20” Tyre Profiles - will a 35 sidewall be comfortable?

[Furiouslee1]

Hi all


Over the last few months I’ve been planning the upgrades to my T6.1 T30 with wheels and suspension (B14 Komfort) being top priority and I have to say I’m completely confused with wheel and tyre selections.

Looking online and speaking to the wheel shops they are recommending 275/40/R20 on either a 8.5 or 9J wheel.

My local garage who are fitting the suspension recommended that I need to keep it as close to the original wheel profile as possible so that the Speedo isnt to far out.

His recommendation was to use a 275/35 on a 9J wheel to limit tyre bulge.

The comparison is as follows:

Original wheel and tyres 215/60/17 at 691mm radius so aiming for around 710 max

275/35/20 = 701mm - sidewall is 97mm
275/40/20 = 728mm - sidewall is 109mm

My concern is that a 35 profile will ruin the ride especially with the state of the roads today but is 40 to big?

Also looked at the 255/40/20 with limited options but looks like a better profile

I know the question has been asked loads but would appreciate any help or advice before I spend £1800 on the wrong wheels and tyres.

Thanks
Lee

 

[Gavinda]

Drop down to 19" 8j and go 245 45 19 102?

 

[S700]

275 is really wide for a 9J

I'd look at 255/40/20 which is 712mm and available as a 101 load rating for T30

 

[Howzat]

...or 275/35/20 9j on the back and 255/40/20 8.5j on the front.

The thing is you'll not get a definitive answer as it's a matter of taste vs comfort vs suspension setup vs van weight etc...

One thing is for sure. If all 4 wheels are the same then you'll want spacers on the back wheels.

 

[The Van Cave]

Hi all


Over the last few months I’ve been planning the upgrades to my T6.1 T30 with wheels and suspension (B14 Komfort) being top priority and I have to say I’m completely confused with wheel and tyre selections.

Looking online and speaking to the wheel shops they are recommending 275/40/R20 on either a 8.5 or 9J wheel.

My local garage who are fitting the suspension recommended that I need to keep it as close to the original wheel profile as possible so that the Speedo isnt to far out.

His recommendation was to use a 275/35 on a 9J wheel to limit tyre bulge.

The comparison is as follows:

Original wheel and tyres 215/60/17 at 691mm radius so aiming for around 710 max

275/35/20 = 701mm - sidewall is 97mm
275/40/20 = 728mm - sidewall is 109mm

My concern is that a 35 profile will ruin the ride especially with the state of the roads today but is 40 to big?

Also looked at the 255/40/20 with limited options but looks like a better profile

I know the question has been asked loads but would appreciate any help or advice before I spend £1800 on the wrong wheels and tyres.

Thanks
Lee

Hi Lee,

The 275/40 is a big tyre and not the correct size for the T30.

I recommend going with the 255/40, it’ll give you the load rating you need, a reasonable profile and it’s a much better width for either the 8.5 or 9” rim.

Cheers,

Chris.

 

[mmi]

Some related information

New Wheels & Tyres Ordered

Right im about to order the below wheels and tyres and also booked in for it to be lowered for my T6 T28 highline. Can people let me know if they think there's a problem or I'm ordering wrong sizes thanks K Assasin wheels 19 x 8.5 Et35 5x120 pcs 72.6mm. 225/40/R19 Falken FK 510 100YXL. STS...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Monkster1]

Alright Lee,

I feel your frustration and concerns. I can show you what decision I've come to on my 20's which are LR (Discovery) 511's, 8.5J / ET53.

Based on advice from on here, YouTube reviews and various google images, I went for Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 and Goodyear Eagle Sport, both 265/40 R20. I bought the Hankooks on line and have waited nearly 4 wks for them to arrive from Germany. I ordered the Goodyear from a fitting centre and were next day delivery. No brainer really as the prices weren't that different in the end. Live and learn...

I can't give any feedback on drivability as they are not on the van full time yet. I did put them on for 20 mins to check spacing / rubbing / etc. The actual width on both tyres turns out to be 257mm not 265 and the tyre wall stands at 85mm.

The Hankook Ventus doesn't have a definite rim protector, more of an additional bead. It scored high marks in fuel economy 'C' and wet braking 'A'. There's 8mm of tyre wall 'bulge' so that should be enough all being well. Bulge is not a good word tbh as it is quite subtle as you'll see in the pics. Goodyear Eagle Sport is an all weather tyre has an excellent rim protector and these will run on the back as they'll probably be a tad softer. I'm not running a full camper conversion so I'm optimistic I'll get a few miles out of 'em. Both have come with 7mm of tread.

I'm still a bit unsure how they'll 'look' in the end but the B14's are going on next and I'm going for a 50mm drop as a starting point. Anyway, here's a few pics - I may have to space the rears about 10mm or so. The gap looks very tight but in reality there's about 15mm. The fronts will be OK as is I think but then the geometry will change I would imagine.





I'll post up more info as it happens.

 

[BognorMotors]

For a 9” wide alloy go for the 275/35. Perfect size for this width as recommended by VW as well. You can run a 265/40 on this width as well if you want a bit of extra sidewall, which is the size we recommend for T32, although with the right suspension the 275/35 will work perfectly.

As already mentioned above the 275/40 is too big, and you may/will get issues when lowering. Many of the online retailers use this size as it’s a Range Rover size and is well catered for, so lots of selection, correct load rating and cheap!

We stock and sell many wheel and tyre packages if you need any help, drop us a message.

 

[YellowHound]

I'm puzzled as to why you've consciously gone for different tyres front to rear - or have I misinterpreted?

 

[DaveD]

I'm puzzled as to why you've consciously gone for different tyres front to rear - or have I misinterpreted?

Yes, me too!

 

[Furiouslee1]

Thanks to everyone that's provided feedback. I really appreciate it.

Based on the information above I'm going to commit to 275/35/20 9J front and rear to keep it simple and consistent. Probably going to go for a 40mm drop as well on the B14 Komfort suspension as it needs to be practical as well as look good.

I will post pictures once complete so that you can see the results, van is booked in on the 10th June.

Cheers

 

[dubber36]

Yes, me too!

And me.

 

[Monkster1]

I'm puzzled as to why you've consciously gone for different tyres front to rear - or have I misinterpreted?

Fair point. Ordinarily I would have gone for the same tyre all round. The decision was 2 fold, firstly I wanted to spread the cost a bit over 2 or 3 months so having had the good ratings by independent reviewers, I ordered the Hankooks last month. It's usually a compromise between what you really want versus your budget. This month I was ready to order another pair, but the first set hadn't arrived by then so didn't get chance to see them.

Due to this I changed tack and looked for an alternative given that this year is flying by, and I needed to crack on with the suspension etc and getting tyres for the 20's were just an extension of that. I did hear the tyres were probably held up in France as a back lash of Brexit - (info from a the same Courier firm I caught on the street).

Secondly buying the tyres were a bit of a gamble as I had never seen either of them in the flesh. I didn't know how they'd sit on the wheels and how they would look in keeping with the rest of the van - a calculated chance I had to take. I ordered the Goodyear locally from a pick list of 3. Those, Accelera and Kumho as the options for the 265/40 R20 is fairly limited but they were all 104 rated. Looking at the Hankook's now, its fair to say I'd have gone with another pair straight away but the Goodyear also looks a good tyre. The proof is in the pudding they say.

The van gets treated with respect and I don't go flying into bends anymore. It's stability and wet breaking I'm more conscious of these days. I still have the chance to swap them front to back etc but wouldn't mix the types on the same axle. I'm old enough to remember the Cross-ply tyre adverts in the 70's lol, and I've also got my original set of Devonports shod with winter tyres anyway so the 20's will be off by December again.

Check out the advert. It never left me as my Dad had an 1100 at the time.

 

[t0mb0]

Fair point. Ordinarily I would have gone for the same tyre all round. The decision was 2 fold, firstly I wanted to spread the cost a bit over 2 or 3 months so having had the good ratings by independent reviewers, I ordered the Hankooks last month. It's usually a compromise between what you really want versus your budget. This month I was ready to order another pair, but the first set hadn't arrived by then so didn't get chance to see them.

Due to this I changed tack and looked for an alternative given that this year is flying by, and I needed to crack on with the suspension etc and getting tyres for the 20's were just an extension of that. I did hear the tyres were probably held up in France as a back lash of Brexit - (info from a the same Courier firm I caught on the street).

Secondly buying the tyres were a bit of a gamble as I had never seen either of them in the flesh. I didn't know how they'd sit on the wheels and how they would look in keeping with the rest of the van - a calculated chance I had to take. I ordered the Goodyear locally from a pick list of 3. Those, Accelera and Kumho as the options for the 265/40 R20 is fairly limited but they were all 104 rated. Looking at the Hankook's now, its fair to say I'd have gone with another pair straight away but the Goodyear also looks a good tyre. The proof is in the pudding they say.

The van gets treated with respect and I don't go flying into bends anymore. It's stability and wet breaking I'm more conscious of these days. I still have the chance to swap them front to back etc but wouldn't mix the types on the same axle. I'm old enough to remember the Cross-ply tyre adverts in the 70's lol, and I've also got my original set of Devonports shod with winter tyres anyway so the 20's will be off by December again.

Check out the advert. It never left me as my Dad had an 1100 at the time.

But aren't the Goodyears an all season tyre and the other one not? Depending on the temperature and conditions, you could have substantially more grip during braking on one end of the van than the other?

 

[Gavinda]

I wouldn't worry about two different tyres on the van, they're both a quality tyre, the electronics will deal with any slight discrepancies in grip front to back.

 

[Monkster1]

But aren't the Goodyear's an all season tyre and the other one not? Depending on the temperature and conditions, you could have substantially more grip during braking on one end of the van than the other?

Good point. Goodyear are stating don't mix. The fitting shop never raised that caution, and VW didn't when I went for the first MOT with winter tyres up front. I'm going to see how things transpire now.

 

[Gavinda]

Good point. Goodyear are stating don't mix. The fitting shop never raised that caution, and VW didn't when I went for the first MOT with winter tyres up front. I'm going to see how things transpire now.

That's because goodyear want you to buy 4 tyres instead of 2!

 

[Monkster1]

That's because goodyear want you to buy 4 tyres instead of 2!

Totally lol

 

[Ollyboy61]

Thanks to everyone that's provided feedback. I really appreciate it.

Based on the information above I'm going to commit to 275/35/20 9J front and rear to keep it simple and consistent. Probably going to go for a 40mm drop as well on the B14 Komfort suspension as it needs to be practical as well as look good.

I will post pictures once complete so that you can see the results, van is booked in on the 10th June.

Cheers

Reading with interest your journey …
going through same dilemma
please post more pics and voice your experience please

Olly

 

[Deleted member 24435]

Thanks to everyone that's provided feedback. I really appreciate it.

Based on the information above I'm going to commit to 275/35/20 9J front and rear to keep it simple and consistent. Probably going to go for a 40mm drop as well on the B14 Komfort suspension as it needs to be practical as well as look good.

I will post pictures once complete so that you can see the results, van is booked in on the 10th June.

Cheers

Did you go with that combination and if so what was the outcome?