Will 275/55R20 fit 2017?

[Jesse1981]

good morning all. New to this forum and have a question. My 2017 sport calls for 255/50r20. I can get my hands on some 275/55r20 for about $250 dollars less for all 4. Will they fit without any rubbing on the inside wheel well?

 

[Ntrain]

That is a HUGE difference in height. Nearly 2 inches IIRC.

 

[RhinoQuartz]

That is a HUGE difference in height. Nearly 2 inches IIRC.

1.9". And an extra inch in sidewall.

 

[BerndM]

 

[KayGee]

Without knowing what kind of price you are starting at, "$250 less" is kind of interesting, but irrelevant information. You can get 255/50R20 tires for as little as $4xx set +balance/tax all the way up to about $2,x.. set +balance/tax.

Only way to know for sure is to test fit/drive them. Check with your tire shop to see what their policy is.

Tire sizing is not "exact" though, so that is why you need to actually take measurements. Those online sizing calculators just extrapolate sizing and make comparisons based on the inputs entered, not the actual measurements of the tires you may/will buy. You'd really need to mount them and measure height and width as a tire in one brand is not necessarily exactly the same measured diameter/height/width as the same size tire of another brand. You may also get some variance in actual measurements as you have 8.5" rims and a 275 is more suited for a 9.5-10" wide rim.

Come to think of it, I think the biggest diameter you can go without contacting suspension components on stock ride height is ~31" diameter. You may need a lift to clear ~32" diameter tires. Go do some reading in the lifted 5g threads to see what sizes they are getting away with and what mods you may need to make to run them.

 

[bcampbe7]

Anyone had luck with fitting slightly larger tires on the Explorer? Looking at 265/50/20 which are less than 1/2" taller and wider. This size can be found for less than 255/50/20 in same make/model.

 

[KayGee]

I'll just leave this here:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=7

Warning: These calculations (and those provided by all online tire dimension calculators) only reflect nominal tire dimensions, which are often subtly or substantially different than the tire's actual physical size and/or the dimensions provided by the tire manufactures.

Drivers working with close fitment tolerances or trying to maintain the original tire diameter of staggered size fitments (similarities or differences) should use the tire manufacturer's specifications for the exact tire(s) they are considering.
Actual Tire Section Width is Dependent on Wheel Width

All tire sizes are assigned specific rim widths upon which they are measured (measuring rim), as well as can often be mounted on slightly narrower or wider wheels (rim width range). Therefore, it is important to note that actual tire section width will depend on the wheel width the tire is mounted on. The rule of thumb is that tire section width changes by 0.2" for every 0.5" change in rim width, being reduced if mounted on narrower than measuring wheel and increased when mounted on wider wheels.

You (or anyone else for that matter), really need to do your own research so you can make an informed decision. The alternate tire size you are looking at may have a nominal difference that is not the same as the actual difference.

I often opt for a slightly different size tire than the OE fitment if I can find a comparable alternative that is close and is substantially less expensive due to it being a "more popular or common" size.

 

[peterk9]

Anyone had luck with fitting slightly larger tires on the Explorer? Looking at 265/50/20 which are less than 1/2" taller and wider. This size can be found for less than 255/50/20 in same make/model.

Should not be a problem. Just plug the numbers in here; Tire size calculator: compare tires online

Peter

 

[bcampbe7]

I went with the 265/50/20 Continental Terrain Contact AT on our 2018 Sport and they fit fine. No issues so far.

 

[bcampbe7]

Still all good with the 265/50/20 Continental Terrain Contact AT on our 2018 Sport.

Will also note that the speedo is right on with Waze. I suppose that is to be expected as the 0.5" height difference is pretty minimal.

 

[peterk9]

You have a 1% diameter difference so if your speedometer reads 60 mph you are actually doing 60.8.

Peter

 

[KayGee]

You have a 1% diameter difference so if your speedometer reads 60 mph you are actually doing 60.8.

Peter

Tire sizing is "nominal" and can vary from tire to tire. It is possible his 265s are in reality the same size as his prior tires and there is no speed difference. The tire size calculator you commonly reference is not the gospel...

 

[peterk9]

Tire sizing is "nominal" and can vary from tire to tire. It is possible his 265s are in reality the same size as his prior tires and there is no speed difference. The tire size calculator you commonly reference is not the gospel...

Used a different one.

 

[KayGee]

Used a different one.

Doesn't matter. They are all nominal and do not provide a comparison of the tires actual measurements. See my post above with link from tire rack about nominal vs actual sizing.

 

[J_C]

Tire sizing is "nominal" and can vary from tire to tire. It is possible his 265s are in reality the same size as his prior tires and there is no speed difference. The tire size calculator you commonly reference is not the gospel...

That is not likely because the prior tires were presumably worn out vs new having full tread.

It's also not likely because tire manufacturers have been aware of numbers and math for a long, long time. They don't tend to make tires that are accidentally the next size up without calling them the next size up. Yes there can be minor variations, but they are in full control of what size they make and name their tires. It is far more reasonable to assume different sized tires, really are a different size.

 

[Iceman0514]

Has anyone ran this size? I got a free set and before I buy new ones, I'd like to see if these will work.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
Your thread has been merged with this one on the same topic.
The generally accepted rule of thumb is that a replacement tire should not exceed 3% maximum tire diameter compared to the OEM size. The ones you mentioned are twice that at 6%. Therefore they are not recommended. Other than throwing off the speedo, they will also affect the Traction Control and ABS systems negatively apart from adding extra weight to the suspension and braking parts.

Peter