Can I Put 17 Tire on A 16 Rim? [How It Affects the Car]

Wondering if you could put a 17 inch tire on your 16 inch rims? Because why not! You could have a 17 inch tire collecting dust. Might as well use it. Right? So, you might be asking can I put 17 tires on 16 rims?

The answer is yes. A 17 inch rim can be fixed on a 16 inch rim. But there are some prerequisites for it and it depends on the reason for usage. Although it is not recommended to do such. But typically speaking, it is possible.

So without any further ado let’s go through the pros and cons of fixing a 17 inch tire on a 16 inch rim.

Stay with us till the end.

So, Can You Put a 17” tire on a 16” rim?

It’s a common question for many whether it is possible to fit a tire of different measurements to a rim of different measurements. The answer is yes. You can put a 17 inch rim on a 16 inch rim.

But there are some prerequisites for it and it depends on the reason for usage. Although it is not recommended to do such.

Let’s say you are a car enthusiast and you like to modify your car. In that case, putting 17” tires on 16” rims wouldn’t be a problem.

Besides, let’s say you just happen to have a 17” tire lying around. You desire to place it on your current car’s 16” rims. Actually, in that circumstance, you could do it without any issues.

Besides, usually, truck drivers go for bigger tire sizes compared to the rim size because it gives them certain advantages. But their size chart is much bigger than 17 inches and 16 inches.

How Does Putting 17 inch Tires on 16 inch Rims Affect Your Car?

Putting a bigger tire on a smaller rim size could impact the car’s general performance.

Gas and Mileage

Since bigger tires are heavier, they reduce fuel economy, whereas smaller tires improve it. Larger tires have a greater rolling resistance than smaller tires, which means it takes more work and resistance to keep them rolling.

Speedometer

The size of the tire and speedometer precision are inextricably connected. Fitting a larger tire will result in a slower speedometer reading than your actual speed.

Acceleration

Wider tires can help with acceleration. Especially in high-performance vehicles like muscle cars. So, in this case, putting 17-inch tires would be beneficial.

Traction

Installing wider tires is the most certain and the fastest way to increase traction. On dry roads, wider tires may reduce braking distances.

Larger tires have broader tread faces and sturdier sidewalls. As a result, it increases handling and cornering.

Things to Consider

While trying to put a 17 inch tire on a 16 inch rim m it’s essential to ensure a certain ratio is being maintained.

Diameter Ratio

Your 17 inch set’s total rim+tire diameter must be the same as the 16 inch set you’re changing, or within a tolerable percent deviation. Which is commonly recognized to be 2% or lower.

Compatibility

You need to properly check if the desired larger tires are suitable with the size of your wheels and rims, and that they don’t rub against the brake calipers.

How Can You Put 17-inch Tires on 16-inch Rims?

The procedure is may sound difficult but in reality, is not that hard to do. You can don’t need to go to a car workshop and spend your money on fixing the tire. You will be able to do it yourself using simple hand tools.

The tools you require are a crowbar and a prybar. If you have these tools you can put on a tire with ease.

Our suggestions for the tools are:

Once you have access to the tools then you can move on to mount the tire.

But make sure your tires have proper width measurements with the rim. It could be a 255 or a 265.

To mount the tire you need to follow some steps.

Let’s have a look.

Step 1: Placing the Rim and Tire

First, you need to place the 16-inch rim on a flat surface. Put cardboard under the rim to avoid scratching it or damaging it. Once the rim is placed then you need to place the tire.

In this first then just keep the tire on the lying rim. Then we go forward to the following step.

Step 2: Press the Lower Bead of the Tire on the Rim

For this step, it is paramount that you lubricate your 17-inch tire with a tire lubricant. In that case you need to know the dos and don’ts of lubricating the tire first.

Once you’re done lubing your tire you need to stand on the tire. Then press it down with force on the rims with your feet. The lower bead of the tire should get pressed down onto the rim.

Step 3: Fix the Upper Bead

Now, this is a tricky part. Firstly you need to lube the rim and upper bead again.

Then using your hands you need to push one side of the upper bead down. The upper bead should be pushed down and inside the upper lip of the rim. The tire should create an angle-like form on the rim.

Then you need a crowbar. Insert the crowbar in the gap between the tire and the rim. Keep the crowbar pressed on one side with your foot. Then insert a pry bar and force the tire over the rest of the rim.

Push the pry bar into the bottom side of the upper lip of the 16-inch rim. It’s essential to make sure it doesn’t scratch any visible metal. Keep doing this all the way around the rim. Both the top and lower beads of the 17-inch tire should be entirely past the rim’s lip.

That’s it. Then lastly you just need to inflate the tire.

FAQs

Which are the best tires available in the market?

Some of the best available tire brands in the market are Michelin, Continental, Cooper, Yokohama, Goodyear, Bridgestone, etc.

Is it legal to put 17 Tire on A 16 Rim?

Yes, it is legal to put 17 tire on a 16 rim. You can put that tire and rim combination on the car if it is stated on the tire placard.

How can I sell my tire?

You could make money from your tires in a few ways. You can sell it locally on Craigslist or sell it in a local tire shop. You could also list Your Tires on a specific tire sites

Final Verdict

With that, we’ve reached the end of this segment. We hope we can answer your queries regarding “Can I put 17 tires on 16 rims?”

After extensive research, engineers design and figure out the proper ratio of the tires to rims. Hence altering any variable from the wheels may result in an underperforming car overally.

Hope this was helpful to you. Thank you for sticking around.

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Robert Lozano

My name is Robert Lozano, and I am an automotive enthusiast and author. A great passion for engineering has fueled my desire to share my skills and educate others on challenging engineering terms and topics. Thanks to our readers, I am currently receiving a lot of nice feedback. While writing an article, I am always learning and assessing myself.