225 vs 255 Tires

When it comes to purchasing new tires, you might be wondering what the benefits are of going with a 225 and 255 tire. For example, will the difference in size affect how your vehicle handles? Which one should you pick if you want to improve gas mileage? How about when it comes to off-roading or snow driving conditions? In this article, we will answer these questions and more!

What do 225 and 255 Tires Mean?

225 and 255 tires refer to the width in millimeters of the tire. These measurements are taken from the sidewall of your current tire, so you can use them as a reference when trying to find out what size tires you need. Some cars will specify if they need 225 or 255 tires instead of providing this information.

This is usually done by older vehicles manufactured before common industry standards were introduced. However, some companies still require their clientele to purchase models with specific dimensions even today!

For Example, P225/65R17 80T vs. P255/55R18 81R

You can use this measurement as a reference if you want to find out what size new tires would fit best on your vehicle. Some car companies will ask specifically for either one or the other (or neither). Still, some older vehicles won’t have these requirements, so it’s up to you whether you choose one over the other or test both sizes during installation by going with whichever suits you better. First, let us find out what those numbers mean in the tire.

P: The letters on a tire tell what kind of tire it is. I see that this tire has the letter P, which means it is for passenger cars. Sometimes, there are letters like T or LT. That means that the tire is for something like trucks or light trucks.

75 or 70: The number after the dash tells you how tall a tire is. This number is how tall a tire’s cross-section is. For this tire P225/65R17 80T, 65 means that the height of the cross-section of this tire would be equal to 65% of its width.

On the other hand, P255/55R18 81R means that the tire’s height is 55% of its width. Therefore, the higher the aspect ratio, the higher the tire sidewall.

R: This character means that the construction of the tire is radial. Radial tires are a popular and new type of tire. They have an inner tire that looks like spokes coming out from the center.

If there is a D instead of an R, the tire has bias-ply construction. Radial tires are like D construction, but with different plies going in another direction.

Wheel Diameter: The diameter of a wheel is the end-to-end length. It is measured in inches. After “Construction Letter,” these two number means the wheel diameter size. In this case, the tire size of P225/65R17 80T is 17 inches.

This means that it only fits with 17-inch wheels on any car. The other tire size of P255/55R18 81R is 18 inches. This means that it only works with 18-inch wheels on any vehicle.

80 or 81: If there are numbers following the gap, they are load index. The number tells us how much weight each tire can hold.

The load index tells you how much weight the tire can carry. For example, it is 80, which is 992 pounds. The other one is 81, which also carries 1,019 pounds.

R or T: The last letter on the tire is how fast it can go. A tire with a higher speed rating can handle heat better and provide more control at faster speeds. The max speed is limited to the lowest speed rating of all four tires (Of course, you should always abide by speed limits for safer driving).

This first example tire has a speed rating of R, going up to 106 mph. The second example tire has a T speed rating, which means it can go up to 118 mph.

Our Observation

Both 225 and 255 tires have the same load index and speed rating, so it is safe to say that they are both the same in these aspects. The only difference between the two is the width of the tire. The 225 is 65% of the width of 255, so it would be a smaller tire. Depending on your car and driving habits, you may want to choose the 225 over the 255.

Suppose your car doesn’t state whether it needs one size over another (or neither). In that case, we recommend going with either one and testing which size works better on your vehicle during installation. Suppose there’s an issue with performance after switching sizes.

We recommend returning the tires that don’t work and exchanging them for a model with another tire width. For a more in-depth look at what to consider when buying new tires, please read our blog post on the topic!

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