After upgrading to 34″ Toyo Open Country All Terrain 2 tires (285/75R17) and 17″ Fuel Anza Bronze wheels on the Trail Premium, trimming and cutting the wheel well became necessary. There was initial hesitation, but the larger tires provide a more aggressive stance and enhanced off-road capability.
The next step was to head to Stellar Built for chopping the body mounts, which will allow us to start trimming the wheel well for proper fitment.
Jump to the step by step install on the body mount chop kit by Metal Tech 4×4.
Table Of Contents
34″ Toyo Open County AT 2 (285/75R17)
Driving with 34″ tires is noticeably different from 32″ tires. Initially, the 4Runner felt a bit sluggish. I’ll likely need to regear, possibly to 4.56 or 4.88, but I’m still deciding on the best option.
Thankfully, my daily commute is less than a mile, as my office is just across the street, making the slower ride less of an issue for now. The impact on performance is more apparent when off-roading, but we go out often and revisit familiar spots, so we don’t always write about them.
These wheels are stunning, though they are not true beadlocks. Fuel does offer a true beadlock option, but the beadlock on these one-piece wheels is not removable. Painting or removing them will void the warranty.
Wheel Specs:
- Wheel Size: 17X8.5″
- Bolt Pattern: 5×139.7 or 6×5.5
- Finish: BR -BRZ (Bronze)
- Bore: 108
- Offset: -6mm
- Backspace: 4.5″
- Weight: 25lbs
- Lip Size: 2.68
Body Mount Chop
The body mount chop is a common modification for running larger tires. With a 2.5″ suspension, 33″ tires typically fit without modifications, though this can vary based on the specific tire and wheel combination. Some may need a body mount chop (BMC), while others don’t. However, for 34″ tires, a body mount chop is required.
Previously, we installed 31″ KO2 tires on a 3″ Pro Comp leveling kit with no need for a BMC. These tires fit comfortably under various setups, even with just 2″ in the front and 1″ in the back.
The 5th Gen 4Runner features a body-on-frame design, where the frame supports the engine, suspension, and body with rubber bushings. Over time, the body mounts and their bushings break down. The body mounts we’re discussing are located under the driver and passenger side, near the rocker panels or rock sliders. The steel casing around the body mounts can interfere with larger tires, requiring a chop to clear the space.
Trimming Plastic Fender Pieces?
There are a couple of different places where you will need to modify your fender well parts on top of chopping your body mounts.
Areas we will cover soon:
- Trimming the body
- Push back and relocate fender mount point
- Trimming front and rear fender liners
- Trimming plastic rocker panel caps (valance caps)
- Bending pinch welds
- Body Mount Chop (BMC)
- Optional: Bend pinch seam
- Optional: Remove splash guards
Body Mount Chop + Trimming Body?
To make room for the 34″ tires, we had to go further than the cuts made for the leveling kit. The previous cuts were uneven, and now we’re taking it a step further with the new tires, which will be detailed in a future post.
The body mount chop prevents rubbing in the rear of the wheel well, but you’ll also need to trim the front of the wheel well, closest to the grill. This additional trim ensures there’s no rubbing at the front of the fender when driving with larger tires.
On my 2012 Limited, I was able to run P285/60r18’s (31x5x11.5) without any lift at all.
After the body mount chop and a 1.5″ spacer lift in the front, I ran P305/60r18 (32.5×12.5) and had no rubbing with minimal trimming. Mostly just pushed the fender liner forward and took off the mud flaps.
About 9 months ago I had a 2.5″ lift kit and new upper control arms installed.
After bashing in the pinch welds with a hammer, I’m running a LT275/70r18 for a skinny winter tire and I have complete range of motion at every level of articulation that I can achieve.
I plan to get P295/70r18s this next spring and report back on my findings, but I would be surprised if I rub much at all unless I’m going down a heavy trail.
My current lift is the 2.5″ Old Man Emu (Springs 885F/889R) with the matching OME Nitrocharger shocks. I also used the OME brand upper control arm.
It rides like a dream as long as you have the right springs for your weight, and I don’t think I will run many other brands on my 4Rs going forward, OME has really impressed me.
Wheels are XD798 Addict (18×9, et-12)
The 285/60r18’s and 305/60r18’s were both Nitto Ridge Grapplers. (9/10, louder with age.)
The 275/70r18’s are studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3’s. (10/10, no complaints at all.)
and the plan is to run P295/70r18 Recon Grapplers.
^^ The Ridge Grapplers and the Recon Grapplers were/are all standard load, no LT rating, which makes them much lighter, so I haven’t re-geared and don’t plan to. They have performed equivalent to their LT brethren in every real word test I’ve conducted at least.
Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to answer questions before they were asked.
Hello, great article. I just recently purchased stealth custom
SR8
Matte Gunmetal / 17×8.5 4.30″ BS 6×139.7
And was also going to add Daystar, Toyota 4Runner 2.5″ Lift/level kit, on my trd off road 2017.
I was hoping to run to 275/70/17, 32.2 inch tire do you think I will have to do any/much chopping in order to fit this tire. Any help you can give me would really be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance Gerald
3″ ICON lift with adjustable coilovers. Currently have 285/70/17 on the stock TRD Pro rims but am thinking SCS F5s 5o replace. I was told I would need to can mount but I’m hesitant to proceed with buying them if I have to do so.
Any advice would be appreciated if you think I can get away without chopping.
Would a 4Runner with KDSS system (Premium Off Road) be able to retain KDSS with a 3” lift? Trying to figure out if I want to spend the money on the KDSS or just go with a TRD Pro and lift. Want to have a 3” lift and run 33” rubber.
Yes, we lifted our KDSS 4Runner 4.5″ and no problems.
I found a good link to video for doing a body chop. This video is associated with a kit you can buy for like $50. It looks simple and I’ll give it a try this summer. Copy the link below into your browser.
https://youtu.be/7X_0H2qres8
Jay,
I would reccommend going with Metal Tech if you buy a “kit”. It’s only $20. MT BMC Kit for the 5th Gen
I’ll check it out.
I want to run 285/75R17’s on my 2017 4Runner TRD Pro, Can I do a 2” toytec lift and get them to fit with trimming and bmc?
Steve,
No way, to run the 285/75R17’s (34’s) on your 2017 4Runner TRD Pro, you will need more than a 2” toytec lift or toytec spacer kit, that’s with trimming.
To run 34’s on your 4Runner, you need at least a 3″ suspension lift and even with that, you will need to do serious trimming to your 4Runner’s body, plastic valance caps, body mount and the splash guards.
I wouldn’t trust 2″ leveling kit or 2″ suspension kit with 34’s. They are pretty big. I have trimmed the 4Runner’s body, plastic valance caps, body mount, removed both splash guards (rear wheel well) and pushed up the front plastic portion of the wheel well. And, it still rubs. Every time I go out, I have done a little more trimming each time. It has gotten to the point that I am going to throw some strut shims up front .25″ stacked on both sides. And, then run a 1″ spacer on top of the Icon springs. (At least, that is the direction that my mind is going). With this, I will then need to throw a diff drop spacer kit in the front for the CV angle.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for advice!! Because I was contemplating getting 285/75r17 bfg km2 or 285/70r17 Yokohama Geolandar MT G003 which is Yokohamas newest mt and actually seems to be very good!! I just ordered a 3” leveling kit from pro comp and spidertrax wheel spacers so I can’t wait to put those in!!
Steve,
Good call. Yeah, the 285/70r17 Yokohama Geolandar MT G003 should work nice and fit well with a 3″ leveling kit. If you wanted to run the 285/75r17 bfg ko2s, you would probably want an adjustable suspension system; although you wouldn’t “need” one. Can’t wait to see it when it is finished. Send us some shots once you have everything installed. And, don’t forget to share your installs with us! : )
Will do buddy! I’ll keep you posted! Btw I love this website!!! It’s a shrine of info!!