Victorian Consolidated Regulations

-- - SECT 159

Mass limits for tyres, wheels and axles

159. 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 the
tyre by the manufacturer at a cold inflation pressure that is not more than-

   (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 in this regulation is the corresponding mass limit set out in column 2
of that Table.

(4) If an axle group described in column 1 of Table 1 in this regulation
includes a retractable axle, the mass limit applies as if the retractable axle
were not part of the axle group.

(5) Despite subregulation (4), 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 sum of the mass limits for axle groups and single axles on a vehicle
is-

   (a)  for a complying bus without a trailer-

   (i)  if the complying bus has 2 axles, 16 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 tonnes; or

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

   (ab) for a low floor bus, 16 tonnes; and





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

   (c)  for any other vehicle, the sum of the mass limits of the relevant axle
        groups and single axles as set out in Table 1 to this regulation .

Table 1 Item Column 1 Column 2

Description of single axle or axle group Mass limit

Single axles and single axle groups

Single steer axle on-

1 a motor vehicle 6×0 tonnes 2 a complying bus 6×5 tonnes

Single axle or single axle group fitted with single tyres with a section width
of-

3 less than 375 millimetres 6×0 tonnes 4 at least 375 millimetres but less
than 450 millimetres

6×7 tonnes 5 at least 450 millimetres 7×0 tonnes

Single axle or single axle group fitted with dual tyres on-

6 a pig trailer 8×5 tonnes 7 a complying bus or a bus licensed to carry
standing passengers

10×0 tonnes 7A rear axle on a low floor bus 11·0 tonnes 8 any other vehicle
9×0 tonnes

Item Column 1 Column 2

Twinsteer axle groups

9 Twinsteer axle group without a load-sharing suspension system

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

11×0 tonnes

Tandem axle groups

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

12 less than 375 millimetres 11×0 tonnes

Description of single axle or axle group Mass limit 13 at least 375
millimetres but less than 450 millimetres

13×3 tonnes 14 at least 450 millimetres 14×0 tonnes

Tandem axle group fitted with single tyres on one axle and dual tyres on the
other axle on-

15 a complying bus 14×0 tonnes 16
any other vehicle 13×0 tonnes

Tandem axle group fitted with dual tyres on-

17 a pig trailer 15×0 tonnes 18 any other vehicle 16×5 tonnes

Tri-axle groups

19 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 tonnes 20 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 tonnes

Item Column 1 Column 2 21 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 tonnes

Quad-axle groups

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

15×0 tonnes 23 Quad-axle group fitted with single tyres with a section width
of at least 375 millimetres or dual tyres

20×0 tonnes