tyre sizing for LWB Mk5 camper

[weseeyou]

I need some new tyres for my camper as despite only covering a few 100 miles this past 5 years the side walls are starting to show small splits and it was picked up on the last MOT as advisory.
The existing tyres are 195R 14C but I cannot find any reference to the aspect ration? I've searched google and this forum but no info found yet.
Should the tyres be 70 ?
can anyone recommend some suitable tyre makes that are not expensive please....

[Noctule]

If no ratio is given in the tyre size it will be 80, so 195r14c is 195/80r15c

I've seen good reviews for Riken Cargo, apparently a Michelin brand, but never used them myself. It's been a long time since I had a Transit with 14" wheels.

Mat

[weseeyou]

If no ratio is given in the tyre size it will be 80, so 195r14c is 195/80r15c

I've seen good reviews for Riken Cargo, apparently a Michelin brand, but never used them myself. It's been a long time since I had a Transit with 14" wheels.

Mat

thank you Mat ...
I had just this minute found a source here https://www.blackcircles.com/helpcentre ... y-van-tyre which confirms the 80 profile .
The existing tyres are Cargo but most dealers seem out of stock atm I'll check out Riken thanks

[weseeyou]

could I fit 195R 70 /14c tyres instead of 195R 80/14c?
I think they are 30mm smaller diameter which on the front wouldn't make much difference would it ?

[MinorMatt]

Unlikely to have a sufficient load rating though?

[dumper]

I wouldn’t will throw the speedo out and give less ground clearance usually if you go for a low profile you go wider to give a as near as possible the same overall diameter.

[MinorMatt]

https://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyre ... =80&rim=14

https://www.etyres.co.uk/195-80-14?spee ... _index=all

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m90b0s97p0/V ... _14_195R14

I'm still not sure why you would fit the wrong ones?

[weseeyou]

Hi guys thanks for all the advice and suggestions. Just had a Monday morning emergency kitchen flooded swmbo left a sock in the door seal grrr

Ok tyres are to go on the front so no effect on speedo or miles per rpm etc .

The van is not heavily loaded in fact I have removed 100KG + in dead weight .
I have checked the front and rear axle loading at a weighbridge and a 102P loading tyre would give a healthy margin .

The 70 aspect tyre would apparently improve steering and maneoverability but it would look small in the wheelwell.

The reason I am asking is there are a pair of nearly new tyres 195R 70 14 102p 7mm tread for £50 delivered .
My local tyre centres don't even list a 195 70 R14C tyre ! and buying online will be expensive and have an additional fitting and balancing cost .
thats my dilemma

[weseeyou]

https://www.blackcircles.com/order/tyres/search?width=195&profile=80&rim=14

https://www.etyres.co.uk/195-80-14?spee ... _index=all

https://www.camskill.co.uk/m90b0s97p0/V ... _14_195R14

I'm still not sure why you would fit the wrong ones?

its a question of cost and budget Minormatt.........4x Riken or GT or similar tyres are going to cost £270.00 which I cannot afford .
I was hoping to buy 2x replacement part used tyres and find 2x acceptable tyres outof the 5x I already have to put on the back.

The Black circle tyres look good but I think I would have to pay extra for fitting where I live

[Keef]

You'd need 2 spares if you've got different sizes front to back otherwise you might end up mixing tyre sizes on the same axle if you had a puncture.

[MinorMatt]

Its also a question of legality and insurance.

I assume that you will tell your insurance company that you have tyres with an insufficient load rating, and will accept potential MOT failure and investigations if you are involved in a serious accident?*

And as keef says - if you have 2 different sized tyres, you need 2 different sized spares as a mismatch on an axle would also be illegal.

All the 195/70/14s I have seen (except those marked for trailer service - which arn't allowed on a normal vehicle) have a load rating of 91... which is nowhere near sufficient.

*If you are fitting a lower rated tyre - you need to check you maximum plated axle weight. The load rating of the 2 tyres combined must equal or exceed that rating to be legal. The actual weight is irrelevant

[dumper]

black circle tires do have locally garages that fit the tyres if you go for the fitted option you just pick a time and place pay Black Circle tires they send them to the dealership to fit them.

[weseeyou]

blimey !... anyone would think the sky is gonna fall on my head

i ran a Porsche for 15 years that was supplied oem with different tyres back and front and that was stock and nothing bad happened
The majority of cars today have a compact emergency wheel and tyre of completely different size which allows you to drive legally at 25mph to the nearest garage.If I got a puncture or tyre damage on one of the front tyres I would probably call out the AA thats what I pay them for

personally I do most of my emergency puncture repairs on the road but touch wood this van has not had a flat tyre in 9 years ......in the last 5 years we have travelled a total of less than 200 miles!

The tyres I was considering have sufficient load parameters as I've already said. so that is not an issue. Instead of just assuming I took the van to a weighbridge and got the axle and gross net weights fully laden .I had to do some calculations because I wanted to occasionally hang a motorbike off the rear tow hitch .


I don't see why running 2x legal condition tyres on the same axle would be a Insurance issue but I would be pleased to see some hard evidence from anyone if they have it.?? , it certainly isn't an issue for the MOT I checked .
I'm certainly not going to get into a discussion about Road Traffic law because I know nothing whatsoever about it .

Frankly as nobody yet has come up with any personal experience or hard evidence about any of the concerns raised I'll have to make my own mind up

[MinorMatt]

If your load rating is high enough, then its no problem with MOT or legally - Provided they arn't trailer tyres. (The only ones I have seen at 195/70/14 with a high enough rating are marked as trailer tyres...).

Its good that you took it to a weighbridge - but, as I said, its totally irrelevant - its the plated weights on the VIN plate that matter.

Insurance need to know about non standard tyres otherwise your insurance will likely be invalid. So - talk to them before buying anything because the cost to change may blow any savings you make out of the water. Changes to tyre sizes are a modification.

Space savers are 50mph - but they have to be marked on the tyre as being for temporary use and have a 50mph maximum marking on them.

Your concerns about the tyres being a smaller diameter (its almost 40mm smaller btw 667.6mm vs 628.6mm nominals), will have sod all effect if they are on the front, except any wheel imbalance will show at lower speeds, the ride *may* be slightly harsher at the front, and tyres will wear slightly quicker (due to more rotations to cover a fixed distance).

Hope that makes sense?

[cherniy_chack]

How good it is to live in a country where the state is weak!
I installed 15 "front wheels and tires on my MK3 with five nut wheels and 16" rear wheels and tires.
But in Britain or another European country, this will be very expensive.
So find £ 270 and fit your allowed tires.
Don't save on matches.
On a Porsche, the factory installs the front and rear wheels and tires of different sizes.