265/75R16 vs 235/80R17

Q: Can I replace 265/75R16 with 235/80R17?

235/80R17 is a safe swap for 265/75R16 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.49%.

235/80R17 is a safe swap for 265/75R16 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.49%.

265/75R16 31.65" · 235/80R17 31.80" · drawn to scale

Side by side

	265/75R16	235/80R17	Difference
Overall diameter	31.65"	31.80"	+0.15" (+0.49%)
Section width	265 mm	235 mm	-30 mm
Sidewall	7.82"	7.40"	-0.42"
Rim	16"	17"	+1"
Circumference	99.4"	99.9"	+0.5"
Revs per mile	637	634	-3
Ride height	—	—	+0.08"
Speedometer reads 60 mph	60.0	60.3	+0.3 mph

Speedometer and odometer

With 235/80R17 on a car calibrated for 265/75R16, the speedometer reads 59.7 mph when you're really doing 60, and the odometer under-counts by 0.5%.

Speedo shows	Actual speed
30 mph	30.1 mph
45 mph	45.2 mph
60 mph	60.3 mph
70 mph	70.3 mph
80 mph	80.4 mph

Other sizes close to 265/75R16

Questions

Can I replace 265/75R16 with 235/80R17?

235/80R17 is a safe swap for 265/75R16 by the usual ±3% rule: the diameter differs by +0.49%.

What's the difference between 265/75R16 and 235/80R17?

235/80R17 is 0.15" taller and 30 mm narrower; the sidewall is -0.42". At an indicated 60 mph you'd actually be doing 60.3 mph.

Will 235/80R17 fit on 265/75R16 wheels?

No — 265/75R16 needs a 16" wheel and 235/80R17 a 17" wheel. This is a plus/minus-size swap that changes wheels too.