Tires: Can I put a different type tires on my minivan?, 2005 honda odyssey, honda odyssey

Question
I have a 2005 Honda Odyssey minivan with only about 20k miles.  It came with Michelin 235-65-16 tires.  I shipped the van overseas and am now driving it in China.  I have had a lot of trouble with the right rear tire going flat and my mechanic just fixed another six holes in the tire (mostly caused by nails) but says I should replace the tire because the fixes have gotten to be so excessive they will not hold.  He searched for tires from dealers here but cannot find the exact same tire and has proposed replacing the tire (or two of them to keep them matching) with Michelin 235-60-16.  Will the difference in aspect ratio be any problem?  Should I replace both rear tires, even though the originals still have good tread?

Thanks.

Answer
Robert,

 If the repairs are within 3" of each other then I agree that the tire should be replaced.  I will say from experience that multiple repairs typically lead to tire failures due to a separation.  Air is trapped between the carcass and the tread package causing them to separate.

 A P235/60R16 is a smaller diameter and is wider.  If this size is used you will have to change 2 tires.  The smaller diameter could affect your speedometer(if mounted on the front) and the performance of your ABS.

Brett