Posted by Joe Lloyd on February 17, 1998 at 09:45:59:
In Reply to: Changing tire sizes-Pros/Cons posted by Gerard on February 13, 1998 at 19:39:00:
Gerald,
I'd have to agree with the dealer that gave you the 225/60/16 size. This is an
excellent option for your Caravan. This size will fit you wheel perfectly, give
you a slightly larger contact patch and a slightly narrower sidewall. The larger
contact patch will give you better traction; especially in wet/snow conditions.
The narrower sidewall will improve steering response. The change in size is virtually
un-noticable in apperance and the effect on your speedometer is so minimal, it's
insignificant.
This type of change is called a +0 fitment. I've used this fiment of three different
vehicles; '88 Nissian Stanza, '88 Nissian Std. P/U and '97 Dodge Neon. It clearly
improved the ride in all three. It was especially helpfull on the pick up. Because of
the light rear end there's a tendency towards oversteer. The larger, +0, contact
patch settled that right down.
If you need another opinion, Dunlop Tire has a pretty good fitment guide. The address is
http://www.dunloptire.com/fitment/truck.html
Joe