235/55 R17 Tyres Explained

235/55 R17 is a common tyre size for many crossovers and compact SUVs. The numbers explain the tyre dimensions. 235 is the tread width in millimetres. 55 is the aspect ratio, so the sidewall height is 55% of 235mm (about 129mm). R17 means the tyre fits a 17 inch wheel. You'll find this size across premium, mid range and budget ranges. Premium manufacturers on the page include Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Goodyear and Bridgestone. mid range brands include Hankook, Kumho, Yokohama and Falken. Value options on the site come from Tomket, iLink, Wanli and Nankang. Popular models available in 235/55 R17 include the Michelin CrossClimate 3 and the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2. To check this is the right size for your car, look at the tyre sidewall, the driver's door sticker or your vehicle handbook. You can also enter your registration for exact matches.

The tyre size that you find on the sidewall of a tyre will tell you important information such as the width, profile and diameter of your tyre. In this case, for the tyre size 235/55 R17, this means the following: 235 - the width of the tyre in millimetres. I.e. 235mm wide. 55 - the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the width. In this case 55% R17 - the diameter of the tyre's inner rim in inches. Basically what size of wheel this is designed to fit onto. In this instance it is a 17 inch wheel.

If you are looking for the recommended tyre pressure for 235/55 R17 tyres, you will find that this will depend on the manufacturer and model. Each vehicle manufacturer has their own tyre pressure recommendation for their model, that will deliver an optimal performance for your vehicle. Check the following if you are unsure what the correct tyre pressure is for your 235/55 R17 tyres Tyre label - this is often the best place to find your tyre pressure information. It is located on the door jamb on the driver’s side of the vehicle. It is a small rectangular label that provides the driver with the recommended tyre pressure and tyre sizes. Vehicle handbook - Quite often the vehicle handbook with contain a section that relates to the technical details for the tyre. This should include the required tyre size, load rating, speed rating and recommended tyre pressure.

The sidewall height of a 235/55 R17 tyre is calculated by using the profile information of the tyre size. In this instance 55. This tells us that it is 55% of the tyre's cross-section width. When looking at a tyre, the sidewall height is the distance between the tread line of the tyre and the rim line. Given that this tyre size has a cross-section width which equals 235mm, we can work out that the sidewall height is 55% of 235 – this comes to 129.25mm.