'T' Rated vs. 'H' Rated Tires

HOOPER65 · Dec 9, 2018

'T' Rated vs. 'H' Rated Tires

Hello all . . .

Most VW's if not all - spec 'H' rated tires ...

Can we discuss the pro's and cons of

'T' Rated vs. 'H' Rated Tires ?

I know T & H are speed specifications

as in H is for higher speed ...

but if you're not on the Nurburgring every day ( exaggeration, I know ),

is a T rated tire just fine ... for a Mark 4 Golf and newer ?

My impression is that an H rated tire has a stiffer sidewall too,

which would make for a stiffer ride ...

so would a T be more comfortable for day to day driving ?

Looking at PERELLI P4 PLUS - which come in T or H ...

but seem to rate the same in general performance.

Seeking opinions and to learn some things I might not be aware of ...

. . . lend me your thoughts my friends ???

truman · Dec 9, 2018

I went for P4 T rated for thicker tread and longer treadware rating. I have no plans to excede the T speed rating. They have been on for 3mo and no complaints.

HOOPER65 · Dec 9, 2018

The reason why I'm thinking T is I'm wondering if the sidewall of the H is stiff ... and a T would just be a more comfortable feel and drive ... less bumps transmitting to the car . . . Am I right in thinking an H tire is generally stiffer ?

bizzle · Dec 14, 2018

Lots of threads discussing this on this forum and elsewhere, but here is a nice summary of the points I think merit consideration:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4107452&postcount=14
(and there is some more important discussion after that post regarding tire pressure)

truman · Dec 14, 2018

Load index 91 is same on Pirelli P4 H or T 205 55 16
IIRC they do make a 215 50 16 with a higher load index

Intech · Dec 15, 2018

Tire ratings

HOOPER65 said:
'T' Rated vs. 'H' Rated Tires

Hello all . . .

Most VW's if not all - spec 'H' rated tires ...

Can we discuss the pro's and cons of

'T' Rated vs. 'H' Rated Tires ?

I know T & H are speed specifications

as in H is for higher speed ...

but if you're not on the Nurburgring every day ( exaggeration, I know ),

is a T rated tire just fine ... for a Mark 4 Golf and newer ?

My impression is that an H rated tire has a stiffer sidewall too,

which would make for a stiffer ride ...

so would a T be more comfortable for day to day driving ?

Looking at PERELLI P4 PLUS - which come in T or H ...

but seem to rate the same in general performance.

Seeking opinions and to learn some things I might not be aware of ...

. . . lend me your thoughts my friends ???

Over the years, once I understood the meaning of all the info that is on a tire, I always went for the H, Z or W rating, not for the speed angle, which is nice to know that you have, but for all the other things that make the tire that particular rating, such as temperature and tread wear. I have generally found that higher tread wear means less traction, especially in inclement weather.Rather than me trying to explain it all to you, I’ve enclosed a link to Tire Rack, and FWIW, I’ve been dealing with them for over 25 years and would recommend them to anyone
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...91318&ef_id=XApiywAAAGw1fXrg:20181215111347:s

bizzle · Dec 20, 2018

I will say that my Yokohama AVIDs are the most ridiculous tire I've ever owned. I have put over 50K (freeway) miles on them and they still look like they'd do another 50K. I'll have to replace them before they're worn out, which is what I had to do with whatever Yokohama AVID-ish tire that was on there before which they replaced with these current models because the old ones had sidewall cracks (but the tread was still meaty).

I can't remember what I put on my wagon but I'm pretty sure they're whatever version of AVIDs are rated for this load. They're def yokos, though.

scooperhsd · Dec 20, 2018

I would strongly suggest you stay with the 91H rated tires. Way early, I put some 89S rated on my Beetle - we actually had a blowout in addition to the tires wearing out faster.

VW engineers sometimes do things that have us scratching our heads, but they do know what they're doing on tire specs.

One other point - you need to replace your spare tire every so often as well. My full size spare on my Beetle had been there since I bought the car in Mar 2003 - I replaced it be moving out here. I had two back tires that were about due , put the better one on as my spare and put 2 new ones on the car.

Jetta_Pilot · Dec 21, 2018

In my opinion whatever the speed ratings on a tire are, you'll never be reaching those speeds. I believe the lower your sidewalls are the choppier your car will ride. For example those 40 sidewalls have hardly any cushioning effect.
When I replaced my OEM lousy Hancook tires with a 55 sidewall the cushioning effect was immediately noticeable.

'T' Rated vs. 'H' Rated Tires

HOOPER65

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truman

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HOOPER65

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bizzle

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truman

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Intech

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bizzle

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scooperhsd

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Jetta_Pilot

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