Any fit issues with 215/85R16 on stock wheel?

OK, once the laughter dies down...

I'm considering a 215/85R16 A/T tire on a stock 7" wheel for my 2003 4WD Taco. The tire specs say it will fit that wheel. Are there any non-cosmetic issues with that size tire on that size wheel?

I need a higher-ply tire to carry a full-size load (pop-top camper) and I'm looking to do it as inexpensively as possible. The narrower tire will be better in snow, is lighter in weight, is D-rated for lower cost (vs. 235/85R16's which only come in E in the tires I'm looking at), I assume will give me better gas mileage than a wider tire, and it's much less expensive. It's also closer in size to stock 265/70R16 than the 235/85R16's.

Thank you for your help.

 

No. Do it, take pictures, and post them on the forums.

 

you mean 255/85/16s right????

 

She is wanting 30.5", skinny tires.

 

That is a size used on dual rear wheel work trucks and should have a high weight load rating.

They are of course heavy so keep that in mind too.

 

i believe a bigger tire circumference would be worse on mileage than a wider footprint?

 

Tough to say. It would be like a balancing act between weight and contact patch... I'm not sure which one makes more of a difference

 

Yep, I do need a higher-ply tire for the camper I'll be carrying. I can get the 215's in D. The 235's only come E in the brand tires I'm considering.

Weight-wise, the 215 D-rated tires area about the same as the 265/75R/16 A/T standard ply I've got on now.

 

According to TireRack.Com, 7" is the widest rim width these tires will typically fit (I looked at Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S and Wrangler DuraTrac), so it will work.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...ehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&tab=Specs

Any slight gas milage difference you may see between narrow and wide tires will be lost when the camper goes on.

 

Yep, I'm not anxious to see my mileage when I put that puppy on there, but it will only be on for the summer months - at least until I retire... if I ever can. Thanks for confirming the ability to go with the 215. I'll post pictures if you promise not to tease me too badly.

 

After re-reading the threads, I wanted to respond that the diameter of the 215/85R16's are only 0.2" smaller than stock. The tire sizes that are under the recommended maximum 3% difference in diameter to stock 265/70R16 are:

215/85R16 -0.17%
235/80R16 +0.64
245/75R16 -0.45
255/70R16 -1.8
275/70R16 +1.8

 

If speedometer/odometer accuracy is what you are after, look at the "Revs Per Mile" spec on TireRack, which is an actual measured value that takes into account sidewall flex.

As an extreme example, BFG Commercial T/A Load Range E in 215/85R16 gives 696 revs per mile. Geolander Load Range D gives 676 revs per mile - 3% difference on the same numerical size.

 

Hmmm. Thanks for pointing that out. It's amazing that two like-size tires could be that different.