Tyres

The 2.0 SE might be classed as a sports car but it's not exactly speedy :-) Didn't buy it for speed I guess.

Cheers, Rob.

Yes, after looking around a bit they do seem very competitive. Local garage charges £10 a wheel which isn't too bad.

Cheers, Rob.

Like Vredestein for example.

Just know where your jacking points are, what adaptors should be fitted, and do not be afraid to watch the monkey. Last one bent a sill.

Very few tyres are a true Z speed rating , Z means for speed's over 150mph but the true rating is normally W ( up to 168mph) or Y .(up to 186mph ) . So you will see tyres marked as ZR (94W) , the R stands for Radial which most tyres are today. Your only guide as to a tyres performance is personal recommendation or to judge by the the UTQG which most tyre have on the sidewall. This is an interesting read on UTQG :

I've got a 1.1 Metro and 1.5D Pug 106 if you fancy some perspective. :-)

It doesn't work like that.

It's the load rating. How well the car stands up to all load, both in a straight line, accelerating, braking and twisty stuff.

My previous, previous machine could use either T or H rated tyres. I used a few Kas with T speed tyres and the difference was enough to convince me to _never_ to put Ts on...

It does work... but cannot compensate for deliberate biffing up the kerb, say.

FYI I had this conversation with my ins co over our 140mph rated tyres in a car that can't crack more than 105 down hill with the wind behind it (following on from MOT/service at Nationwide where they said we needed 3 new tyres to pass the MOT - didn't like their prices, tried S*it-Fit and National both of whom tried to peddle their special offer "budget" tyres that were on offer but at the speed rating below the standard fit for the car).

They deferred me to the underwriter (Provident Insurance). Their statement was that my insurance policy would effectively be null and void unless new tyres fitted on the vehicle were to exactly the same specification as when the vehicle left the factory. So I posed a few questions......

Q. Let's say I bought the car 2nd hand and the previous owner had changed the spec of the tyre, and I replaced worn out with new of the same size with no knowledge of the fact they were wrong. A. Tough

Q. Lets say the car was built new with one spec of tyre, but the customer opted for alloys at the dealer and these came with a different size tyre to the ones it left the factory with. A. Tough

Q. I buy a set of alloys and new tyres of the right speed rating, but a lower profile. A. Tough - unless you informed us and we agreed to make this exception to your cover.

But this was the genius one......and they fell over at this point.

Q. I have just bought a new car, which, arrived with tyres different to that in the handbook. It's direct from the factory - but has arrived with a lower profile tyre than the handbook says is valid for the vehicle - how about that. A. Errrm - tough one that - we would probably have to defer to additional leal advice.

So the upshot is - stick with the book size if you want to insure it - and if the book size and the ones fitted at the factory differ - they will find a reason not to pay out anyway :)

HTH

Cheers Dan.

What, including speed rating? Eeeek!

so we have to inform our insurers each time we have our tyres renewed?

what else?

I have a switch on my dash to power up my glow plug relay, does that count? (cost me fifteen quid in the end, I fitted a switch in a blank hole, and included an inline fuse at 5amp. Hole in the side of the dash and the wires come through the door casing. I was F'd if I was going through the bulkhead, looked like I'd have to take the dash out for a poxy switch)

No, only if you don't fit a tyre of the same specification according to the manufacturer.

The Ka, for example, on 13" wheels can have 165/65/13Hs or 165/65/13Ts. Either will do. Use any other load rating you need to tell your insurance company. Or ask them if it's okay if you're young. :)

Yes. It's a modification.