Victorian Consolidated Regulations

Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 1999 - SECT 402

Mass limits for tyres, wheels and axles

402. Mass limits for tyres, wheels and axles



(1) The mass limit for a wheel or axle is the limit set by the wheel's or
axle's manufacturer.

(2) The mass limit for a tyre is the greatest load capacity determined for
that tyre by the manufacturer at a cold inflation pressure that does not
exceed-

   (a)  825 kilopascals for a radial ply tyre; or

   (b)  700 kilopascals for any other tyre.

(3) The mass limit for an axle group or single axle described in column 1 of
Table 1 is the limit set out in column 2 of that Table opposite the
description in column 1.

(4) Unless subregulation (5) applies, if an axle group described in column 1
of Table 1 includes a retractable axle, the mass limit set out in column 2
opposite to that description must be determined as if the retractable axle
were not part of the axle group.







(5) A retractable axle is part of an axle group for the purposes of Table 1
if, when the axle group's mass limit is-

   (a)  in the case of a tandem axle group, greater than 6×5 tonnes; or

   (b)  in the case of a tri-axle group, greater than 13×0 tonnes-

the tyres on the axle are in contact with the ground and the load-sharing
suspension system is operating on each axle (including the retractable axle)
and tyre in the group.

(6) The maximum sum of the mass limits for axle groups and single axles on a
vehicle is-

   (a)  in the case of a complying bus without a trailer-

   (i)  if the complying bus has 2 axles-16×0 tonnes; or

   (ii) if the complying bus has a rear tandem axle group fitted with single
        tyres on one axle and dual tyres on the other axle-20×0 tonnes; or

   (iii) if the complying bus has a rear tandem axle group fitted with dual
        tyres on both axles-22×5 tonnes; or

   (b)  in the case of a combination consisting of a complying bus and a
        trailer-the sum of the mass limits specified for the bus in paragraph
        (a) and the mass limits of the relevant axle groups and single axles
        of the trailer as set out in Table 1; or

   (c)  in any other case-the sum of the mass limits of the relevant axle
        groups and single axles as set out in Table 1.

Table 1 r. 402 Column 1 Column 2

Description of single axle or axle group Mass Limit (tonnes) Single axles and
single axle groups

Single steer axle on-

(a) a motor vehicle 6×0 (b) a complying bus 6×5 Single axle or single axle
group fitted with single tyres with a section width of-

(c) less than 375 millimetres 6×0 (d) at least 375 millimetres but less than
450 millimetres

6×7 (e) at least 450 millimetres 7×0 Single axle or single axle group fitted
with dual tyres on-

(f) a pig trailer 8×5 (g) a complying bus or a bus licensed to carry standing
passengers

10×0 (h) any other vehicle 9×0 Twinsteer axle groups

Twinsteer axle group without a load-sharing suspension system

10×0 Twinsteer axle group with a load-sharing suspension system

11×0 Tandem axle groups

Tandem axle group fitted with single tyres with a section width of-

(i) less than 375 millimetres 11×0 (j) at least 375 millimetres but less than
450 millimetres

13×3 (k) at least 450 millimetres 14×0

Column 1 Column 2

Description of single axle or axle group Mass Limit (tonnes) Tandem axle group
fitted with single tyres on one axle and dual tyres on the other axle on-

(l) a complying bus 14×0 (m) any other vehicle 13×0 Tandem axle group fitted
with dual tyres on-

(n) a pig trailer 15×0 (o) any other vehicle 16×5 Tri-axle groups

Tri-axle group on a vehicle fitted with single tyres with a section width of
less than 375 millimetres on all axles, or single tyres on 1 or 2 axles and
dual tyres on the other axle or axles





15×0 Tri-axle group on a pig trailer with either single tyres with a section
width of at least 375 millimetres, dual tyres on all axles, or a combination
of those tyres





18×0 Tri-axle group, on a vehicle other than a pig trailer, with either single
tyres with a section width of at least 375 millimetres, dual tyres, or a
combination of those tyres





20×0 Quad-axle groups

Quad-axle group fitted with single tyres with a section width of less than 375
millimetres

15×0 Quad-axle group fitted with single tyres with a section width of at least
375 millimetres or dual tyres

20×0