Tested: Do 35" Tires Really Fit the 6th Gen 4Runner Off-Road?

[Trail4R]

Fitting vs. Clearing – There’s a Big Difference - How Much Work Does It Take To Actually Clear 35" Tires? ​

There’s been a lot of talk on other forums and in the Facebook groups about how “easy” it is to fit 35" tires on the new 6th Gen 4Runner, and yes, they do fit and clear with minor trimming… on pavement. But, if you actually plan on wheeling your 6th Gen, then there are some things you need to know before trying to fit and/or clear 35" tires.

Before reading this post, check out: Fitting 35" Tires Trimming Guide and the Crash Plate Removal Guide.

First, let's look at the wheel/tire setup.

Wheel & Tire Setup:​

• Tires: 35” Arroyo M/T
• Wheels: Lock Invader Beadlocks +25mm offset
• Lift: 2.25” Peak Suspension front preload collar + 2” rear spacer (stock springs)

The more lift you have, and the more positive (+) offset you have, the easier it's going to be in order to actually clear your 35" tires, but there are other factors here as well.

The factory 6th Gen 4Runner wheels are around a +45 to +55 offset, depending on the model you get.

Staying at a +45mm offset or dropping down to a +35mm offset is going to be the most common and probably your best option if you're looking for the best fitment on and off-road.

If you drop down to a +25mm wheel, you risk having more rubbing and more clearance issues. I do not recommend anything lower than a +25mm offset for the 6th Gen. You just open yourself up to more problems.

Now for the lift, a full 3" lift in the front and rear is going to be your best option for fitting and clearing 35" tires, but you will still need to trim the following areas if you want the tires to fully clear off-road. Trimming will vary depending on lift and offset, but minor trimming will remain regardless... again, if you plan on fully clearing your tires off-road.

Trimming Areas Required for 35" Tires on the 6th Gen:

1. Front bumper plastics
2. Front fender flares (inner and outer)
3. Front fender sheet metal
4. Front felt fender liner (complete removal or trimming)
5. Removal of all factory crash plates
6. Rear fender flares (inner)
7. Rear fender flares (outer)

Do 35" Tires Fit?​

Yes, 35” tires physically fit the 6th Gen, and they’ll run fine on the street with minimal trimming. But once you start flexing the suspension off-road, it’s a different story.

Here's what we ran into:

• Rear fender flares popped off almost immediately when the tire stuffed into the wheel well under compression.
• The tire contacts the body and flare at full flex, even with the 2” spacer in the rear.
• Up front, there's slight contact at full lock and stuff, but manageable compared to the rear.
• Up front, even after trimming for 35" tires, we still contacted the inner felt fender liner before reaching bottom-out events.

Do 35" Tires Fully Clear Off-Road?​

Fully clearing 35" tires at full lock, stuffed on the trail, proves to be a bit more challenging than most people make it out to be.

35" Tires fit on a 6th Gen 4Runner on the road with this setup, but not off-road.

35" tires do not fully stuff into the wheel well off-road with the specs we're running above, and will cause the rear fender flares in the rear to pop off.

Our felt liner in the front has also started to fall off from big, high-speed hits in the desert after our NorCal Signal Peak run. We broke a handful of clips off the felt liner, and it was dragging on the tire. I had to cut out a big section and zip tie it further back into the fender well.

What's It Going To Take To Clear Bigger Tires?​

To run 35" tires and clear them off-road, we need extended bump stops to limit the uptravel in addition to a full-height 3" rear spring, and even then, trimming of the actual fender flare will be required in order for the tire to fully stuff into the well without causing the fender flares to pop off.

Just like the 5th Gen, the center point of the axle/hub is closer to the inner portion of the rear fender, causing the fender flare by the rear doors to easily pop off if you break off the two lower clips.

35" Fitment is Beyond a Spacer Lift​

If you want to truly clear 35” tires on the trail, here’s what we’ve found you’ll need beyond just a spacer lift:

• 3” full-height rear spring (spacer alone isn’t enough)
• Extended bump stops to limit uptravel and protect fender flare tabs
• Fender flare trimming in the rear to allow the tire to stuff without popping plastic clips off
• (Optional) Additional body trimming, depending on your wheel offset and tire width

Final Thoughts:​

The 6th Gen makes fitting 35s easier than the 5th Gen, thanks to more factory clearances and slightly better geometry, but clearing 35s off-road is still a real challenge without the right supporting mods.

Don’t get fooled by street setups, these other forums, and people in the Facebook groups saying how easy it is.

Off-road is the real test, and we seem to be the only ones putting in the work to call out what it actually takes to run 35" tires.

Originally, I thought it was going to be easy to run 37" tires, but we need to figure out what it takes to run 35s first.

 

[4RunnerNation]

I’ve seen a lot of posts about fitting bigger tires on the 6th Gen, but not many people are actually wheeling on them and showing what it really takes to clear them. This is one of the first honest breakdowns I’ve seen. Losing both rear fender flares on the first obstacle, rubbing into the rear door sheet metal, and tearing the felt liners really puts things into perspective. There’s clearly more involved than just “minor trimming” like some people claim. Even with a true 3" lift, extended bump stops, and trimmed fenders and flares, it still sounds tight in the wheel wells if you’re actually using the suspension off-road.

 

[Trail4R]

@4RunnerNation yeah, a lot of people made it seem like fitting 35" tires was a breeze, and it is for the road but not for the trail.

I was really hoping to mount up some 37s sooner than later, but might actually require some 74W portals.

 

[4RunnerNation]

@Trail4R so what's the sweet spot you think for good clearance off-road without too much trimming? A true 34" tire?

 

[Trail4R]

@4RunnerNation - yeah a true 34" or a 285/75R17 (33.8 depending on brand) would work very well and clear much better off-road, but a larger 34" tire - something like a 295/75R17 (34.4") might cause a few issues. We were hoping to make 35" tires work with "ease" like everyone was saying but it looks like we're going to have to cut into the rear fender flares which I didn't want to do. Whatever though. All good. Pretty stoked on the platform regardless.