Installed bigger tires and looking for tire clearance on your Toyota Tacoma? You’re not alone!
So many owners have looked get a more rugged look. The stock wheels and tires weren’t necessarily how you imagined a pickup truck should look. The searches for ‘largest tires to fit a Tacoma’ are very common, but the answers vary.
What’s the largest tire you can fit on a Tacoma?
The stock TRD Offroad package tire is a 32… maybe 32.5. And that’s truly the largest you can go without rubbing. I put 33s on with a 3.5″ lift kit and I rubbed–in reverse, taking turned entrances into shopping center ramps, and into my own driveway. Parking is embarrasing if you have to reverse into a spot, as the tire and suspension flexes in the undesired direction and causes rubbing on the frame where the cab mounts. Owners that say you can install 33s without any mods is kinda correct–if you’re only going straight, and not turning over bumps, but the reality is that eventually you will rub.
How do you fix tire rubbing on a Tacoma?
Enter the cab mount chop or CMC. You can also do a cab mount relocate, which is also an option if you’re going 35s.
The Cab Mount Chop (CMC)
It involves cutting the metal part of the frame where the cab mounts to it. There are laser-cut plates sold, but the best way is to first cut away the area, then make a cardboard template for the fill plate that will then be welded on. You paint it up to prevent rust, then you’re all done. It’s simple for any metal fabricator. Look for instructions and pictures online. There are a ton of videos. The common problem with the precut plates is that if your cut isn’t exact, you’ll have large gaps that might not be ideally filled with weld material and won’t be as strong. Overlaps aren’t as big of a problem, as you can grind them down.
Here are a few pics from the CMC. Don’t have a great ‘before’ shot, but you’ll get the idea:
Here’s what it looks like after the chop (above).
Tacoma Fender Liner Trimming
What can first help before the CMC is trimming plastic and reshaping the fender liner?
One of the easier things to do is heat up a section of the fender liner with a heat gun and push it back. This piece rubs on the tire a little bit which can reduce rubbing, but won’t solve everything.
This video was taken after I heated up the section and used a Louisville Slugger to push the liner back in one spot until it cooled.