255/70R15 vs 265/70R15
Side-by-side comparison of overall diameter, sidewall height, speedometer error, and ride-height change.
Borderline — Check wheel-arch clearance and reset TPMS before fitting.
To scale
255/70R15
- Section width
- 255 mm
- Aspect ratio
- 70%
- Rim diameter
- 15"
- Sidewall
- 178.5 mm
- Overall diameter
- 738.0 mm
- Circumference
- 2318 mm
- Revs / mile
- 694
- Revs / km
- 431
265/70R15
- Section width
- 265 mm
- Aspect ratio
- 70%
- Rim diameter
- 15"
- Sidewall
- 185.5 mm
- Overall diameter
- 752.0 mm
- Circumference
- 2362 mm
- Revs / mile
- 681
- Revs / km
- 423
Difference
- Overall diameter
- +14.0 mm (+1.90%)
- Sidewall height
- +7.0 mm
- Tread width
- +10 mm
- Ride height (axle)
- +7.0 mm
- Speedometer error
- +1.90%
- At indicated 60 mph
- actual 61.1 mph
- At indicated 100 km/h
- actual 101.9 km/h
Will 265/70R15 fit instead of 255/70R15?
The overall diameter changes by 1.90%. Most manufacturers consider a swap acceptable when the difference stays under 3% — beyond that, you may see speedometer error, ABS/TPMS warnings, or wheel-well clearance problems. This page only covers the math; your vehicle's wheel arches, suspension geometry, and load rating still matter.
What the numbers mean
- Overall diameter — outside-to-outside height of the tire. Affects ride height, gearing, and speedometer calibration.
- Sidewall height — rubber from rim edge to tread. Lower sidewall gives sharper steering response but a harsher ride.
- Speedometer error — how far off your indicated speed will be after the swap. Positive means the speedo under-reads (actual speed is higher than shown).