Gary, question about XL load rating on my tires..
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Gary, question about XL load rating on my tires..
I have a 2005 Audi S4, and the stock tires (235/40/18) are XL load rated. That tire is rated at 1521 lbs, while other tires in that size (not XL) are rated at 1356 lbs. Is that mainly for dynamic loading? What would be the risk if I do not put an XL rated tire on it. It seems that at 4 x 1356 = 5424, I still have plenty of margin (car weighs 3900) and I do not ever think I'll load even close to 1500 lbs on board (statically).
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Re: Gary, question about XL load rating on my tires..
Tires have a max load rating on them that is compared to your vehicles max load rating (called a gross axle weight rating or GAWR). The GAWR is basically the maximum weight that any one axle is rated to bear by Audi. The GAWR will be much higher than your cars actual weight, but we use it anyway to be safe just in case a customer does load their vehicle to its maximum capacity.
The standard load tires made in 235/40R18 have a max load of 1356lbs per tire when inflated to 36psi.
The extra load tires made in 235/40R18 have a max load of 1521 lbs per tire but have to be inflated to 44psi to reach it.
So, if the GAWR on your front axle and your rear axle is lower than 2712lbs (1356 each tire X2) this means that standard load tires exceed the load that Audi says your car can safely handle. If either the front or rear axle is greater than 2712lbs, you could potentially load the vehicle up with enough weight to exceed the rated maximum of standard load tires.
The GAWR on your car is exactly 2712lbs front and 2425lbs rear.
So if you use standard load tires and load your vehicle up to its maximum capacity your tires will need to be inflated to 36psi or higher and even at that pressure they will have zero excess load capacity.
The standard load tires made in 235/40R18 have a max load of 1356lbs per tire when inflated to 36psi.
The extra load tires made in 235/40R18 have a max load of 1521 lbs per tire but have to be inflated to 44psi to reach it.
So, if the GAWR on your front axle and your rear axle is lower than 2712lbs (1356 each tire X2) this means that standard load tires exceed the load that Audi says your car can safely handle. If either the front or rear axle is greater than 2712lbs, you could potentially load the vehicle up with enough weight to exceed the rated maximum of standard load tires.
The GAWR on your car is exactly 2712lbs front and 2425lbs rear.
So if you use standard load tires and load your vehicle up to its maximum capacity your tires will need to be inflated to 36psi or higher and even at that pressure they will have zero excess load capacity.
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Re: Gary, question about XL load rating on my tires..
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/114043/dsc00706.jpg"></center><p>Gary, here is a picture of one of my 255/35/ZR19 96Y XL Yokohama S4 Tires mounted on my 2006/A6 4.2 recently purchased from the Tirerack. I'm very pleased so far with quiet ride and the excellent handling capability of these tires.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/114043/dsc00707.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/114043/dsc00707.jpg">
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