Tough low profile tyres?

[ZedBed]

So we have ze flipped spindles demanding smaller tyres.
I have standard 14" wheels and though I've looked and searched I can't find tyres with a high enough load rating.
I have tyres with load rating "84" which translates to approx 450kg per tyre.
Really need 600kg+ for the front of a camper which translates to 90 (600kg) or higher.
14" tyres are for small cars though and I can't find anything suitable.
Size I'm running are 195 (too wide) 60 r14

So, I thought maybe this is why people go for 15" splitty wheels - more tyre choice?
To keep the same-ish rolling circumference I have I seem to need 185 55 r15, or 175 60 r15
But googling away I still can't find a good strong tyre.

84 rated tyres like I have are like driving on blamange let alone the fact they're likely to pop. Not good IMO

So - anyone cracked it?

 

[67panel]

had a look at high load trailer tyres?some modern ones run low aspect ,very stiff side walls though :shock:

 

[ZedBed]

had a look at high load trailer tyres?some modern ones run low aspect ,very stiff side walls though :shock:

I have actually :lol: but the thought of trailor tyres on the front seems wrong to me.

 

[Geeze]

Thought that 195/60R14 was meant to be load rated to 86? :?
That gives 530kg a corner, which is ok shared across the 1050kg front axle weight of a bus.
I know that technically there's a recommendation for +10% but in the same breath don't think many of us will ever get anywhere near GVW in how we use our buses.

If you want something higher rated, then how about a 14" van tyre:

http://www.camskill.co.uk/m90b0s510p79249/GOODYEAR_TYRES_VAN_GOODYEAR_DURAGRIP_-_175_65R14_C_90T_TL_" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Narrower than your too wide 195, pretty much the same diameter and load rated to 600kg.

Plus you wouldn't need to swap your rims

 

[r73]

ideally tyre size you want is 185/60/14 (577.59mm diam.)
or 175/55/15 (573.27mm diam.)

195/60/14 will give you (589.53) maybe a bit too high???

this is one of the reasons i decided to go back to stock height :msn4:
much, much, much better ride with commercial rated tyres on the bus, especially a poptop westy (heavy)

most people dont give much thought to load ratings, but spend a fortune on suspension and brakes :roll:

good luck, i'd be interested what you find out..........

 

[*Sam*]

This is not a reflection of my opinion purely an outside the box thought, has anyone ever heard of a low-profile tyre in good condition failing due to exceeding the recommended weight on a camper van.

 

[dubdubz]

Zed - I had the same thing - I swapped to a 86 XL tyre on the front not sure of the exact size...see below

You're welcome to try them as I have swapped to 15inch porsche rims.

They have around 600miles max use and are I think 185/65 r 14, I felt the difference straight away from a standard non XL tyre.

[Only snag is they are on late 112 rims] so if you can get them swapped easily enough?

Darren

 

[rallye dale]

This is not a reflection of my opinion purely an outside the box thought, has anyone ever heard of a low-profile tyre in good condition failing due to exceeding the recommended weight on a camper van.

Its the side wall that is stronger on an xl tyre

 

[r73]

This is not a reflection of my opinion purely an outside the box thought, has anyone ever heard of a low-profile tyre in good condition failing due to exceeding the recommended weight on a camper van.

I think it's extremely unlikely to fail. Just the sidewall flexes loads so it drives even shitter than standard :lol: that and again unlikely but it's probably an insurance / police issue as well :msn4:

 

[dubscum]

i ran 165/60/14r smart car tyres for 2 years without any problems up front. 10,000 miles and 1tonne plus van 175/70/14r rears

 

[ZedBed]

Thanks for all the replies.
I realise it's kind of ok with what I have, but I'm getting a better engine and I like slinging it round the corners.
I know that campers with standard commercial tyres handle great, but I went down for fashion not handling. Now I want handling.
Thanks for the link to the 60okg rated tyres - I couldn't find anything near that - might give them a go. I do think part of the problem is 195's are too wide for the rim.
Thanks for the offer to try XL tyres dubdubz, but wrong wheels = to much hassle for unknown improvement.

So 90's looking good, but would like to kill it and get even better if anyone else's sleuthing skills are better than mine - I've spent best part of two evenings searching already.

Funny thing is all the lowered buses I see run on 82-84 rated tyres which must be evil in a fully laden camper.

I'd very much like to crack this lowering thing as it strikes me there are easy improvements to make. Cured my rubbage with bump-stops but nobody mentions that as the obvious way forward! So now tyres and I will (I'm determined) to have a bus with comfortable original suspension feel (dropped spindles) with cornering like stock tyres and no rubbage (bump stops). I've been reading on here for ages and it's definately a problem that's not been satisfactorily resolved.

 

[r73]

Thanks for all the replies.
I realise it's kind of ok with what I have, but I'm getting a better engine and I like slinging it round the corners.
I know that campers with standard commercial tyres handle great, but I went down for fashion not handling. Now I want handling.
Thanks for the link to the 60okg rated tyres - I couldn't find anything near that - might give them a go. I do think part of the problem is 195's are too wide for the rim.
Thanks for the offer to try XL tyres dubdubz, but wrong wheels = to much hassle for unknown improvement.

So 90's looking good, but would like to kill it and get even better if anyone else's sleuthing skills are better than mine - I've spent best part of two evenings searching already.

Funny thing is all the lowered buses I see run on 82-84 rated tyres which must be evil in a fully laden camper.

I'd very much like to crack this lowering thing as it strikes me there are easy improvements to make. Cured my rubbage with bump-stops but nobody mentions that as the obvious way forward! So now tyres and I will (I'm determined) to have a bus with comfortable original suspension feel (dropped spindles) with cornering like stock tyres and no rubbage (bump stops). I've been reading on here for ages and it's definately a problem that's not been satisfactorily resolved.

Looks like your the man to solve it zed 8)

 

[ZedBed]

Just to add - I know I have my Zeds Bus Garage link under the posts :roll: , but I'm doing this 100% for love and not looking to make a bean from it. If I get to happy suspension I'll share all.

 

[dubdubz]

what if I got my mate to swap the tyres onto 205 rims? didn't get to check the actual size....

 

[A5H]

I'm having the same issue Zed.

I'm now running 15" splitty wheels, currently with 175/60/15's but they are only 81-rated and I have really felt the difference since the change. I'm now looking at changing to 185/60/15 which are a little bit bigger diameter, but are available in an 88XL rating. There are also some 185/55/15's available in an 86XL rating, if the diameter is too big?

 

[Geeze]

I'm with you, there's no reason that a lowered bus shouldn't handle.
Been thinking about van 175/65R14 for the stock steels ours sometimes wears as the current tyres are a bit chewed from the old steering issues and would be interested in how much difference they make. It's not the load rating in itself, it's the extra ply sidewalls in the commercial tyres that I reckon may make a difference.

Like you, am a big fan of bumpstops with lowered spindles and can't understand running without them. Ours has only rubbed one trip and that was fully laden up to big bang on the roads around the pod after the latest round of lowering.

Also reckon the other limiting factor is the cheap coilovers everyone uses with the dropped spindles. Not happy with the damping (too soft) or general build quality (seem to eat bottom bushes, now have experimental delrin ones in! but they squeak ). Was thinking about either 'proper' coilovers (but more £££) but really should be possible to stiffen the stock springs up somehow by clamping the leaves to shorten the effective length. Then could run normal gas shocks and be much tidier. Dont think the clamps are much hassle but the variety of sizes in the leaf pack means the sums to work it out properly are beyond me and am too lazy to try trial and error and keep dismantling the beam to adjust a clamp :lol:

I'm having the same issue Zed.

I'm now running 15" splitty wheels, currently with 175/60/15's but they are only 81-rated and I have really felt the difference since the change. I'm now looking at changing to 185/60/15 which are a little bit bigger diameter, but are available in an 88XL rating. There are also some 185/55/15's available in an 86XL rating, if the diameter is too big?

We've got dropped spindles and adjusters in the beam on ours with 185/55R15 and only just rubs fully laden (family of four with enough kit to try and stay warm & dry at Big Bang!). Even then, that's mostly the kak 20mm offset of the alloys at fault - it's just catching on the bit of the tub the extends down for the door. :roll: reckon that with better (nearer stock et40) it might just clear....

 

[ZedBed]

My stock 14" with 195 60 14 rubbed where you describe until I sorted the bump stops. Zero since.
Gas-a-just all round for me - no coilovers, but I'm light. The suspension is spot on.
Just the feeling the tyres are going to peel off the rims hard cornering that concerns me. My late Westy, down just a spline, std tyres and same shocks was much better, hence heading for some stronger ones. I can put standard van tyres on the back at the same time as they're a bit bouncy too.

 

[Airtime]

I have thought about this too and I found that there are a lot of 175/65R14 reinforced 6 ply tyres with a load rating of 90.

At this site I entered the dimensions and speed rating 'Any'. The next page you can select 6 ply in one of the left menu's (specialist fitment type). I hope this helps?

 

[72nu-funk]

I have thought about this too and I found that there are a lot of 175/65R14 reinforced 6 ply tyres with a load rating of 90.

At this site I entered the dimensions and speed rating 'Any'. The next page you can select 6 ply in one of the left menu's (specialist fitment type). I hope this helps?

I'd recommend Dunlop SP LT30 175/65/14 for fronts. Rated 88/90 with 6 ply sidewalls. They were what I ran when I went away, got a puncture in one and replaced with my spare, the other made it the whole 15000 miles over all sorts of terrain but was ready for changing by the end. They improved the handling no end over the standards that were on, and were better than the 77 rated 15's I have on the front at the moment which you can feel flex and give a totally different driving feel.

 

[ZedBed]

Great replies on this thread and I thank you all very much for your time and the info. Where I'd gone wrong was looking at fatter tyres, 175 65's I didn't even search for. Funny when you go just a tad wider all the stronger ones beat a hasty exit?

Waiting until after bank holiday then in the name of science (and haring round keeping my speed up), first I'll just replace the fronts and see what that's like, then the rears as well as they are also jelly-like under-rated poop. I only really fitted the 4 tyres I have to experiment with sizes cheaply, but done that so onto the good'uns.

One piece of info I did glean while browsing ze internet is that "ply" is a rating itself and doesn't actually represent tyre construction - so you can have 6 ply tyres that are really 2 ply.
That and the spec where the rim is in inches, the width in mm and the height as a % really needs bringing up to date - and the speed rating as a random number checked against a table and same for load rating is enough to give you brain seizure after a pint or two.

Thanks again