205/55R17 refers to the size of the tire. It’s a standard which is used by car and tire manufacturers. By having the standard, tire manufacturers are able to manufacture same size tires independently and users can buy same size tires from different manufacturers.
Here’s an explanation of what these metrics mean in practice:
| 205 | The tire width is 205mm. |
| 55 | The aspect ratio of the tire is 55. Aspect ratio refers to the height of tire sidewall in relation to tire width in percentages. |
| R | The letter in the middle refers to tire construction. Practically all tires sold for cars are radials. Sometimes you also see tires with RF or ZR. RF indicates the tire is run flat, whereas ZR means the tire has speed rating higher than V. These tires are also radials, as the R indicates. |
| 17 | Rim diameter for the tire. 205/55R17 tire can be mounted only to a 17″ rims. |
Best selling 205/55R17 tires
Accelera Phi-R All-Season Performance Radial Tire-205/55R17 205/55/17 205/55-17 95V Load Range XL 4-Ply
(as of June 7, 2023 07:51 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Nexen NPriz AH8 All-Season Tire - 205/55R17 91H
4% Off(as of June 7, 2023 07:51 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Run Flat Radial Tire-205/55R17 91H
18% Off(as of June 7, 2023 07:51 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
What is 205/55R17 tire size in inches?
Because the width of 205/55R17 tire is stated in millimeters and sidewall height in percentages, you have to make calculations to see what the true size of 205/55R17 is in inches. Luckily, we have made these calculations for you.In this table you can see size of 205/55R17 in inches, as well as few additional metrics:
| In inches | In millimeters | |
| Section Width | 8.1″ | 205mm |
| Sidewall height | 4.4″ | 113mm |
| Diameter / Height | 25.9″ | 657mm |
| Circumference | 81.3″ | 2065mm |
| Rim Diameter | 17″ | |
| Revolutions | 779 per mile | 484 per kilometer |
Recommended Rim Sizes for 205/55R17 Tires
For 205/55R17 tires you need to have correct size rims to install the tires to. There are different width rims available in the market, and you can run into problems by installing 205/55R17 to a too wide or too narrow rim. Here are the recommended rim sizes for 205/55R17 tire:
| Diameter | Width Range |
| 17″ | 5.5-7.5″ |
205/55R17 – Variations
When you look at the tire code on 205/55R17 tires, you may see there are additional numbers and letters after the code 205/55R17. These numbers and letters refer to speed rating and load index of the tire. 205/55R17 has at least following variations available on the markets:
205/55R17 91H 205/55R17 91V 205/55R17 91W 205/55R17 91Y 205/55R17 95H 205/55R17 95T 205/55R17 95V 205/55R17 95W 205/55R17 95Y