Chevy & GMC Vans

Well this topic has been covered pretty well on the other site but not yet covered here...and I'm a little impatient waiting for the AS.com site to be fixed to search there. So here it goes...

My 91 is sitting at stock height on its P215/75-15's. I want wider and a bit taller maybe. There aren't many tire options with the sport sized P245/60-15s. <--- would be wider but with a smaller diameter. I WAS looking into P235/75-15s (have run dad's worn michelins without "much" rubbing) but don't want to have to trim too much. My work's 2002 Astro passenger van has Michelin P235/75-15s and rubs quite a bit at full lock. Not like I make many maneuvers at full lock anyways but #-o

Question... Can a worn inner tie-rod end cause the inner thread of the tire (driver's side) to wear fast? The inner side of my tire is bald now.

Should I go with 235/70-15s, or maybe 225/75-15s? I think I remember Yokoma tires being mentioned on the other site.

I have had all of those sizes except the 235/70-15's, I like the 245's because they look wide and have good street performance, I think they look too small without lowering though (I had them for a few months while I had the coil spacers still in on the front). The 235/75-15's with 1" coil spacers made the van look awd and filled the fenders up nicely, they didn't look that wide though. I have the 225's as snow tires, they barely look any wider but definitely a bit more sidewall, mine are kind of floaty feeling since they are a passenger tire with a lot of sidewall. If you don't intend to lower it I would look for a 235/70 and split the difference between wide and tall, otherwise the 245's are nice.
Here are some pics for reference, I don't have them all from the same angle but here you go.

215's

225's with coil spacers

235/75 with coil spacers

245's with coil spacers

245's with 2/3 drop

Mt 95 had 235/70/15's on stock spoke wheels when i got it, looked pretty good, i couldn't see going much wider or taller without rubbin'.

My spring through fall wheels are 235/70R15 BF Goodrich Radial T/As mounted on American Racing Outlaw Rims. Great handling, taken several corners faster than I should to test them. While most the time I have no rubbing, if the wheels are turned just so while pulling into an uphill driveway a nice brrrrrrrrrrrrrk can be heard.

Great pics dean89,
Between my two vans I have had all but the 235/70/15's, but this is my vote if you are doing no modifications. They look good on stock vans and handle way better then 205's or 215's. The 245's I had on my '90 shorty handled awesome but for me weren't tall enough.

Oh yeah, before the 235/70R15 I had a set of 245/60R15. They lowered mile actual gas mileage, big no-no for an interstate warrior like me. They got moved onto the stock rims and sold with my '94.

Some fuzzy math tire diameters
215/75R15 = 27.7" (normal stock '99)
215/70R16 = 27.85" (stock '04)
225/75R15 = 28.29"
235/65R15 = 27.03" (optional stock '99)
235/70R15 = 27.95"
245/60R15 = 26.57"

I try my best to keep the diameter between 27.5" and 28".

I like the looks of the 235/70's. They are on the 95 I had that skippy has now.

Thanks for the pictures dean and blazer! I think I'm sold on the 235/70-15s. I found some Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's in this size at a local firestone dealer, go figure...firestone tires at a firestone shop, haha. Quoted for tires and mounting for under $400. Here's basically what they look like... I'm kinda excited, haha.

I like the idea running 235/75-15 on my stock 94 AWD.
Would I avoid the rubbing at full lock described earlier in this thread by increasing the backspace by say 1/2" ?

-Frank-

st4s wrote:I like the idea running 235/75-15 on my stock 94 AWD.
Would I avoid the rubbing at full lock described earlier in this thread by increasing the backspace by say 1/2" ?

-Frank-

I test fitted Firestone Wilderness ATs in that size on my '94 2WD. At stock height it would have requires fender well trimming.

I've got P225/70R15's on the AWD and the 4x4, on stock rims. They look OK and drive good. The V8 has P235/60R15's, a little short, but OK if you like that look. It has 15"x7" chromies.

Well i finally made a decision on the tires! I got the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's! (P235/70-15) They look beefy compared to the Lemans 215/75-15s I had, and the new tires are only 0.3 inchs bigger in diameter. Don't worry, pictures are on their way!

Yeah pics!

Well....I braved the rain and took some pictures before it got dark!...enough of my rambling...













Had to add some captions in there! haha.

cool....captions!
Nice pics!