What to use as a spare tyre?

[SimonM]

I am going to fit Michelin Cross-Climates all round when I finally make a decision to change from 15” to 16” alloy wheels. An ideal Christmas present to me

Then arises the question what shall I do for a spare tyre? I believe they are directional, and so should a spare be needed to be used there’s a 50/50 chance of getting it wrong.

So shall I……

a. Get 5 matching wheels, and 5 C-C fitted, and if a spare is needed hope it’s the correct orientation, and if not then get it off pdq when the puncture is sorted?

b. Get a 16” steel wheel (so it saves a little money) and fit a C-C as above?

c. Keep my existing steel 15” with its current Mich. Agilis Camper and use it as a ‘space-saver’ (money saver)

Thoughts?

 

[trevskoda]

A wee black thing with a hole in the middle is best.

 

[SimonM]

A wee black thing with a hole in the middle is best.

That’s an Oreo.

 

[TeamRienza]

I need to change the rear 16inch wheels on my van. 2014 with 49,000 miles driven. I have posted about it in a couple of threads, Michelin now only do Cross Climates specifically for Motorhomes.
This produced the quandary of wether it is good practice to have all season on one axle and Aglis M&S on the other.
I am minded to change all four as I believe in having good tyres making contact with the ground. It means though, that I will have 2 Aglis CP tyres of 2019 vintage with good tread (probably 15 to 20,000 miles on them) literally going spare.
I will cut my losses by rotating the best 2019 with the spare which is 2014 and near the limit (previous original front tyre).
The vehicle would be driven more slowly and with an increased caution until the cross climate was repaired. Probably no worse than driving with a skinny spare, and certainly better than the repair canister sold with vehicles nowadays.
Final decision in February.

Davy

 

[Wully]

100%. C. Anything dose for a spare as long as it fits and gets you off the rd no sense in an expencive tyre ageing and rotting away under a van.

 

[Tezza33]

It is illegal to have different tyres on the same axle but it is also illegal to have different tread depths as well so most probably we have all broken the law putting a spare wheel on so it is a risk only you can decide.

I have cross climate tyres on all for wheels, I decided against fitting one on the spare because they are directional so I kept the tyre that was already on the spare wheel, it is a full winter tyre but I have no concerns about using it until I get a puncture repaired, at least I will be aware of it and drive accordingly.
If you drive with a directional tyre on the wrong side you lose a bit of wet grip, braking distance will be longer but again personally I would still use one if that was the only option, I would just drive steady until it was changed.
Either option is better than a space saver wheel that you cannot exceed 50mph

 

[Nabsim]

It is illegal to have different tyres on the same axle but it is also illegal to have different tread depths as well so most probably we have all broken the law putting a spare wheel on so it is a risk only you can decide.

I have cross climate tyres on all for wheels, I decided against fitting one on the spare because they are directional so I kept the tyre that was already on the spare wheel, it is a full winter tyre but I have no concerns about using it until I get a puncture repaired, at least I will be aware of it and drive accordingly.
If you drive with a directional tyre on the wrong side you lose a bit of wet grip, braking distance will be longer but again personally I would still use one if that was the only option, I would just drive steady until it was changed.
Either option is better than a space saver wheel that you cannot exceed 50mph

Do you mean it’s illegal to have different size tyres on the same axle Tel, never heard of any law in this country regarding different makes?
Putting a 15” on with 16” is I know but if the tyre was a different profile giving same overall diameter I aren’t sure. Some stuff now doesn’t like much difference in diameter being fitted, not like the old days huh when we could happily run on a rim, or if you had a Citroen not even bother with a wheel on one corner

 

[trevskoda]

You can have any tyre with any legal tread, but i as a rule never mix treads on front axles esp if a fwd unit, the old law which still stands is, you cannot mix cross ply with radial on the same axle, when was the last time x ply tyres were sold except for old vintage cars and old n cycles.

 

[Nabsim]

You can have any tyre with any legal tread, but i as a rule never mix treads on front axles esp if a fwd unit, the old law which still stands is, you cannot mix cross ply with radial on the same axle, when was the last time x ply tyres were sold except for old vintage cars and old n cycles.

I used to buy Avon vintage car tyres for the rear of my XS1100 outfit Trev. Did a good few of them and many miles home and abroad without problem. Stopped using the after peeling the tread at 120mph plus coming back from France one year though and changed to Metzlers.
You definitely can’t legally put any tyre on though even though I have done so. You need to comply with load and speed ratings as a minimum. I almost bought a lovely Mitsubishi import (can’t remember the model but a proper quick one) till I found you had to have a certain Pirelli fitted to insure it. Back in 2000 these were almost £500 each I think it was and it needed two. I didn’t buy it but was only luck I found out about it before doing the deal. Was a belting motor though but I probably wouldn’t have survived it

 

[witzend]

Special tyre offer in Lecleks when I was in France in June so decided to have 2 fitted to the rear but when it came to fitting time they wouldn't fitt them as they didn't match the michelins on the front

 

[trevskoda]

I used to buy Avon vintage car tyres for the rear of my XS1100 outfit Trev. Did a good few of them and many miles home and abroad without problem. Stopped using the after peeling the tread at 120mph plus coming back from France one year though and changed to Metzlers.
You definitely can’t legally put any tyre on though even though I have done so. You need to comply with load and speed ratings as a minimum. I almost bought a lovely Mitsubishi import (can’t remember the model but a proper quick one) till I found you had to have a certain Pirelli fitted to insure it. Back in 2000 these were almost £500 each I think it was and it needed two. I didn’t buy it but was only luck I found out about it before doing the deal. Was a belting motor though but I probably wouldn’t have survived it

You can if you comply with the speed rating, you can even fit tractor tyres if you wish.

 

[Tezza33]

Do you mean it’s illegal to have different size tyres on the same axle Tel, never heard of any law in this country regarding different makes?

The Dos and Don'ts of Using Different Tyres on Your Car

Can you mix different tyres on your vehicle? Formula One Autocentres finds out in this article whether you should mix tyres of the same axle and size.

www.f1autocentres.co.uk

https://www.protyre.co.uk/news/may-2018/don’t-mix-tyres-across-the-same-axle-–-it’s-dangerous,-and-can-be-illegal


There's lots of other info saying the same or similar, a few saying it is rubbish as well because it isn't an MOT failure (although having directional tyres on the wrong way is a failure)

 

[Wooie1958]

A family member has a Motability car and has unfortunately picked up two punctures in the last year. There is a new small housing development that they have no choice but to drive past and suspect that`s how they occurred with all the debris that was on the road outside the site.

They can go to any Kwik-Fit to get them sorted for free and each time they have said it is unrepairable and needs a new tyre The first one was when the car had just over 100 miles on it from new and it was a rear tyre so the wear was nothing, they couldn`t see anything in the tyre but the low pressure alarm sound when they got back in the car after coming out of the supermarket, it wasn`t flat but they could see the difference so seeing as there was a Kwik-Fit just a couple of hundred yards away so they drove slowly and carefully to it.

When they got home they noticed that the tread pattern was completely different to the other original Continental on the rear and they found out it was a different brand.

A couple of months later they came over to visit us and as they were leaving i noticed one of the front tyres was looking low on pressure and the low pressure alarm sounded when they started the car so i got it back to the right pressure and after having a good look around the tyre found what looked like a new wood screw right in the middle of the tread so was easily repairable.

I told them where the nearest Kwik-Fit was ( approx 2 miles away ) and followed them to it in our car to make sure they got there alright, i told them to stop immediately if the low pressure alarm sounded as i had my stirrup pump with me for a quick fix if needed.

This time i stayed with them whilst it was sorted and low and behold the fitter came in said it was unrepairable and needed a new tyre.

Once done we went out side and yet again they`d put a different brand on to the original Continentals that it had from new and the first replacement tyre, the car had only done 275 miles so now at only that mileage it had three different make of tyre split over four wheels with two Continentals diagonally opposite each other and two other brands again diagonally opposite each other.

They now really do not like how the car drives especially in the wet, they`ve got another 2 years with this car and are seeing if they can change it early.

What Kwik-Fit did is apparantly perfectly legal as the size, load and speed rating are all correct.

 

[colinm]

The Dos and Don'ts of Using Different Tyres on Your Car

Can you mix different tyres on your vehicle? Formula One Autocentres finds out in this article whether you should mix tyres of the same axle and size.

www.f1autocentres.co.uk

https://www.protyre.co.uk/news/may-2018/don’t-mix-tyres-across-the-same-axle-–-it’s-dangerous,-and-can-be-illegal


There's lots of other info saying the same or similar, a few saying it is rubbish as well because it isn't an MOT failure (although having directional tyres on the wrong way is a failure)

But Kwick-Fit and Honest John disagree. Seems 'we' need to read the actual law and not t'internet.

 

[trevskoda]

Most folk here just buy used imports and on any axle, price is about a third of new ones.

 

[colinm]

But Kwick-Fit and Honest John disagree. Seems 'we' need to read the actual law and not t'internet.

Well I've read the legislation and can find nothing aside from the regs on crossply/radials, which precludes fitting different tyres with different tread depths. I note that RAC, and AA, make no mention of it, and Tyresafe say it can be done, it seems the only people promoting this are tyre sales companies.
p.s. i'm not saying it's safe to have different tyres on axle, or even on different axles, but there doesn't appear to be a law against it.

 

[Nabsim]

A family member has a Motability car and has unfortunately picked up two punctures in the last year. There is a new small housing development that they have no choice but to drive past and suspect that`s how they occurred with all the debris that was on the road outside the site.

They can go to any Kwik-Fit to get them sorted for free and each time they have said it is unrepairable and needs a new tyre The first one was when the car had just over 100 miles on it from new and it was a rear tyre so the wear was nothing, they couldn`t see anything in the tyre but the low pressure alarm sound when they got back in the car after coming out of the supermarket, it wasn`t flat but they could see the difference so seeing as there was a Kwik-Fit just a couple of hundred yards away so they drove slowly and carefully to it.

When they got home they noticed that the tread pattern was completely different to the other original Continental on the rear and they found out it was a different brand.

A couple of months later they came over to visit us and as they were leaving i noticed one of the front tyres was looking low on pressure and the low pressure alarm sounded when they started the car so i got it back to the right pressure and after having a good look around the tyre found what looked like a new wood screw right in the middle of the tread so was easily repairable.

I told them where the nearest Kwik-Fit was ( approx 2 miles away ) and followed them to it in our car to make sure they got there alright, i told them to stop immediately if the low pressure alarm sounded as i had my stirrup pump with me for a quick fix if needed.

This time i stayed with them whilst it was sorted and low and behold the fitter came in said it was unrepairable and needed a new tyre.

Once done we went out side and yet again they`d put a different brand on to the original Continentals that it had from new and the first replacement tyre, the car had only done 275 miles so now at only that mileage it had three different make of tyre split over four wheels with two Continentals diagonally opposite each other and two other brands again diagonally opposite each other.

They now really do not like how the car drives especially in the wet, they`ve got another 2 years with this car and are seeing if they can change it early.

What Kwik-Fit did is apparantly perfectly legal as the size, load and speed rating are all correct.

I have had exactly the same on my last two mobility cars with Kwik Fit if they haven’t got the identical tyre in stock. On both occasion though they have informed me they had to get permission from Motability before they could go ahead. I know they made the calls as on both occasions I was stood at the counter while they phoned the. This is why I don’t believe it illegal to fit different makes of tyre in this country. Also that new Hymer Charlie had came with a different make spare, he challenged this as in certain countries in EU it is illegal to have different tyres but Hymer would not change it.

Still not convinced you would get off with a police check with different size overall wheel/tyre combinations on same axle though. Although in the past I have done it in emergency I know one time it caused some problems. Wasn’t it know as winding up the diff when you had odd sizes on vehicles?

 

[Tezza33]

But Kwick-Fit and Honest John disagree. Seems 'we' need to read the actual law and not t'internet.

I didn't read it on the internet Colin, it is something from memory, I posted the links that I looked at after a quick search when Nabsim asked me, I know I have come across it before but it could be in Spain or some other European Country for all I know, the amount of head injuries I have had I am lucky to remember to look on here every day

 

[argoose]

At the end of the day you run snow chains only on drive wheels. So fitting a non snow/all seasons tyre to get you to a garage at 25mph in snow will be the same as the snow chains on one axle scenario

 

[trevskoda]

If there was snow I would be staying indoors and looking out the WINDOWS.