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RAV4.1 TIRE CHART... Tell us about your tires and how they perform

94K views 163 replies 51 participants last post by  nerophine 
#1 · (Edited)
TIRE CHART edited 17 Jan 2022

Edited 17 Jan 2022 to clarify statements and make minor corrections.

Now that I can edit old posts I will keep this first chart up to date so no one has to browse through all the pages looking for the most up to date size chart. If you find the information useful, please hit the like button.

I'm trying to get information on tire sizes and issues for everyone. This is a common question that I've seen here.

Remember clearance issues depend on a lot of things, load in vehicle, tired old springs, rim offset, lifts, lowering, rim spacers, brand and model of tire, and automatic or manual transmission (the automatic protrudes further into the wheel well than the manual). The 3 door may sit a little higher because it is a bit lighter than the 5 door version. The specifications reported below may vary somewhat depending on brand and model of tire, the information was gleaned from TireRack.com.

Click here for a Tire size guide.

When you make a significant size change to smaller or larger tires your speedometer is thrown off to recalibrate see this link Speedometer Recalibration

The list below is some tried and true experiments from folks who have put smaller and larger tires on their RAV4.1s stock, lowered, and lifted. It also matters if you have a manual or automatic transmission because the automatic transmission sticks out into the wheel well further so keep that in mind.

TIRE
SIZE
RIM WIDTH
RANGE
SECTION
WIDTH
TREAD
WIDTH
OVERALL
DIAMETER
REVOLUTIONS
PER MILE
REQUIRES
LIFT
COMMENTS
*15 Inch:
235/75-156.5-8.0"9.3"7.2"28.9"719ProbablyMinor rubbing reported
16 Inch:
215/65-166.0-7.5"8.7"7.0"27.0"769NoNo problems reported stock
235/60-166.5-8.5"9.4"8"27.0"769NoOptional from Toyota
205/70-165.0-7.0"8.2"6.1"27.3"762NoNo problems reported stock
195/70-165.0-6.0"7.7"6.2"27.5"757NoNo problems reported stock
215/70-165.5-7.0"8.7"7.0"27.9"746NoStock
235/65-166.5-8.5"9.5"7.1"28.0"742NoNo problems reported stock
225/70-166.0-7.5"6.5"6.8"28.4"733NoSome report minor rubbing
215/75-165.5-7.0"8.5"6.2"28.9"719ProbablyRubbing on full lockup stock
235/70-166.0-8.0"9.5"7.4"29.0"719YesRubbing on full lockup stock
255/65-167.0-9.0"10.2"8.1"29.1"717YesRubbing on full lockup stock
225/75-166.0-7.5"8.8"7.2"29.3"711YesRubbing stock
245/70-166.5-8.0"9.8"7.7"29.5"705YesRubbing stock
**235/75-166.0-7.5"9.3"7.4"29.9"698YesToo big, see note
17 Inch:
225/65-176.5-8.0"6.5"8.9"28.5"728NoNo problems reported for stock RAV4.1s
235/65-176.5-8.5"9.5"7.4"29.1"719YesRubbing on full lockup stock
245/65-177.0-8.5"9.8"7.4"29.5"705YesRubbing stock
245/70-176.5-8"9.8"7.4"30.6"681YesThis size reported but no discussion on any problems. Much too big.
245/75-176.5-7.5"9.8"7.7"31.5"660No wayWay too big would need major suspension, cv axle, and wheel well modifications
18 Inch:
225/40-187.5-9"9.1"7.9"25.1"829NoNo problems reported for stock RAV4.1s
255/45-188.0-9.5"10.0"8.5"27.0"769NoNo problems reported for stock RAV4.1s
235/50-186.5-8.5"9.7"8.8"27.2"762NoNo problems reported for stock or lowered RAV4.1s
225/55-186.0-8.0"9.1"7.0"27.8"748NoNo problems reported stock
235/55-186.5-8.5"9.7"7.9"28.1"742NoRequires bump removal and minor front wheel well mod

* 15" rims: Several people have reported success with using 15" rims so I decided to add the information, however and this is a big however, the rims will have to be very deep with an offset around ET8 or long wheel spacers so the rim will clear the caliper. I don't know for certain because I haven't tried it, so make sure you try before you buy. Remember, the larger the offset/spacer the more wear you may be putting on other suspension components like the wheel bearings.

** 235/75-16 Firestone Destination A/T tires is what I currently have and it is just too large even with an OME lift, front 30mm strut spacers, and 25mm wheel spacers. I made it work by removing the "bump" at the rear lower area of the front wheel wells and with the judicious application of an instrument of destruction (4lb sledge hammer) to the lower inner front wheel wells. Others claim to have installed this size of tire but no information as to any problems that had to be resolved.
Any sizes larger than 29.5" are likely to require more than a lift and spacers to work without rubbing.

Anything 28.4" and larger will likely require modifying or removing the "bump" on the front wheel wells. Tires 28.6" and larger tires may require a lift. Anything 29.5" and larger will require modification of the front wheel wells.

Tire weight is heavily dependent on what type of tire you are buying, generally street tires weigh less than all terrain tires, and mud tires weigh even more. You may notice that some smaller tires weigh far more than larger ones, and this is because of the differences in tire types.

Keep in mind tires that are larger or smaller in diameter, heavier, has a wider foot print, and/or increased traction than stock will likely lower your fuel mileage.

Obviously there are many more sizes out there, keep us posted, let us know what you are running and what challenges you had to get it to work, and I'll try to keep this chart updated.

Please click like if you find the information useful.
 
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#3 ·
Yes anything you would like to include. Even stock sized tires and you want to post how they handle, how well they do on/off road, snow, ice, rain, etc. I use the tirerack.com ratings for a good source of information, but it sure wouldn't hurt to have people's ideas on the vehicle we actually use. Particularly informative when it comes to oversized or special applications. So many times on this forum I've looked at what people are using using or planning to use but rarely followup on how things actually worked out, what they would do differently next time.
 
#6 ·


Thanks, I did a Old Man Emu (OME) lift front and rear, and a daystar 1" spacer which isn't for the RAV4 but it worked (see my thread - http://www.rav4world.com/forums/94-4-1-d-i-y-modifications/206377-1999-4dr-4x4-major-mods.html). I will change it later for theese - Front strut spacers for Toyota Avensis, Caldina, Carina, Rav4 30mm | eBay. This would give me a little over 2" effective lift, I wouldn't want to push it any higher or I could have problems with the CV joints. I have plenty of vertical clearance, what I don't have is horizontal clearance. So I don't think a higher lift, unless I went really hgh would help me much. I either need smaller tires or I have to mod the firewall.

I think for you to go to a 29" tire, you would need a lift on all 4 axles. An advantage of the OME kit is that you replace those old tired springs with new ones that are heavier duty and actually improves handling, less roll. I think the OME is a much better option than just lift spacers. That being said, the OME left my RAV4 nose down abit and the 1" spacer leveled her out. You can get 40mm coil spacers for all four axles from the same folks I referenced in my link from ebay, I just don't think this is your best way to go.

And I assume you meant 235/70/16 rather than 234/70/16.
 
#7 ·
235, yes!

I have been checking out the OME lift kit, thanks greatly for the info about the "nose-down" effect. I hadn't heard about that anywhere. My baby has 238,xxx+ miles, so new springs is definitely on the list. I did check out your mods list and it's pretty impressive. Thanks again for the info.
 
#8 ·
I have 235/70r16s without a lift and without issue thus far. Will install a Tough Dog lift Thursday (OME is no longer for sale here in Aus) but don't need to for the tyres.

I'll attatch a pic, but don't expect pretty. This is a broke phd researcher's outback research machine to get out to remote indigenous country.
 

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#9 ·
I just took a look at the Tough Dog site, are you looking at the 25mm or 40mm lift?

Is your RAV4 an automatic? Does it have the 3SFE engine and E250 (fwd) or E250F (4wd) if standard?

Maybe the 2 door versions sit higher (after all they would be quite a bit lighter) than the 4doors, I hadn't considered that.
 
#11 ·
Any progress updates?

This is the swap I always wanted in the RAV4, just couldn't find someone willing and able to install it. =(

What kind of issues did you have with the wheels?
Possibly the low offset with taller tire combo?

My summer wheels are 17x8 with a 38 offset, and tires are 225/60/17 and no clearance issues.
Tire Size.......Diameter.......Width
225-60-17......27.63"........8.86"
 
#12 ·
This was posted by IloveZenyatta

Smile After Market Tires Rims Pls help....
I have a 1997 Rav4 White 2dr
I want to add after market rims and tires
Can I go with 235-50-18 without any adjustments or whatever?
I want the wheel well to look full but a little wide...I'm not sure about this.
I need all the RAV4 experts and I know your reading this
Please send Pics if you have a Rav4 on 18s. Please advise if necessary...

The below was my reply.
That tire (may vary slightly by brand and tire type) specs are as follows:

TIRE SIZE.....TIRE WT.....RIM WIDTH.....RIM WIDTH.....SECT. WIDTH.....TREAD WIDTH.....OVERALL DIAM.....REVS PER MILE
235-50-18......30 lbs.........6.5-8.5".............7.5".................9.7"..................8.8".....................27.2"..................762
235-60-16......22 lbs.........6.5-8.5".............7.0".................9.4"..................8.0".....................27.0"..................769
215-70-16......28 lbs.........5.5-7.0".............6.5".................8.7"..................7.0".....................27.9"..................746

I think it would work without a problem depending on your rim offset.
 
#15 ·
On the Torsen question, contact Toyota with the vin number is the easiest way, or the fun way is to find a place where you can dangle one of the rear wheels, and then try to drive off.
If the hanging wheel steals all the power then you have an open-differential and not the Torsen, be sure to stop the spinning wheel before activating the center diff lock.

If you try this with the automatic, it would be best to have some friends with you.
 
#16 ·
If the hanging wheel steals all the power then you have an open-differential and not the Torsen.

Torsen are not like viscous or clutch-packs limited slip differentials. If a torsen have one wheel that does not touch the ground, it acts exactly like an open diff. To act as a lsd, a torsen needs to have resistance on both wheels.
 
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#17 ·
Here is some info about wheel sizing:

The offset of a wheel is the distance from its hub mounting surface to the centerline of the wheel. The offset can be one of three types, (measured in millimeters). ref tirerack.com
Zero Offset - The hub mounting surface is even with the centerline of the wheel.
Positive - The hub mounting surface is located in the front half of the wheel closer to the wheel face.
Negative - The hub mounting surface is located in the back half of the wheel closer to the back lip flange.

For more detailed information see - https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech...jsp?techid=101

And see "The Right Fit is More Than Just Diameter" - https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech...jsp?techid=103

And one other thing to know is "How We Know What Fits" - https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech....jsp?techid=95

My wheels are 16X7.5 5114 ET40 AR RAZOR
- 16 is the wheel diameter
- 7.5 is the width
- 5114 is the bolt pattern - It would actually be 5 x 4.50 or in metric 5 x 114.3
- ET40 is the offset - The term ET originates from the German word 'Einpresstiefe' which translates as 'insertion depth'. So my rims are positive 40mm offset
- AR Razor is the make and model of my rim
- Centerbore - 60.1mm - Is one other crucial measurement that is not listed here which would be the diameter of the hole in the center of the wheel. The centerbore may be larger but centering rings should be used.
.................................................................
So from the above, if your wheel offset is wrong it could cause the wheel to contact the brake rotor or other suspension components. It can also cause the wheel to stick way out of the wheel wells. The wrong offset will also cause more stress on suspension components and wheel bearings, spacer can cause the same issues.

If the centerbore is too small the wheel won't fit, if too large (not a real problem) then you should use centering rings.

If the bolt pattern is wrong it won't fit.

The wheel must be the proper diameter and width for the tires being used.
 
#19 ·
225/75R16 Hankook Dynapro ATm in the summer and Hankook I-Pikes in the winter. Both do great in ice, snow, dirt, gravel and the wet. They seem to be slightly weak in the dry stopping power, but add any type of moister and they really hold.

No rubbing before or after the OME lift, I think the front still has enough clearance that I could get a low-profile set or chains or cables on if I needed too. But since I have never needed to chain up the rear tires in the past 5 winters and I can't get my Rav4 to spin the tires in snow for fun even, so I think it will remain just idle speculation on my part.
 
#21 ·
I´m running 235/70-16 BFG ATs on 16x8 ET25 wheels (summer) and 225/75-16 on 16x7 ET40 wheels (winter). Have removed the "bump" and used a heat gun and a round wooden stick to shape the plastic liners. No rubbing. In a few days I´ll install the OME lift kit and try to see if 245/70s will fit :D
 
#22 ·
Wow, you had no issues other than a little rubbing on the plastic with 235/70-16 BFG ATs a 29" tire where many have reported at least minor problems with 225-70-16 a 28.4" tire. Of course tired old springs may be a large part of the problem. Is your RAV4 a 2 or a 4 door? I think the lighter 2 door RAV's sit a little higher because they are a bit lighter.

Thanks for letting us know about your tire experience.
 
#23 ·
I've already fitted P245-70R-16's on my 2000 RAV4 AWD with no issues. I'm waiting for Cooper to introduce this size in a Discoverer MT profile, about 27-28" in diameter, just an awesome tire for off-road and mud & snow. But my rav has the 2.5" factory lift installed, so.....your results may vary.
 
#26 ·
reply to prospector

Yes, with the appropriate backspacing. The style tire I wanted to run was not available for a 16 inch wheel. So, I went with a 15 inch wheel by trial & error method until I found the correct backspacing that would give me clearance over(away) from the caliper.


see previous posts.
 
#32 ·
Not that particular tire, but my factory 2.5" lifted 2k rav4 has p235-70r-14's on it with no rubbing anywhere. So my guess would be that a stock lift rav4 should be able to fit the 215-85's easily. I wasn't aware that Cooper made a Discoverer that small, but cool to know.
 
#31 ·
That tire is 30.59" tall, it just won't fit, my tires at 29.9 inches required me to modify the firewall, I know that I couldn't squeeze roughly .7" more into the RAV4. Shame, those are nice tires.
 
#34 ·
Hello all

I would like to go back to the size of tires and rims. Since last week I have a completely new suspension with 40mm lift maybe even a bit more because in addition to the 40mm spring spacers I have:
- front new Kayaba springs + new Monroe Adventure 4x4 shock absorbers
- rear new Kayaba springs + new Trail Master Stage II shock absorbers

Apart from a larger clearance the car has completely different driving characteristics - much tougher, stiffer. It's no longer a "wheelbarrow" with tired springs. No dive when braking and so on…

The next step will be the rims and tires. I want to go to:
R16 235/70 or 225//75 or evev 235/75 but I do not intend to modify the firewall.
At this moment I have stock rims J6,5 with ET45 (offset). I need J7 and I found cool rims with ET18. Calculating from the formula:

((width of new rim*25/2)-ETnew rim)- ((width of stock rim*25/2)-ETstock rim))

new rim will go out 33,25mm more.

I'm afraid it is not too much?

I am going to buy Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 tires.
Below are some photos before and after
Thanks in advance for any tips
 

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#35 ·
Andrew N, the 235-70-16 and 225-75-16 tires will fit with your lift but unless you are over the limit on lift I doubt the 235-75-16 tires will work without modding the firewall. You have a max lift that you can do because of the CV joints which will overextend and not work properly, brake lines may have to changed to longer ones, and I have no idea about the rear axles. Besides clearance issues, the other issue as I have found out is that the 3S-FE engine just doesn't have the torque for 235-75-16 tires, I would highly recommend nothing much over 29 inches. I plan on going down to a 29" or less tire after I run these 235-75-16 tires I have a little longer. Maybe the 2 door sits a little higher because she is a lighter vehicle, I don't know.
 
#36 ·
OK, I finished my modifications. I mentioned the changes above (spring spacers , new springs, new shock absorbers). Additionally, I also replaced the plastic wheel arches. I decided on rims 16x7JJ with ET45 and Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 235/70R16 tires. 6" and 6.5" rims are too narrow for 235mm tires. Despite the lift, the tires rubbed slightly but not on full lock. I had to use a heat gun and now is ok. Pls see pictures. I hope that it may be useful to someone.

Thanks to this I got the height from the ground:
- front 86,5cm
- rear 89cm
Unfortunately I did not measure before replacing the suspension and tires.

I also checked the 225/75 tires and I state that 235/70 is the most optimal

Regards
Andrew
 

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