255/45R21

255 mm across the tread, a sidewall 45% of that — 115 mm — on a 21-inch rim. That puts the whole wheel at 30.0 inches tall.

It mounts on a rim between 7" and 9.5" wide, and the tread follows the rim: roughly 5 mm of section width for every half-inch, so about 243 mm across at the narrow end and 268 mm at the wide one. Written the way lift kits and wheel wells are, it is a 30.0×10.0R21 — tall by wide, in inches.

Same 21-inch rim, height within 3%. Past that the speedometer starts lying and things begin to rub.

Same height, different rim

Bigger rim, same overall height. Sharper steering, harsher ride, and far less rubber between your wheel and the next pothole.

Tires graded in this size

Longest-lasting tread first. The grade is set by the maker and checked by regulators.

If you fit something taller

A taller tire covers more ground per turn, so the needle reads low and the odometer counts short. Over ten thousand miles on the dial, the last column is what you really drove.