255/70R16 — the deepest sidewall in the 255 mm family

A 1990s and 2000s SUV fitment that survives because the vehicles that wore it are still on the road.

Metric notation · Light truck (LT-metric)

Overall diameter: 30.06 in; 763 mm
Section width: 10.04 in; 255 mm
Sidewall height: 7.03 in; 179 mm
Aspect ratio: 70%; sidewall as a share of width
Wheel diameter: 16 in; the hole in the middle
Circumference: 94.4 in; 2398 mm
Revolutions per mile: 671.0; geometric, not measured
Revolutions per km: 417.0; geometric, not measured
Typical load index: 108–129; 2205–4079 lb per tire

LT-metric tires use a stiffer casing at a much higher reference inflation — Load Range C, D or E, meaning 50, 65 or 80 psi. The index band reflects the pressure the casing is rated to hold, not a larger tire.

The load-index range shown is the band this CLASS of size is typically produced in — not a list of what is in stock for this exact size today. Load index and speed symbol are printed on the sidewall of the specific tire you are holding, and the required minimum is on the placard of the specific vehicle you are fitting. Read both.

Nearest real sizes in imperial notation, same wheel

31x10.50R1631.00 in tall+0.94 in
33x12.50R1633.00 in tall+2.94 in
35x12.50R1635.00 in tall+4.94 in

Compare any two sizes, including ones this site has no page for, in the comparison tool.

Platforms recorded with this size

Explorer, Blazer, Dakota, Grand Cherokee and the mid-size SUV class generally, from the era when a 16-inch wheel was a large one. It is also a common fitment on full-size vans and on half-ton pickups in base specification.

The 16-inch light-truck range

Size	Diameter	Section	Sidewall
225/75R16	29.29 in	8.86 in	6.64 in
255/70R16	30.06 in	10.04 in	7.03 in
245/75R16	30.47 in	9.65 in	7.23 in
265/70R16	30.61 in	10.43 in	7.30 in
31x10.50R16	31.00 in	10.50 in	7.50 in
265/75R16	31.65 in	10.43 in	7.82 in
235/85R16	31.73 in	9.25 in	7.86 in

Ordered by height, the section widths do not increase in order. 245/75R16 is taller than this size and 0.39 in narrower; 235/85R16 is the tallest entry in the table and the second narrowest of them. On a 16-inch wheel the aspect ratio is doing most of the work, and reading a range like this by width alone will mislead.

Why so much sidewall

7.03 in is the most of any 255 mm size in this catalogue. It is a consequence of putting a 70-series aspect ratio on the smallest wheel the size is offered on: the same casing at 255/55R19 carries 5.52 in.

Depth of casing is also the property that decides how far the tire settles under a load, which is one of several reasons a tape across a mounted tire and the figure above will not agree.

Its immediate steps

245/75R16 is 0.41 in taller at 30.47 in and 0.39 in narrower. 265/70R16 is 0.55 in taller at 30.61 in and 0.39 in wider. Going the other way, 225/75R16 is 0.77 in shorter at 29.29 in.

An ageing fleet, and the date on the sidewall

The vehicles that wear this size are mostly twenty years old or more, and tires bought for them often accumulate years faster than miles. The DOT code moulded into the sidewall carries a four-digit week and year, and it is the only record of when the casing was actually made — a tire with full tread and a date from the previous decade is a common enough find on a low-mileage SUV. Where that stamp sits, and how to read a two-digit code on an older casing, is covered in the DOT date code reference.

Class: Light truck (LT-metric). Every figure above is computed from the size code, not stored — see how these numbers are calculated.