Amarok Cantera 19 wheels tyre size guide for T5/T6

The Problem

The owner bought a set of 8J x 19 ET43 Amarok Cantera wheels for their VW Transporter but the original 255/55/19 Amarok tyres needed replacing. They were unsure which tyre size met the T32 load requirement and whether a 70mm suspension drop would cause arch clearance problems.

Solution

1. Fit 255/45/19 104XL or 104Y tyres for T32 load-rated vans; 245/45/19 is acceptable for T30 variants.
   • The wider 255 also gives slightly more protection to the wheel's protruding spokes.
2. Before lowering, measure the distance from the centre of the hub to the top of the wheel arch to establish a baseline.
   • On standard suspension, factory height is typically in the region of 460–470 mm front and rear, but T5 and T6 have subtly different suspension geometry, so this figure may not apply equally to both (confirm this applies to your T5 or T6 generation). Treat it as an indicative starting point only and measure your own van.
   • Arch clearance also varies with body style. This guidance is based on a standard configuration; SWB vs LWB and panel van vs kombi vans can differ, so verify clearance against your specific body configuration rather than assuming the figures transfer (verify against your own body style before lowering).
3. A 70mm suspension drop is compatible with 255/45/19 tyres on these wheels — no arch trimming or additional clearance work is needed.
   • Multiple owners have run this combination for years, including towing, without fitment problems.
4. Expect speedo accuracy to remain close to GPS speed with this tyre size; you should see less than roughly 1 mph error at 70 mph.