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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?

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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).