Not all 32" tires are the same....

Thai

Thai

Elite Member
FYI.......over at CL forum, there was a discussion with 265/65/18 tires...and why some brands fit without rubbing and others rub.

Fit Test 265-65-R18 Spare Tire - ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion

So, this got me thinking...WTF is going on?! That led me to look around TireRack website. All 265/65/18 are 31.5" per specs. But yet, some fit and some rub. I then looked at REV / MILE spec and that was where i found HUGE discrepancies between brands and explains why some tires fit and some don't.

This applies to 18" tires...but 16" or 17" tires also have these discrepancies.

According to TireRack, there is a difference in REV / MILE among these 31.5" (aka 32") tires:

(For reference, stock Bridgestone Dueler HT 265/60/18 REV/mile = 683.)

Michelin Defender 265/60/18 = 682.
Michelin Defender 265/65/18 = 659.

Goodyear AT Kevlar 265/60/18 = 685.
Goodyear AT Kevlar 265/65/18 = 663.

Yokohama AT G015 265/60/18 = 681.
Yokohama AT G015 265/65/18 = 658.

BFG KO2 LT-E 265/60/18 = 682.
BFG KO2 LT-E 265/65/18 = 659.

(All above tires are P-metric except KO2.)

So, even though all are 31.5" on spec sheet, there is a difference in revolutions / mile. I think that REV/mile is the true indication of actual real-world size. So, given above, Goodyear Wrangler Adventure AT with Kevlar has the BEST chance to fit under the spare compartment without touching KDSS bar??? And also one that has least chance of any rubbing with the fenders (since a few has reported rubbing)? Seemingly, the GY tire is among the "smallest" of 32" tires there is out there.
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And on CL forum, Falkens have plenty of room...no rub...but why?

https://www.falkentire.com/tires/light-truck-suv-cuv-tires/wildpeaka/t3w-tire

265/60/18 = 694 rev / mile.

265/65/18 = 675 rev / mile.

So, Falkens are even smaller than Goodyear tires (of same spec). And this is why you see that it fits so well. The 31.5” Falken is kinda in between the stock size and a true 31.5” tire. If i had to guess based on rev/mile, the 31.5” Falken is more like a 31” (or less) tire....and the 30.5” Falken is like a true 30” tire.

So, good tire...perfect for those who want to upsize a little with no rubbing...the biggest negative for them is the WEIGHT of the tire. They are heavy for being just a P-Metric.
 
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For example, if you were to upgrade your tires from 30.5" to 31.5", then you expect a gain of 0.5" of ground clearance. But that is NOT true for certain tires. Falken 31.5" tires are more 31" (or less) than they are true 31.5". And then some tires are more like 31.6" (Yokohama).

So, look at REV / MILE as a better indicator of height.
 
Thai said:
For example, if you were to upgrade your tires from 30.5" to 31.5", then you expect a gain of 0.5" of ground clearance. But that is NOT true for certain tires. Falken 31.5" tires are more 31" (or less) than they are true 31.5". And then some tires are more like 31.6" (Yokohama).

So, look at REV / MILE as a better indicator of height.
Click to expand...

I knew the height numbers weren't accurate, but its a good idea to look at Rev/Mile as an indicator of true height, good point.

My brother mentioned the height discrepancy thing to a buddy that worked at a tire shop for a while. He was still pretty adamant all 265/65/18 (for example) were the same exact size. :rofl:

And then you have people that measure the height of a new tire off their vehicle and try and compare it to the height of an existing tire mounted on their vehicle with the full weight of the vehicle on it.
 
Thai said:
And on CL forum, Falkens have plenty of room...no rub...but why?

https://www.falkentire.com/tires/lig...peaka/t3w-tire

265/60/18 = 694 rev / mile.

265/65/18 = 675 rev / mile.

So, Falkens are even smaller than Goodyear tires (of same spec). And this is why you see that it fits so well. The 31.5” Falken is kinda in between the stock size and a true 31.5” tire. If i had to guess based on rev/mile, the 31.5” Falken is more like a 31” tire....and the 30.5” Falken is like a true 30” tire.

So, good tire...perfect for those who want to upsize a little with no rubbing...the biggest negative for them is the WEIGHT of the tire. They are heavy for being just a P-Metric.
Click to expand...

For the nerds out there, to calculate from Rev per mile to Diameter:

20168 / (Rev per mile) = Diameter

EX: 20168 / (675) = 29.88"

As a note this is not probably exact...
 
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From CL thread:

Michelin Defender 265/65/18...note that it touches the KDSS bar:

20190816_175521_48771fc564d6f496926efe3671968f5bbb862abf.jpg


Falken of same size:

mvimg_20190811_080441_253a3c5d29129fe627425955c4b6272a895e27b7.jpg
 
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