185 65/r14

[Harbilly]

Can I use the shorter 185 65/r14s on my ‘86 2nd cargo that currently has 185 75/r14s?
this topic confuses me. Anyone done this?

[Burntboot]

Tires are really quite easy to figure out, nothing confusing AT ALL
They will physically fit but, you may not like the change

The "185" refers to the width of the tire body (as opposed to the tread face) (in mm), so 185mm wide
the "65" is the aspect ratio and depicts the height of the sidewall (185mm x 65%) = 120.25mm
The "14" the diameter of the rim in INCHES

Added to this fun is that 2 identically sized tires from 2 different manufacturers will probably have different overall measurements.

In your case: (Hankook Kinergy ST) (info from Tire rack)

185/65 - Section width 8.0in, tread width 5.9in, overall diameter 23.3in, weight 15lbs, revs/mile 891
185/75 - Section width 7.2in, tread width 5.0in, overall diameter 24.8in, weight 16lbs, revs/mile 837

Now it may seem a little confusing how 185mm can translate into different section widths (5.9in vs 5.0in),
Unfortunately they never explained that at Tire school, so I can't help there.

There's also the factor of tread face width, as there is seemingly no correlation between section width and tread width
Sometimes, more expensive tires will have a wider tread face (contact patch) but even that isnt guaranteed.

Lower aspect ratio means a shorter sidewall, so while the tire in question is the same overall width, it is much shorter in overall height.
This will make you speedo read higher than actual, same for the odometer
Shorter sidewalls do tend to firm up the handling but also increase the possiblity of sidewall damage
A loss of ground clearance will also result and the tires may look too small for the wheel openings.

There is a lot more to tires, but that should get you started

If your having trouble finding the correct size, it would be better to upgrade to a "plus one" fitment : 195/70R14 instead.

[bigtone23]

I have mostly stuck to the 185-75R14 size. It works, and I can still find them pretty easily. Just got a set 2 months ago. They had to be transferred in from another nearby tire shop, but that's not a big deal, had to wait 2 days.

Tried 205-75R14 for one set of all seasons for all 4 tires. If I took a corner too fast, there was a little rub in the front wheel wells. They did feel smoother on the road. Plus, it made my speedometer read a little slow. Not a big deal, but could be the tie breaker for getting pulled over.

I use 195-75R14 for rear snow tires and like them. 195-75R14 all around for all seasons have worked well, too.

However, I agree with Burntboot. I would guess that 185 65R14 would be firmer feeling, but as we know, sitting directly over the fronts, these Vans are already pretty rough riding. Higher aspect ratios help the ride be more smooth and comfortable, if not marginally more bouncy. I toyed with the idea of getting 195-65R15, but where does one find 6" wide 4 bolt wheels?

The 195-70R14 would be a cool alternative for a subtle change.