Off Road Tyres for the T4, 15"

[Jezza]

Does any one know of any off road tyres that will fit the T4, 15 inch. They need to be load rated and obviously fit in the wheel arch without modifications. There seem to be loads around but none that are load rated to 100T. The closest I have found is a BFG All Terrain T/A in a 215/75R15 that is rated at 100T but it will be 157mm than standard in rolling dia. and 50mm on diamatre. Concerned that they may not fit!

[Seano]

Ahhh Jezza..........I've been here. And decided not to bother. Put simply there's nothing available on the Australian market that is
a) a legal replacement for the stock size; and
b) with an all terrain pattern; and
c) with sufficient load & speed ratings.

There are quite a few possibles of course but nothing perfect. Trakka have fitted T4's with Yokohama AT tyres in the past but they were way bigger than placard even though they fitted no dramas - but try telling your insurance company that.

I've looked long and hard but after over 100,000km have decided not to bother. I have spent many thousands of kilometres travelling around this country and my T4 spent the first five years of its life in western NSW on unsealed roads.

In all that time I've simply had van tyres on the DOKA. Firstly Goodyear Cargo G26's (two sets) and now GT Radial Maxmiler CX. In all that time I have never had a puncture due to the road or track conditions - I did get a screw through one tyre though. Yet at the same time, my work vehicles (heavy duty 4x4 utes) suffered numerous destroyed tyres due to rock fractures and the like.

Why? Because the load rating means the van tyres are built like a brick outhouse compared to most 4x4 tyres - typically 8ply in the tread and 6ply in the sidewall.

The tread itself is largely irrelevant for these vans. They just don't have the engine and gear box performance off road for the tyres to be the limiting factor.........believe me, I've tried!!

For 98% of all the road conditions in this country the van tyres will NOT stop the van getting through.....what typically stops them in my experience is the underbody clearance and the driver's competence at handling the conditions.

Honestly, you don't need them.

However, if you really want AT tyres then grab some 16" wheels and fit them with 215/65R16C Bridgestone D693 tyres as fitted to the now redundant Holden Cross 6 utes.

But for me?? My next tyres will probably be something like the 205/70R15C GT Radial Maxway to get the right mix of legal width, height and load & speed rating.

[Jezza]

Seano. You and me need to have a beer. You have done some miles on the the dirt. Know of any short cuts to Geraldton WA, I'll meet you in an hour?
Yeah, tyres have become an obsession, and to be honest, I only want them for looks anyway! No that is only part of it. I do want puncture proofness mainly and some better grip. I do agree with what you are saying, completely. I haven't bought this van to be a true off roader at all. You are of course limited by the vehicle. Thanks for the tips, my obsession stops here...The closest I found id the BFB All Terrain A/T at 215/75R15. They fit the wheel and the body but the rolling diametre is 157mm over standard and I think they are only 100S. Transporters need 100T don't they? There doesn't seem to be any laws or rules on diametre, just width, ratings, body fouling and track.

[WEDEL.1]

Here are some pics of a NT reg T4 with 4X4 tyres. As far as I can see, the size is 225/75x15, bottom pic.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/ (http://imageshack.us)
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4039/silvermidrooftsyncrolr2gd1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5825/silvermidrooftsyncrolr2tb4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[WEDEL.1]

But for me?? My next tyres will probably be something like the 205/70R15C GT Radial Maxway to get the right mix of legal width, height and load & speed rating.

I'm going for 215/70x15. This will reduce the revs per Km and bring the speedo back to a position where it no longer tells BIG lies.

At an indicated 100kms/H, the Green T4 is only doing 92Km/H!

Maris

[Seano]

Seano. You and me need to have a beer. You have done some miles on the the dirt. Know of any short cuts to Geraldton WA, I'll meet you in an hour?
Yeah, tyres have become an obsession, and to be honest, I only want them for looks anyway! No that is only part of it. I do want puncture proofness mainly and some better grip. I do agree with what you are saying, completely. I haven't bought this van to be a true off roader at all. You are of course limited by the vehicle. Thanks for the tips, my obsession stops here...The closest I found id the BFB All Terrain A/T at 215/75R15. They fit the wheel and the body but the rolling diametre is 157mm over standard and I think they are only 100S. Transporters need 100T don't they? There doesn't seem to be any laws or rules on diametre, just width, ratings, body fouling and track.

I've done a few!!

As for short cuts to Geraldton.........no. But I know a few round about ways!!

If you do lots of dirt then tyres WILL become an obsession as none of the van tyres last very long particularly in stony country - my first two sets lasted no more than 30,000km each. Like you, I have tried to find appropriate A/T tread patterned tyres but just haven't had any joy. And in the end it hasn't turned out to be necessary.

The syncro system gives you a staggering amount of grip (I still remember the 1st gear crawl up Mt Nameless at Tom Price) for such an on road biased vehicle. Dirt road performance at speed is something else too.

The only things that I've found that the syncro and Tdi don't help with is sand (as in proper beach sand such as that found around Esperance for example or desert sand - anything a bit powdery) and deep mud. Momentum is the key to getting through but I've found that all it usually does is get you further in the ****.

But you CAN fit A/T tyres (as Maris' photos show) but, in the Eastern States, such a tyre on the T4 is technically illegal due to it being greater than 15mm different in diameter from the stock size. As for tyre requirements of a T4 of your vintage.....it must have a load rating of 99 or better and a speed rating of R or better. But I'd be aiming for 100T or better (I have seen a 104S that would be ideal though!!)

[WEDEL.1]

But you CAN fit A/T tyres (as Maris' photos show) but, in the Eastern States, such a tyre on the T4 is technically illegal due to it being greater than 15mm different in diameter from the stock size.

I've seen T4s at TRAKKA with A/T tyres fitted, so there must be alot of people disregarding the laws.

Maris

[DVR68U]

maybe you can get an engineer to sign off on the tyres then it would be legal.
cheers brenton

[GermanwithaVdub]

agreed. shouldnt be a problem going a bit bigger with the diesels anyway