Tires

[Digger]

I got 16 inch AL wheels with 205/55 r16 on them stock I am thinking about going to a 205/60 r16. this would make the tire last much longer from what I hear. What do you all think?

[WaveAction]

i think it might make it last longer..only cause it'll take longer for the tire to go around..so say 1 revolution for the 205/60R16 would be maybe.. .8 of a revolution with the 205/55R16..or maybe im just crazy and dont know what im talking about lol i try and help out

[nygiantzz1]

I don't think it would make them last any longer, but I could be wrong. The only difference would be a taller sidewall, which may improve ride comfort. The treadwear is all about the rubber compound used and your driving style.

[Digger]

He said the tread would also be deeper on the 60's Not sure about that.

[prathman]

I wouldn't expect much of a change. The outside diameter with the 60 profile is only about 3% larger than with the stock 55 profile (25.69" vs. 24.88". So the tires may last 3% longer, but that's not going to be enough to notice compared to differences in rubber compounds, inflation pressure, driving styles, etc. You'll also have the speedometer reading 3% lower for any given speed (might be good since mine tends to read higher than actual), and the odometer will read 3% low (mine seems correct with the stock tire size). Tread depth shouldn't be affected just by going to a different profile percentage, but the extra sidewall depth might give you a little better cushion to absorb pothole impacts.

[Mavrik]

it wouldn't last any longer then the correct size. life expectancy of a tire depends on the driver of the car and the care given to the tire... not to mention road conditions and quality. Size has nothing to do with it.

[prathman]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik » ... Size has nothing to do with it.As I indicated before, the proposed change is so small that any extra life would be negligible. But in general there should be an increase in tire life when going to a larger outside diameter if all other factors are kept constant. With car tires the tire diameter is generally kept pretty constant (even when rim size is changed), but I certainly notice this effect with my bicycles. Most have wheels with a tread diameter of 27" but I have one folding bike with tires that are 20" instead. Using the same tire brand/model, riding style, and air pressures, I still get considerably fewer miles per tire with the smaller tires. Makes sense since a given point on the tire will contact the road (and therefore get worn) more frequently with smaller diameter tires.

[djb383]

Tires have a tread wear indicator number on their sidewall. The higher the number, the longer the tread life. Increasing the diameter will only increase the load on the engine/drivetrain. It will not give longer tread life. As mentioned previously, a 60 series is 3% + larger in diameter, not 35% (27/20).