Replacing tyres

You should match every aspect of the tyre's specification to the manufacturer's original specification. An insurance company *could* decline a claim otherwise. If you ask them, they are very likely to tell you not to do it; it's in the nature of their business to be risk-adverse.

Is this the first set of tyres from new? If not, check the specification in the handbook.

In case you didn't know, the 82/86 are load ratings, and the replacements you are proposing are significantly lower:

IMO, that is more of a problem than the speed rating, and a good enough reason to not choose those tyres.

Chris

Leaving insurance to one side, the present tyres are rated for up to 149 MPH and the 86 is the load rating. V tyres are 'only' rated up to 130 MPH and the 82 is obviously a lower load rating.

I would be less worried about the speed rating than the load rating, as your opportunities for going above 130 MPH are limited. What is more, if you do have a blow-out at say 140 MPH with your V rated tyres, you will only have a very brief period in which to regret your tyre choice.

Under-doing the load rating means, of course, that you could easily have a blow-out at normal motorway speeds. This has the downside that you might merely be crippled, rather than being killed outright.

It seems very hard to find any '86' tyres in that size, and the 'V' is only relevant for the Jazz R. What does the handbook recommend?

Having checked the tyre spec plate on the car, it says 82H or 82V are both suitable. It seems that the tyres that were on the vehicle originally were over-specced at '86'. As it was an ex-demonstrator, I guess the tyres were whatever the showroom had available at the time - or they were doing a promotion or something. In any case, as '82H' tyres are much more common, it widens my choice considerably.

It's a Honda Jazz, fast and heavy are two words which don't apply here!

Thanks for the advice Chris.

Having now checked the tyre spec plate on the car, which I should have done in the first place, it says the loading index is 82 and the speed rating can be either V or H. The car was an ex-demonstrator, so it's possible that the dealer might have put on tyres they were promoting at the time - or trying to get rid of !

It certainly makes a choice of new tyres much easier, as the 82H rating is much more common.

Cheers.

Vic

82V may be cheaper, and I doubt that a Honda Jazz can go over the speed limit for V (130 MPH).

The higher rated tyres where probably fitted at the factory because it was the cheapest deal Honda could get in that size. They're not going buy half a million V rated ones and half a million H rated ones when they can get a better price for a million V rated ones. (There's probably no difference apart from the markings on the sidewall anyway.)

If Honda says it's ok, then it would seem the insurance bureaucrats shouldn't be able to slippery shoulder anything.

Incidentally the tyre rating is the point where it is expected to run under maximum load and speed for at least 30 minutes continuous before failing. This to do with heat build up, apparently not a mechanical limit.

Quite so. I don't think this one's ever been over 75 mph and the car weighs in at less than 1000 kg so loading is not going to be a problem either.