Concerns about Load ratings for alloys

Post by **futurecut** » 07 Feb 2006, 22:06

Ok so some are blingin' up with fancy alloys. There's a list of types that fit and just about fit on the WIKI and in t'other forum but my question is this:-

Russell nutz reckons over on the wiki that you've got to be careful with the load you put on the rims. Seems fair to me, so are all the wheels i see on peoples blingtastic vans likely to explode and kill the occupants?

Whats the score in terms of max loads and is 14' 15' or x'best? And i suppose tyres too...

Friendly scrappy's got some krakin merc ones if i want them. Just don't want to do the wrong thing like usual...

Post by **Hacksawbob** » 07 Feb 2006, 23:20

http://www.roadhaus.com/tires/load.html
in pesky pounds though, as a rule of thumb a caravelle weighs about 1.5 ton assume it can take a ton of weight, thats 2.5 ton, (2500kgs) so minumum is 625KG per wheel. round that up to 650 for margin of error or 700 if your paranoid. If its a camper assume its 2.5 tonnes aswell.
For tyres make sure you get a C rated tyre so 185XR14C (for commercial) conti vanco 8 ply and Kumho 857 have been recomended in the past. OR make sure the LI of the tyre is at LEAST a 93 (650kg) but better a 99 (775Kg) LI. (less room for mistakes with rubber!)
heres some more info on tyres http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 08 Feb 2006, 18:41

Don't know anyone thats had a problem running low profile car tyres or car wheels.
I've only ever seen one cracked alloy, and the cause of the crack is unknown.
Remember a bare panel van weighs a much as a Passat.
I think people can be a bit anal about the whole thing to be honest, they don't go on race tracks and most of the stuff on alloys are street vans, 4x4 is a different matter, any 4x4 driver worth his salt will run steel wheels anyway.
Van tyres suck and are scarey on roundabouts if you have a lead foot.

Post by **jed the spread** » 08 Feb 2006, 20:16

blimey youve got me worried now.how much more strain does an easy going slowish driven 2.1 caravelle on a set of golf gti wheels have compaired to an eratic boy racer in a golf gti on the same rims?

jed

Post by **Diamond Hell** » 08 Feb 2006, 20:35

any 4x4 driver worth his salt will run steel wheels anyway

What the blithering heck?

Since when?

I've seen more bent steel rims (lots) than damaged alloy rims (none) off road.

There ARE advantages of steel rims, but likewise there ARE advantages of alloys

Post by **Hacksawbob** » 08 Feb 2006, 20:36

What tyres do you recomend for caravelle and camper Simon?

Post by **Blingpanzer** » 08 Feb 2006, 22:29

Gotta add my opinion at this point... I work in the vehicle testing industry. Load ratings aren't there for show. You may be lucky enough to do several thousand miles without incident, but the one time that some idiot pulls out in front of you, or there's a deep pothole that wasn't there the previous day, or you have a puncture on a wet day on the motorway, or black ice catches you out and you end-up taking evasive action and inputting a shock-load, you'll know why they're in place. I know of a good few spectacular wheel failures during "abuse testing", usually during kerb strikes... and at not that high a speed either. And those were the OE wheels, specifically designed for the cars in question. When the wheel fails, there's nothing to retain the tyre. Best case, you imitate World's Wildest Police Videos. Worst case, the local florist gets a bulk order.

My second point: Aftermarket alloys don't have to go through abuse testing on each and every model they're sold to fit, before being put on sale. You do the math; they've not been tested on your van.

All this stuff about a T3 panel being the same weight as a Passat is irrelevant; the T3's centre of gravity is higher, the offset is very different and (particularly at the rear) the resultant forces at the rim/hub interface are entirely different due to different suspension geometry.

I know myself and the blingers will argue about this until they're blue in the face, but my personal opinion is that it's mainly luck that has prevented any T3 owner being killed so far by inappropriate wheel fitment.

Post by **Diamond Hell** » 09 Feb 2006, 09:31

Blingpanzer, I love you.

In a manly way, though, not in any sort of girly odd way.

Post by **shepster** » 09 Feb 2006, 11:06

You pays your money you takes your choice.............

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 09 Feb 2006, 22:41

Diamond Hell wrote:
any 4x4 driver worth his salt will run steel wheels anyway

What the blithering heck?

Since when?

I've seen more bent steel rims (lots) than damaged alloy rims (none) off road.

There ARE advantages of steel rims, but likewise there ARE advantages of alloys

Kerb an alloy and it's kerfurtled, kerb a steel and it bends, and it bends back with a dirty gert hammer and can be still used while an alloy will be cracked, leaking and have to be changed. A bent steel that you can still use to get you out of he sh!t is better than a cracked alloy that you have to change.

Passat - van thing, fair enough I don't work in your industry, just drawing from personal experience, never seen "when alloy wheels go bad". and never heard of anything either hence comment, like it says "Don't know anyone thats had a problem running low profile car tyres or car wheels.
"

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 09 Feb 2006, 22:42

Hacksawbob wrote:What tyres do you recomend for caravelle and camper Simon?

Depends on what wheels dunnit.

Post by **Diamond Hell** » 09 Feb 2006, 23:18

I've only seen steel rims 'kerbed' off road by filthy gurt rocks, not seen an alloy destroyed in this way..... but then steels are cheap and I'm not in the Moroccan desert