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Sidewall

235/70R16 vs 245/65R16

Going from one to the other changes the overall height by -1.4 %. That is inside the 3% band, so it fits and the speedometer stays close.

165 mm sidewall735 mm · 29.0"
235/70R16
159 mm sidewall725 mm · 28.5"
245/65R16

Side by side


Measure235/70R16245/65R16Change
Overall height29.0"28.5"-1.4 %
Sidewall6.48"6.27"-3.2 %
Section width235 mm245 mm+4.3 %
Circumference91.0"89.7"-1.4 %
Revs per mile697707+1.4 %
Axle height14.48"14.27"-5.3 mm
Approved rim width6.5–8.5"7–9"overlap 7–8.5"

Both are approved on a rim 7" to 8.5" wide. If yours is in that band, this is a tire change and nothing else.

What the speedometer will say

Calibrated for 235/70R16. Fit 245/65R16 and the needle stops telling the truth.


Needle saysYou are doingOut by
30 mph29.6 mph-0.4
50 mph49.3 mph-0.7
70 mph69.0 mph-1.0
90 mph88.7 mph-1.3

The odometer drifts with it. Ten thousand miles on the dial are really 9,857 on the road, so it over-counts by 143. At a true 70 mph the first turns 813 times a minute, the second 824.

What drivers reported


235/70R16 carries 139 complaints. 245/65R16 carries 1.

Everything about 235/70R16 · Everything about 245/65R16