Interchaning tire sizes?

[EweSheep]

I can interchange the tire sizes? The surface part the width of the treads.

Hubby's 2000 Dakota, cab V8 wears the 255/70R15

Can I drop the first three numbers down to 235? Or it must be the exact tire treads it had on?

Yep it is going bald and time to get some new tires. I was hoping some sales on tires but the cheapest I can find are at WalMart.

 

[kstaven]

The 235 is the width, 70 is the % of the width that makes up the sidewall height, and of course the last # is rim size.

I would check a tire shop. Going to wider and taller may catch inside the wheel well when you turn or rub when you hit a rut.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You can change tire sizes as long as you stay close to stock tires. With 255/70 you can easily run 245 to 265 with depth from 65 to 75. As Kstaven said it's if the wheel well has clearance to go more than that and also changing much more will skew the speedometer.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Try craigslist. We always buy used tires and save alot of money doing it. and we need big 10 ply truck tires for the duramax I picked up some studded snow tires for it with 85%+ tread for $150. New tires for it are always over $1000
Just look for even wear and make sure they are not to old even if they have good tread.

 

[booker81]

I think it's Discount Tire's website that will show you the available sizes for your vehicle. Could probably call a tire shop and ask what sizes are recommended for the truck.

We went up a size for my vehicle (Expedition). It was within the factory recommendation, not issues with rubbing or what not. Rides a bit higher, but I'm ok with that It also skewed the speedometer to run lower (so it says I'm doing 66, but I'm really doing 70).

 

[lucky123]

The first number is the height of the tire, not the width. A 235 would be a shorter tire than say a 255. The middle number is the width, being a 60 would be much wider than a 75.

 

[Yetti]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/c_10153_12605_Automotive_Tires?i_cntr=1329658389740

their tire selector has a bunch oh choices for vehicle configurations.

 

[OldGuy43]

Advice from my auto racing days; No problem! You can change tire widths within reason. We used to mount narrower tires in wet weather because a narrower tire is less susceptible to hydroplaning. Just make sure you have the car realigned since changing tire width will change that.

Used tires? No way on God's green earth.

1. You don't know their history. What kind of damage has been done to them?
2. How old are they? Tires do rot with age.
3. A visual inspection of an unmounted tire is completely worthless.
4. There is some reason that someone got rid of that used tire.

Remember, when riding in a car your life depends on a contact patch roughly the same size as a pocket handkerchief.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

The first number is the height of the tire, not the width. A 235 would be a shorter tire than say a 255. The middle number is the width, being a 60 would be much wider than a 75.

No kstaven has it right. The first number is the tire width. The second is the height off the rim. It is measured in a % of the width. Third is the rim size.


The first 2 only matter at to if they fit under the car but also effect speedometer error.

 

[EweSheep]

Thanks folks!

Upon shopping around at WalMart yesterday afternoon, the guy there said its the wrong size tires if hubby just want less "beefy" tires so he recommended hubby to look at the door panel and find the correct size. The tires that was on the truck was made for heavy duty and WIDE tracks and if you do turn tight, it would rub. So hubby wants to eliminate all that pitfalls of those beefy tires.

So the number the new tires are 215/70R15 and it just looked like my old Dakota I used to have. He said it turns and runs so much smoother but will get an alignment soon.

The tires on that truck will NOT be reused, I think it was the whole time the previous owner had it, make it look "sportier". Yeah its a "Sport" kind but hubby is not interested in car sport, something he can go to work daily, and haul some stuff in the back and call it a day.

I will NEVER buy used tires, as for the same reason as Old Guy was saying. My FIL is one of those "used truck" tires deals on his Silverado and they would wear so fast or unbalanced or have questionable bulges on the sidewalls. He kept replacing them often and by the time he gets to the three year goal, he already went thru five pairs of tires and two extra tires for blowouts. With that money, he would have better invest in that in new tires than keep buying those used tires. To this day, he thinks he still got a bargain!

Save those USED tires for the beat up, dirtied up banged up farm trucks that you don't need to do much to it to haul around the farm and not a cosmetic care to it. Or use them for flower pots or raised beds or ground up cushion shreds for the horse arenas.