1987 Chrysler Tire Fitment Guide

1987 Chrysler vehicles use eight tire sizes across five model lines: 215/60R15, 205/55R16, and 225/50R16 for the Conquest; 205/75R15 for the Fifth Avenue; 185/75R14, 195/70R14, 205/60R15, and 185/70R14 for the LeBaron; 185/75R14 for the New Yorker; and 185/70R14 for the Town & Country Wagon. Rim diameters span 14, 15, and 16 inches, so there is no single Chrysler-wide fitment for the year.

That means year and make alone are not enough to choose a tire for a 1987 Chrysler. Start by identifying the model, then confirm whether the car uses a 14-, 15-, or 16-inch wheel before comparing sidewall style, speed rating, or brand. Rim width ranges also vary by size, from narrower 14-inch applications up to wider 16-inch Conquest fitments, so wheel measurement matters before moving between close-looking sizes.

On a 1987 Chrysler, 205/75R15 identifies a radial tire with a 205-millimeter section width, a 75-series aspect ratio, and a 15-inch rim diameter. That size belongs to the Fifth Avenue in this model year. It appears in whitewall, goldline, and narrow whitewall versions, which fits the formal luxury role of Chrysler's full-size sedan.

The key point is that every part of the code matters. The 205 sets the width, the 75 affects overall height and stance, the R means radial construction, and the 15 determines the wheel diameter it mounts on. Even if another 15-inch Chrysler tire looks close at a glance, a shorter 60-series or a different width changes the tire's proportions, so the exact code should match the wheel and the intended model.

No, 1987 Chrysler models do not share one common tire size. The Conquest uses three sport-oriented sizes across 15- and 16-inch wheels, the Fifth Avenue uses 205/75R15, the New Yorker uses 185/75R14, the Town & Country Wagon uses 185/70R14, and the LeBaron spans four different sizes depending on version. That spread reflects how different these vehicles were in mission and design.

For a buyer, that means the badge on the trunk matters as much as the year on the title. A Fifth Avenue and a Conquest are both 1987 Chryslers, but their tires are not remotely interchangeable in any practical sense. If you are unsure which LeBaron variant or wheel package you have, confirm the current tire code on the car and the wheel diameter before choosing a replacement.

1987 Chrysler tires cover a wide spread of sidewall styles depending on size and model. Conquest sizes appear mostly in blackwall form, with 215/60R15 also offered in redline, wide whitewall, and raised white letter versions. Fifth Avenue and several LeBaron, New Yorker, and Town & Country sizes lean toward wide whitewall, narrow whitewall, or goldline treatments, while some LeBaron and shared 14-inch sizes also have blackwall alternatives.

That sidewall choice shapes the car's visual character as much as the size itself. Formal luxury Chryslers from the 1980s usually look most at home with whitewall or goldline styling, while the Conquest and some sportier LeBaron applications naturally suit blackwall or RWL designs. If appearance matters to your restoration, decide on the right sidewall style before narrowing the brand, because the same size can deliver very different period impressions.

1987 Chrysler tire sizes are covered by American Classic, BFGoodrich, Dunlop, Michelin, Tornel, Maxxis, Travelstar, Avon, and Coker Classic, depending on the exact size. Conquest fitments center on BFGoodrich, Michelin, Dunlop, and American Classic, while the luxury-oriented Chrysler sizes add brands associated with whitewall and classic-style radial offerings. No single brand covers every size in exactly the same way.

Brand choice should follow the car's role and the look you want to preserve. A Conquest owner may be comparing blackwall performance-oriented radials within 15- and 16-inch sizes, while a Fifth Avenue or New Yorker owner may care more about whitewall width and period presentation. Once the size is confirmed, compare the available brands within that size for sidewall style, load rating, and wheel-width compatibility.

For a 1987 Chrysler LeBaron in 205/60R15, Michelin Primacy 3 is a blackwall radial marked 91W TL, while the BFGoodrich Radial T/A is an RWL radial marked 90S. The Michelin carries a higher speed rating ceiling at 168 mph, and the BFGoodrich carries an S rating at 112 mph. Both mount on 15-inch rims, and BFGoodrich gives a 5.50- to 7.50-inch rim width range in this size.

The practical difference is visual character and intended flavor more than simple fit. The Primacy 3 delivers a clean blackwall appearance with a modern touring-style profile, while the Radial T/A brings a more period-custom raised white letter look that feels at home on many 1980s American cars. If you are trying to preserve a luxury look, one of the whitewall 205/60R15 choices may also belong in the comparison before making a final decision.

Rim width depends on the exact 1987 Chrysler tire size. 215/60R15 commonly fits 5.50- to 7.50-inch rims, 205/55R16 fits 5.5- to 7.5-inch rims, 225/50R16 fits 6.0- to 8.0-inch rims, 205/75R15 fits 5.50- to 7.50-inch rims, 185/75R14 ranges from 4.50- to 7.50-inch recommendations depending on brand, 205/60R15 fits 5.50- to 7.50-inch rims, and 185/70R14 generally falls around 4.5- to 6.5-inch rims.

Those ranges matter because wheel diameter alone does not guarantee proper fit. Two tires may both mount on a 14-inch rim, yet one can prefer a noticeably narrower wheel than the other. Before changing sizes or switching between brands in the same size, measure the actual wheel and compare it against the tire you are considering, especially on cars that may have had replacement wheels installed over the years.

Most 1987 Chrysler tire choices are modern radial products, and some are explicitly marked TL for tubeless service, including Michelin offerings in 205/55R16, 225/50R16, 205/60R15, and 185/70R14. Other products in those same sizes do not carry the same marking in the tire description, so tube status varies by product rather than staying uniform across every tire in a size. None of these applications are old-style tube-type fitments by default.

The right approach is to match the tire to the wheel and the tire's own sidewall marking. If your car still wears original wheels, check their condition carefully and confirm whether the wheel is intended for tubeless radial service. When a size includes both clearly tubeless-marked products and others without that marking in the description, verify the exact tire version before final installation instead of assuming every product in the size is configured the same way.

Original 1987 Chrysler wheels can only be used with tire sizes that share the correct rim diameter, and even then the wheel width still has to match the tire. A 14-inch wheel can only take the 14-inch Chrysler sizes, a 15-inch wheel can only take the 15-inch sizes, and a 16-inch wheel can only take the Conquest's 16-inch sizes. The year does not create any cross-compatibility by itself.

Within the same diameter, some overlap exists, but it is not universal. For example, several 15-inch Chrysler tires use wheel-width ranges around 5.50 to 7.50 inches, while the wider 225/50R16 wants a 6.0- to 8.0-inch rim. If you are working with original wheels, confirm both diameter and width before trying a different size, especially on the LeBaron, where multiple tire sizes appear across different versions.

A stored 1987 Chrysler should be kept out of direct sunlight, away from electric motors, battery chargers, furnaces, and other ozone-producing equipment, and on a cool, dry surface rather than bare dirt or standing moisture. Proper inflation matters during storage, and moving the car periodically helps prevent long-term flat spotting. Radial tires generally tolerate occasional storage better than older bias-ply designs, but they still age from environment as much as use.

If the car will sit for months, wash the tires, set pressures correctly, and either roll the car occasionally or support it in a way that avoids leaving the full vehicle weight on one contact patch indefinitely. Collector cars such as a Fifth Avenue, New Yorker, or Conquest often spend more time parked than driven, so storage discipline has a direct effect on ride quality, sidewall condition, and how confident you feel the next time the car goes out.

On a 1987 Chrysler, tire age matters more than mileage for most collector and hobby use. A sound rule is to begin close evaluation once tires are around five to seven years old and to treat about ten years as the point where replacement deserves serious consideration regardless of tread depth. The DOT date code on the tire sidewall is the best way to determine actual age.

That guideline is especially important on low-mile cars, because a lightly used LeBaron or Fifth Avenue can wear tires that still look serviceable from ten feet away while the rubber has already hardened with age. If the car sees highway use, longer seasonal trips, or extended storage between outings, age-based replacement is a safer standard than waiting for visible tread wear alone.

Tires on a 1987 Chrysler should be inspected before every drive and again before any extended outing. Look for sidewall cracking, tread separation, bulges, punctures, uneven wear, and slow pressure loss. Valve stems deserve the same attention because stem cracking is common on older collector cars and can cause a sudden air loss even when the tire itself still appears healthy.

A quick walkaround catches problems before they become roadside problems, especially on cars that may sit for long periods between drives. This matters on every model, from a Conquest with higher-speed-rated tires to a luxury sedan on whitewalls. If the car has a spare, inspect that too, because an aged spare with poor pressure or cracked rubber is not much help when you actually need it.

The 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue uses 205/75R15 radial tires, and radial construction was already standard American practice by this period. The sidewall style often matters just as much as the size on a formal Chrysler sedan, because whitewall and goldline treatments fit the car's luxury character more naturally than a plain contemporary blackwall. Original-equipment branding can vary by market and production details, so the key baseline is correct size, radial construction, and era-appropriate appearance.

For restoration work, begin with the 205/75R15 size and then decide how faithful you want the sidewall presentation to be. A wide whitewall, narrow whitewall, or goldline can each suit the Fifth Avenue depending on the exact car and the look you are recreating. If the car is being judged, consult a Chrysler marque specialist or period literature for trim-specific expectations before settling on the final sidewall treatment.

Correct tire fitment absolutely matters when showing a 1987 Chrysler, especially if the event values originality or era-correct presentation. Judges and knowledgeable enthusiasts often notice size, construction type, and sidewall styling quickly, because those details change the car's stance and visual character. A formal Fifth Avenue on an aggressive blackwall performance tire can look just as out of place as a Conquest on a soft luxury-style whitewall.

The right tire for show use depends on the exact model and the standard of authenticity you are chasing. On a preservation-minded car, matching the proper size and an era-appropriate sidewall usually matters more than choosing the most modern-looking tread. If the event follows strict marque standards, check with the club or judging body first, since expectations can vary between concours restoration, survivor, and local enthusiast-show categories.

For a 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue in 205/75R15, BFGoodrich Silvertown Radial appears in both wide whitewall and goldline versions, while American Classic Radial is available in a narrow whitewall version. Both are radial tires on 15-inch rims, and both carry load figures of 1,598 pounds at 35 psi where stated. BFGoodrich also gives a 5.50- to 7.50-inch rim width range in this size, matching the range shown on the American Classic version.

The real distinction is presentation. Silvertown Radial opens the door to a more traditional luxury-car whitewall or a goldline treatment, while American Classic offers a narrower whitewall look that can feel slightly more restrained and late-1980s appropriate on some cars. If your Fifth Avenue is being restored with appearance accuracy in mind, choose the sidewall style first, then compare the individual tire's wheel-width compatibility and any other details that affect your specific wheels.

1987 Chrysler tires can be appropriate for highway driving when the size, condition, inflation, and speed rating match the car and the way it is used. Several of these sizes carry modern radial speed ratings, including S at 112 mph, H at 130 mph, V at 149 mph, W at 168 mph, and Y at 186-plus mph depending on the exact tire. Every size on this page is radial, which suits the normal road use expectations of a late-1980s Chrysler well.

In real use, the tire's speed symbol is only part of the story. A 1987 Chrysler still depends on the condition of its brakes, suspension, steering, and alignment, and those systems often shape highway confidence more than the tire's published top-speed ceiling. For regular road driving, focus on fresh tires in the correct size, proper inflation, and a sound chassis rather than treating the highest speed rating as the main measure of suitability.

Inflation pressure for a 1987 Chrysler should follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation for the car and the tire maker's guidance for the exact tire being used. Several available tires include load-and-pressure figures, such as 1,411 pounds at 35 psi for some 215/60R15 versions, 1,598 pounds at 35 psi for some 205/75R15 versions, 1,301 pounds at 35 psi or 1,521 pounds at 32 psi for 205/60R15 options, and 1,279 to 1,290 pounds at 35 psi for 185/75R14 products.

Those numbers are load-capacity references, not a universal pressure setting for every 1987 Chrysler. A Fifth Avenue, Conquest, and LeBaron should not all be assigned the same inflation simply because their tires share a similar width or rim diameter. Use the factory pressure recommendation as your baseline, then confirm that the exact tire you choose is appropriate for that application rather than transferring one tire's pressure figure to another size.

Before a longer drive in a 1987 Chrysler, inspect all four tires and the spare for cracking, cuts, bulges, uneven wear, embedded debris, and proper inflation. Check the valve stems, confirm the wheel nuts are secure, and look for any sign of age-related separation or a tire that has been losing air while the car sat. On collector-oriented cars, the spare is often older than the road tires and deserves extra attention.

Tires are only one part of the pre-trip routine, but they are the part in constant contact with the road. Once the tires check out, move on to brakes, fluid levels, belts, hoses, and lights, because a sound late-1980s Chrysler still asks for age-aware maintenance before a real trip. That habit is valuable whether you are taking a Fifth Avenue on a relaxed highway cruise or stretching a Conquest's legs on a longer drive.