Extra Load Tyres

[Astonm]

Happy Christmas to you all

I have a Sport Estate with standard Continental Sport Contact 2 234/45/17 tyres on and I need to replace the fronts. Question is do I need to have the "Extra Load" tyres or can I get away with normal?

I have had a look at the tyres currently in use and I cannot see any markings to say they are Extra Load

Any ideas?

[gazza007]

This thread was running a while back, I think with your size normal load is OK, but I do need XL for mine. Also I posted a tyre test on about page 2 or 3.
https://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/s...ad.php?t=26201

Cheers

Gaz

[gamichea]

Happy Christmas to you all

I have a Sport Estate with standard Continental Sport Contact 2 234/45/17 tyres on and I need to replace the fronts. Question is do I need to have the "Extra Load" tyres or can I get away with normal?

I have had a look at the tyres currently in use and I cannot see any markings to say they are Extra Load

Any ideas?

I have the Sport saloon. I did not realise XL tyres were fitted until I came to replace the fronts and phoned my usual supplier for a quote on 235/45/17 and he asked the car involved and responded "you need extra load tyres, go look at what it came with". He was correct, it was there in very small script on the P Zero Rossos and is also on the replacement Primacy HPs.

From researching prices on the internet I get the feeling that manufacturers do not always produce XL and non-XL tyres in the same size/load index/speed rating combinations but that may be down to on-line retailers' stocking policies. Prices vary between XL and non-XL to various degrees.

Do you know if the Sport Contacts you have were factory fit or subsequent replacements?

You need to be wary because tyres deemed unsuitable can result in MOT failure and problems with Plod and Insurers in the event of an accident be you at fault or not.

I'm about to change the fronts on my Passat again and have decided on Goodyear Eagle F1 Assymetrics subject to an MOT Tester acquaintance giving the OK because they are only available in the correct spec.with a Y speed rating. As that means a higher performance tyre than one W rated commonsense says it should be OK but I'm taking no chances.

[Astonm]

Thanks Gazza, interesting reading but not much on XL. You say you need the Extra Laod tyres, how do I know if I need them? The book don't say anything about XL tyres

[Astonm]

Gamichea, not sure what they had on originally. The fronts in which need changing came with the car (from a dealer) but these do not have extra load on them. I had one rear changed last year and used the spare this does not have XL either. How can some have XL and some don't? my VW would be simular to Gazza's and requires XL

[gamichea]

Try Googling for "extra load tyres". It gets lots of results. Interestingly this one mentions several VWs where this issue has arisen and VW have admitted (eventually) that they were not necessary in those particular cases. This seems to confirm as correct the common answer the question "Why does my new car have XYZ tyres" which is "Because they were the best bulk buy suitable tyre deal the manufacturer could find at the time" .

http://htdig.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/...ex.htm?t=61606

I also get the sense from some results that a 97 XL tyre is no more than an XL version of a vanilla 94 with which would explain why there are not straight XL equivalents in all sizes. This does not seem logical to me but what do I know?

I also picked up that an alternative marking for XL is RF for Reinforced. May be Conti use that terminology?

Think I'll go and have a nosey in the handbook.

[gazza007]

I also picked up that an alternative marking for XL is RF for Reinforced. May be Conti use that terminology?

My Conti CH90's on my Alhambra were RF, from what I rember the rating was 97. The size was 205/15/60 but people with larger rims seemed to have normal load. I think with the Passat anybody with 16" seems to need XL/RF.

[Astonm]

Sorted it, spoke with VW and they say XL should be on my car so its booked in to have the fronts replaced with Conti 3's.

For reference, when I was phoning around for prices of said tyres the VW dealer was actually cheaper than all the places I contacted (national Tyres, ATS, Kwikfit, KTee, Jeff Fowkes etc) I was quite surprised at that.

Thanks for your input, have a good new year

[sathound]

FWIW, My May 2007 SEL 170PS Diesel Estate was fitted with 16inch wheels and Bridgestone tyres as standard and they are Extra Load and required to be according to the tyre distributors. I replaced the fronts after 18500 and a rear (due to puncture) after 24000 with the same original tyre which I am happy with.

[gingernut352000]

Hi all - extra load tyres as far as i can see are due to having to have the higher tyre pressures my research showed that non xl tyre can only go to 36psi where xls go to 42psi which is what i need on my sport for fully loaded car. I have just replaced with khumos but found good prices on black circles web site but my local fitter price match. with the problem with the rear saw tooth etc i went for cheap ones this time to see how they last why spend a fortune if they are going knacker after 28,000 miles.