TreeAdeyMan
04-04-2009, 12:51 PM
I'm looking to upgrade my wheels & tyres from 18s to 19s.
For tyres I'm looking at Kumho KU31 245/35R19. Had a set of KU31s in 225/50R17 on my old TE and liked them a lot, and it seems they are still good value for money. Current tyres are Yokohama 235/40R18 95Y.
Trouble is, the only KU31 19s I can find on the Net have a max load rating of 93Y, and the placard on my base model 2005 380 specifies a mimimum load rating of 95.
So it seems that technically the tyres I want are illegal.
But according to these forums higher spec 380s like the VRX have a load rating of 93, and the GT has a load rating of 91. Presumably due to the different tyres fitted as standard to these models compared to the base model.
I've also read somewhere that the way around my problem is to get a tyre placard from a VRX or GT and use it to replace my existing placard.
So my questions are:
Would it be OK to fit tyres with a load rating of 93 without touching my existing 95 rating tyre placard?
If not, would getting a different 93 or 91 rated placard do the trick?
If so, where would I get such a placard from? Dealer? And how hard is it to replace the existing placard? Just stick the new one over the top, or do I need to remove the old placard first? If I stuck it over the top could some nosey Plod or insurance wally cause me grief?
KJ.
For tyres I'm looking at Kumho KU31 245/35R19. Had a set of KU31s in 225/50R17 on my old TE and liked them a lot, and it seems they are still good value for money. Current tyres are Yokohama 235/40R18 95Y.
Trouble is, the only KU31 19s I can find on the Net have a max load rating of 93Y, and the placard on my base model 2005 380 specifies a mimimum load rating of 95.
So it seems that technically the tyres I want are illegal.
But according to these forums higher spec 380s like the VRX have a load rating of 93, and the GT has a load rating of 91. Presumably due to the different tyres fitted as standard to these models compared to the base model.
I've also read somewhere that the way around my problem is to get a tyre placard from a VRX or GT and use it to replace my existing placard.
So my questions are:
Would it be OK to fit tyres with a load rating of 93 without touching my existing 95 rating tyre placard?
If not, would getting a different 93 or 91 rated placard do the trick?
If so, where would I get such a placard from? Dealer? And how hard is it to replace the existing placard? Just stick the new one over the top, or do I need to remove the old placard first? If I stuck it over the top could some nosey Plod or insurance wally cause me grief?
KJ.