I am thinking of pulling the winter tires (Firestone WeatherTech with lots of wear left) off of the car I am scrapping to use on the car I’m getting. Here is the problem. The old tires are 245 65r17 and the new car is stock with 225 65r17. That means the old tires are 0.8" wider and 1" larger in diameter than stock. I have heard that people have done this without lifting the vehicle (2022 Rav4 Hybrid) but what is the straight dope? Can I really change my tire size that much without repercussions?
Don’t know that it would be a problem fitting them in the wheelwell, but it’ll throw your speedometer/odometer off, at least it did in the old days. Who knows whether the computer in the vehicle can be tweaked to allow for the size change.
I’ve already taken the speedometer into account with that but is still a good point.
Apparently, by some of the sources I was able to find online, the tire size information (actually, revolutions per mile) is stored in the ABS, and can be modified with an appropriate scanner.
There should be a way to get that question answered by the manufacturer or even a place that specializes in tires. They usually have a chart that lists what tires will work on various makes of cars.
According to The Google, the tire options for the Rav4 from the dealer are 225/65R17, 225/60R18, and 235/55R19.
235/55R19 has almost the same outer diameter as the 245/65/R17 that you want to put on it.
235/55R19 = 29.3 inches
245/65/R17 = 29.5 inches
For width, you’re talking about 9.3 inches vs 9.6 inches.
Shouldn’t be a problem.
Also according to The Google, the largest tires you can put on it without lifting it are 235/65/R18 which has an outer diameter of 30 inches and a width of 9.3 inches.
And to change the speedometer readout you would need to reconfigure the file that tells the speedometer what tire size you are using. A dealership may be able to do this, but not a tire place.
Some insurers will void your insurance if you make a change like this without telling them.
What change? Tire size or speedometer calibration?
Tire size; maybe the other as well.
I had a VW Rabbit on which the prior owner put bigger tires (not sure the size or the delta from standard) and they fit well enough in the wheel wells - most of the time.
But if the back seats had people or anything heavy and you hit a bump, you might hear a brief chirp.
One day I was on I-95 near NYC with a lot of stuff in the back, and hit a big bump, and the next thing I knew, I was slumped toward the drivers side rear, watching my fat tire roll down the highway ahead of me. The wheel studs were sheared right off.
So its fit in the wheel well may seem fine, but make sure you have good clearance, and good shocks.
This. I got a used car once that had oversized wheels and tires on it. It seemed to drive fine when I test drove it, and I didn’t notice the issue. Later, with just one passenger in the car, I realized that the tires would rub when I turned the steering wheel sharply, and when going over large bumps. (I later learned that it was a theft recovery – when it got totaled by a drunk driver while it was parked on the street, the day after I bought all new wheels and tires for it, about a week after I bought it.)
I bought a used car that turned out to have oversized tires on it. Among other things the tires rubbed the wheel well when turned hard. Lots of things are optimized to the given tire. I am sure it can be done safely, but I would consult an expert.
Not sure of the laws in the USA, but vehicles are usually homolgated for a particular set of wheel/tyre sizes and therefore rolling diameter. Search for “tire size calculator”, plenty available. These will usually provide a comparison indicate the percentage difference for the dimensions given.
The diameter/circumference is potentially critical for braking performance. Think of the overall diameter as a lever so when you try to stop, the momentum translates to greater torque and can increase braking distance.