BFG Radial T/A Tire Size Chart | Classic Fitments Decoded

Current raised-white-letter sizes run from slim 14-inch classics to wide 15-inch muscle-car fitments, with diameter shifts that change stance fast.

The BFG Radial T/A Tire Size Chart matters more than most buyers think. On paper, many of these sizes look close. On a classic car, that small change can alter wheelwell fill, front-end clearance, steering feel, and even the way the speedometer reads.

That’s why this chart works best when you read it in three passes. Start with overall diameter. Then check section width. Then check tread width. When you do it in that order, it gets much easier to spot whether a size will keep a stock-style look, give the car a lower stance, or add that fuller rear-tire look many muscle-car owners want.

Radial T/A has kept its place because it still gives old-school cars the raised-white-letter look people want, but the fitment choices are not one-size-fits-all. A 225/70R15 and a 255/60R15 can both work on classic wheels, yet they land in a totally different place once they’re mounted.

Why The Numbers Matter Before You Order

A tire size tells you far more than width. It also tells you sidewall height and wheel diameter. That mix decides whether the tire looks tall and period-correct, short and wide, or somewhere in the middle.

Take a size like P235/60R15. The 235 is the section width in millimeters. The 60 is the aspect ratio, which means the sidewall height is 60 percent of that width. The 15 is the wheel diameter in inches. BFGoodrich breaks down that format in its How to Read a Tire Sidewall page, and that’s worth a quick read if you haven’t decoded tire sizes in a while.

• Section width tells you how wide the tire is at its broadest point.
• Tread width tells you how much rubber is laid on the road.
• Overall diameter tells you how tall the tire stands once mounted and inflated.

On older cars, that last number is the one people skip too often. A taller tire can calm highway rpm and fill the wheel opening better. A shorter tire can sharpen the stance and pull the car down. Both can look right. The trick is knowing which look you’re chasing before you buy.

BFG Radial T/A Tire Size Chart For Classic Car Fitment

The chart below pulls together current 14-inch and 15-inch sizes that show up again and again when people shop this line. These figures line up with current product listings and spec sheets, and the BFGoodrich Radial T/A product page also notes that published dimensions are average design values measured on a specified rim width.

That last point matters. Change rim width, and the tire can measure a bit differently. So treat the chart as your fitment starting line, not the last word on clearance.

Size	Section Width / Tread Width	Overall Diameter
P205/70R14	8.2″ / 6.2″	25.4″
P215/60R14	8.7″ / 7.2″	24.2″
P215/70R14	8.7″ / 6.6″	25.9″
P225/60R14	9.0″ / 7.6″	24.7″
P225/70R14	9.0″ / 6.8″	26.5″
P235/60R14	9.5″ / 7.9″	25.1″
P245/60R14	9.8″ / 8.2″	25.6″
P225/60R15	9.0″ / 7.5″	25.6″
P235/60R15	9.5″ / 7.8″	26.1″
P255/60R15	10.2″ / 8.5″	27.1″
P255/70R15	10.2″ / 7.8″	29.1″
P275/60R15	11.0″ / 8.9″	28.0″
P295/50R15	12.2″ / 10.0″	26.7″

What Jumps Out From The Chart

The first thing you’ll notice is how much diameter can swing while the wheel size stays the same. A P225/60R15 stands 25.6 inches tall. A P255/70R15 jumps to 29.1 inches. That is a big visual and mechanical change, even before you get into width.

The next thing is that tread width does not always grow in a straight line with the sidewall size. That catches a lot of people. A taller tire can still have a fairly modest tread width, while a lower 60-series size can put more rubber on the ground and look wider from the rear.

That’s why many classic-car owners sort the chart by diameter first. Once the stance looks right on paper, they use width to fine-tune the look and clearance.

How To Choose The Right Size For Your Car

Stock-style fitment

If you want the car to keep a period-correct look, start with the taller 70-series sizes. They usually keep more sidewall in view, which suits factory-style wheels and stock-height suspensions. They also tend to fill the wheel opening in a calmer, more original way.

This is often where 205/70R14, 215/70R14, 225/70R14, and 225/70R15 enter the chat. They don’t have the low, hunkered-down look of a short 60-series tire, but they fit the character of many cruisers and restored cars better.

Lower, wider muscle-car look

If you want more width and a shorter sidewall, the 60-series part of the chart is where most buyers land. Sizes like 235/60R15 and 255/60R15 are popular because they widen the look without going full drag-car on the street.

This is also where wheel width starts to matter more. A tire can clear the fender and still feel wrong if it’s squeezed onto a wheel that’s too narrow or stretched over one that’s too wide. Match the tire to the wheel, not just the wheel opening.

Common Size Move	Diameter Change	What Usually Changes
225/60R15 → 235/60R15	+0.5″	Slightly fuller stance with a mild width bump
235/60R15 → 255/60R15	+1.0″	Wider rear look and more wheelwell fill
255/60R15 → 275/60R15	+0.9″	Bigger rear-tire presence; clearance gets tighter
215/70R14 → 225/70R14	+0.6″	Similar tall look with more width
225/70R15 → 255/70R15	+1.7″	Big jump in height; speedometer and gearing can shift
275/60R15 → 295/50R15	-1.3″	Much wider tread with a shorter sidewall look

Staggered front and rear setups

Many owners don’t run the same size at all four corners. A narrower front and wider rear can look just right on a Chevelle, Camaro, Nova, or street rod. Still, the chart shows why you need to compare front and rear diameters, not width alone.

If the rear tire is much taller than the front, the car can look rake-heavy. That may be the goal. If it isn’t, the chart helps you catch it before the tires show up at the door.

Mistakes That Cause Most Fitment Regret

The first mistake is buying by sidewall look alone. Raised white letters sell the vibe, but the numbers decide whether the tire works on your car. The second mistake is chasing width and skipping diameter. A tire that is only a bit wider may also be much taller than expected.

The third mistake is forgetting wheel width range. A given tire may mount on more than one wheel width, yet the measured section width in the spec sheet is based on one rim width. Go wider or narrower with the wheel, and the real mounted width can shift.

The fourth mistake is skipping a real clearance check. Measure at full lock in front. Measure near the outer lip and inner wheelhouse in the rear. On old cars, a size that clears in the driveway may still rub once the suspension loads up on the road.

Where Most Buyers Should Start

Start with the tire that matches your wheel diameter and the look you want. Then compare overall diameter against your current setup. After that, check section width against your wheel and your available space.

If you do those three steps in order, the chart becomes easy to use. You stop shopping by guesswork and start shopping by shape, height, and fit. That is what gets you closer to the right Radial T/A the first time.