You didn't get the Facebook Michelin 95y tyres fitted though did you?
Today has not gone as planned!!🤦♀️
- Thread starter Aliceincamperland
- Start date
For the spare in the wheel well it does not matter if its 16", 17" or18" wheel rim because it is the overall rolling radius /circumference of the wheel tyre combination that matters. It is finding what the largest possible size that might fit then that is as far as on can go then people might more easily the correct tyre for them. Unless one might deflate the spare for carrying to squees an even larger wheel tyre combination into the space. Other ways of carrying a spare are available door mounts for instance or just carry spare tyres without a wheel rim. Their does not appear to be a problem with finding tyre mechanics, it is finding of the correct and matching tyre when on ones travels and at a reasonable cost! It would be a shame if someone had spent a grand or so on new super-duper all season tyres to have a puncture or blow out miles from home and that the local guy just wants to offer a crap unheard of brand as a replacement that is even if he can obtain the right size and rating. The latter is often the reality. My OCD or what ever one calls it is causing me to twitch and recoil at mere the thought of it. 
I6 " rims do not fit all Transporters the smallest that fits mine is 17" and prefer 18" due to twigs and bits of branches getting stuck between the holes and brake disk.
That made me shudder …. I once put some old tyres on
I may have lowered my 1.6 MK3 escort estate back in the day by taking an angle grinder to the springs. 
As you’re now aware size is one thing (and seems the previous owner had the wrong size fitted) but speed and load rating are two other aspects and just as important.
Not sure it’s been mentioned so far but have a look on your drivers door pillar for a sticker that shows you what pressure to fill your tyres to. It also shows you the minimum load (say 103) and speed (say T) rating your tyres need to be to be safe for your van.
Mine is a T28 so looks like this…
Generally mixing sizes on 20’s is 40 on tue rear and 45 on tue front. The different widths mean that the profiles are the same physical size. Profile is a proportion of width and diameter and not a physical size in centimetres or inches.Or just two on the rear axle, mixing sizes in 20" wheels is considered normal with 40 profile on the rear and 35 on the front, obviously different widths too.
Good advice.
When I was quite young and I once put ‘budget’ tyres on my pride and joy - a Sierra XR4. Guess the car cost me so much I couldn’t run to premium tyres a car like that deserves/needs.
They were still branded - Avon, but they were useless. The Sierra 4x4 system put slightly more power to the rear wheels I believe and this, with useless tyres, turned even good roads into ice rinks if there was any sign of moisture. Ruined the entire experience and didn’t end well one wet day.
Never buying cheap tyres ever again - works out phenomenally expensive in the long run.
I'm always running different combinations of tyres into "will they fit" to try and maintain the rolling radius and Speedo reading of the stock 16" wheel with it's huge 65 aspect ratio tyres.
As I understand it the first number 255 or 275 whatever is the tread width in mm it's the 35, 40, 45 or 65 aspect ratio that is wall height percentage of the tread width AFAIK so as you're indicating will vary.
Nowt wrong with thatI may have lowered my 1.6 MK3 escort estate back in the day by taking an angle grinder to the springs.
.I lowered most of my old ford's using that tried and tested method
Not strictly correct - 16” wheels will fit on the rears but not all fronts. In theory you could carry a 16” spare on a big braked T32 and if you got a front puncture you would have to put the spare on the back and put the rear wheel on the front (to clear the brake caliper) bit of a phaff but doable.
Just carry a 17” spare and save the waste of time swapping front to back with odd tread wear.
Okay so we have all been round the houses on this and I feel we have clarified the need for correctly rated tyres/wheels/spares.
my spare is a normal wheel standard rim. I wouldn't have an issue with driving on that for an extended time... if I had a front puncture I'd swap wheels so rear had the spare on obvs.
My question is that the OP was told 'can only drive at 50mph and only for about 50 miles on the spare'. thin, space saver wheels have the 50km max speed/50km max distance stickers on so that's probably why we're all concerned. Is your spare a space saver with warning stickers on (is it the source of your original warning about speed/distance) or did the roadside assistor warn you about speed/distance?
On my old Skoda superb it had 17” alloys and a full size 16” x 7J steel spare and normal tyre which matched the rolling radius of the 17s. The spare was fitted with the bright yellow speed restriction sticker like you would see on a skinny space saver.
If I were driving with a mix of tyre sizes across an axle I would curtail my speed - sticker or no sticker. I wouldnt limit time but going slower probably needs more breaks anyway!
If I were driving with a mix of tyre sizes across an axle I would curtail my speed - sticker or no sticker. I wouldnt limit time but going slower probably needs more breaks anyway!
Very true doing one at the road side is bad enough! I think that carrying a spare wheel and tyre exactly the same as the others is preferable but with directional tyres that suggest carrying 2 spares. proper split rims might allow carry one but removing all the air and then taking all those bolts out would take too long, It would be very handy if the rim could be unbolted from the spokes or spokes from the hubs allowing the rims to be reversed.
I’ve never seen one. And I absolutely F@?king love tyres.
Similar threads
