I'm looking to retire the Forester and I was looking at various options on slightly larger tires.

I came up with 205/75 15's. They seem an inch or so higher than a 205/70 15 which is the stock tire.

 

Anyone used this size?

I'm wondering if there is any problem using a truck tire.

Or if there is any clearance problems with this size.

 

Any tire advice welcome...

Thanks,

Glenn

2001 Forester L

I switched to 225/60/15. I like the grip. Prob not good for snow though - too wide.

 

The Tire Stores are all trying to convince me to do the same thing.

But,

I want a tire bigger off-road/highway not a smaller performance tire.

 

A 215/60 15 would be a 1.14" smaller than the stock tire...

 

My speedo reads fast anyway.

Glenn

205/75 15 Firestone Destination AT's on mine... but it's an OB, not Forester... I had the slightest bit o' rubbing when turning + going thru dips (rectified by lifting with Scorpion springs). Not sure how the Forester will compare but there may be more room in there than mine had.

 

These are not an LT tire but definitely seem tougher than the all season Michelins they replaced. So far at around 12K miles I'm pleased with them, they've done really well in a variety of situations. Sharp handling is not the forte of a 75 series tire... but they're great on sand and gravel, in snow, etc. and on the road they're really not that bad either.

 

 

(You might recognize this from Hwy 12!)

 

Steve

205/75 15 Firestone Destination AT's on mine... but it's an OB, not Forester... I had the slightest bit o' rubbing when turning + going thru dips (rectified by lifting with Scorpion springs). Not sure how the Forester will compare but there may be more room in there than mine had.

 

These are not an LT tire but definitely seem tougher than the all season Michelins they replaced. So far at around 12K miles I'm pleased with them, they've done really well in a variety of situations. Sharp handling is not the forte of a 75 series tire... but they're great on sand and gravel, in snow, etc. and on the road they're really not that bad either.

 

 

(You might recognize this from Hwy 12!)

 

Steve

 

How much lift did you end up with? I'll keep this in mind for next time. I like.

The Tire Stores are all trying to convince me to do the same thing.

But,

I want a tire bigger off-road/highway not a smaller performance tire.

 

A 215/60 15 would be a 1.14" smaller than the stock tire...

 

My speedo reads fast anyway.

Glenn

 

How much height did I lose going from stock to 225/60/15 on my 97 OBW? Anyone know how to figure this?

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

 

^ Excellent for finding tire size differences, odo + speedo, etc.

 

As to how much was gained, I probably gained a whopping 1/2" to 5/8" clearance. But, these tires are much more capable in areas where you want clearance than the all seasons were. That is the reason to get them, not for the difference in clearance. The springs added another 1 1/2 to 2".

 

 

Steve

Thanks, great site. I lost about a 1/4 inch height. Good to know. I recently acquired a Jeep so I am less concerned about the offroad stuff. But only a little.

205/75/15 is an "outdated" tire size

upgrade to 225 or 235

I use 215/75/15's on my legacy. There are a lot of tires avaliable in this size.

205/75/15 is an "outdated" tire size

upgrade to 225 or 235

 

What does that mean? In snow like what we (OP and I) have here, I think that'd be a step backwards, not an upgrade And where can one find a 225 or 235 width tire in an AT or "offroad" style the OP is seeking with a low enough profile that it'd fit a Subie? I think such an animal does not exist, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Steve

Check tirerack.com for some ideas on sizes.

I run the 205/75/15 Firestone Destination AT as well... on Forester rims in fact

 

They work really well for my LOBW. No rubbing issues.