02-06 Toyota Camry Owners--Larger Tires?

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As I've seen posts on this forum from several people that own the current generation Camry I thought I'd ask if anyone has went to a larger size tire on this car?

Specifically I'm looking at a 235/55x16 as a replacement for the 215/60x16. The 235 would be almost the same diameter, but would be somewhat wider.
 
235's are pretty wide for a family sedan. Will you be keeping the stock rims? I would think 215's are already wide enough, even for the SE models. Are you looking for better performance, or just meaty tires?
 
I'm mostly interested in the look of a wider tire. A 235 is approximately .79" wider and .02" taller in overall diameter.

See below link for a detailed comparision between the two sizes.


Tire Size Calculator
 
Many of the Camrys came with Bridgstone tires that are "a bit slick" as worded by my tire shop.
I have seen a few people post that they did not grip the road as well as they would have liked.
Going wider is not better in snow.
Perhaps a different tire in the same size will work well.
 
Tire selection in size 235/55/16 doesn't look so good. Also, if you keep the OEM rims, those tires will look very bloated on them.
 
quote:

Many of the Camrys came with Bridgstone tires that are "a bit slick" as worded by my tire shop.
I have seen a few people post that they did not grip the road as well as they would have liked

I currently have Michelin Energy MXV4--Plus on my Camry. This is the stock tire that came on the car.

Not really concerned about the traction, tires seem fine ... just considering a wider tire when it's time to replace these. As Michelins are known for their durability, I probably won't be replacing them in the near future.

quote:

Also, if you keep the OEM rims, those tires will look very bloated on them.

Perhaps, though I don't think a 20mm increase will look that "bloated" on the factory rims. You do make a good point ... a quick scan of cars that come from the factory with tires 235mm wide also have wheels that are 7.5-8" wide. My wheels are only 6.5" wide.
 
quote:

225/55R16 tyres might be worth considering. However, they would lower the gearing by 1.6% compared to 215/60R16 tyres.

225/55R16 would be 1.6% smaller in diameter ... along with seeking a wider tire I also want to maintain the diameter of the tire. A smaller diameter tire would look worse (IMHO) as the tire would fill out the wheel well even less. Thanks for the suggestion though, I'm sure I'll most likely stick with the stock size ... I'm always reluctant to deviate from stock tire size as tolerances are usually pretty tight to begin with. Plus-sized before, results not always desirable ... tire rubbing, reduced turn-radius, etc.
 
My ’06 Camry LE rolled off the lot with Bridgestone 205/60R15 and they almost look like bicycle tires on the car, and I don’t like the way they “look.” As a result of that I’ve been very observant of other Camry’s on the road and in every parking lot I visit. I’ve noticed Camry’s with the same size tires that “look” wider than mine.

Could it be that some tires – although the same size - have a wider tread width?

patriot.gif
 
No error. It has 15" tires on it. 16" tires mounted on alloy wheels were a $1,200 option. The 15" were standard.
 
It will fit but your at the max width for your rim which I assume is 6.5" wide. With the wider tire, your handling will be worse as the rim won't support the sidewall as well but the ride may be better. I'd just go stock.
 
"My ’06 Camry LE rolled off the lot with Bridgestone 205/60R15 and they almost look like bicycle tires on the car, and I don’t like the way they “look.” As a result of that I’ve been very observant of other Camry’s on the road and in every parking lot I visit. I’ve noticed Camry’s with the same size tires that “look” wider than mine.

Could it be that some tires – although the same size - have a wider tread width?"


You mean your Camry has 205/65-15, not 205/60-15.

You may have encountered SE's wich come with 215/60-16. This tire definitely looks like it's filling the wheelwells better.
 
A 215/60R16 tire has a 6.0% bigger outside diameter than a 205/60R15 tire. I guess the gearing of the SE Camry and the LE Camry takes this into account. You wouldn't want to interchange these two tires as the difference is too great!
 
Well looks like I'll stick with the stock size tires. Very little extra clearance to fit a larger tire ... less than 1" clearance between rear tires and suspension components (struts). All Camrys basically have the same diameter tires; LE--205/65R15, SE--215/60R16 or 215/55R17, XLE--P215/60R16 ... looks like Toyota knew they only had so much room to play with. Only a .82" difference in diameter from smallest stock tire to the largest optional tire, and a corresponding .39" difference in width.

See this website, tire calculator for specific measurements.
 
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