question about tire widths when using stock rims

K

keakar

New member
i never go off road, so im thinking about putting on some narrower tires to try to improve the look and handling of it.

the oem tires on my 06 sport are 265/65/17 = 30" diameter and 10.4" wide

the tires im thinking about using are 225/75/17 = 30" diameter and 8.9" wide

this would give me close to a 1.4" narrower tire while maintaining the same diameter.

i figure the less tire area riding on pavement, the less friction and drag, so it "should" be better for gas mileage albeit maybe just marginally.

i just think the oem tires look too wide on it for a 2wd pavement princess so that is the main reason im wanting narrower tires

anyone else ever try this? thoughts? comments?
 
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Tall/skinny tires are better suited for sand/gravel/rock terrain. You could see a reduction in overall handling as you are reducing the total surface area in contact with the road. Gas mileage would be negligible. If it's 2WD you'll want all the contact you can get. If it is your daily just leave them alone until they start to go bad.
 
UrbanRunner651 said:
Tall/skinny tires are better suited for sand/gravel/rock terrain. You could see a reduction in overall handling as you are reducing the total surface area in contact with the road. Gas mileage would be negligible. If it's 2WD you'll want all the contact you can get. If it is your daily just leave them alone until they start to go bad.
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they are bad, really cheap crappy wranglers that cause wheel shake around 70mph, but they still have a lot of tread life left. that is why im doing some research now for what to plan to replace them with.

as far as handling goes i never had a vehicle with 10 1/2" wide tires before, not even on trucks unless it was 4wd. my 1998 full sized chevy 1500 had 8" tires all around

and in my book a 9" wide tire is far from what you can call skinny, by any stretch of the imagination, so handling other then being slightly more responsive when steering will be even less negligible then any difference in mpg.
 
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UrbanRunner651 said:
Tall/skinny tires are better suited for sand/gravel/rock terrain. You could see a reduction in overall handling as you are reducing the total surface area in contact with the road. Gas mileage would be negligible. If it's 2WD you'll want all the contact you can get. If it is your daily just leave them alone until they start to go bad.
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I tend to disagree that a skinnier tire is better in the sand, unless you are talking about shallow sand over firm tarmac.

I also agree that 225 seems really narrow. I'd imagine that you would also be sacrificing handling and braking to a certain degree.
 
Runn4est said:
I tend to disagree that a skinnier tire is better in the sand, unless you are talking about shallow sand over firm tarmac.
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You could be right, haven't really ran much deep sand with my runner. Just my observation from what I see on other rigs and running side by sides in AZ desert.
 
Runn4est said:
I tend to disagree that a skinnier tire is better in the sand, unless you are talking about shallow sand over firm tarmac.

I also agree that 225 seems really narrow. I'd imagine that you would also be sacrificing handling and braking to a certain degree.
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well i want to keep it very close to the oem diameter of 30.6" so the speedo stays correct so thats why im trying to decide between the highlighted ones listed. the 245 is 9.7" wide so i guess the 245/70R17 is a better choice since its closest to oem and is .7" skinnier and also $25 cheaper per tire which is a nice plus

the sizes i have to choose from are:

...............height/width/rim size

225/75R17 = 30.3x8.9R17
235/70R17 = 30x9.3R17
235/75R17 = 30.9x9.3R17
245/70R17 = 30.5x9.7R17
255/65R17 = 30.1x10R17
265/65R17 = 30.6x10.4R17 <<<< oem tire size i have now

i am not sure the exact width of the oem rims but im guessing they are 9"
 
keakar said:
well i want to keep it very close to the oem diameter of 30.6" so the speedo stays correct so thats why im trying to decide between the highlighted ones listed. the 245 is 9.7" wide so i guess the 245/70R17 is a better choice since its closest to oem and is .7" skinnier and also $25 cheaper per tire which is a nice plus

the sizes i have to choose from are:

...............height/width/rim size

225/75R17 = 30.3x8.9R17
235/70R17 = 30x9.3R17
235/75R17 = 30.9x9.3R17
245/70R17 = 30.5x9.7R17
255/65R17 = 30.1x10R17
265/65R17 = 30.6x10.4R17 <<<< oem tire size i have now

i am not sure the exact width of the oem rims but im guessing they are 9"
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Oem sport rim is 7.5 wide with +30mm backspace.
 
Runn4est said:
Oem sport rim is 7.5 wide with +30mm backspace.
Click to expand...

thank you for that information

i was scared it was a lot wider then that since it uses 10 1/2" wide tires

now i know that if i wanted to use the 225/75R17 = 30.3x8.9R17 tires they wouldnt be too narrow for the rims

i wont because i think it wouldnt be a good idea since the brakes were designed with 10 1/2" wide tires so im thinking 9" tires would be too sensitive to locking up and hydroplaning on wet roads during hard braking so im thinking the 245 tires are still the best choice.

this place is full of great people willing to help out
 
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Have you tried any of the tire size calculators? Just today switched to 245/75/16 from 265/75/16, wanted to get steel rims instead of alloy and less of an all terrain tire and more of a highway tire. Got a set from a Tacoma, so the size and fit is almost stock, but suited to my preference.

Did a short highway and some in city driving and joking with dad I said it's like going from driving a tractor to a Camry. So far I am happy I did the switch, I will be keeping the other tires for a while, but don't see going back being I am not doing any off road and don't live on a farm.
 
Supersonic said:
Have you tried any of the tire size calculators? Just today switched to 245/75/16 from 265/75/16, wanted to get steel rims instead of alloy and less of an all terrain tire and more of a highway tire. Got a set from a Tacoma, so the size and fit is almost stock, but suited to my preference.

Did a short highway and some in city driving and joking with dad I said it's like going from driving a tractor to a Camry. So far I am happy I did the switch, I will be keeping the other tires for a while, but don't see going back being I am not doing any off road and don't live on a farm.
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If you actually switched from a 265/75/16 then you downsized your tire more than an inch which essentially "regeared" your truck. If you meant 265/70/16 then it's only slightly smaller. Either way, that's why it might feel peppier. Your speedo and MPG will also be inaccurate -- similar to those of us that upsize our tires.
 
Yeah, re-geared, it was the larger 265/75/16, previous owner had about 8k on them, I think the tire shop may have had a deal on them or someone else talked them into the slightly oversized tire, seemed out of character from the otherwise stock set up.

Here's the tire size calculator I used;
https://tiresize.com/calculator/

Second day on the 245/75/16's and I like that the fuel gauge is slowing down, I've been writing the miles and gallons down for the last 3 fill ups (includes today's fill up), so the next tank full I should get an idea of the fuel (money) savings. I like the obvious pick-up and cornering of the new size/lower center of balance, but the bigger tires did take bumps better, of course I have a good example of a bad road I drive most every day.
 
Looking to go a lil more aggressive than stock on a 4th gen with stock 17” wheels. What sizes are members running without any rubbing issues?
 
If you do go with a narrower and taller tire, try to stick with something thats LT C or better rated. that extra sidewall means alot in terms of ride quality/stability.
 
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