1990 GMC safari tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1990 GMC Safari, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245/60R15 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 Safari, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the GMC Safari →
Compatible alternative sizes for 245/60R15
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
265/65R13 |
-0.04% | alternative | Safe |
215/80R13 |
-0.12% | alternative | Safe |
245/55R16 |
0.13% | plus 1 | Safe |
245/65R14 |
-0.13% | alternative | Safe |
225/60R16 |
0.21% | plus 1 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 245/60R15 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 245/60R15 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 245/55R16; one rim size up, 0.13% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 245/50R17; two rim sizes up, 0.27% 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 1990 GMC safari fe3-suspension-pkg
The 1990 GMC Safari FE3-Suspension-Pkg ships from the factory on 245/60R15 tires mounted on R15 wheels. Only one approved fitment is documented for this model year, so replacement options should match the original size exactly unless a plus-size upgrade is being considered. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the GMC Safari 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 1990 GMC Safari FE3-Suspension-Pkg 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 1990 GMC Safari FE3-Suspension-Pkg, 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 1990 GMC safari
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (11) · Tread / Belt (9) · Sidewall (1)
Reported across: 1986 – 2003 (11 years)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 27% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 11 reports covering every model year of the GMC Safari 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 27% | 20% | 1.4× |
| Tread or belt separation | 9% | 13% | 0.7× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 9% | 8% | 1.1× |
| Premature or uneven wear | 9% | 1% | 7.0× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about GMC Safari. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
APPLIED BRAKES AND SYSTEM FAILED SPORADICALY, MOST FAILURES UNDER DRY CONDITION ON ASPHALT. TWO BRAKE MODULES, COMPUTER MODULE, MASTER CYLINDER, CALIPERS, PADS, ROTORS ALL BEEN REPLACED. FRONT TIRES REPLACED AT 24,000 MILES. PEDAL CAN BE PRESSED TO FLOOR AT ANY TIME, FAILURE HAS A MUSHY PEDAL WITH A COASTING TO A STOP. SOME TIME MAKING NOISE (UNLIKE THAT OF ABS SYSTEM) UNTIL PEDAL IS RELEASED.
THIS IS AN INITIAL REPORT CONCERNING TIRE FAILURE ON TWO SEPERATE VEHICLES. I AM AN ILLINOIS STATE TROOPER. TODAY A FORD EXPLORER WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AS A RESULT OF THE TREADS COMING OF THE TWO REAR TIRES. I ALSO HAVE A PERSONAL VEHICLE WITH THE SAME. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P235/75/R1 )
PE20020, ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A P215, DOTA3XF CDI 358 GMC, SAFARI 1997, FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE GENERAL AMERITECH ST TIRE TREAD CAME OFF JUST LIKE THE FIRESTONE RECALL, TEN DAYS AGO FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, YESTERDAY THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TREAD SEPARATED.*AK MINOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE'S FENDER WA SUSTAINED DUE TO ONE OF THE TIRE FAILURES. *SLC
UNIROYAL TIRES SIZE P21575R15 CAME AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON A GMC, SAFARI, 1998. WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED, CAUSING DAMAGES TO FRONT END. GMC AND UNIROYAL WERE CONTACTED.*AK UNIROYAL TIGER PAW P215/75R15, DOT APHFJLIU048. *SLC
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 1990 GMC Safari?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1990 GMC Safari?
Where can I buy tires for my 1990 GMC Safari?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1990 GMC Safari?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1990 GMC Safari?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1990 GMC Safari?
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 Safari is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1990 GMC Safari.
- 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 2026-09-02.