33-inch mud tires: what fits, what they weigh and what they cost

Two ways to write a 33

Thirty-three-inch mud tires come in two formats. Metric LT285/70R17 is a 285 mm (11.2 inch) section on a 70% sidewall. Flotation 33×12.50R17 states the diameter and a 12.50 inch section outright. On a 17-inch wheel both land at roughly 33 inches, and the flotation size is about 1.3 inches wider.

Neither is exactly 33. On tiresize’s measured figures, LT285/70R17 runs 32.8 inches (BFGoodrich KM3) to 33.15 inches (Nitto Trail Grappler), and 33×12.50R17 runs 32.5 inches (KM3) to 32.8 inches (Toyo Open Country M/T and Milestar Patagonia M/T-02). The best-known 33×12.50R17 is half an inch short of its label.

33×10.50R17, the tall, narrow size many Tacoma owners ask for, is not made by any of the six mainstream mud-terrains we track. The realistic narrow options are LT285/70R17 or 255/85R16, as our Tacoma page explains.

The six mud-terrains in LT285/70R17

Diameter, weight, tread depth and load are tiresize’s published figures, from our specification database. Prices are one retailer’s (SimpleTire) listed price per tire on 23 September 2026, from our price tracker: a dated reading, not a market average.

The same tires in 33×12.50R17

The Maxxis RAZR MT is not listed in 33×12.50R17 in our source. The one price we track in this size is the KM3, at $404.99 a tire on 23 September 2026: $65 more than the same tire in LT285/70R17. Every model we track is lighter in LT285/70R17 than in 33×12.50R17, by 0.5 lb (KM3) to 6.0 lb (Toyo).

Weight is the real cost

A 33-inch mud-terrain weighs 62.2 to 70.0 lb in these two sizes, and what it replaces is usually much lighter. The Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon’s factory BFGoodrich KO2 in LT285/70R17 weighs 51 lb, so a mud-terrain in the same size adds 11 to 16 lb per corner. The fourth-generation Tacoma TRD Pro’s factory Goodyear Wrangler Territory R/T weighs 39 lb, so a KM3 or Toyo in 33×12.50R17 adds 29 to 31 lb per corner.

That is unsprung, rotating mass, felt in braking, acceleration and ride. Our fuel economy guide covers how it shows up at the pump and how to measure it honestly.

Load range: E is the default, not a requirement

In LT285/70R17 our source lists all six as Load Range E, 3,195 lb at 80 psi. In 33×12.50R17 five are E at 3,085 lb at 65 psi and the Milestar is a D at 2,600 lb at 50 psi. Nitto, Toyo and Falken also make LT285/70R17 in Load Range C, the cheaper tire; the Falken C weighs 61.3 lb against 63.3 lb for the E.

On a half-ton or a Wrangler, capacity is rarely the constraint: Ford specifies Load Range C on its 7,850 lb GVWR F-150 package, and the Rubicon leaves the factory on a C. Pick from the door placard, not the size; our load range guide shows how.

What fits, by vehicle

None of these makers publishes a maximum tire size, so every line above is a supplier or owner claim, not an engineering limit. Mud-terrains have squarer shoulders than the all-terrains most fitment charts are written for, so test fit at full steering lock with the suspension compressed.

Gearing and the speedometer

On a Rubicon, 33s are the factory diameter, so nothing changes. On a third-generation Tacoma V6 automatic, a 33 leaves the truck about 7% short of its factory effective ratio. The widely quoted 4.88 gears for 33s come from enthusiast publications, not Toyota or a gear maker, and the case for regearing at 33 is weak.

The speedometer still needs correcting whenever diameter changes. A third-generation Tacoma going from its 30.6-inch factory tire to LT285/70R17 under-reads by about 7.2%, and the odometer under-counts by the same amount, which skews fuel figures and service intervals. Our tire size calculator works out the error for your own sizes.

33, 35 or 37: what each step costs

Same model, same retailer, same day (23 September 2026). Past 33, the tires become the smallest line on the invoice: the 35-inch and 37-inch guides cover the lift, wheels, gears and calibration that follow.

What we would buy

If your vehicle takes a 33 without a lift, LT285/70R17 is the better-value format on the published numbers: lighter than 33×12.50R17 in every model we track, $65 a tire cheaper on the KM3, and the only 33 where Nitto, Toyo and Falken offer a Load Range C. Choose 33×12.50R17 only if you specifically want the wider section and your wheel offset and fenders allow it.