Can I get tires that have a lower tire load index than what is recommended?

Question

I own a 2000 VW Jetta. The manufacture recommended size tires are 195/65/15. They have a speed rating/load index of 91H. I found a great deal on some tires that are the same size (195/65/15), but the speed rating/load index is 89H. Would it be a problem to put these tires on my car. I don't want it to be unsafe if they were not designed for the weight of my car? The current tires on the car are Goodyear Vivas. The ones I am looking at buying are Bridgestone. Thanks!

Answer 1

difference so small buy them be happy..dont drive at sustained speeds of 90....

Answer 2

Don't look at the tires on the car now,  but at the manufacture spec sheets.   Your tire dealer should not  recommend a tire not suitable for your vehicle usage.

Answer 3

The speed rating/load index applies to each tire...The weight of your vehicle is about 2800 lbs...Add (approx.) 800 lbs for maximum cargo/occupant capacity for a total of about 3600 lbs gross vehicle weight...Four tires rated 91 could handle 5424 lbs, 89 rate could take 5116 lbs.

The answer to your question is - No problem...Just keep an eye on how much weight the car is carrying.

All the best.

Answer 4

When you place a "P" in front of your tire size it actually changes the size/sizing system.  I would not in any case recommend reducing the load index of a tire.  The other answers that include a 2MPH difference are the reason people get hurt/killed.  The number in the service rating (91H or 89H) is the scale that represents load capacity. It is never "ok" to reduce the load capacity of the tires on any car.

Answer 5

Probably best not to.  However, the 91H would be allowing for a fully loaded car, so, if you're not ever intending to load your car to the maximum allowable load, ...

But DON'T CHEAP OUT ON TIRES!  They're the most important part of any vehicle - the ONLY thing that connects you to the road.  Also, they might determine if you can avoid an unexpected emergency situation or not.  I always recommend getting the best (i.e., highest performance) tires that you can afford.  They could end up saving you ALOT more than the difference in price that you pay.

A great tire in your 195/65-15 size is the Bridgestone Potenza RE960AS Pole Position

see http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?...

Answer 6

You should stay with the mfg recommended tire rating. Also, a tire shop is likely to refuse to put a lower rated tire on your car due to liability issues.

Answer 7

I would always stay with what the manufacturer recommends because they do this for safety reasons and a difference of 2mph could be dangerous.

91 equals 1356lbs.

89 equals 1279lbs.