1997 Plymouth Voyager Tire Size Recommendations?

[Krazy Jeff]

I just got this van, and it came with small tire sizes of R14s. I am wondering if anyone can tell me what is the default size for this van. I am thinking this size is too small, but not 100% sure.

[RIP]

Check with a tire shop but, it should take up to 16 inch wheels. My 96 has 16 inch wheels. Thank you for listing all your problems in seperate threads. Makes it easier for people to find a particular problem during a search. If you put verything in one thread, they wont find them. Wish everyone would follow your lead.

[Krazy Jeff]

Thanks for the reply. I'll check with my local tire shop. Knowing them, they might want to sell me their most expensive size. Is there a way to learn what was the default tire size when it came out of the dealer? I want to learn if what I am using now is safe or risky.

I am a member of other help forums and they normally appreciate one thread per topic. So I did it this way, and I am glad I did things correctly. I did try to locate your posting rules, but for some reason I can't seem to find them. Maybe I'll pretend to re-register to see if I can review the rules that are shown when doing that procedure. The reason why I want to go over them, is that I want to make sure I am within forum rules, this way, I get the help I need, without having to risk my chances of not getting help, because I am doing things incorrectly. Glad I did it right, and thanks for letting me know I am doing things correctly. And kudos to you for having such a wonderful help forum.

I've included a picture of the van below.

[vipergg]

Pretty sure that is correct for the base voyager , it only came with 14's . Hey enjoy it makes tire replacement quite a bit cheaper than a 16 inch tire . Had a 96 base Voyager and I am pretty sure it was 14 inch tires .

[Krazy Jeff]

Originally Posted by vipergg

Pretty sure that is correct for the base voyager , it only came with 14's . Hey enjoy it makes tire replacement quite a bit cheaper than a 16 inch tire . Had a 96 base Voyager and I am pretty sure it was 14 inch tires .

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I do appreciate the lower cost of replacing the R14s, but I was told a while back that the smaller the tire, the poorer the gas mileage, since it takes the wheel far more turns than a larger wheel. Is this true?

I look at my van, and I do notice there is a lot more room there to fit a larger size tire and rim. So this is why I was a bit concerned. But if the Voyager I have comes by default with R14 straight from the dealer or assembly line, then I shouldn't really worry, right?

Thanks for your replies! This place is so awesome! I am little by little gonna save on a lot of money learning how to fix little things in my van. I'll probably leave the larger stuff to professionals, but changing little things, should be a breeze. Or at least I am hoping so.

[webbch]

There's two parts to that logic, and you forgot the second part, which is that a larger tire also takes more torque to bring it up to speed, which would tend to reduce your gas mileage, and also puts more strain on the drivetrain.

If it was me, I'd stick with the 14's for now, unless you have money burning a hole in your wallet. Unfortunately, I don't know too many people in that predicament

[Krazy Jeff]

webbch, excellent point. And since the Voyager I have is only a 4 cylinder, it might not have that much torque compared to the other versions they made in 1997. Thanks.

I'll keep the R14, they do look kind of cool.

[pcushion]

14" is the base rim diameter ... But it isn't the size of the rim that matters.
That size rim probably had a 205/75-14 or 215/70-14 size tire on it.
That is where the gas mileage comes into play.

My wifes 2001 has 15" running 215/70-15, and I have a 99 with 16"'s running 215/65-16. The outside diameter of both sizes are the same if you were to actually measure them against each other.

You could probably place a 215/75-14 size tire without any adverse affects on the drivetrain or gas mileage, and it will look a little better.

[webbch]

Agreed. Tire diameter is the critical part, and rim diameter only really sets a lower limit on what that can be.

[Krazy Jeff]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think for me to better understand this, could you tell me or point me to the right direction in learning what those figures (number digits) mean? (i.e. 205/75-14, 215/70-14, 215/75-14).

[webbch]

From my days in the tire shop, I was taught:

205/70/14

205 - "section width" in millimeters (just the plain old width of the tire)

70 - percentage of the section width that is contained in each of the
sidewalls (i.e. 143.5mm sidewall height, or about 5-5/8" in this case).

14 - rim diameter in inches

You can verify these by playing with the numbers at Discount Tire Website

Chad

[KManiac]

If you want to find the minimum tire size recommended by the factory for your van, simply open the driver's door and look for the label that contains this information and the recommended tire pressures.

Various models of these vans came with either 14-inch, 15-inch or 16-inch inner tire diameters. My 1998 T&C came with and uses 215/65/16's.

The tires on your van require a specific circumference to provide proper mileage and accurate speedometer readings. If you put too small a circumference tire (say a 155/75/14) on the rims, you will experience greater torque faster off-the-line starts, but you will get poorer gas mileage due to higher revs at speed. Also, while your speedometer will indicate, say 70 mph, you may be doing only 55 mph when clocked on radar. Plus, your odometer will log up many more miles than you actually travel. When you put too large a circumference tire (say a 255/75/14) on the rims, the opposite of everything stated above will be true. And this doesn't take into consideration clearance issues inside the wheelwell (a 255/75/14 tire probably wouldn't fit inside the wheelwell).

Anyway, I hope you have a better understanding here. Let us know if you have any other questions or comments.

[pcushion]

Originally Posted by KManiac

If you want to find the minimum tire size recommended by the factory for your van, simply open the driver's door and look for the label that contains this information and the recommended tire pressures.

Various models of these vans came with either 14-inch, 15-inch or 16-inch inner tire diameters. My 1998 T&C came with and uses 215/65/16's.

The tires on your van require a specific circumference to provide proper mileage and accurate speedometer readings. If you put too small a circumference tire (say a 155/75/14) on the rims, you will experience greater torque faster off-the-line starts, but you will get poorer gas mileage due to higher revs at speed. Also, while your speedometer will indicate, say 70 mph, you may be doing only 55 mph when clocked on radar. Plus, your odometer will log up many more miles than you actually travel. When you put too large a circumference tire (say a 255/75/14) on the rims, the opposite of everything stated above will be true. And this doesn't take into consideration clearance issues inside the wheelwell (a 255/75/14 tire probably wouldn't fit inside the wheelwell). ... .

The sizes mentioned specify a very narrow tire and a very wide tire respectively ... 155 vs. 255. The cirecumference is governed by all 3 inputs,
(Width/Profile/Rim Dia.). Be careful, try to stay at the size spec'd out on the drivers door, as mentioned before.
If you want a taller wall, change the profile from say 70 to 75 (look at it as a percentage of the tire width as previously mentioned). I wouldn't really change the width, but if you want something wider, you could go from a 205(mm) width to a 215, leaving the profile ratio the same.
The circumference will not change drastically, but it will change.
Check this website out ... http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html ...
Play with the numbers and you can see what we are all talking about.
Good luck and enjoy.

[amc69]

If you want the original tire size check. kbb.com select used cars by make,year, model. then after you pick suggested retail on the leeft hand side it will say specifications. Click it and it will tell you.