215/70R15 vs 235/60R16

Q: Can I replace 215/70R15 with 235/60R16?

235/60R16 is a safe swap for 215/70R15 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.94%.

235/60R16 is a safe swap for 215/70R15 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.94%.

215/70R15 26.85" · 235/60R16 27.10" · drawn to scale

Side by side

	215/70R15	235/60R16	Difference
Overall diameter	26.85"	27.10"	+0.25" (+0.94%)
Section width	215 mm	235 mm	+20 mm
Sidewall	5.93"	5.55"	-0.37"
Rim	15"	16"	+1"
Circumference	84.4"	85.1"	+0.8"
Revs per mile	751	744	-7
Ride height	—	—	+0.13"
Speedometer reads 60 mph	60.0	60.6	+0.6 mph

Speedometer and odometer

With 235/60R16 on a car calibrated for 215/70R15, the speedometer reads 59.4 mph when you're really doing 60, and the odometer under-counts by 0.9%.

Speedo shows	Actual speed
30 mph	30.3 mph
45 mph	45.4 mph
60 mph	60.6 mph
70 mph	70.7 mph
80 mph	80.8 mph

Other sizes close to 215/70R15

Questions

Can I replace 215/70R15 with 235/60R16?

235/60R16 is a safe swap for 215/70R15 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.94%.

What's the difference between 215/70R15 and 235/60R16?

235/60R16 is 0.25" taller and 20 mm wider; the sidewall is -0.37". At an indicated 60 mph you'd actually be doing 60.6 mph.

Will 235/60R16 fit on 215/70R15 wheels?

No — 215/70R15 needs a 15" wheel and 235/60R16 a 16" wheel. This is a plus/minus-size swap that changes wheels too.