Can anyone translate this tyre spec please?

Hi all

my bus came fitted with a brand of tyre that I haven't heard of before and I wanted to check the load rating was suitable for my bus. I have tried Google and they seem to be American tyres. They are white walls and have are in very good condition with loads of wear left. My bus is a poptop Westy and we pack the kitchen sink when we camp so I thought it worth checking.

The tyres are

Hercules touring radial p195/75 r14 92t m+s

I understand the 195/75r14 as the tyre width, aspect ratio and wheel diameter and I believe M+S means mud and snow. Is the 92t the rating? is this OK for a van?

 

It's low, over 100 is best - google tyre load ratings.
92 will be squidgy round the corners and blow about on the motorway + you'll have to run them at near full pressure.
M+S are speed rating. Not something we have to worry about!

 

I think anything rated over 90 is OK, I'm almost certain it is a light truck rating.

 

My light commercials are 102.
I had 90's when it was first lowered and it was dreadful.
Then I replaced with 98's and it was very good.
From that personal experience I deduced 92 would not be much better than 90, but like shoe sizes, no doubt this varies from brand to brand. My 90's were cheap, the 98's expensive, My 102's were cheap. Tyres are a bit of a minefield!

 

p195/75 r14 92t m+s

p = passenger car tyre
195 = width
75= aspect ratio/ height as a perecentage of the width
r 14 = 14 inch diameter
92 = weight loading of 630 kg
t = speed rating 118mph
m+s = mud and snow tread characteristics

 

a load rating of 102 is 850kg

 

thanks so much everyone. sounds like higher rating would be good. I am used to how Myrtle drives and the tyres do look squodgy and she is affected a lot by cross winds which I took to be normal. I think I will look into cost of better tyres.

any idea what a loaded Westy weighs?

 

if you get the correct tyres

185 14c, the c is for commercial

then you will be fine they will have a load rating of 102/ 850kg , but they will be relatively expensive, cheap tyres will be around £300 for 4, good ones closer to £500

 

And if you find all terrain or mud and snow tyres in that size and load rating in the uk PLEASE give me a shout

 

Last time I bought 185/14C's it cost me 50 quid a corner, must be a dear place to live where you are!

 

New, fitted and balanced? what brand?

 

I gather a Westy is 1730kg kerb weight before Mrs Bot's knick-knacks, food, camping gear etc. so my current tyres are absolutely at the limit. I think I will get some proper ones and get them white walled so they still look pretty (I care about these things).

I must say £50 a corner sounds better than £100+

I will get searching. I guess my current tyres are worth something as they have loads of tread (probably only done 7k miles on them).

 

Mine were budget ones, but poking around online, fully fitted and balanced branded ones (Dunlop, Goodyear, etc) showed up as around 70 quid a corner. That's cheaper than the £300 base price you quoted for cheap tyres.

 

good year dunlop are midrange £280s around £300, continetals and michelins will be more like £100-125 a corners

 

I've seen Continentals for £58 inc vat, michelins for £71 inc vat, admittedly that's without balance and fit, but I've never paid more than £15 per tyre on top of that for fitting. Bit of shopping around online often gets a better deal than driving into a tyre place.

 

Any thoughts on going 195 R14C rather than 185? if the rolling radius is a tiny bit bigger I get slightly longer gearing which would be no bad thing I guess. Or am I best sticking with stock?

 

195s are a bit harder to get hold of in this country and slightly more expensive, the diameter change will be only a few mms

 

Try Avon Supervans. Fine on my bus.

 

http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/products/18514AV8A

 

Thanks again everyone. You are a bunch of stars. I am constantly amazed at the depth of knowledge and simple desire to help a fellow van owner on TLB. I will be sorting some decent new tyres tomorrow.

I think I will get the Avons as they are a good price and made in the UK. Whats not to like. I think I will stay stock too. VW knew what they were doing.

All the best!