If you’re interested to know what the biggest tire is you can fit on your Chev Colorado, running on stock suspension, then you’ve come to the right place. Tire upgrades are usually one of the first and most popular modifications to off-road trucks since it’s the quickest way to get a more aggressive look with better traction on and off-road.
The biggest tire you can fit on a Chevy Colorado with stock suspension and stock rims are 265 65 17’s. They will be without any rubbing problems, and no trimming or additional modifications are required to make them function properly.
The stock Colorado sizes are:
- 255/65/17
- 265/65/17
- 265/60/18
- 255/55/20
That equates to sizes between 30.1-inch and 30.6-inch. There are additional tire sizes that can fit which are slightly larger.
Biggest Tires on Stock Chevy Colorado without a Lift
Additional tire sizes that fit with minimal rubbing and some slight modifications to make work 100% are 265/70/17, 255/70/17, 255/75/17. These sizes equate to roughly 5% bigger in diameter and 4% wider. The sidewalls are up to 15.4 % taller when comparing a 55/75/17 to the stock tire of 255/65/17 or 30.1” compared to 32.1”
So now that we know what the biggest tire is you can fit without a leveling kit and aftermarket rims, let’s look closer into what it’s like to actually live with these upgraded tires and what owners have to say who have made the jump to a bigger tire.
What do Colorado Owners say?
I just had ko2s put on my z71 Colorado couple days ago (265/70/17) and get zero rub of any sort. Stock everything too. 275 I bet would cause some issues from what I’ve been reading.
https://www.coloradofans.com/threads/biggest-tire-size-w-o-lift.215057/page-5
I just moved to a 265/70/17 tire with the 1.25″ level kit and had bad rubbing. After adding a 1.5″ lift I am finally clear with little room to spare. Is the difference causing this my 0 offset wheels? Starting to wonder if I made the right choice in 0 offset versus the 12+ offset option
https://www.coloradofans.com/threads/biggest-tire-size-w-o-lift.215057/page-5
Without a level kit or any suspension modification, any brand of the 265/65 R17’s will fit. The Trail Boss comes with Duratrac’s from the factory like this. Going up to 265/70 tires without a suspension mod, some people have mild rubbing and some do not but it’s a really tight fit regardless. The knobbier tires like the Duratrac’s seem to have mild rubbing, some people have gotten 265/70 KO2’s and been OK
https://www.coloradofans.com/threads/biggest-tire-size-w-o-lift.215057/page-5
I recently put a set of 265/70/17 on in place of the 265/65/17 and to my surprise I have yet to hear them rubbing or see any evidence of them rubbing. That said I know that 265/70/17 size can have some significant variations in actual width depending on brand and tread design. I would not try anything bigger than a 265/70/17. If you want a guaranteed size larger than the 255 then the OEM size use on the trail boss would be a good choice, which is a 265/65/17.
https://www.coloradofans.com/threads/biggest-tire-size-w-o-lift.215057/page-7
So based on the owner’s feedback, as you’ve seen above, these are Colorado owners who have actually fitted the bigger tires without any additional suspension or wheel mods, who confirm that the 265/70/17 or 31.6” is the biggest size you can go without any dramas.
What about your spare wheel?
If you decide, later on, to upgrade your suspension to be able to accommodate a bigger, let’s say, 33” tire then the 285/70/17 is the largest tire that can be squeezed under your tub without any modifications.
Will the 265/70/17 throw out your speedo or affect your ride quality?
In many cases when you upgrade from a stock tire to a heavier bigger one, the ride quality suffers, as well as fuel consumption and torque on the wheels. However in this instance only being a five percent increase in diameter and 4% in width, the ride quality does not suffer. Many owners report a comfortable more sure-footed feel with handling and grip also being improved.
Then there’s your speedometer reading.
The below table will give you an indication of how the speedometer reading is affected.
| Speedometer reading | 20mph | 30mph | 40mph | 50mph | 60mph | 70mph | 80mph | 90mph |
| Actual Speed | 21 | 31.5 | 42 | 52.5 | 63 | 73.5 | 84 | 94.5 |
Below are the actual differences between the stock tire and the upgraded 265/70/17
| Measurement | Stock Tire (255/65/17) | Upgrade (265/70/17) | Differences |
| Diameter | 30.1” | 31.6” | +5% |
| Width | 10” | 10.4” | +4% |
| Sidewall | 6.5” | 7.3” | +12.3% |
| Circumference | 94.4” | 99.2” | +5% |
| REvz/Mile | 671 | 638 | -33 |
Biggest Tires on Stock Chevy Colorado – With a small 2-3” lift kit
This is the recommended option if you are planning on using the vehicle for off-road use or Overlanding applications. You will achieve the best off-road capability, ride comfort, as well as load-carrying ability with this option. Load-carrying ability is of vital importance when doing Overlanding since you are carrying gear, storage, fuel, water, shade. Rooftop tents, recovery gear, and more.
The Eibach kits are popular since they are relatively inexpensive and offer all of the above-mentioned features.
With this suspension package, you can it any of the below tire sizes on your stock rims.
- 265/75/16
- 265/65/17
- 265/70/17
- 255/75/17
- 275/70/17
- 285/70/17
Once you go closer to 33-inch tires, there will be more need to do fender trimming to accommodate the wider tires. You will also need to increase the backspacing of the stock rim, to create more clearance inside the wheel well as well as the upper wishbone control arm.
This can be accomplished by inserting small wheel spacers to push the rims out a bit creating a negative offset effect. Alternatively, upgrade your rims to a slightly more negative offset.
How Does 33” Tires Affect Fuel Economy on the Silverado
Increased unsprung weight is the quickest way to increase fuel consumption. The heavier tires directly affect the consumption since it’s below the suspension, which means, the engine, transmission, CV Joints, and other drivetrain components are required to work slightly harder to move and rotate the heavier wheels. This is especially obvious when pulling off.
So, before you do the big tire upgrade, make sure you understand your fuel economy WILL be negatively affected! Sure, your truck will look more aggressive, have better traction, and perform better off-road, however, it all comes at a price. Also, depending on how big you go, it might not even be more than 4kg heavier per wheel, however, this makes a big difference in torque applied on the wheels, and if you decide to go bigger than 33”, then re-gearing the diffs should definitely be on the cards.
Resources
- Chev Colorado 15-20 Rough Country 2” Leveling Kit (Amazon)
- Chev Colorado 15-20 KSP 3”F 2”R Lift Kit (Amazon)
- Chev Colorado 15-20 Front Leveling Kit (Amazon)
- Chev Colorado 15-30 2”F 2”R Full Lift kit (Amazon)
Conclusion
When doing a tire upgrade, there are so many variables to consider before running out and dropping a load on some expensive oversized tires. Your first and foremost exercise should be to determine what your primary purpose for the upgrade will be. Is it purely for aesthetics or will you need maximum practicality, off-road ability, while maintaining articulation? Do you need more load-carrying capacity, which means the tires’ load rating will be an important factor? Also, what other accessories are you planning on fitting to the truck at a later stage? Will you be towing? This will determine what kind of suspension package you should opt for, which will also accommodate larger tires.
However, if your main purpose for the tire upgrade is for improved aesthetics, and you have no intention of venturing off-road, apart from the off dirt road, then your stock suspension is more than up for the task and you will not need to lift the truck. In this case, a stock height truck can easily accommodate the same tire as a truck with a 2″ lift.