Are my tires low profile?

Maintenance/Repairs
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This refers to a problem with my car, based on comments on the “Hit curb 10mph brand new Corolla - mild vibration after” thread. Also, reference to the thread which I posted on exploding three tires in a very few days on my 2009 Mexican Sienna, due to road hazards.

Someone on the Corolla thread commented that low profile tires cause a lot of maintenance problems.

My tires are 235/60R17. Would those be low profile tires?

I have never had tires explode like that before, ,and so I was blaming (besides being my fault, of course, for not missing those road hazards) on the Euzkadi tires.

I have no idea where I would buy new or used rims to use a different tire. But, all this time I have been waiting for the Tire Guy to find replacement tires of this size. He got the Euzkadi okay, but now they simply don’t have them available.

I tell ya’, it is a real hassle to have a car which requires months to find new tires.

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Certainly not by US standards; possibly by Mexican ones. I’ve heard the roads are not great down there. Realistically, aspect ratio of 50 or lower is what I’d qualify as “low profile.”

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What used to be Low profile" were 70 series tires. Regular ones were 78 aspect ratio. 60’s were really low profile back in the 1970’s.

These days I’d say a low profile tire begins at a 45 - 50 aspect ratio. 60s are pretty fat and squishey. I agree with MeanJoe, that size is probably difficult to find in Mexico… as much for the 17 inch wheel as well the 60 series tire.

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Not by modern standards.
45 years ago they would have been.

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by my standards they are low profile.

17’ wheels require low profile tires.

But really low profile ones are 18-19-20 inch wheels.

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If you can’t get the same brand tires in the right size, what about a different brand that your tire shop has in stock, or can get quickly?

Does the Mexican government mandate tire testing like the US Government does? It seems like they are from a reputable company (Continental Tire), and mandatory testing may not be an issue. Can you get more rugged tires for the Sienna? I’m thinking of an off road truck tire. Maybe your tire shop offers something like that because of the rural terrain and roads.

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“Low profile” refers to the aspect ratio of the tires. The wheel diameter is irrelevant.
A 2015 Ram 3500 load range E comes with 275/70-18 tires as one of the three options (depending on the cab). That isn’t a low profile tire.

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The size of the wheel doesn’t necessarily mean that the tire is going to be low profile, Most newer 4WD trucks can he had with 70-series tires on 18+ inch wheels.

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Sorry, I was alluding to typical sized sedan tires. Before this trend to low profile started, typical wheels were 15 inch.

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Out of curiosity, are you sure the OE size isn’t 225/60R17 instead of 235/60R17? Check the door jamb sticker or the owner’s manual. That size is probably easier to get and probably also cheaper.

As others have said, these aren’t low-profile tires. In fact, if you go much taller, you might start to feel the handling get squishy.

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Cool! Yes, lion9car, that is exactly correct. The door does call out 225, but I did not want to start mixing tires all over the place. But, when he could not get the 235, I specifically asked if he could get the 225, and he said they are not available, either.

Remember, I bought 5 Euzkadi tires of this size, 235, I think in the winter. These were not old tires. And, he had no trouble getting them at that time.

If this continues, I may have to drive to the border and come back with a car full of tires. And, no, this is not a joke. If the Mexican tire distributors cannot stock tires for the Toyota Sienna, I may have to be my own distributor…

Of course, I may also call the Toyota dealer. I assume they will be able to get them for 3 times the normal price of a good tire. Of course, maybe not.

@jtsanders This guy is good, and he has looked for at least 4 different brands. Nexen (never heard of them), Euzkadi; Cooper; and I forget the other one. He wants to sell tires!

I have also thought of the tougher tires, for small pickups or whatever. I will talk to him about it. With most of my driving at low speed, and my background of driving on ice and snow and in the rain, I do not shiver with fear if my tires are not optimum.

I suspect the tires are there, but communications are not. That is my guess, and that is all.

@meanjoe75fan Yes, the highways are very rough. On my 2002 Sienna, I used Yokohama tires, that I bought in McAllen. Their warranty is voided instantly when you cross the border into Mexico, and they are absolutely correct to do so. There are no tire warranties in Mexico that I have ever heard of.

Thanks, all. I got all the information I needed. I may try to contact Cooper corporate and ask them what the deal is. I still want the cheaper tires now that I have seen the downside.

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Consider an on road/off road tire like the Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S. Tires like these have a much stronger tread and sidewall, much more puncture resistant than ordinary tires when used on gravel roads or poorly maintained pavement.

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These days 60-series tires are high profile. 45 and even 35 are pretty common these days. In my garage is a Volvo with an “Off-Road Mode.” It is wearing 45-series rubber on 20" rims. Rediculous. Good post. Good luck.

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high/low ? it’s all relative. From the photo you posted, to me, compared to tires for 10 years ago, they are low profile. Compared to many today, they are normal.

Bottom line, are they prone to damage when hitting potholes or curbs? and the answer to that is yes.

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Which in the end, is what I was trying to ascertain. Thanks.

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Tire Rack lists 48 tires in the 235./60R17 size and 64 in the 225/60R17 size. If your tire dealer can’t get either of those in a short period of time, he isn’t trying!

Are 60 series tire more prone to impact damage than 70 series? Yes, but they are less prone than 50 series. Nowadays, 60 series tires are fairly common.

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Yes, my tire guy is trying. I am aware if I were in the US, tires for my MEXICAN Sienna would be easy to get. One of my possible solutions if I can hold on is next trip to the border return with the car full of tires.

Thank you for the information on greater susceptibility of the 60 tires. That was the essence of my original problem, trying to understand why I never had tires explode before, and with the Euzkadi, three in one wretched week.

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Yesterday, I drove to the tire place to get back my 2000 peso down payment. He told me he got the tires a week earlier, but lost my phone number. Once again he had to get a different tire. He got two Cooper CS-3 P225/65R17 102T.

The Euzkadi were P235/60R17 102H

And, recommended on the door pillar is P225/60R17.

I had him put the new ones on the back. He said usually they put the new ones on the front. but, I pointed out they were not that old anyway.

I can see why they were using 235/60. They also could not find the recommended tires. So, every time you need a new tire, you end up in desperation with a different tire.

I noted the Coopers were made in the USA, and had the sticker which said they complied with Federal regulations, which to me was a plus. I wonder if that could explain why the Euzkadi exploded so easily. Just saying, of course.

Next time I drive to the border, I plan to come back with a car full of tires, correctly sized. Sigh.

The down side to that is if my car is totaled out, I will have a bunch of tires no one can use. :slight_smile:

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Even here San Jose, USA we can’t always find exactly the tire we want. I purchased some tires for my Corolla recently, the proper size is 70R13 as I recall; I’d always purchased Michelin’s prior and never had a problem finding them, but they don’t make a tire in that size now it seems. Hankook does offer a tire in that size, so that’s what I installed this time. The upside of the Honkooks, less road noise; on the downside they have a slightly softer and squishier ride than the Michelins, but they seem to be doing the job of taking the Corolla where it wants to go.

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@GeorgeSanJose, do you mount your own tires? I just read your post about setting the tire bead, and it seems like you mount your tires or want to in the future. If you do, just buy them on line. The on line tire stores have an excellent selection. I don’t save money buying on line, but I do get exactly what I want.