18” or 19”?

[Vanda]

Hello
I have bought some 19 9j ATS wheels - arriving today. Although it appears many run 19s on this forum it seems that 103 load rating tyres are not available for this rim size, irrespective of tyre size. I was considering 255/40 19s. Would 100 load rating be ok? It’s a T30, not used for heavy loads.
I called a tyre supplier in Cumbria who told me it’s illegal to run 19s on 100 load rating on a van and they’d blow out in 1 month!! Really?!
So I’m thinking of comprising look for safety on 255/45 18 103.
Have I been spooked unnecessarily about the 19s?

 

[Tourershine]

I run 255/45/19 at 104's and there's plenty of manufactures at this size, but you won't find any 40 profiles any more than 100 in 19" I think.

Goodyear Eagle F1
Michelin Pilot Sport4
Nexxan N Fura SU1
That's just 3 different tyres at 255/45/19 and they are all rated at 104

If you are worried about 45's looking too big, compared to 40's, they don't. In my opinion, depending on how low you run, 45's fill the arches far neater than 40's in 19"

As for them 'blowing out' after a month, that might be a slight exaggeration there and many T32 owners run far less than 100 and get away with it.

Here's mine so you can see they don't look bad.

 

[Vanda]

Smart van!

The speedo is a bit out on 255/45/19s is my only concern.

Eg at 70mph on the speedo you’d actually be doing 74mpg

 

[Tourershine]

Smart van!

The speedo is a bit out on 255/45/19s is my only concern.

Eg at 70mph on the speedo you’d actually be doing 74mpg

I'm not sure where you read that. Mine is absolutely spot on with the nav. In fact it's actually the most accurate size wheel and tyre combo that I've tried.

 

[Vanda]

I'm not sure where you read that. Mine is absolutely spot on with the nav. In fact it's actually the most accurate size wheel and tyre combo that I've tried.

For me I have factory 205/65/16 which has an outer circumference of 83.2”.
255/45/19 is 88” being a difference of nearly 6%

 

[Vanda]

Interestingly, I have just had a message from my VW dealer that they have no concerns with 19”. So that’s good news. The guy at the tyre company obviously is a half pint empty man.

 

[Tourershine]

For me I have factory 205/65/16 which has an outer circumference of 83.2”.
255/45/19 is 88” being a difference of nearly 6%

I can only say it as I see it and my big digital Speedo is spot on with nav speed, where as with my original factory fitted wheels it was around 2mph out.
For me, having a big digital readout and a nav speed not matching up, is very distracting, so I'm happy with 45/19s

 

[Vanda]

Ok that’s good info. Thanks

 

[PipeMonkey]

What’s the official line on load rating of those beautiful banded steels?
Is it classed as the rating of the original wheel?
Hope that’s not a stupid question.

 

[Tourershine]

What’s the official line on load rating of those beautiful banded steels?
Is it classed as the rating of the original wheel?
Hope that’s not a stupid question.

That my steel wheel loving friend, is what us 'banded' owners reffer to as a 'Grey' area.

As a banded steel wheel is not one that has any kind of official weight rating due to the pure nature of what the wheel actually is and how it's constructed, we have to just hope and pray that question is never officially asked.

 

[PipeMonkey]

I do love a grey area.
Creates a talking point.
Thanks for the info bud

 

[foggy3061]

I called a tyre supplier in Cumbria who told me it’s illegal to run 19s on 100 load rating on a van and they’d blow out in 1 month!! Really?!

Camskill? They're not gonna recommend a tyre that doesn't have sufficient load rating for your van, loaded or not.

Plus they may be right based on Cumbrian roads, they're rougher than a tramps pants.

You need at least 101 rating for a T30 or else you might get bother come MOT time or if you ever get stopped by a VOSA inspection site.

 

[chriscroft]

I run 255/45/19 at 104's and there's plenty of manufactures at this size, but you won't find any 40 profiles any more than 100 in 19" I think.

Goodyear Eagle F1
Michelin Pilot Sport4
Nexxan N Fura SU1
That's just 3 different tyres at 255/45/19 and they are all rated at 104

If you are worried about 45's looking too big, compared to 40's, they don't. In my opinion, depending on how low you run, 45's fill the arches far neater than 40's in 19"

As for them 'blowing out' after a month, that might be a slight exaggeration there and many T32 owners run far less than 100 and get away with it.

Here's mine so you can see they don't look bad.

View attachment 29499

Even if you spent £1500/corner having custom cnc machined magnesium alloy billets formed, I doubt it would look much better. Spot On , just right for a VW Van

 

[T6Paul]

I also run 255/45/19 104XL on my T32, they fill the arches rather well. Yes, they have a slightly larger rolling diameter than the original 17s (about 3% from memory) however, this has taken out any error in the speedo so what the Speedo reads is now accurate (no margin of error!) ie 30 is 30!

 

[$immo]

In all my research I found this website a really useful one for calculating sizes of different wheels as it gives a comparison image including offsets etc.

Will They Fit - Online Wheel and Tyre Fitment Calculator

I to have moved to 45 profiles on a 19"rim and for me it is just about right. Nexen NFera SU1

 

[Tourershine]

In all my research I found this website a really useful one for calculating sizes of different wheels as it gives a comparison image including offsets etc.

Will They Fit - Online Wheel and Tyre Fitment Calculator

I to have moved to 45 profiles on a 19"rim and for me it is just about right. Nexen NFera SU1

View attachment 29533

Interestingly i'm running exactly the same tyres as you. I've used these tyres before, but when I fitted my new 19" steels, I went for a set of Goodyear Eagle F1.
Now, my rears only managed 6 weeks and 4000 miles. That's running B14's on lowest setting, carrying a consistent weight of around 500kg with all my kit.
Here's the interesting part: We actually assumed there was something wrong with the rear set-up because of how fast it chewed through the F1's, but i've just clocked over the same 4000 miles in the Nexen, and they still look like new. Ironically i've just been down and ordered 6 more of these tyres, 2 for the front of mine, and 4 for my Golf. It would seem that the Goodyear are just not up to the set-up of my T6, and although the fronts have done well, the rears are destroyed after only 4000 miles (probably less, but I hadn't spotted it until I had it jacked up) Yet, the Nexen are still like new with the same miles, and the same van, with no changes.
The Goodyears are an exceptional tyre to drive on, but at £190 a corner, I cannot sustain the type of wear these things are showing me, against a much cheaper brand.

 

[$immo]

Interestingly i'm running exactly the same tyres as you. I've used these tyres before, but when I fitted my new 19" steels, I went for a set of Goodyear Eagle F1.
Now, my rears only managed 6 weeks and 4000 miles. That's running B14's on lowest setting, carrying a consistent weight of around 500kg with all my kit.
Here's the interesting part: We actually assumed there was something wrong with the rear set-up because of how fast it chewed through the F1's, but i've just clocked over the same 4000 miles in the Nexen, and they still look like new. Ironically i've just been down and ordered 6 more of these tyres, 2 for the front of mine, and 4 for my Golf. It would seem that the Goodyear are just not up to the set-up of my T6, and although the fronts have done well, the rears are destroyed after only 4000 miles (probably less, but I hadn't spotted it until I had it jacked up) Yet, the Nexen are still like new with the same miles, and the same van, with no changes.
The Goodyears are an exceptional tyre to drive on, but at £190 a corner, I cannot sustain the type of wear these things are showing me, against a much cheaper brand.

That's encouraging to hear about the Nexen's, I'm down to see Oli at Bognor Motors to have B14'S and ARB's fitted next week to improve the ride (currently on 50mm H&R springs) so glad to know I should be good on wear on the Nexen's!

 

[Vanda]

I also went for Nexen SU1 with 255/45 19 104. Awesome tyre. Got them for about £90 each delivered. Spot on. Ride is great.
And I did check the speedo ...... interestingly as pointed out by members here the increased circumference is spot on to speedo. So out the factory on 205/65 16s the speedo is quite out!
Thanks everyone.
BTW I’ll post a pic when it stops raining

 

[Insert Coin]

I've used these tyres before, but when I fitted my new 19" steels, I went for a set of Goodyear Eagle F1.
Now, my rears only managed 6 weeks and 4000 miles.

WHAT!? on the rear!? I could turn the t/c off on my V8 Mustang and get more than 4000 miles out of the rear tyres! I shall swiftly go out and check the rears of my bus, I never even thought to check them yet, circa 6000 miles driven.

For reference, on my T32 I've got 245/45/19 (102Y) XL Dunlop Sport Max's, seem ok to me, standard fit on ABT wheels.

 

[Tourershine]

WHAT!? on the rear!? I could turn the t/c off on my V8 Mustang and get more than 4000 miles out of the rear tyres! I shall swiftly go out and check the rears of my bus, I never even thought to check them yet, circa 6000 miles driven.

For reference, on my T32 I've got 245/45/19 (102Y) XL Dunlop Sport Max's, seem ok to me, standard fit on ABT wheels.

It's transpired that it might of been my fault. We ran the rears at 50psi without thinking, and by the time i'd realised and dropped the pressures, the main bulk of wear was already gone. I'm now running 42psi which seemed low to my mind, but there's no adverse effects in handling, and the tyre is still like new.

I do still feel the F1 is too soft for my rock solid drive.

These F1's might look like they are not an even wear, but they are.