Tyre Load Ratings - Mixing of

[beagrizzly]

Morning. Quick question - I need a single tyre on my Touareg due to damage. The perfect match is unavailable and so the fitter has suggested fitting what is essentially the exact same tyre but with a higher load rating. I haven't come across this problem myself before, and the internet is not conclusive on the subject.

I'm thinking probably ok, but I don't know. Thoughts?

[Kawasicki]

Good morning.


It’s complicated.

Obviously the new tyre won’t fail from being overloaded!

The tyre might have a different construction, it might also not have. This means that one tyre might have a different response or grip level to the other three. You might never find out that is the case, but the risk exists that you might suffer negative consequences.

Finally, your car is a complex machine, with precise wheel speed measurement used to feed data to various control systems. You might have issues, with unexpected interventions from stability control, or a warning light might pop up.

Would I risk it? Probably. But don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work out well.

[beagrizzly]

Yeah, it's a pain. I'm so bloody busy at the moment I just want to get it done, but if it's at all dodgy or dangerous then clearly I need to rethink. Guy at the (trusted,local) tyre place is adamant it'll be no problem at all, but the cynic in me wonders whether he just wants to sell me a tyre......

[Scrump]

I don’t think it will be in any way dangerous. I would get it fitted.

[Kawasicki]

beagrizzly said:

Yeah, it's a pain. I'm so bloody busy at the moment I just want to get it done, but if it's at all dodgy or dangerous then clearly I need to rethink. Guy at the (trusted,local) tyre place is adamant it'll be no problem at all, but the cynic in me wonders whether he just wants to sell me a tyre......

Honestly, do you know for sure that the correct tyre load rating is unavailable? I live in beautiful Germany and it is highly unlikely, given the number of your car that are on the road, that the correct tyre isn’t available.

[beagrizzly]

Kawasicki said:

beagrizzly said:

Yeah, it's a pain. I'm so bloody busy at the moment I just want to get it done, but if it's at all dodgy or dangerous then clearly I need to rethink. Guy at the (trusted,local) tyre place is adamant it'll be no problem at all, but the cynic in me wonders whether he just wants to sell me a tyre......

Honestly, do you know for sure that the correct tyre load rating is unavailable? I live in beautiful Germany and it is highly unlikely, given the number of your car that are on the road, that the correct tyre isn’t available.

Update. Went in for another chat; tyre place boss got involved and decided best not to fit. They took another look and, bearing in mind that they, apparently, have a number of different suppliers, actually managed to find one only, which is now coming on Tuesday.

I wonder if Continental have stopped making it in that load rating? Problem I'll have now - assuming this one gets fitted correctly - will be if I need single replacements in future for any reason. We'll see.

[Smint]

Sounds like you've got it sorted, but i'd be more concerned with getting as near the same tread depth as possible to the other 3 than worry about a different (higher) load rating.