I was given a set of tires for my van that are 245/ 70R16 the ones that are currently on my van are T235/ 85R16. Will the 245/ 70R16 ones fit? Van in question is in my signature.

If I understood what any of the numbers aside from the "16" were I might be able to figure this out. I just hate to pay to have these mounted and balanced to find they won't work. Plus the tires were free so it would be nice if they would fit.

You probably should use what the factory recommends. Usually inside the left front door jamb are the tire sizes. The conversion company that converted your van may have upgraded your tires and there could even be a sticker from them on the door jamb.

Most one-ton vans I've seen use a LT245/75R16 (Load Range E: 3,042 lbs)

LT=Light Truck

245=Width of tire in millimeters

75=height of sidewall (% of width, but unsure what that is)

R=Radial

16=Wheel diameter


I think you should buy 4 new tires and stay away from used. Expensive yes, but your life could depend on it.

Oh..I see your van is an E-250. No matter with all the extra weight, it certainly won't hurt to use the Load Range E tires.

My sticker from Starcraft says to use LT215/85R

Well, went to Wally World - they said the tires I have on the van are fine and that those other ones would have dropped me about 2 inches so I'm sticking with what I have for a bit! Thanks for the input, Nate!

215's???? Good grief that's a narrow tire for that van.

Yeah and I think the ones I have on there now are too narrow. I took my spare tire cover off and it's the original size tire - the 215 - so I'm going to have one that's the same size as what I'm using mounted.

install the two best tires of the same size on the front axle.
the wider 245/70/17's can go one the rear.
actually the 245/70/17's should be taller than the 215/70/15.
dont just look at numbers.
Compare the sizes by physically rolling the tire you want to mount next to the ones on the van.
You will clearly see the difference in both with and height.

.......Wookee

x2 on buying new. Tires are the only thing thats not worth it to skimp on. Your LIFE and your VAN depend on it. especially as tall as you are that thing would likely tip in the event of a blowout

Cherry you can go to Tire Rack website, search by size, click on any that come up and then hit the specs tab, they give overall height, tread width, recommended rim size, etc. for all the different sizes that tire style is available in on one page. It may help when you're not sure on tire size.

My 85 GMC 1500 shorty actually recommends 195/15's, that's two sizes smaller than my Astro recommends. I have 245/60 and 275/60 on the 85 and getting ready to mount up 235/70's on my 'Stro.

My 1999 express takes p235R75-15 Since its a high top conversion i only use 108 speed rating. 101 speed rating for a conversion van will wear quickly. I have Dunlops on right now but in a few weeks moving up to Michelin tires.

Tumbleweed
Free Spirit
Spirit In The Wind
Nova Vans
Virginia Van Council
Troopa Sinner Tribe

Damn, 85 side wall ... that's a big one

Try the Michelin MS-2's They are made with a silicone base rubber and feel very slick to touch, just like silicone. They are a long range tire with a 75,000 mile warranty. I have a set on my ram pick-up. but they come in many sizes. They are pricey but you'll buy two cheap sets to one set of these.

You can run 215/80 R16 load E, improves gas mileage by decreasing rolling resistance, some commercial vans run them, I prefer the 245/75 due to stability.

Here's a formula for calulating Tire Diameter (height) which will affect Speedometer readings, MPG, and acceleration:

Using Cherry's current size (235/85-16)
Cross Section Width (235 mm) X Aspect Ratio (0.85) = sidewall height X 2 (sidewall above & below rim) ÷ 25.4 (converting MM to inches) + rim diameter = 31.73" . "freebie" size (245/70-16)= 29.5"

Tire Revolutions Per Mile formula:

Tire Diameter X 3.1415= Tire Circumference ÷ 63,360 (# of inches per mile) = Tire Revolutions Per Mile

I think Cherry would object to saying her sizes are 235-85-16!

I agree, but didn't notice my blunder until after "edit time" had expired...

SORRY!

No worries ... I'm hard to offend.

That's probably a good thing around here! Loll