Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (March 2011, week 2)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 8 Mar 2011 10:01:20 -0500
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: And now - still trying for NEW TIRES - HAKKA
Comments: To: Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Why not just get the General Altimax 205/70-14 from Tire Rack or a local dealer? Has the ratings needed and a great price. Really replaces the original fitment and has the M+S rating so it can be legally used in snow conditions. Dennis Sent from my Windows Phone -----Original Message----- From: Mike S Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 8:22 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: And now - still trying for NEW TIRES - HAKKA

> At 08:01 PM 3/7/2011, Jim Arnott wrote... > >>Or minimum 99 or minimum 109. You choose. I don't find 93 anywhere. >> >>100 seems like a safe compromise. > > Yawn. > > 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 modern 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/techpage.jsp?techid=195 > > 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.


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.