Tire/Towing 7,700#'s question?

smilit1 · 07-03-2009

I have 18" OEM wheels on mine. I need a new set of tires. I did my homework on this site and tirerack's. I would like to get a bigger wheel, say 19" or 20" for cosmetic reasons only. I want to stay away from ultra high performance tires that last 10k miles.

My questions are:
1.) If you are towing the maximum weight that the Treg can tow, would the 19"s or 20"s make a big difference. (I talked to TireRack and the guy said that 20"s were also an option on my 04 V8, I didn't think he was right but if he is right, the factory load ratings would be 106 on the 20"s which is lower than the 108 on the 19"s.)

2.) I am leaning towards the:
Bridgestone Dueler Alenza (only available in 20" wheel)
Yokohama Geolanders
General Grabber UHP

Can anyone shed some light on these tires?

3.) What profile size do you recommend, ie: 275/45 vs 275/55...

BTW: I just got the Touareg, if you look at my signature, I have been a member for a while, I was just dreaming of a Treg back then, now I am living it. I am going to go clean it up and post pictures for my official introduction.

*****I forgot to mention: I won't be doing any offroading with it, I will see chicago snow, I absolutely don't want any kind of rubbing because the tires/wheels don't fit right.*****

**nickm** · 07-03-2009

Just make sure BOTH the tires and wheels are made to handle the weight...you need at least 106 load rated tires. I'm running 275/45/20 Yokohamas with 110V load rating.

As for wheels make sure your wheels are capable of dealing with the considerable weight of the touareg plus maximum payload. I'm running august were 20"ers which are specifically made for the Cayenne/Treg/Q7 and are designed to handle the weight.

smilit1 · 07-03-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickm

Just make sure BOTH the tires and wheels are made to handle the weight...you need at least 106 load rated tires. I'm running 275/45/20 Yokohamas with 110V load rating.

As for wheels make sure your wheels are capable of dealing with the considerable weight of the touareg plus maximum payload. I'm running august were 20"ers which are specifically made for the Cayenne/Treg/Q7 and are designed to handle the weight.

You know, that is a real good comment! I was planning on purchasing aftermarket wheels on ebay. I didn't even think about the effect of the weight compared to OEM wheels. If I was going to be towing less than 5,000 #'s, it probably wouldn't really matter. Since I am going to the maximum limits, it is probably something I should seriously consider.
Per my last post, do you know if you could get 20" as an option from VW? As far as I thought, the only bigger wheel was the 19"???

**nickm** · 07-03-2009

I don't remember 20s as an option in north america, but other parts of the world came with 20s. Also don't forget there are Cayenne and Q7 20" OEM wheels which also bolt up. If you are going aftermarket, just make sure you know what you're getting and make sure you ask the question on load capability...Borbet, BBS, OZ are long established (Borbet is the VW OEM wheel maker as well) so those are some brands you might want to start with.

khaug1 · 07-05-2009

I've had a set of Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenzas on our egg since it was new. They are size 255/55x18 and are mounted on the OE 18x8" wheels. They have been excellent tires; great grip wet and dry, silent, ride well and still have 9/32" of tread at 23,000 miles. My only criticism is that they are only mediocre in snow and ice.

I tow a 5500# trailer and have had no issues at all with these tires. I'd highly recommend them. Good luck.