Can anyone tell me what's the difference between tires of
(205/40/17) and (215/45/17)

 

width/height/size.....is all i can think of....dont know the exact name for each feild

215 is wider than 205
45 is a bit taller than 40
last is just he rim size


[Modified by dirtySOHC's, 4:31 AM 9/14/2002]

 

Tire size exposed...

Let's take a tire sized 215/40- 16. What do these numbers mean?

215 is the section width in mm. Not nessicarily the tread width, but is measured at the widest part of the tire, be it the sidewall bulge, or the shoulder (edge of the tread).

40 is the sidewall height expressed as a percentage of section width (othewise known as the aspect ratio). In this case, it's 40% of 215mm, or 86mm.

16 is the rim diameter in inches. I'm not sure exactly where they measure this because my 16" wheels measure 17.5" across from lip to lip. This doesn't mean you should order 17" tires for a 16" wheel. *ALWAYS* put the correct size tire on the wheel.

*edit- more tire math...

For every 10mm you increase the section width, you should decrease the aspect ratio by 5%. Example:

195/60- 15 stock.

205/55- 15 would have the same rolling diameter but would be wider.

215/50- 15 would have the same rolling diameter and would be wider still.




[Modified by F=WT, 4:41 AM 9/14/2002]