What Is The Biggest Tire Size You Can Put On a 16-inch Rim?

If you have 16-inch rims, the biggest metric tire size recommended by tire manufacturers is 315/75R16.

On top of that, we have seen lots of car enthusiasts successfully using large sizes, such as 33 and 35 inches, on their trucks by modifying the suspension with lift or leveling kits.

Keep in mind that deviating from the manufacturer’s recommendations can potentially impact the performance and safety of your vehicle.

Every car manufacturer advises certain tire sizes for their vehicles for different rim sizes. Such information is located either in the car owner`s manual or on the labels placed in or outside the vehicle for identification. These labels can be located on the drivers’ side door jamb sticker, the glove box, fuel tank cap, or even in the trunk under the spare tire.

Here is an example of the information which is located on the driver’s side doorjamb.

As we can see in our example, the vehicle manufacturer informs about tire sizes on different sizes of rims. Based on the radius of the rim, the main attention has to be paid to the height of the sidewall of the tire.

When you choose a tire, be aware that its load range, weight capacity, and size have to be the same as it was with your previous tire, so you won’t have any issues after replacement.

What is the “Rim” of the Wheel?

Rim – it is the cylindrical wheel’s outer edge that holds the tire on the wheel. The rim’s key role is to secure and sustain the tire on the wheel. The rim provides optimum tire-to-rim fit and maintains the air pressure inside the tubeless tire. Rims can be divided into steel, forged, or alloy.

What Size of Tire Can Go On a 16-Inch Rim?

Now we know what the rim of the wheel is, so it’s time to find out which tire size can suit a 16-inch rim. It is important to mention that the tire width has to be the same as your rim width to fit a rim perfectly and provide road safety. There are a lot of tire sizes that can fit 16-inch rims.

Complete chart of the recommended tire sizes that fit 16-inch rims

To be sure that the tire will fit the rims on your car, you should know where the tire’s diameter size is placed while searching for tire size. The last set of digits stated on the tire’s profile corresponds to the rim size. As an example, we will take the parameters 215/60R16. The last number, which is 16 corresponds to the inner radius of the tire, and the radius of the rim.

Will any 16-inch tire fit on a 16-inch rim?

Not really. Although a tire may be meant for the same rim diameter, two other dimensions, like the tire width and sidewall height come into play.

In a nutshell, your new aftermarket tires may be wider or taller than the original setup.

If you use wider tires to increase your vehicle’s stance and make it look more aggressive, you will need wider rims.

Another case is when you have 16-inch tires with a higher sidewall. It may just not allow you to install the assembled wheel into the arch, and when you start moving, you notice that the tire rubs against the wheel well, suspension, or fender.

Die-hard car enthusiasts overcome these obstacles by modifying their suspension with the accessories like leveling kits, lift kits, wheels spacers, etc.

If you have your previous 16-inch tires, do not hesitate to compare them to the 16-inch you will mount on your rim to ensure that they fit your car with no issues.

How big of a tire can fit on a 16-inch rim?

You can, however, afford tires with a larger outside diameter and mount them on your 16-inch rim. The maximum size largely depends on how far you are ready to go with the suspension modifications. The largest tire you may put on 16-inch rims without lifting your suspension will have the overall diameter of 33″. Though it is fair to say, that most SUVs and pickup trucks do require a leveling kit to make such upgrade.

Leveling Kits Fast Facts:

• Height Increase: 1 to 2 inches
• Fits: 33- to 35-inch tires
• Good For: Daily driving, sled pulling, towing, off-road use
• Price: $100 to $250

Because large tires won’t fit on the majority of cars, you must also consider the wheel wells. It’s usually recommended to consult your user manual to determine which tires are appropriate for your vehicle.

If still you want to apply bigger tires, you may need to do some modifications of the suspension or body of your vehicle. It may result in additional costs and these changes may influence vehicle behavior and safety on the road.

Will 35-inch tires fit on 16-inch rims?

Your tire and rim size should match to provide performance. It is better to use 35-inch tires with rims that are at least 17 inches, while 33-inch tires function very well with rims that are 16 inches.

One has to know that your vehicle’s engine may not be capable of running bigger tires, which may result in low car performance resulting in increased fuel consumption or wrong speedometer measures.

What Tire Can You Put On Your Specific Vehicle?

If you want to have larger tires, many car manufacturers have a list of tire sizes that are recommended for those car owners who prefer larger tires.

When you buy a car, it has a particular tire size designed for it due to its type and weight. A lot of car manufacturers have a chart of tire sizes specified for those car owners who want to apply a bigger tire.

Information about tire sizes can be mentioned in your vehicle’s owner’s manual. If, unfortunately, you don’t have it, try to visit your vehicle manufacturer’s website. Usually, it provides information about tire sizes for their car models.

You can also search online forums where people ask questions about tire sizing and receive responses from the users, who have faced that issue and share their thoughts and experience.

Popular Questions

What’s the biggest tire for a 16-rim?

According to the tire sizing data from the tire makers, the biggest tire that can be applied to a 16-inch rim has the following parameters: 315/75-16. Check a special chart above with the OEM tire sizes that fit 16-inch tires.

Though if you are looking for a custom build, there are plenty of projects on the web featuring tires with the diameter above 40″. One enthusiast managed to mount 44″ tires on his 1990 Ford Bronco with a suspension lift of 8″.

Can you put 35-inch tires on 16-inch rims?

Yes, you can. Though if you decide to install 35″ tires on your 16-inch rims, you may need to use special accessories like wheel spacers and lift kits so the tire won’t rub against the fenders, wheel well or suspension.

Lift Kits Fast Facts

• Height Increase: 2 to 10 inches
• Fits: 35- to 40-inch tires
• Good For: Mud, sand, snow, style, ground clearance
• Price: $1,000 to $4,000

What is a 35 tire equivalent to?

For the basic 35-inch tires the most common tire parameters are the next: 315/70R17. The last number is the wheel diameter which is 17. 

What Tire Can You Put On Your Specific Vehicle?

There are a lot of individual factors  that have to be taken into consideration: tire load and weight capacity, rim width, and the vehicle on which these tires are mounted. The safest option is to put a tire that has the same parameters which your previous tire had.