Delica - the next challenge - help please me re weight issues

[delicagirl]

A couple of weeks ago Collette you asked what a "grey import " was, now you know!.

The issues you face , perhaps explains one or two groups I worked for in the motor trade wouldn't take a grey import in part exchange.

Personally I think the "greys " offer good value for money in some instances,but perhaps worthy of consideration to anyone thinking of buying "grey"

Channa

Aye - I've learned so much about my van from the guys and gals on this forum and when the time comes to sell it (when i am in my dotage!!) i will be able to pass it all on to the next owner. I paid £10k and have probably spent another £5k on it, but it has another 100,000 left in the engine, no sign of rust anywhere, and is just what i want.

If my struggles with this van have helped others learn stuff about their vans then my frustrations and postings and the many kind responses will have been of value.

 

[Channa]

Aye - I've learned so much about my van from the guys and gals on this forum and when the time comes to sell it (when i am in my dotage!!) i will be able to pass it all on to the next owner. I paid £10k and have probably spent another £5k on it, but it has another 100,000 left in the engine, no sign of rust anywhere, and is just what i want.

If my struggles with this van have helped others learn stuff about their vans then my frustrations and postings and the many kind responses will have been of value.

Please don't take my post as a criticism of any kind, merely pointing out potential headaches.

re tyre pressures a bit of experimenting I think re pressures is best answer to that question

Channa

 

[Chris356]

If your front tyres are from Japan they will have jis on the wall but the most important thing is when they were manufactured - in the uk and Europe they have the month and year on the tyre wall. With it being imported when it was over 10 year old it didn't need a types approval (sva) and also with it being a motor caravan even if it was under 10 year old it is exempt from the sva

 

[wildebus]

The vehicle is registered as an MPV, which is an M1 classification.
That form is for a vehicle that will be registered as an N1 and therefore does not apply.
Maybe the DVLA wasn't interested in processing what would be the wrong form?

(The advantage of owning a small van which is actually an MPV is knowing the difference )

 

[delicagirl]

Please don't take my post as a criticism of any kind, merely pointing out potential headaches.

re tyre pressures a bit of experimenting I think re pressures is best answer to that question

Channa

I didn't !!!!

 

[Byronic]

4x800kg tyres =3200kg indicating (unless whoever fitted them got it wrong) that this is not a 3500kg van. If you do get pulled over for weighing, why should Plod or VOSA just turn a blind eye, they may well investigate further if there's no proof on the vehicle or database. And who knows to what lengths an insurance company will go to in certain circumstances.This predicates on the figures on #1 post being correct ie 2500kg - 2490kg=10kg payload allowance left in a fairly lightly loaded van?
Or am I missing something?

 

[delicagirl]

4x800kg tyres =3200kg indicating (unless whoever fitted them got it wrong) that this is not a 3500kg van. If you do get pulled over for weighing, why should Plod or VOSA just turn a blind eye, they may well investigate further if there's no proof on the vehicle or database. And who knows to what lengths an insurance company will go to in certain circumstances.This predicates on the figures on #1 post being correct ie 2500kg - 2490kg=10kg payload allowance left in a fairly lightly empty van?
Or am I missing something?

i have only inspected 2 tyres as yet - i dont know the size of the other two tyres till tomorow - but with it being a 4WD van i guess they are all going to be the same

 

[Byronic]

I can't think of a vehicle intended to be fitted with different spec. tyres. There's just the chance that someone has made a "mistake" and it should be shod with 1000kg. hence I wrote "indicates". I hope I'm wrong of course. Taking that "like" back would make me feel better!
I was hoping for a flood of respondng posts contradicting my assumptions!

 

[colinm]

OK we are now getting a bit more info from you, but still need to know the individual axle weights.
i'll stick my neck out here.
I can now say with some confidence that the tyre blew out because it was overloaded and under inflated.
the figures you have found on the arch are most probably the tyre pressures in bar, BUT in your case would only apply to the empty van (bit of a guess until axle weights are available), once you start loading the van you will be pushing the rear tyres to max even if you inflate them more.
It strikes me you may need to consider adding air suspension to rear, and upping the tyres to 107 load index, this should solve the axle loading problems and ensure you have no more blow outs, as for overall max weight, i'll pass on that to any expert on delica's.

 

[wildebus]

Your mention about being 4WD and tyres therefore probably being the same brought a thought to mind....
Do you know if it is permanent 4WD or not?
Many 4WD systems will require the tyres front and back to have a similar rolling radius within a few percentage of each other. If it is part-time 4WD (often labelled AWD on japanese cars), then the system is usually more forgiving.
On my older RAV4s I have had from 2005, there was a specific warning about this in the handbook, and I usex to rotate the tyres front to rear to even the wear out periodicially.
The same was true of my Celica 4WD from 1990, but my RAV4 from 2011 had 4WD on demand and the tyre wear didn't matter that much.

Mentioning this in case when you check out the tyres in case two seem correct and two don't, you might need to think about changing all 4 regardless rather then just 2 so all 4 are similar.

 

[delicagirl]

OK we are now getting a bit more info from you, but still need to know the individual axle weights.
i'll stick my neck out here.

I can now say with some confidence that the tyre blew out because it was overloaded and under inflated.
the figures you have found on the arch are most probably the tyre pressures in bar, BUT in your case would only apply to the empty van (bit of a guess until axle weights are available), once you start loading the van you will be pushing the rear tyres to max even if you inflate them more.
It strikes me you may need to consider adding air suspension to rear, and upping the tyres to 107 load index, this should solve the axle loading problems and ensure you have no more blow outs, as for overall max weight, i'll pass on that to any expert on delica's.

i wasn't ignoring that colin - i have just looked at the weigh bridge paperwork and it does not give me an individual axle weight. The van was weighed on a huge weigh plate designed for the largest of lorries. Should i go back and ask for a separate axle weight weigh?

Could you kindly explain the phrase adding air suspension to rear and upping the tyres to 107 load index - thank you.

 

[Byronic]

OK we are now getting a bit more info from you, but still need to know the individual axle weights.
i'll stick my neck out here.
I can now say with some confidence that the tyre blew out because it was overloaded and under inflated.
the figures you have found on the arch are most probably the tyre pressures in bar, BUT in your case would only apply to the empty van (bit of a guess until axle weights are available), once you start loading the van you will be pushing the rear tyres to max even if you inflate them more.
It strikes me you may need to consider adding air suspension to rear, and upping the tyres to 107 load index, this should solve the axle loading problems and ensure you have no more blow outs, as for overall max weight, i'll pass on that to any expert on delica's.

No good getting anything done until you establish the MAM of the vehicle. If it's 2500kg then changing the tyres would be a waste, 800kg is fine. If MAM is 3500kg then a change is needed and all is OK. If the MAM is unknown and the purpose is to pull the wool over plods eyes then a change is probably required, I say probably because the original tyres are just as likely to fool plod as any new higher rated variety, and for reasons of safety of course, the van would have to be used as 2500kg MAM.

 

[colinm]

i wasn't ignoring that colin - i have just looked at the weigh bridge paperwork and it does not give me an individual axle weight. The van was weighed on a huge weigh plate designed for the largest of lorries. Should i go back and ask for a separate axle weight weigh?

Could you kindly explain the phrase upping the tyres to 107 load index - thank you.

i'm making a whole load of guesses and assumptions here.
forget any 'heavy duty' nonsense you may read on the tyres, (I have two of my 4x4 on 'extra load' tyres, these are totaly unsuitable for van type loads) the important bit is the 'load index', on your tyres this appears to be 100.
I'm going to guess your axle loads at 1t front 1.5t rear based on the photo which seems to show it dragging it's arse, this is near the top limit for 100 index tyres, once you start adding load most of this will go on back and it would be prudent to get a higher rated tyre, the likes of Renault go for 107 load index tyres on the 2.5t Traffic which is a bit OTT but may be better safe than sorry, you would need to check what higher rated tyres are commonly available in the size you use.

 

[delicagirl]

Your mention about being 4WD and tyres therefore probably being the same brought a thought to mind....
Do you know if it is permanent 4WD or not?
Many 4WD systems will require the tyres front and back to have a similar rolling radius within a few percentage of each other. If it is part-time 4WD (often labelled AWD on japanese cars), then the system is usually more forgiving.
On my older RAV4s I have had from 2005, there was a specific warning about this in the handbook, and I usex to rotate the tyres front to rear to even the wear out periodicially.
The same was true of my Celica 4WD from 1990, but my RAV4 from 2011 had 4WD on demand and the tyre wear didn't matter that much.

Mentioning this in case when you check out the tyres in case two seem correct and two don't, you might need to think about changing all 4 regardless rather then just 2 so all 4 are similar.

i dont know the answer to your question about permanent 4WD - i have two gear sticks one normal, and the other one allows me to access the 2 seperate 4WDs - although i only use one of them - as the van is too tall and top heavy to go down really steep-sloping terrain. My garage said i definitely need 4 tyres the same.

 

[colinm]

No good getting anything done until you establish the MAM of the vehicle. If it's 2500kg then changing the tyres would be a waste, 800kg is fine. If MAM is 3500kg then a change is needed. If the MAM is unknown and the purpose is to pull the wool over plods eyes then a change is probably required, I say probably because the original tyres are just as likely to fool plod as any new higher rated variety, and used only if the van is considered (not proven) as being 2500kg.

If as I guess the rear is at 1.5t unladen 100 index tyres are not fine at all, the tyres must be suitable for the most laden axle not 1/4 of MAM, as an example my van is 3.5t, but runs on 119 load indax tyres as the rear axle is rated at 2.4t.
p.s. also not to forget the van has already suffered a rear blow out, of what seems to have been a serviceable tyre.

 

[mark61]

Sure it will be a part time 4x4.

Searching classified of similar MH's, of those that show a GVW, most show 2805Kg. Searching for cab chassis in commercial sections most 2700Kg. Not much help really, as like most vans, different models with different GVW would have been available.

 

[delicagirl]

No good getting anything done until you establish the MAM of the vehicle. If it's 2500kg then changing the tyres would be a waste, 800kg is fine. If MAM is 3500kg then a change is needed and all is OK. If the MAM is unknown and the purpose is to pull the wool over plods eyes then a change is probably required, I say probably because the original tyres are just as likely to fool plod as any new higher rated variety, and for reasons of safety of course, the van would have to be used as 2500kg MAM.

Please tell me what MAM stands for.....

the purpose of all this research is not to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, but to get my van as safe as i can - the blow out i had 2 weeks ago was quite scary and i don't want to do that again if i can avoid it. It's also in my mind that i may go for a very long jaunt next year/2018 and i need to have the van legal and to be able to carry as much as poss without endangering the van or me.

If i have to buy 5 new tyres then that's what i have to do - but until i can establish the van's weight - that's pointless - as we all recognise.

Monday i will phone the weigh bridge and see if i can get the axles separately weighed - then go and talk to the local tyre specialist and come back here with more information. Once again guys thank you - enjoy your saturday night

 

[mark61]

Maximum Authorised Mass.

Stick with GVW

 

[delicagirl]

Maximum Authorised Mass.

Stick with GVW

AAARRGGHH - whats GVW stand for then !!!!!

 

[ricc]

just as a comparison my 2.8 tonne transit panel van is on 195 14s , tyres are bog standard cheap ones, sidewalls say max 900kg at 65 psi

if your running somewhere in the 2.5 to 3 tonne range your rear tyres at 44psi are overloaded, if theyre rated at 800kg you need to be running near max pressure. even then the rear could be overloaded because of the uneven load distribution between front and rear. be worth putting heavy stuff as far forward as possible


basically tyres blow out because the sidewalls are flexing too much, increasing the pressure reduces the flexing, driving style and speed also has an effect. heavier rated tyres have stiffer sidewalls . get the sidewalls too stiff and the ride gets harder cos the tyre doesnt flex over bumps and grip is reduced cos the tyre doesnt mould onto the road so well.

sounds like you need to talk to a decent commercial tyre fitter