At 09:22 AM 3/16/2009, Tony Collins wrote... >DO the General tire Atimax RT below do the job? They are XL rated >tires > > *205/70R14 >**Load Index 98* = 1653lbs (750kg) per tire >*Speed Rating "T"* = 118mph (190kph) >98T<http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.jsp?make=General&model=Altimax+RT&tirePageLocQty=#> >XL Those are fine, because they are load rated at 98. This is all easier than it seems. VW considers the Vanagon a light truck. When they originally spec'd tires, light truck tires were rated by ply ratings (6PR, 8PR, etc.) and/or letter load ranges (A, B, C, etc.). The spec'd a 185/14 6PR/load range C. For passenger car tires, they spec'd a reinforced tire. "Reinforced" (the term "Extra Load" is also used) in this context only means that the tire is specified to have a significantly greater load handling capacity than a standard passenger car tire of the same size. All of those ratings, PR, letter load range, and "reinforced" (or "extra load") modify the load rating of _the base tire size_. That is, a 6PR rated tire of one size might have a different load carrying ability than a 6PR rated tire of a different size. Those ratings still appear on tires only for backward compatibility with older specifications. (i.e. for someone looking for a 185R14C 6PR light truck tire or a 185R14 reinforced passenger car tire) The more modern system uses numeric codes to indicate the actual load a tire can carry, _irregardless of the size_. A 97 (1609 lb) rating can occur on tires of different sizes. This makes things MUCH simpler, especially if changing tire sizes. When using this system, the PRx, reinforced, etc. ratings aren't needed. Passenger car tires need to be derated 9% when used for a light truck application (because light trucks have a higher center of gravity, are expected to be loaded near capacity more often, etc.). Reference: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tirespecskey.jsp For use on a Vanagon, a passenger car tire must be load rated 97 (1609 lbs). And that is exactly what VW used when they provided passenger car tires as original equipment on the Vanagon, toward the end of its life. When derated by 9%, that 1609 lbs becomes 1464 lbs. That is the closest match to the GAWR-rear (2866 lbs.), without going under. The next step down, a 96 (1565 lb.) rating, would derate to 1424 lbs., too low for the Vanagon's actual weight rating. If VW were spec'ing tires today, they would say use a light truck tire of load range 93 (1433 lbs) or greater. That exactly matches the GAWR-rear (maximum rear axle load) rating of 2866 lbs. Or, use a passenger car tire of load rating 97 or higher, which when derated properly, is as close as you can get without going under. |
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