stock wheels and minimize poke. I'm not even really able to find a lot of options at 50mm offset in the 7.5" width. Regarding wheels, at what point should I worry about wheel width and tire poke causing wear/tear and performance issues with my setup? For example, if I went with an 8" wide wheel with the 275/70r18 KO3s, when is poke going to be an issue wrt to wear/tear & handling and what offset would I aim for with a setup like that?
Finally, I've read that when switching to different wheel/tire sizes & weights one may want to get a new alignment done. Is this true? And if so, at what point of weight/size difference between the new/old setup is this required? My motivation for asking is that I plan to only run the AT tires when I plan on going off road. I plan to keep my 20" rims and highway tires that came stock with the rig, at least until the tires wear out.
I tried searching around the forums and web and cannot find a good source that clearly answers my questions above. If I've missed an obvious source, feel free to link me there. Thanks again for any advice you folks can offer to someone new to the community.