1987 GMC jimmy tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1987 GMC Jimmy, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215/75R15 OEM | R15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 225/75R15 OEM | R15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 235/75R15 OEM | R15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 205/75R15 OEM | R15 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the GMC Jimmy, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the GMC Jimmy →
Plus-size and winter-downsize options for every GMC Jimmy factory size →
Compatible alternative sizes for 215/75R15
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
205/85R14 |
0.09% | winter narrower | Safe |
185/80R16 |
-0.16% | plus 1 | Safe |
195/70R17 |
0.18% | plus 2 | Safe |
225/60R17 |
-0.24% | plus 2 | Safe |
245/55R17 |
-0.31% | plus 2 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 215/75R15 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 215/75R15 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 185/80R16; one rim size up, -0.16% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 195/70R17; two rim sizes up, 0.18% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1987 GMC jimmy
The 1987 GMC Jimmy ships from the factory on 215/75R15 tires mounted on R15 wheels. 4 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the GMC Jimmy comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1987 GMC Jimmy owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1987 GMC Jimmy, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1987 GMC jimmy
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Reported across: 1987 – 1987 (1 year)
What owners described
Loss of control, rollover or collision appears in 29% of these reports; about 3.4× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 21 reports covering every model year of the GMC Jimmy that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 29% | 8% | 3.4× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 19% | 20% | 0.9× |
| Tread or belt separation | 5% | 13% | 0.4× |
| Sidewall failure | 5% | 15% | 0.3× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 5% | 9% | 0.5× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about GMC Jimmy. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAD THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLOW OUT WHICH CAUSED ME TO DRIVE INTO A DITCH. THE DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK BY THEMSELVES (SAME WITH THE WINDOWS AND REAR HATCH).*AK (TIRESIZE: P205/75R15)
THE TIRE OF THE VEHICLE WAS WORN AND BROKE LOOSE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE HITTING A SMALL GROVE OF TREES, THIS ACCIDENT RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER QUESTIONS THE WEIGHT TO POWER DESIGN AND WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION OF THE BODY STYLE (THE TIRE MAKE/MODEL WAS NOT GIVEN). NLM
SPARE TIRE MOUNT SWINGS AWAY FROM TAILGATE AND WOULD DROP DOWN. WHENEVER A BUMP OR CRACK IS HIT, MOUNT WOULD COME OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. SPARE TIRE ON TAILGATE WOULD BE IN TRAFFIC ONCE IT SWINGS OUTWARD. SPARE TIRE WAS BOLTED ON TAILGATE BY A LATCH. HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER.
FRONT TIRES DEVELOPED SERIOUS WEAR PATTERNS (CUPPING). ORIGINAL FACTORY WHEEL BALANCING PLACED 3 OUNCES OF WEIGHT ON FRONT RIGHT AND 2.75 OUNCES ON FRONT LEFT WHILE THE REAR TIRES ONLY REQUIRED.5 OUNCES OF WEIGHT. THE TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED THREE TIMES BY DIFFERENT PLACES AND ACCORDING TO THE TIRES EXPERTS, THE TIRES "DON'T SPIN WELL". ONE UNIROYAL DEALER SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE SELLING DEALER OF THE CAR AND HAVE HIM REPLACE THE TIRES. THIS IS NOT A GMC ISSUE BUT A UNIROYAL ISSUE. AFTER ROTATING THE DEFECTIVE FRONT TIRES TO THE REAR, THE REAR TIRES NOW HUM AND THE RIDE IS TERRIBLE. THESE TIRES WERE POORLY MANUFACTURED AND EVEN USING HEAVY WEIGHTS, CANNOT BE BALANCED PROPERLY. GIVEN THE FACT THAT MY GMC JIMMY HAS A POOR ROLLOVER RATING, I'M AFRAID THESE REAR TIRES WILL CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF NOT REPLACED.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1987 GMC Jimmy?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1987 GMC Jimmy?
Where can I buy tires for my 1987 GMC Jimmy?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1987 GMC Jimmy?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1987 GMC Jimmy?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1987 GMC Jimmy?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the GMC Jimmy is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1987 GMC Jimmy.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-10-07.