215/75R15 vs 215/70R16

Q: Can I replace 215/75R15 with 215/70R16?

215/70R16 is a safe swap for 215/75R15 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.55%.

215/70R16 is a safe swap for 215/75R15 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.55%.

215/75R15 27.70" · 215/70R16 27.85" · drawn to scale

Side by side

	215/75R15	215/70R16	Difference
Overall diameter	27.70"	27.85"	+0.15" (+0.55%)
Section width	215 mm	215 mm	0 mm
Sidewall	6.35"	5.93"	-0.42"
Rim	15"	16"	+1"
Circumference	87.0"	87.5"	+0.5"
Revs per mile	728	724	-4
Ride height	—	—	+0.08"
Speedometer reads 60 mph	60.0	60.3	+0.3 mph

Speedometer and odometer

With 215/70R16 on a car calibrated for 215/75R15, the speedometer reads 59.7 mph when you're really doing 60, and the odometer under-counts by 0.6%.

Speedo shows	Actual speed
30 mph	30.2 mph
45 mph	45.2 mph
60 mph	60.3 mph
70 mph	70.4 mph
80 mph	80.4 mph

Other sizes close to 215/75R15

Questions

Can I replace 215/75R15 with 215/70R16?

215/70R16 is a safe swap for 215/75R15 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.55%.

What's the difference between 215/75R15 and 215/70R16?

215/70R16 is 0.15" taller and 0 mm wider; the sidewall is -0.42". At an indicated 60 mph you'd actually be doing 60.3 mph.

Will 215/70R16 fit on 215/75R15 wheels?

No — 215/75R15 needs a 15" wheel and 215/70R16 a 16" wheel. This is a plus/minus-size swap that changes wheels too.