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I "had" been doing the same thing with my Astro, as I am the ONLY Master Tech here. Fortunate for these folks I have seven Master certs in different areas, so that van had to cover them all. This one just won't quite make it room wise, so the wife has let me re-populate the spare room with tools and equipment (she's Puerto Rican, so was against that before - LOL). Max speed on the island is 45 in only a couple of places, so the rack is only affecting my 20.2 MPG average down to 20.0 since putting it together. That whole thing, like you said, cost me less than $60. I now have BF Goodrich Advantage T/A Sport radials, 215-60R-16. Every tire on the main island of 215-65R-16 did not have aggressive "enough" tread. These are not mud and snow like yours (for some reason they say AT2 is not for "severe snow" - and read where someone hated them for that), but are good enough for where I'd have clearance to go. They are Rally racing tires. Mine are 95V, but I've seen they come in 98T. Preferred the 95 in hopes they'd "squish" a little and give me better traction on odd surfaces, but at 35 PSI they're still tall and hard. "Firm", as one of the reviews put it. Now I realize, even at 98H, the Conti's were "cushy". Went from a CAR to a TRUCK - LOL... My hill climb problem solved, they now go up with ease, where I slid down "with ease" (LOL). Tried them in really driving rain there, as we have a tropical storm on one side and a new one forming on the other side of us, so here is the same as any tropical storm, but lasting much longer. LOVE these tires. Not as noisy as yours would be, so a tiny benefit. The slight shift in height has my front bumper no longer scraping the street backing into my driveway, which I can't believe it took such a small change to correct. Have yet to re-program for size, but may not as average driving is 35 mph here, and I don't have to worry about Texas State Troopers! LOL... Ignore my red hub cap stripes... LOL... Very dark roads here at night; blind driveways and drunks. Those stripes are reflective, and from a motorcycle striping kit.

I would make sure plug is in place to minimize any exhaust intrusion.