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Load rating on tires
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Mulcheese
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Joined: September 19, 2004
Posts: 548
Location: Maple Grove, Mn
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 5:11 am    Post subject: Load rating on tires Reply with quote

Alright I dont want a debate to start but.....

Where does it say the exact load rating needed per tire. Im looking for something from VW or other technical source. All I have been able to find is that they need to be ( 6 ply ) I have not been able to confirm an exact # rating. Confused There have been plenty of people, and I am not sying they are wrong, with answers but they all seem to differ slightly.
So far everyones response calculates to an ( 8 ply ). My owners manual, label in the van, and bentley all state ( 6 ply ) with no mention of #'s.

Or how do you figure out load rating as per vehicle weight?
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Randy in Maine
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 6:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is more complicated than even that, if you let it be.

Been here?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=55¤tpage=9

In the Baywindow FAQs http://www.ratwell.com/technical/FAQ.html in Section 6.4:

"What are the tire requirements for Busses, Vanagons, and Eurovans?"

"The VW Bus, Vanagon, and Eurovan have unusual tire requirements because they are very heavy vehicles sitting on comparatively small tires. While most modern vans and SUV's use 16 to 18 inch tires (which can handle more weight), most VW vans use much smaller tires. This puts more strain on the tire's sidewall and therefore requires a tire especially designed to handle this. Most passenger car tires are simply not designed to handle the weight of a VW van, and do not meet VW's specs for safe use on a VW bus or van.

Starting in the mid 1960's with split-window busses using 14" tires, and continuing through the Eurovan, Volkswagen specifically required that the tires have specially reinforced sidewalls, designed to handle the heavy load of the vehicle. These special "sidewall reinforced" tires were supplied with your VW Bus or Van when sold new, and the warnings on the door jamb and in the manual clearly advised that only similar replacement tires be used, for safety's sake.

A sidewall-reinforced tire can be identified because the sidewall is labeled either "Sidewall Reinforced," "Load Range C", or "Load Range D." If the tire is not labeled this way, its sidewall is not designed to handle the load of a VW van and the tire should not be used.

Secondly, the tire must handle the recommended inflation for your VW van. This is especially an issue with Busses and Vanagons. Unlike most vehicles, these rear-engined VW vans require substantially higher inflation in the rear of the van than in the front. Recommended rear tire inflation ranges between 38 psi and 53 psi depending on the year of the van. The tire's sidewall will indicate its maximum inflation, which cannot be safely exceeded. In the case of standard-load passenger car tires, the tire's maxinum inflation capacity tends to be about 35 psi - insufficient for use on a VW van. Most sidewall-reinforced (or load range C or D) tires can handle Volkswagen's recommended inflation.

Finally, the tire must be able to handle the gross registered vehicle weight (GRVW) of the van. This means that the tire must be able to handle at least 1500 lbs of load per tire. Again, the maximum load should be marked on the tire's sidewall.

A tire that meets all three of these criteria should meet the minimum requirements for use on your VW van. This does not necessarily make it a good quality tire, or one that's suitable tire for your particular van or driving needs. It just means that the tire meets the minimum acceptable specifications. More on this later."

There is a lot more information over there including various links to various places but the bottom line is that if you can find a tire with the ability to support 1500+ pounds at VW pressure and is rated "6 ply" it will work for your vanagon.

That is everything I know and then some.
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DanJReed
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Joined: July 30, 2004
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Location: Riverton NJ
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 04, 2005 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its not the plys. its the load rating that count.

Get a tire with a range of at least 100 and you'll be cool. My PO had put on tires with a LR of 93, and they were a little wider than stock, but the sidewalls were cracked and I really didn't feel safe with them on the van. Rolling Eyes

At least now, I know I got the Conti Vanco-8's and they are safe, and that's all I care about.

I am sure you did this, but did you check out www.vanagon.com about the tires section?
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(87 Westy Vanagon, 98 Jetta GLS 2.0, 95 Golf Sport) VW Logo
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