Can I go from 245/75/16 to 235/85/16?

[willscary]

I have the stock Bridgestone R265 tires. They are really poor tires. I am going to be buying new, but am considering going to a 235/85/R16. The 235s will be about 1" larger in diameter than the stock 245s. This should hopefully give me a slightly softer ride. The 235s are about 3/8" narrower tread, which should keep dry grip close to a 245, yet give better wet and snow traction. The disadvantage could be sidewall flex with a narrower tire on the 7" stock rim.

 

How about it? Will switching to a 235/85/R16 change my truck's handling very much? Will it be ok on a rim made for 245s? I know there are ranges of rims that can be used for a given size of tire, and that 7" is acceptable for the 235s, but will the wider rim have an adverse effect on tire longevity or handling of the truck?

 

(This all assumes that everything else is equal...same tire brand and model, same tread design, etc.)

 

Thanks.

[Black02Silverado]

Shouldn't be a problem. Might have a little more side wall flex, but nothing major I would think.

I'm looking at going to the 255/85-16 in the Cooper Discover ST. It has the agressive tread like the BF All Terrain and comes in that size where the BF does not, other wise I would get the BF.

[Mike G]

The 235's should be an 1" smaller in diameter than your 245's. If you are unhappy with the Bridgestones, why would you consider replacing them with the same tire? According to my thoughts, this will be putting a shorter and narrower tire on your factory wheel. This will cause your stance to squat down and your ride will be stiffer. I may be missing something, so I can be corrected.

 

--Mike

[willscary]

I am NOT putting Bridgestone R265s back on. They are terrible tires. When I do replace them, I am considering switching from the current 245/75R16 size to 235/85/R16. These tires are only about 3/8" narrower (which is better for snow) but they are 1" taller (lower gear ratio overall and possibly slightly better mileage at the possible expense of losing a bit of torque). My only question was if it is possible to switch using factory 16X6.5 rims without losing too much in the way of handling due to putting narrower tires on a wider rim. The tires I am looking at at are all made for 6.5" rims, so I guess I am OK. It just had me a bit worried because the 2 standard tires in the GM lineup for the 2500 trucks are the 245/75/R16 and the 265/75/R16. I just wondered why not the 235/85s, which are the same height as the 265s, but narrower.

[357mag]

The 235/85R16s will be taller than your 245s. They are an 85% aspect ratio as opposed to the 75% ratio of your current tires. They are also load range "E" as opposed to probably a "C" rating on the 245s. That means a stiffer tire. I used them on a 3/4T Suburban I owned a few years ago. Loved every minute of them.

edit: I used them on 16 x 8 wheels. They will have the effect of a higher gear ratio, i.e. less revs per mile, but it's doubtful you'll even notice it.

Tim sends

[cyclejerk]

Try this link.

 

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html