Hi everyone, my first ever post here so be kind!
My head is spinning (excuse the pun) from reading about what sort of wheels i can and cant put on my van, an 86 1.6td hightop camper, but does anyone have any idea about load ratings??
i know its all a bit pie in the sky as everyones van will probably be slightly different weights but is there a minimum load rating i should be looking for in a wheel? Ive recently got my hands on a set of Ronal R9's, i believe, although they look slightly different to other R9's ive seen, after a bit of googling the model number ive discovered the load rating is 625kg. Whats the thoughts on these?? Ill try get a few pics up.
In my VW instruction manual the recommended tyre load rating is given as at least 97, i.e. 730kg per wheel.
I'll leave it to you to decide whether it is sensible to use an alloy wheel with a max load that's at least 100kg less than the recommended tyre load rating, but it's not something I would consider.
1988 LHD T25 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker Hightop syncro
Brilliant, thanks for the quick reply, i had my suspicions but still not what i wanted confirmed. How do so many people get away with using wheels with lesser load ratings? The rating on the original steels must be huge.
There are lots of vehicles with the same PCD that Ronal probably made wheels for, plus they also made correctly rated wheels for the vans, so I can see how a confusion could arise.
I think I've read somewhere that the 16" Syncro steels had a load rating in excess of 900kg each.
1988 LHD T25 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker Hightop syncro
900kg? jaysis! Ok, so just wrong ronals, spur of the moment purchase but not too bad because im only 100 euro into them, at least i know what im looking for now!! Anyway...for sale....one set of ronal alloys, look nice on a old merc or granada
clift_d wrote:In my VW instruction manual the recommended tyre load rating is given as at least 97, i.e. 730kg per wheel.
I'll leave it to you to decide whether it is sensible to use an alloy wheel with a max load that's at least 100kg less than the recommended tyre load rating, but it's not something I would consider.
That was over 30 years ago when tyre technology wasn't anywhere near where it is today.....that very same instruction manual also states to use only leaded fuel in petrol T25's....
Plus......most tyre load ratings are actually higher than the load rating of the wheel.
Back to the question though.....A T25's highest axle weight is 1300kgs(campers included) so the wheels ideally need to be rated to 650kgs and above....which is 93 for the tyre load rating and there's plenty of lower profile MPV tyres available in suitable sizes and from 93 upto 99 load rating.
Ok so still basically a no?? some would probably risk it, and get away with it, but trust me if it wasnt for bad luck i would have no luck, if it would go wrong for anyone it would be me!!!!
Hold on, am i right i thinking that with progression in tyre technology the load of the actual wheel might have increased or does the rating of the tyre bear absolutely no relevance to the rating of the wheel or vice versa? How would i find out the axle weights? Ive a feeling this is about to get very complicated, thanks for the help lads!!
It's not complicated at all really.....just check the maximum axle weights for your van(there should be a plate on the drivers B pillar area) and divide the highest axle weight by 2.
That then gives you the MINIMUM load rating the tyres and wheels need to be to fit them safely.
There's no denying that you could argue a case for a lower load rating particularly with a lighter panel van or similar.
However it's at your risk. The load ratings that VW gives are pretty clear in the manual so it's up to you if you want to take the risk. As I said, it's not something I would do.
The Syncro 16" steels are extra heavy duty as they were intended for offroading etc.
1988 LHD T25 1.6TD Westfalia Club Joker Hightop syncro
Yes, thats simple, but mines a conversion so im pretty sure i couldnt rely on the original axle weights? I reckon my mind is made up anyway, wait for the right wheels, id rather be 100% sure! Thanks again, much appreciated
Rookiedub wrote:Yes, thats simple, but mines a conversion so im pretty sure i couldnt rely on the original axle weights? I reckon my mind is made up anyway, wait for the right wheels, id rather be 100% sure! Thanks again, much appreciated
The axle weights I stated....1200 front & 1300 rear...are the maximum axle weights when fully loaded...and they never change.
Even a fully loaded VW T25 Karmann Coachbuilt has a total axle weight LESS THAN 2500kgs so rest assured your home conversion will not weigh more than a Gipsy or Cheetah.
As for making sure the wheels are load rated correctly for your van......yes that's the way to go but you haven't said what the axle weights are so they may well be suitable?
