Tire Help Please: 225/60/15 = 205/65/15???

[Odd I/O]

So, I'm still looking for some snowtires for my car in size 225/60/15 and I find out it's a pretty uncommon size. No one seems to have any stock for it. One place I call up mentions that I can use 205/65/15 instead and mount them on my existing rims without having to buy new steel rims. Is this true? The guy seems reasonably knowledgeable as he immediately recognized the tire size as belonging to a BMW and he didn't sound like he was trying to pull a fast one on me (no hard sell or pressure to buy right now sort of thing). Said it was just a 2 cm (I think that's what he said) difference and they do this all the time.

Any comments? If true then this opens up quite a few more options for me.

[skidz88]

You can run the alternative size just fine, it throws your speedo off by 2% or something.

[DragonZealot]

Diameters difference is only 0.5% so it is fine from this perspective.

Just slow down a bit when making sharp turns because handling will be compromised a bit due to less width. Also check the load rating to make sure it is still within spec with good amount of room below limit.

[TerryB]

Maybe this will help http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

[DavidY]

So, I'm still looking for some snowtires for my car in size 225/60/15 and I find out it's a pretty uncommon size. No one seems to have any stock for it. One place I call up mentions that I can use 205/65/15 instead and mount them on my existing rims without having to buy new steel rims. Is this true? The guy seems reasonably knowledgeable as he immediately recognized the tire size as belonging to a BMW and he didn't sound like he was trying to pull a fast one on me (no hard sell or pressure to buy right now sort of thing). Said it was just a 2 cm (I think that's what he said) difference and they do this all the time.

Any comments? If true then this opens up quite a few more options for me.

Should be fine (overall tire diameter is well less than the 2-3% max rule of thumb) but make sure that the existing rim will be able to handle the narrower tire.

My stock size is 225/70R14 with a load rating of 98. Those are very hard to find in winter....had to use 205/75R14 which has a lower load rating of 95. Boosted my tire pressure from 35 to 38 psi to help offset the lower load rating....I don't usually load up my 4x2 truck during the winter except for carrying snow and several hundred pounds of sandbags for RWD traction.

Dave

[Odd I/O]

Thanks for the replies guys! I just might be able to get the winter tires I want instead of just settling for some brand I never heard off. :) These tire specifications are so confusing. Who knew that a 225/60/15 tire and a 205/65/15 tire can fit on the exact same rim without much hassle.

DragonZealot/DavidY can you tell me more about this load rating? How does this affect my choice in tires? The winter tires I'm looking at in the alternative sizing (205/65/15) all have a load rating of 94. Wouldn't a reputable tire shop know about this and compensate accordingly in the installation?

[canadien99]

So, I'm still looking for some snowtires for my car in size 225/60/15 and I find out it's a pretty uncommon size. No one seems to have any stock for it. One place I call up mentions that I can use 205/65/15 instead and mount them on my existing rims without having to buy new steel rims. Is this true? The guy seems reasonably knowledgeable as he immediately recognized the tire size as belonging to a BMW and he didn't sound like he was trying to pull a fast one on me (no hard sell or pressure to buy right now sort of thing). Said it was just a 2 cm (I think that's what he said) difference and they do this all the time.

Any comments? If true then this opens up quite a few more options for me.

Highly recommended that you try:

www.activegreenross.com

I thought that i had to go to USA or drive to Montreal. If I got lucky, maybe you'll too.

[alex_d10]

It will fit fine. But keep in mind that the 205/65 tire will look noticeably skinnier on your car than a 225 series.

Then again, some people recommend going with skinnier tires for winter to get better contact with the roads but I don't know how right they are...

[DavidY]

Try http://www.tirerack.com for more information on load rating and tires. One should try to stay with the same load rating if at all possible. Otherwise, you may need to compensate by increasing the tire pressure.

Dave