Recently, I have had a lot of people sliding into my email, claiming that they are experiencing rubbing after replacing 205 with 215 tires. Since it involves a long story, I decided not to answer a small group, but all of the car owners. Sometimes these tires vary as a result of the manufacturer and therefore you should always be careful.
If you are among those fellows who are finding it hard to choose the best tire from 205 and 215, then you are at the right place. Going through this article will totally change your perceptions as well the lifestyle.
Expect to come across contents like whether 215 and 205 tires are interchangeable or not, the difference between tire size 215 and 205, and whether you can use 215 60r16 instead 205 55r16 or not. Give me your attention and allow me to serve you a lot of useful information in this article.
Quick table
| Category | Reason | product/tools |
| Are 215 and 205 tires interchangeable? | ||
| Rim width and size | Sidewall combinations bring a difference | check amazon for the best 15” car rims |
| Intended purpose | To make them ideal for the MINI | |
| Budget | For long-lasting tread and all-weather tires | check amazon for the best 205mm tires |
| Runflats | For uniform tread wear |
Are 215 and 205 tires interchangeable?
Since there are different brands, the tire sizes (mm of width) may vary too. Sometimes you may end up with a wider tire or thinner than 215. The tire construction has more to do with the varying rolling resistance than the tire size.
There are different factors that should guide you when opting for a certain tire size. They include;
- Rim width and size: If you have 15” car rims, 205/55 and 205/50 remain the most essential tires for street use as well as excellent performance. On the other hand, 215 tires are usually avoided over and 225/50 and 225/45 are a bit wider, but fits wider rims compared to the stock 15×5.5″.
Check out this 15” car rims on amazon
When it comes to 16″, 17″, or 18″ rims it is always advisable to opt for 215 mm tires, though there are a wide range of sizes in the market. Therefore, a 205 mm tire shouldn’t be your choice under this category. However, the sidewall combinations may bring a difference.
- Intended purpose: You have to understand that not all sidewall combination heights and widths of the tire are available in the market. For example if you always drive on streets, you should choose from either 55 or 50 series tires for 16” and 15” rims. These series won’t fit a MINI in case you have either 18” or 17” rims.
Remember, larger rims are associated with stiffer and shorter side walls like 45 or 40 series tires. This is a clear indication that 215 millimeters lies between 35-50 series side walls. This is based on the diameter of the rim since not all of them are ideal for the MINI.
- Budget: Budget is another critical consideration that you have to put into practice when you want to replace your 205mm with 215 mm tires. For your information, some 205mm width tires might be less expensive compared to 215 mm ones. However, they may vary based on the various sidewall heights that come with those widths.
One of the advantages of 205mm tires is that they are associated with long-lasting tread and may come in all-weather tires. This is incredible since you won’t spend much of your money on regular replacements.
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- Runflats: You are likely to get more runflats in 205 width compared to 215 widths. If you are worried about this consideration, then you should not ignore it.
There are millions of tires with various combinations out there that I am sure will confuse you. However, both 215 and 205 mm tires will just do fine for your 18” and 16” wheels respectively. You get a relatively rolling resistance and lighter tire with a 205 mm compared to 215 one. That’s the exact reason why it is suitable for general street rounds since it wears uniformly based on how soft the rubber material is.
On the other hand, 215mm tires tend to be performance-oriented, harsher and stiffer riding, and wear faster. Sometimes these tires are also noisier and therefore you are advised to opt for 215 mm tires only when you are ‘above’ the ground. Else, the 215 are relatively wide enough to rub and rear the hell.
What is the difference between tire size 215 and 205?
Well, I am sure at this juncture you can easily differentiate 215mm tires from 205mm ones. However, let me help you drive the nail home quickly. The 205 mm tires come with a diameter of 26.3 inches. On the other hand 215 mm tires are associated with 26.7-inch diameter. Therefore, 0.4 inches makes the difference. This is a clear indication that 215mm tires are likely to raise your vehicle by 0.2”.
Such a feature is advantageous as it does not only enhance the height, but also assist in preventing overheating. This is the exact reason why many tires of trailers fail.
Check amazon for the best 215mm tires
Another difference is that 215mm tires tend to be performance-oriented, harsher and stiffer riding, and wear faster. Sometimes these tires are also noisier and therefore you are advised to opt for 215 mm tires only when you are ‘above’ the ground.
On the other hand, 205mm tires are associated with moderately rolling resistance and are lightweight. This means that it is suitable for general street purposes because it wears evenly. Though this is based on how soft the rubber material is.
You should therefore be careful because sometimes wide wheels and tires are associated with loose straight line and tramlining stability.
Can I use 215 60r16 instead 205 55r16?
Tire sizes involve calculations that help you determine the right tire. For the case of the above tire formats, the first number represents the width of the tire tread in millimeters. The second number represents the percentage of the tire width. The last one stands for the height of the sidewalls.
Therefore, 129 are attained from the 60% of 215 while 112.75 is obtained from 55% of 205. This is simple mathematics. This implies that the speedometer of the tires with bigger sizes will be raised by about 13 percent. However, these larger tires only fit well in the fender and the steering components after collisions. Even if such tires fit into your rim, sometimes you may still experience gears that don’t accelerate properly.
Even though the tire diameters might vary, it’s worth noting that you can still use 215 60r16 instead of 205 55r16. It will work even if some rubbing will be experienced. It can be difficult to choose the right tire if you don’t know the model type of your vehicle, its tire types and diameters.
There is no need to change rims since the diameter difference is small. Don’t stress yourself because all tires come with a preferable rim width.
Therefore, mounting a wrong tire to your vehicle is possible, but you should be ready to bear the results. Wrong tires simply mean those that aren’t recommended by your manufacturer.
You might be interested to read also our another comprehensive article of: Sailun s637 vs. Goodyear G614 – You Should Choose the Best One
Frequently asked questions:
This category has extra information concerning the tire sizes specifically, 215 and 205 mm ones.
- Can bigger tires interfere with a vehicle’s suspension?
You mean bigger wheels and bigger tires? Well, this combination is impressive in enhancing the traction of your vehicle. However, updating to bigger tires on a wrong sidewall height may damage the suspension system of your vehicle. Besides, wheels are among other components that are likely to be affected. Sometimes the tires themselves can also be destroyed, leaving you with wrong speedometer readings.
Check on amazon for the best suspect for your vehicle
- Can bigger tires ruin gear ratio?
Absolutely yes, if you opt for bigger tires, then the gears must be lower. Choosing lower gears tends to maximize the revolutions per minute of your engine. It takes the advantage of the same speed and the same tire diameter.
- Can wrong tire sizes affect transmission?
Not really. They won’t ruin the transmission, unless the tires are ill-fitted. You will experience slightly general vehicle performance. Even though there might be minor problems, wrong tires can lead to safety concerns and may lead to structural damage to your vehicle.
Opting for too tall tires for your car may subject you to danger of engaging in a rolling over. No driver would ever wish to experience such a tragedy. More so, tall tires are famous for rubbing the fender. The complication might be seen as minor at the beginning, but the rubbing will eventually result in steering problems.
- Is there any problem if I install smaller tires?
It is not a big deal, but your vehicle might start to misbehave. For example, the odometer and speedometer is likely to give you inaccurate readings. Additionally, smaller tires are associated with transmission shifting complications. Another part of the vehicle that can also be affected by smaller tires is the anti-lock brakes.
- What is the meaning of 205 on tires?
These three numbers represent the width or diameter of the tire treads in millimeters.
Final words
The journey has been long, but here we are. We hope that this article helps you to understand the tire sizing. From different discussions, you can realize that 215 tires replace 205 because they have small differences. Besides, we hope you have also seen the effects of bigger tires.
