Questions and Answers
TYRESAVE answers questions about Alloy Wheels posted on the Yahoo Answers website.
Question – Hi, i have a megane coupe sport with standard alloy wheels, i was thinking as im saving to get some decent ones is it possible to spray them yourself? i only want them to be a really nice black colour, do you think it would look really tacky if i did it myself? where would be best place to get the paint?
Answer – You get the paint from Halfords or any motor accessory shop. They will tell you how to do it – you rub them down then apply primer and paint and lacquer.
Or take them to Tyresave https://www.tyresave.co.uk/alloyrfb.html to get them properly refurbished
regards, Duncan Source(s): http:www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels/
Question – Ive got a vauxhall astra 2.0 sri turbo 06 plate, its got 17″ alloys fitted and what i need to know is if i fit 18″ wheels will i have to modify the brakes or anything else on the car or can i just put the 18″ on? thanks
Answer – Of course you can fit 18″ wheels – no problems. You just need lower profile tyres – so if you have 215.40.17 then you replace with 215.35.18 to keep the speedo the same.
See Tyresave at http:www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels/ for information about choice of alloy wheels
Source(s): http:www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels/
Question – Will any bk 999 alloy wheels fit on any vauxhall astra with out changing the car in any way?
Answer – You have to make sure you are buying the correct version of the wheels to fit your car – the correct number of studs, the correct distance apart (PCD), the correct offset, andd the correct centre bore of spigot ring. Or choose different alloy wheels from Tyresave, see http:www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels
Source(s): http:www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels
Question – Where would i get toyota avensis 2000x alloy wheel locking nuts? i need flat seat locking wheel nuts either original toyota nuts or some other company spare..but i dont know where to find them
Answer – Assuming you have genuine Toyota alloy wheels on the car you will have to buy them from a Toyota car main dealer – see the Parts Department.
Question – What is the Maximium size wheels i can fit on my Peugeot 306? I am looking to put some alloy wheels on my Peugeot 306, however i dont want stupidly big ones, but i am wondering what the maximum size wheel i can fit on WITHOUT doing any alterations to the archs. Cheers Additional Details I forgot to mention: It is the Turbo model so it has slighty lowered suspension, dont know if this would effect anything?
Answer -The biggest wheels we have fitted on Peugeot 306 are 17″ with 205.40.17 tyres. The fit fine. No problems. If you don’t want to go too big, stick with 15″ or 16″, using 195.50.15 tyres or 195.45.16. regards, Duncan. https://www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels/
Question – Does replacing your original car wheels with alloy wheels effect your car insurance?
Answer – First – the alloys and tyres are probably bigger and more valuable than the original wheels – so that affects the insurance value of the car, makes them more stealable.
Second, if the wheels and tyres are the same size as the originals, then this aspect does not make any difference to the insurance, but if they are a bigger diameter with low profile tyres, then you also have to tell them, because it changes the handling and performance of the car.
If the size of the replacement wheels/tyres is within the range of optional extras for the car, then there would be no problem with the insurance company – the only problem you have is convincing them that they are a “normal” fitment for the vehicle if you are fitting aftermarket wheels, i.e. non-genuine alloys, because the people in the call centres don’t know a lot about cars.
In the first case, if you did not tell them, they would not pay out if they were stolen.
In the second case, if you had an accident and had not told them, as long as the wheels and tyres are within the range of optional extras for the car, they should still pay – but if they were outside the normal range, such as 18″ wheels+tyres, they might say you had modified the car excessively and refuse to pay.
Source(s): https://www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels
Question – what size alloy wheels for a vauxhall corsa b ? Hi, ive been offered some 13” alloy wheels will these look ok on a 1999 corsa or will they look to small? Thanks lee they are off a citroen saxo that’s going to be scrapped so ive been told i can have them for free if they will fit.
Answer: Citroen Saxo wheels will not fit a Corsa. See www.tyresave.co.uk/
Question – My car mechanic cannot understand why one of my road wheels deflates slowly he cannot find a puncture any idea?
Answer: As others have said probably leaking round the rim edge – you need soapy water to find it – leave it flat on the floor for 5 minutes with the water round the rim edge. If it is an alloy wheel, it could be the wheel that is porous, alloy is a semi-porous material. Although the wheels are pressure tested at the factory about 1 in 10,000 develops a leak later in life – we have even had a new Vauxhall wheel with a leak.
Question – Will 2006 Vectra 17inch alloys fit on a 2004 Zafira? I’ve seen some for sale and want to know if they’ll fit my Zafira as its the old shape.
Answer: Yes – the wheels are interchangeable – both vehicles use the same wheel PCD and offset. The tyres off the Vectra will also fit OK, the difference between 215.50.17 and 225.45.17 is not significant, but you could change them if wanted.
Question – I need to know if my tyres are road legal…how do you tell? I know there is a coin test but can’t remember what to do? Any help with this would be great, thanks
Answer: Look for the tread wear indicators in the grooves of the tyre. They are set at 1.6mm remaining tread depth. When they are flush with the tread either side then that is the legal limit in the UK. We recommend changing at anything below 3mm for safety reasons.
Question – is it possible to fit audi tt wheels on to a vw t4? they are 17 inch wheels thanks
Answer: If they are genuine Audi TT wheels off the original TT they will not fit because the bolt centres are different.
If they are replica alloys with 35mm offset and with dual fitment bolt holes then yes the second set of holes will probably fit the T4.
If the wheels are off the new Audi TT (from 2007 on) then the bolt holes will match but you have to check for brake caliper clearance because the offset is different.
Question – Ford escort mk5 wheels on peugeot 306 will they fit? i have a peugeot 306 m reg, will escort mk 5 wheels fit? they go on ok but the wheel nuts don’t seem to have a big enough head to hold them secure. can i purchase bigger head nuts or should i not fit these wheels
Answer: Ford wheels will not fit safely on the Peugeot because the centre bore of the wheels are different. Ford wheels have 63.4mm hole diameter but the Peugeot hubs are 65mm diameter so the wheels will not go fully home on the bolt mounting face.
The Peugeot bolts are also not suitable for the Ford wheels and you can’t buy a bolt with the correct thread and seating to match the wheels.
Question – Will my car fail an MOT if it has different brand tyres on the same axle? They are the same size and dimensions, just different brand and the tread isn’t an exact match. Additional Details All four tyres are radials.
Answer: The UK MoT requirement is that the tyres on each axle must be the same size. The make or pattern of the tyres is not relevant. You can have 4 different makes on the car as long as they are the same size on each axle.
Question – What is the best way to clean and maintain Alloy wheels…?
i mean really really dirty ones with the brake dust and the mud and the road film on them
Answer: Use a pressure washer, most car wash garages have one, but don’t get too close to the wheel or you will take the paint off.
If you have let the brake dust build up too much you may have to use T-Cut for Metallic finish to clean it off – it takes a lot of careful polishing to get rid of the brake dust without damaging the finish. As another contributor said, the key is not to let the wheels get so dirty: protect them with alloy wheel wax.
Question – I’ve just fitted some 17″ alloy wheels to my ford focus 2001, what are the ideal tyre pressures? The tyres are Falken 215/40ZR17
Answer: The same tyre pressure as the original tyre size, though some people say you should increase the pressure by 1psi for every extra inch diameter over the original tyre size.
Question – I have just fitted some 17″ alloy wheels to a ford focus 2001 (tyres 215/40ZR17) when i reach around 60-70 mph the steering wheel shudders but anything under or over this they are fine, any ideas??
Answer: The wheels+tyres are out of balance. At 60-70mph the wheels are rotating at the natural vibration frequency of the springs so the out-of-balance effect is amplified. Your wheels need balancing. Any competent tyre depot can do this. It is not unusual. If you bought brand new wheels and tyres by mail order possibly some of the wheel weights have fallen off, or maybe they were not correctly balanced to start with. Maybe the wheel balancer was not correctly calibrated. Or maybe you forgot to fit the spigot rings to centre the wheels. Or maybe the dealer forgot to include them. If you got some second hand wheels and tyres then maybe they were never correctly balanced to start with, or maybe the tyres are out of shape or distorted, or maybe the wheels are buckled, or again maybe no spigot rings.
Question – One of my tyres is just above the limit but i want to wait until the end of the month to put new tyres on as they are pretty expensive, I wonder can i put the spare on just to put it through?? Additional Details The spare is a space saver so i take it i can’t put it on then?
Answer: A Space Saver is temporary tyre for use upto 50mph. It will fail an MoT if fitted on the car
Question – Are 3rd party alloy wheels a ‘modification’, do you need to tell insurers? Are ‘replica’ OEMs legal? [UK]? Hello! Sorry for the compressed title, but I have a somewhat lengthy question about a few aspects of alloy wheels and cars. Basically, my father has an Audi A8 with the normal A8 Diamond Cut alloy wheels you see on most A8s. They are getting very damaged and old, and thus make the whole car look very tired, so he wants to replace them. We are thinking he should just get some normal powder-coat steel wheels this time, not some more diamond cut ones as they do not last very long. So, we were going to buy some replica RS4 wheels, which you can buy all over the place, and they are not too expensive. About £500 inc. delivery for all four. My first question is, are these replica alloys legal? I am assuming they are as it is basically the same as buying a branded non-OEM-style wheel from companies such as OZ and TSW. But, I would like some clarification! Next up, what do you do when you have fitted third party wheels, I am guessing in the world of insurers trying to get out of everything, these would be classed as a modification? (Third party wheels), so do you have to declare/tell the insurance company? Will it put your premiums up? That’s about it, and help on any of these would be useful! This is in the UK! Just to be clear! Thanks, Charlie
Answer: You are replacing like with like – the same size – the same style – just a different manufacturer – no need to tell the Insurance – they already know you have alloy wheels fitted. It should be no problem fitting replica wheels – they are a quarter the price of original alloys.
Question – I have a Ford Cougar (UK). The standard tyre size is 215/50/16 but these are very hard to get and very expensive so I have gone for some 225/50/16 instead. The standard tyre pressures for 215/50/16 are 31 front 29 rear. What psi should they be with the 225/50/16?
Answer: The tyre depot who fitted the tyres should have advised you – but don’t worry about it. Because you are using a bigger tyre you could reduce the pressure by 1PSI, but I wuld have recommmended choosing 225.50.16 for the rear and 205.55.16 for the front.
Question – How much does it cost to fit alloy wheels? I’ve got a BMW 3 series (318i). It’s got alloy wheels but I fancy changing them to something with a different look. I know very little about cars (so I wouldn’t try and do this myself). Assuming I can buy a set of alloys for about £700, how much would it cost to have them fitted and could I just do this at (eg.) Kwikfit?
Answer: 18″ wheels and tyres are popular for the BMWs. We usually charge £500 to supply 4 new alloy wheels and 4 new tyres fitted on the car. Don’t go near Kwikfit – they will rip you off. Give us a ring, Tyresave. 01244 813 030
Question – tyre pressures mercedes w2o4 18″ wheels?
Answer: Use the same pressure as your original tyres, or check the vehicle handbook to see if the tyre size is listed with recommended pressure – or check with your Mercedes dealer to see if they recommend differently. Sometimes 1 or 2 PSI more is necessary for bigger tyres.
Question – Car Tyres size advice Please? I have just bought a ford fiesta, P Reg, after using it for a bout a week and checking my tyre pressure I noticed that the front tyres are 155/70R13, but the back tyres are 165/70R13. Is this alright/legal. Please help, my local tyre centre recommended changing all four tyres!! Don’t trust this advice. Thank you
Answer: As long as the tyres on each axle are the same size, and legal, then they are OK. But as they wear out you need to end up with all 4 matching sizes, or using your spare wheel may give problems because on one axle it will be the wrong size
Question – Flat tyre after market alloys? Stupid question but what do you do if you have after market alloys for arguments sake say they’re 18’s and originally you had 16’s . What happens if you have to change for the spare wouldn’t the spare be smaller than the new one’s and can you drive it ?
Answer: Technically it is illegal to use a wheel and tyre that does not match the other tyre on the same axle. Even if the tyre is the same size, or the same overall diameter, the wheel may be a different width or offset. The solution, like the space saver wheels, is to paint the spare wheel red or yellow and write on with felt tip pen in indelible ink “Temporary Spare” “Max 50 mph” and get the puncture fixed as soon as possible.
Question -Tiny cracks at side of tyres. is it dangerous?
Answer: It depends how deep the cracks are. It happens with age and exposure to ultra violet light, particularly if the car has been left standing a lot. To check them properly you need to remove the tyre from the wheel. If you can then flex the tyre by hand and the cracks become deeper, the tyres need to be scrapped. But if the crack is just on the surface of the tyre, no problem for now, just keep an eye on it.
Question – I have a 2000 suzuki jimney i have put the big 15″ tyres on it does any one know what ihave to do to lift susp? i want to lift the suspension does anyone know how i should do this to stop them rubbing ? thanks
Answer: It is no problem using 15″ wheels on the Suzuki, but you just need the correct tyre size. You don’t say where they are catching? Is it because the tyres are too wide or too tall?
The correct tyres listed for this car are:
195/80R15
205/70R15
205/75R15
215/70R15
225/60R15
235/60R15
It is also possible you also have the wrong wheels fitted – they may be the wrong offset.
Question – Hi, I have a Mazda-mx5 roadster, 1993 reg and need to get a new tyre, can anyone please recommend where to go? I am clueless…any help at all is appreciated.
Answer: OK – no problem – do you have any one else who helps to look after your car? Any one to service it? Who does the MoT? They will advise you on the best local tyre dealers if they do not do tyres themselves.
Or look in the Yellow Pages under Tyre Dealers.
Or search Yellow Pages Online (yell.com) for tyre dealers in your area.
If you have loads of money you could go to Kwik-Fit, or find better prices at a Hi-Q dealer or an independant tyre shop.
You could spend an hour on the phone ringing all the tyre dealers for the best price to save a pound or two, or just drive to the nearest one and you will find tyres available at a range of prices to suit your budget
Question – which alloy wheels will fit my mk1 fiat punto im looking at maybe 14 or 15inch? im looking at maybe 14 or 15inch but not sure in just any alloys of this size will fit ? anyone have any ideas?
Answer: We would recommend 15″ wheels for the Punto because there are no 14″ ones available.
Question – what is the correct tyre pressure for a 56plate vauxhall corsa 1.2i club(new shape)? unfortunatly i dont possess the handbook
Answer: Ask any tyre depot.
Ask your Vauxhall dealer.
Or look for a plate in the glove box or in the drivers door recess or under the fuel filler cap.
Or send me the Reg. No. and I will look it up on the database.
Or get a new handbook from your Vauxhall dealer – because then it will tell you about other things on the car that also need maintenance,
But round about 30PSI will do for now
Question – What tyre size options are there for a Nissan Micra 1.2 (2009)? It came with 165/70 r14 but could I put my old Fiesta wheels on it, which are r13? This would save me buying new winter tyres. Thanks for any answers.
Answer: Sorry the Fiesta wheels will not fit the Micra – end of story. The Ford wheels are 4×108 PCD and the Nissan wheels are 4×100
Question – Is it law to carry a spare tyre in your car/van?.. Ive heard it is a 3 point penalty if you dont have one.? Does anyone know of a web sites i can look at regarding this?. cheers Additional Details
Ive had a look on the dvla and cant see anything. ive also heard its a further 3 points if you dont have wash fuild in your car as well. Thanks for the help guys 2 days ago.
I do carry one . this question is about my works van. i work for a printing company and had the driver ring me today with a flat. and as you can imagine there wasnt a spare. So after a very quiet words with my boss (calling him a cheap ***) i told him to get one sorted.
Answer: There is no law requiring you to carry a spare wheel. The car will pass an MoT without a spare, If it is taxi or licensed cab, then it must have a spare with at least 3mm tread. The windscreen washer jets must be working at all times, or it is a fixed penalty offence.
Question – All 4 tyres on my Renault Laguna are now 195/60/15. The default size was 195/65/15. I was given three brand new ones but when I went to a tyre garage to get a new 4th one fitted I was told that the car would now not pass an MOT cos of the difference in tyre sizes. I realise that if they varied from axel to axel they would not be legal but where do I stand with all 4 being changed ? (they did fit the new tyre though) Additional Details I’ve tried the site Garfield suggested. It seems to me that legally this shouldn’t be a problem. I’d apreciate others thoughts in case i’m missing something ?
Answer: Your tyres are now undersize. The car will pass an MoT but your insurance is invalid because the tyres do not have the correct load rating. You need a rating of 91H or 91V – these are the numbers after the tyre size.
Question – does anyone know how to take the wheel nuts of a peugoet 206 hdi sport with alloy wheels ? I am told there is a specialist tool for this
Answer: Assuming it is the locking wheel nuts you cannot remove, you need check if you have the lock nut in the car, with the spare wheel, or if the dealer or previous owner has it. If not – see your Peugeot dealer to ask if he can provide a replacement. And if that does not work, see if a tyre depot has a tool to remove them, and if that fails, they will have to be drilled out – expensive.
Question – would classic ford wheels fit modern ford hubs? say mk1/2 escort fit on to a 99 T plate fiesta, is the PCD the same?
Answer: The PCD is the same so the old wheels will fit on the newer car, but the offset is different, so the old wheels will stick out too far, and the tyres may catch on the wheel arches. You will have to try it. Be carefull you have the correct nuts to fix the wheels.
Question – would alloys 195/55 R16 87V fit a nissan almera 1998 (r plate?
Answer: The alloys may fit but the tyre size sounds a bit too big for a 1998 Almera – you may need to choose a lower profile tyre – such as 195.45.16.
Question -mazda 323f alloys on renault megane? Hey does anyone know if alloys off a R reg mazda 323f would fit a renault megane cabriolet – W reg ?
Answer: They won’t fit because the hub centres are different diameters. The Mazda wheels will have a 54mm centre bore, but the Renault need wheels with a 60mm hole in the centre.
Question – do all cars have the same size wheel nuts?
Answer: No – there are about half a dozen sizes or different threads in common use. M12x1.5 is the most used then you have M12x1.25 M14x1.5 M14x2 and some of these are nuts and some are bolts
Question – Tyre tread worn on front offside tyre, replace one or two? The front offside tyre tread on my car is worn below the legal limit and I was wondering should I replace both front tyres as I need the car urgently or is it ok to replace just the one tyre, either permanently or temporarily (until I can afford to replace both) as I can’t really afford to replace both front ones right now?
Answer: You can fit just one tyre, it is quite legal in the UK to have different tread makes, patterns and tread depths on the same axle, but obviously desirable to have matching tyres.
On the Continent, the tyres on each axle must be the same make with equal tread depths.
Your problem with uneven wear may be due to wheel alignment, but also may be caused by wear in the steering or suspension components on one side of the car.
Question – i have a steering problem with a peugeot 206cc 2006 1.6. It has low-profile tyres but over -steers.? It will not hold the road properly. Any idea why?
Answer: First of all you need to get all the steering and suspension components checked for wear: the rubber bushes at the top and bottom of the shock absorbers can perish, the bushes in the lower wishbone arms may be worn or perished: the bottom ball joints may be worn: the track rod ends may be worn – all of these can contribute to erratic steering. If all these are good, or replaced, then you need to get the wheel alignment checked, but camber and castor angles are not adjustable on the Peugeot 206. If all that does not fix it. the car maybe out of alignment due to a previous accident – best to trade it in if that is the case.
Question – Can you do a wheel alighnment on a car without the wheels on it?
Answer: You must have the wheels on the car to attach the measuring guages. If you have fitted new track rods ends then wheel alignment must be also be done – because it only takes half-a-turn of adjustment for the wheels to be incorrectly aligned. It does not matter which set of wheels are on the car – the old ones or the new ones – alignment is necessary to ensure they are both pointing in the right direction.
Question – Any ideas for removing my alloy wheels which are stuck? Tried removing my alloy wheels from my golf gti but they are stuck fast, any ideas for removing them, or any good companies out there who specialize in this sort of problem
Answer: I assume you have removed the wheel bolts, but the wheel mounting face is stuck to the vehicle hub – this usually happens if the wheels have not been removed for a long time – and is due to corrosion between the steel hub and the alloy wheel. It can be a lot of hard work to hammer them free. Try squirting some WD40 (or similar) into the bolt holes and round the edge of the bolt mounting face, You may have to repeat several times over several days. Then you have to hit the inside rim of the wheels hard with a rubber hammer, or a sledge hammer with a block of wood against the wheel to spread the load and avoid damaging the rim. It can be hard work – even in the tyre depot we sometimes struggle if the wheels have not been removed for a long time.
Question – What to do when a tyre constantly loses air? What should you do when a tyre constantly loses air? One of my front tyres is constantly losing air. For example, about 2 weeks ago, I set its pressure at 34psi, but yesterday I found that it was reduced to 20psi. Do you think I need to replace the tyre, or is there any other cause?
Answer: Just take the car to a tyre depot. They will check it out for you. It is probably a nail or other foreign object in the tread or it might be the the valve that is leaking or the bead that is not properly sealed. They will advise what is wrong and what to do. No point trying to fix it yourself.
Question – which side of the tyre wears when toeing out?
Answer: If the wheels are “toeing out” it will be the inside edges of the tyres that wear excessively
Question – Will the wheels of a r reg ford escort fit a s reg vw polo? My friend has a R reg escort 16v and is selling the wheels off it, and was just wondering if they would fit on my S reg vw polo?
Answer: Sorry – the answer is no – the Polo fitment is 4×100 PCD, the Ford fitment is 4×108, so the bolt holes won’t line up
Question – have purchased some 245x45x18 wheels but they dont fit on my audi a4 1.8 turbo quattro help? like a doughnut i have brought these thinking they would go on my car but they hit on some arm??? Can i get spacers
Answer: If you need anything bigger than a 3mm spacer then I would send the wheels back. I also think your choice of tyre size is too big for the Audi – I would have thought 245x40x18 would be a better fit.
Question – After the change of the front wheel bearing, do I need an alignment done? The garage told me my wheel bearing is worn out, I just had my service done including wheels alignment. Now, he told me the part needs to be ordered and later another alignment needs doing after the change. Is this true?
Answer: In theory – no – the alignment should still be correct, but if they are a reputable garage they should check/adjust it again for free – because if they say it needs doing AFTER changing the bearing, they should not have done it with a worn out bearing still on the car.
In fact, tracking should only ever be done when it has been confirmed that all steering, suspension and wheel components are in good condition, because any worn or damaged parts make the reading and setting of alignment incorrect
Question – Ford galaxy tddi front tyres inside edge wornout in 10000 miles? As question states, and I have had it tracked by fords but it is no different. Any ideas?
Answer: How do you know the car is no different after tracking adjustment? Do you expect that tracking the car will put the rubber back on the tyres? Or do you mean you have driven another 10,000 mils since the last tracking and the tyres have worn out again? Make sure you are using the heavy duty (95 rated) tyres for this car. The diesel engine is heavy and puts a lot of load on the front axle.
Question – Where is the best place for tyres? I need 4 tyres for my 2001 Suzuki swift. I don’t want a budget tyre because I do a reasonable amount of milage. Do you know what brand of tyre or where the best place to go it. Your answers will be greatly appreciated.
Answer: Just get a load of quoted from differetn tyre dealers – yell.com is usually the best place to get a lidddt of local dealers – but Kwik-Fit are always expensive and always want to sell you a new exhaust, new brakes, etc etc
Question – After how many miles approx do you need to change the tyres on a car(its a clio if that makes any difference,)?
Answer: You should get about 20,000 miles out of set of decent make of tyres, maybe a bit less for the front axle which does the driving, braking and steering and a bit more for the rear trailing axle.
Question – Marshal Tyres…any good? I rang up a garage and got a quoute for 3 Firestone tyres but the guy on the phone also recommended Marshal tyres. He said they where practically as good as the branded tyres but quite a bit cheaper in price. I also got a good price on Hankook tyres. Are any of these makes any good? or best sticking to Firestones??
Answer: Marshal are better prices than Firestone and also better tyres, but my choice would be for Hankook. I would never ever put Firestone on a car unless the customer insisted on it.
Question – Will 17inch alloys fit on a 5 door mk5 fiesta? Please reply, some people have suggested 16inch, but their is not enough variety in 16s. I no for sure they fit on a 3 door as i have seen them, but does the fact its a 5 door make the rear arch smaller? Hence causing rubbing etc. Please reply, thanks in advance
Answer: You will have to get a Mk6 Fiesta if you want 17″ wheels. Save your rmoney till you can afford a newer car, or stick with 15″ for now. If you have seen 17″ on a Mk5 they have modified the car to get the necessary clearances.
Question – how to find wheel wobble on car? got a wheel wobble .between 50 and 60 tyres are balenced
Answer: The wheels need balancing again. Maybe the garage you used did not have a properly calibrated wheel balancer, or maybe a weight has fallen off, or maybe they only balanced the wheels in “static mode” or maybe one of the tyres is “out of shape”. Front wheels must be balanced in “dynamic mode” to allow for different weights being needed on the inner and outer rim edges.
Question – How much is it to get the Tracking done on the front wheels of a nissan micra? How much is it to get the Tracking done on the front wheels of a nissan micra in Dublin?
Answer: Don’t know about prices in Ireland, but we charge £25 in Chester. We will check it for free but charge if it needs adjusting at Hoole Tyre and Exhaust Centre. We use 4 wheel laser alignment which ensures the car drives with the steering wheel central when the going in straight line.
Question – question on runflat tyres? sorry might have asked this before…but I have a puncture warning on my dash for my runflat tyre. I’ve booked it in to get it changed, but I couldn’t get it done for a couple of days. Is it safe to keep driving my car around until then? I’m not doing huge journeys…just 15mins or so here and there?
Answer: Driving for maximum 50 miles at maximum 50mph is usually advised as the most you can safely do on a “Run on Flat” tyre. Why the problem about getting it changed? It only takes 15 minutes to get a new tyre fitted.
Question – my nissan primera feels like i’m driving on a flat but the tyre is inflated and there a bit of vibration? there is a bit of vibration coming up through the steering wheel anyone know what this could be
Answer: It sounds like the tyre is out of shape – flat spotted – old – or damaged in some way. Any tyre depot will sort it out – it might just need balancing or you might need a new tyre.
Question – my tyre pressures are 2.0 bar front and 2.25 bar rear what is this in psi thanks
Answer: See this calculator – “http://www.convertunits.com/from/psi/to/bar” converts both ways bewteen PSI and BAR
Question – what are the tyre pressure for citroen berlingo multispace 1.6 vt?
Answer: Don’t look on the tyres – the markings on the tyres show the maximum pressure the tyre can safely hold. There should be a label in the driver’s door recess, or the passenger door recess, or under the fuel flller cap. Or read the instructions in the handbook, or look at this web site – http://www.thetyrepressuremonitor.com/locate.asp?action=browse
Question – Nitrogen in tyres is it ok ? Will have new tyres fitted,the shop proposes to fill them with nitrogen. Is that a good idea ? will i be able to add normal air when required ?
Answer: Nitrogen filling for ordinary car tyres is a waste of money. Even with N2 filling you still need to check your tyre pressures regularly. OK for aircraft where a fire with compressed air (oxygen) in the tyre would be a major disaster.
Question – Inside of front left tyre is worn and the others aren’t? My other 3 tyres are fine, quite new tyres so tread is very good. However, my front left wheel, the inside of it is worn to pieces, and has no tread left on it at all so basically is illegal. What is the problem? How much will it cost to get fixed?
Answer: If it is only 1 tyre badly worn, it is not the tracking. It is probably the bottom ball joint worn out, or the bushes in the lower wishbone.
After you have had it fixed, then you need to get the tracking checked and re-aligned
Question – Tyre speed ratings. I’ve got T on, handbook says R and I get H’s cheaper. Can I have H? Hi all I’ve got 185, 65, 14 86 T tyres on the front on my peugeot 306. My handbook says to put on R rated I can get H rated cheaper then R and T. Is it ok to put on H rated? Please give sources/say why you know.
Answer: You can fit any speed rating you want because the law in the UK says tyres must be suitable for the purpose for which they are being used and 70mph is the legal limit. R is for 106mph max T is for 119mph max H is for 130mph max but I think you have misread your handbook – nowadays there are very few cars with R rated tyres specified – and the Peugeot 306 would normally use T or H rated – I think the R you are referring to means the R as in 185/65R14 86T or 185/65R14 86H – where the R in the middle of the numbers says it must be a radial tyre, and the T or H at the end tells you the speed rating.
See the tyre speed table at https://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyrspeed/
Question – On the Nissan Micra K11, what size is the wheel hub bolt (the four bolts on each wheel)?
Answer: The Nissan Micra uses studs fixed in the hub and nuts to secure the wheel. The thread size is M12x1.25 and the nut should be 19mm hex.
Question – Hi – Do The Tyres On Alloy wheels Require The Same Air Pressure As Steel Tyres..? …the tyres on my recently bought used car do not go down if punctured but not sure if tyre pressure should be same. Thanks in advance. Additional Details Manufacturers recommendation: 32 Front/30 Back.
Answer: I assume you have “Run-on-Flat” tyres on alloy wheels. The correct tyre pressure should be listed in the driver’s handbook, or inside the door pillar, or under the fuel filler cap. It does not matter whether you have steel or alloy wheels. Ignore the maximum pressure printed on the side of the tyre. That is the maximum pressure the tyre can safely take – not the normal running pressure.
Question – just wondering my friend likes these 16′ wheels but her car has 15′ wheel am i right sayin they would need to change the suspension of the car to fit these wheels. she will be payin arounf £600 for the ones in halfords also £36.00 for the nuts n fitting £40.00 is this normal prices? Additional Details its a ford fiesta 57 plate surely cheaper to get 15′ alloys than pay for 16′ and the wheels for them
Answer: If your friend wants to fit bigger wheels then she has to use lower profile tyres. You don’t change the suspension to fit different wheels. Lower profile tyres have less rubber on the sidewall so the overall diameter is the same. It won’t change anything else on the car. The speedo and gearing will still read correctly. The price of £600 plus nuts and fitting is expensive. See www,tyresave.co.uk/ for better prices with no extra charge for nuts.
Question – would 17 inch alloys go on a fiesta? Additional Details with what tyres?
Answer: It depends which model of Fiesta. If it is a new Fiesta then yes 17″ with 205.40.17 tyres will fit. But for the earlier models, the answer is no.
Question – will 17″ rims with low pro tyres fit on a VW polo 6N2, (2001) thanks.?
Answer: Sorry – no – you can’t fit 17″ wheels+tyres on the 2001 Polo. The biggest is 16″ with 195.40.16 tyres. The later models with 5-stud hubs are OK for 17″
Question – How do u get the locking nuts off a car that holds the alloy wheels on? i bought a second hand car only to find out i wasnt giving the unlocking nut. anyone know how i can get these locking nuts off?
Answer: Turn the car upside down to try and find the locking key. Contact the previous owner or dealer to try and find it. If the lock nuts were fitted as original equipment by the factory, the main dealers may be able to order a duplicate key based on the chassis number; or depending on the make of car, the main dealers may have duplicate keys in stock. Take it to a tyre depot ask if they have a lock nut removing tool. After that, it is a hammer and chisel job, or drill out the old stud or nut.
Question – What other car brand wheel will fit vw bug? such as ford, chevy, honda etc.
Answer: Depends on the year of the car. The early VW Beetles used 4×130 PCD, and nothing else matches. Then VW changed to 4×100 for the Golfs then to 5×100, and current cars use 5×112
Question – what alloys will fit a rover metro?
Answer: Hi there, Sorry – you won’t find any wheels to fit the Rover Metro, unless you trawl round the scrap yards to see if you can find some second hand ones. We used to supply aftermarket wheels, but they have all gone, none left, nobody makes them any more, and you can’t fit wheels from any other cars.
Question – will 17inch team dynamic alloys fit a golf mk5? originally brought for a ford focus
Answer: Very sorry – the answer is no – they are not interchangeable. Different stud pattern: 5×108 PCD on the Focus and 5×112 PCD on the new Golf.
Question – how do you acid clean wheels ?
Answer: Depends what sort of finish they have and what you want to do with them. If they are painted wheels, don’t put acid anwhere near them, use car body wax, or occasionally a little bit of T-Cut, to clean and polish. If they are polished wheels, use Alusol polish to keep the finish. If you have stripped the wheels for repainting, then professional alloy wheel refurbishers have an acid bath to remove any remaining corrosion.
Question – What is the minimum width tyre i could get fitted to a 6j wheel from a safety point of view?
Answer: We need the full wheel size to advise you properly – is it a 6×13″, 6×14″ 6×15″, 6×16″, 6×17″ or what? Every wheel will take a range of tyre sizes, and every tyre will fit a range of wheel widths within certain parameters. Also need to know what car you are fitting it on and the original tyre size then we can advise on the correct conversion.
Question – will these alloys fit my car? hey all i was just wondering would these alloys fit my girlfreind car, hers are 185,55,15 and the ones i want to buy her are 195,50,15 and they are universal and have loads of holes in them so im sure it will bolt on fine, its just the tyre sizes that im not sure about.any help will be brilliant.
Answer: The tyres will be OK, 195.50.15 and 185.55.15 are often interchangeable. It is the wheels that are more important than the tyres. Are you buying something second hand or new from an alloy wheel dealer? If brand new the dealer should be sure they fit the car before supplying. If second hand, the wheels may be bent, buckled, cracked, or flat spotted. Have they come off the same make and model of car? Have you got the correct nuts or bolts to fit them on the new car? The fact that the wheels have 8 or 10 holes in them does not mean they will fit every car, and even if the bolt holes line up, you still need the correct fitting kit (usually just spigot rings). Fill in our enquiry form at www.tyresave.co.uk/enquiries/ to ask about new wheels then you can be sure they will fit.
Question – MASSIVE wheel wobble above 60 mph.? When i go above 60 or so in my 2002 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S the steering wheel wobbles. It drives straight and true its just bloody annoying and jiggles an inch or so repeatedly either way left and right at a high speed. I have had all the wheels balanced. What is it? Any suspension problems that could be causing this?
Answer: If you have had your wheels balanced but still have a problem it could be: 1. The balancer was not correctly calibrated. 2. You have lost a wheel weight. 3. A tyre is out of shape or flat spotted but the tyre fitter did not look for this fault when balancing the wheels (he just did what you had paid for: i.e. wheel balancing). 4. You have a faulty tyre which looks perfectly round and is not damaged and which balances to zero on the balancer but is not running true when under load on the road. This last item is the most likely cause. To fix it you have to swap the tyres in sequence with a known good wheel & tyre until the problem goes away, then you have found the faulty tyre. If you have recently bought this tyre send it back “under complaint”. if the tyre is more than 3 years old or has less than 50% tread then just replace it.
Question – will 1 series alloys 17in fit an e39 5 series?
Answer: To fit 1 series wheels on the E39 you would need big spacers – not worth even trying it – the offsets are totally different.
Question – Ashley Asked: Why is white powder residue showing up all over my back wheels on my car?
Answer: If you have alloy wheels then they are corroding and the white powder is aluminium oxide – this is what aluminium turns to when it is exposed to air – this process can happen if the paint and laquer on the wheel is peeling off – and once it starts the only way to stop it is to get the whole wheel refurbished – stripped down to bare metal and repainted with primer, paint and lacquer.
Question – can anyone tell me the correct tyre pressures for a fiat grande punto?
Answer: Look in the vehicle handbook, or check this web site http://www.thetyrepressuremonitor.com/locate.asp?action=browse
Question – Alloy Wheels for a Vauxhall Corsa? I currently own a vauxhall corsa D (2008) and have standard 15 inch wheels fitted. What do i need to consider before putting on 17 inch alloy wheels onto it.
Answer: You can easily fit 16″ wheels with 195.45.16 tyres or 17″ wheels using 205.40.17 on the Corsa D. See www.tyresave.co.uk/
Question – What are the advantages in filling nitrogen gas in car & bike tyres? It’s new to me, please tell the fact
Answer: There is no measurable advantage in using Nitrogen to fill ordinary car and bike tyres. It is only worthwhile using for aircraft where you don’t want a tyre filled with pressurised air in the event of a fire. see https://www.tyresave.co.uk/nitrogen/
Question – im going to be buying a 2008 hyundai coupe sii which has 16 inch wheels. I want to put 18’s on, can i? I love my fox 18 inch alloys i currently have on my ford focus. Can I fit these on my hyundai coupe without effecting its performance or modifying the car to much?
Answer: Sorry – Ford Focus wheels will not fit the Hyundai – the bolts holes will not line up!
Question – hi, i have a vauxhall astra 1.4 (98-03) with a 4 stud pattern , 4×100… the wheels on there at the moment are some 14″ vauxhall ones, i just bought some 17″ alloys which are 4×100 and the tyre size is 205/40/ZR17 … do i need spacers or any fitting kits, they just don’t seem to be going on? and they also scrape against the suspension etc… please help thanks in advance
Answer: I am surprised you are having difficulty fitting 17″ 4×100 wheels on the Astra. I have sold lots of wheels to fit that car without any problems. Most of the 17″ wheels in 4×100 fitment that I have ever come across will bolt straight on. You need to get it to an alloy wheel specialist.
Did you buy the wheels new or second hand? If you buy new from a reputable supplier you will get a fitting kit and new bolts and a guarantee they fit. If you bought second hand then how do you know they are 4×100 PCD? What car did they come off?
Question -need help brought some new alloys yesterday and am going to paint the white? and i am wondering could radiator spray paint be used on them the colour will be satin white.they will be sanded down and preped before being sprayed. this is what spray paint is Plasti-kote Radiator Paint White Satin 400ml Additional Details what paint would you recommened thats a decent price
Answer: If you insist on painting them white, go to your local motor accessory shop and get a couple of aerosol cans of car touch up paint and primer. Rub the wheels down with fine emery or scotchbrite to get a key for the paint to stick on. Or we can get them proessionally refurbished – the whole wheel will be stripped down to bare metal then repainted with primer paint and laquer.
Question – BMW 520 ES wheel balance problem? I recently got my two front tyres (continentals) changed and after the tyre depot balanced them I noticed a wheel balance problem.(steering wheel vibration) Took them back for rebalance but no better. The problem was between 50-65 MPH. I then got them balanced at a more specialist place and the chap said they were approx 25 gms out but that now the wheels were running very true. Unfortunately although a bit better I still have a problem around the 65-75 MPH region. Please help
Answer: The speed at which the vibration problem occurs is related to the natural vibration frequency of the suspension. The imbalance of the wheel is amplified by the suspension. I assume that the wheels have not been damaged, and there was no vibration before. Have you got original BMW wheels on the car or are they replacement aftermarket wheels? If replacement wheels it could be that they have lost the spigot rings that are used to centre the wheels. Replacing the rings will cure it. You have fitted a quality tyre (Continental) but it is possible that even with a good make of tyre the casing has a fault which only shows when the car is driven, even when balanced to zero on the balancer. This can occur with any make of tyre. Tyres are made from a mixture of rubber, nylon and steel – balancing is done to rectify any non-uniformity in the weight distribution around the tyre: but it cannot correct for uneveness in the structure of the tyre carcass. So if not a spigot ring problem, you will have to try swapping the wheels+tyres in sequence for a known good tyre+wheel to find out which wheel+tyre is causing the problem. When you find out which tyre is causing the problem, send it back “under complaint”. It is very rare to find a tyre with this fault but we had to send a Kenda Kaiser tyre back a couple of months ago – it balanced to zero on the machine but vibrated when on the car. Major companies like Continental do not like getting complaints and will probably arrange a refund of the cost within a couple of weeks.
Question – Can bad sway bar links cause a vehicle’s steering wheel to shake?
Answer: If you have steering wheel vibration is is always the front wheels/tyres that are out of balance. If other steering and suspension components are worn then that can make the vibration worse.
Question – How to remove Locking Wheel nuts with rotating protective shroud? have lost key and vin number so cannot get replacement nuts. Need to remove locking nuts but they have a rotating protective outer sleeve so the socket just spins round..help
Answer: If the outer shroud of the lock nut is spinning you can split it off with a chisel – then hammer the chisel into the nut to mark it, then maybe a socket will grip it. Otherwise you have to drill them out.
Question – tyre size for a mk2 mondeo on 17`s? just wondered if anyone knew the correct tyre size for a mk2 mondeo when its on 17″ alloys,i`ve currently got it on 205/50r17 but i think it should possibly be on 215 40 r17 it was originally on 205 50 r16.I`ve been looking in a michelin tech book but the rolling circumference chart doesn’t give a alternative for 17`s from a 205 50 r16,thanks in advance Allan
Answer: The correct conversion from 205.50.16 tyres is 215.40.17 or 205.45.17, and 215.45.17 is also within tolerance, so there is nothing wrong with the tyres you have. Later Mondeos use 205.50.17 but they are too big for your car
Question – How far could you drive on a brand new punctured car tyre? I brought my car from my garage onto the drive the day after having my winter tyres fitted and discovered a flat tyre. The garage claim that it was shredded and I must have driven a long distance for this to happen. I am amazed.
Answer: You must have run over something to puncture the tyre. You can’t drive any distance on a flat tyre – even 10 yards or 10 metres on a totally flat tyre is enough to damage it beyond repair. No-one can give a guarantee against you getting a puncture. It is classed as “one of the joys of motoring”.
Question – correct tyre pressure for my car? does anyone know the correct front and back tyre pressure for a ford fiesta zetec 1.25. 195/50/r15
Answer: You can find it on the internet here – “http://www.thetyrepressuremonitor.com/locate.asp?action=browse” Don’t rely on the markings on the sidewall of the tyre – that is the maximum pressure the tyre can hold.
Question – Tyre scuffing, 2001 Mini Cooper? Is it possible that the rear wheel tracking or alignment can be out on my wifes 2001 Mini Cooper? The rear nearside tyre is so badly worn on the inside that the wire is showing through! All the other tyres are ok. What could be the problem?
Answer: If it is just 1 rear tyre you have a problem that needs checking by a competent garage – due to the age of the car it could be a worn bearing or suspension bush or a broken spring, but possibly you bought the car second hand and it had accident damage that had not been properly repaired – so the rear corner of the car is not in line with the rest of the vehicle. It won’t be just tracking that is wrong – I don’t think there is any rear adjustment of tracking on the Mini – the camber angle is wrong and you need to find out why it is wrong.
Question – I am looking to buy one Corsa SXi alloy wheel. I recently got my car (59 plate) but need one new wheel.? I got my car about a month ago, I need one new alloy because one got scuffed. any ideas?
Answer: You will have to buy a wheel from the main Vauxhall dealer. The car is too new to find one in a scrapyard. You might find a set of 4 on Ebay if someone has changed their alloy wheels, or you might find one in a specialist breakers that deals with accident write-off cars.
Question – The tyre pressures are correct on my old Volvo but it keeps steering left even on level ground. Any ideas?
Answer: You don’t say how old the car is, but wear in the suspension bushes can cause it too pull one way if one side is worn more than the other. Most UK cars pull to the left due to the road camber. When you fit a set of brand new tyres the car should drive evenly, but the car will always try to drift to the left due to the camber. This means there is always a bit of excess wear on one side of the tyres because the steering is permanently correcting this natural drift – it is only very slight but it builds up with time. Try swapping the tyres front to back. Try turning the tyres round on the rims. Obviously you also need the tracking checking at the same time
Question – So I curbed the alloys on my new car and? UK ONLY? wtf can I do about it? Someone said that I can buy something from Halfords, but like what and how? Thanks
Answer: Depends how badly they are marked. You can buy some primer and silver paint from Halfords or any good Motor Accessory shop – and a bit of fine emery paper – then rub down the area that is damaged – and spray it over – being careful not to spray paint over the rest of the wheel. Or you can get them professionally refurbished. Or you can just live with the damage, you will probably kerb them again
Question – 2009 seat leon tyre pressure light (!)? can any1 tell me wha the ( ! ) light means on a new seat leon? i know its tyre pressure but how am i suppose to know what tyre etc? does it mean the tyre is low in air or 2 much??
Answer: If you don’t know how to check the tyre pressure go to a garage or tyre depot – they will do it for you.
Question – Can anyone tell me if I can transfer wheels of Xantia to my 1997 model Ford Fiesta? Wheel fitment!? The info might help: tyres on Xantia wheel 195/65R15 and current tyre for Ford is 165/65R13.
Answer: Whoa – no way – if you look at the Xantia tyres you will see they are way bigger than the Fiesta – and although the bolt holes for the wheels are in the same place (4×108 PCD) the centre bore of the wheel is different and the offset if different – it’s a non-starter!
Question – will 1995 13 inch astra wheels fit on my 1997 ford ka Thank you
Answer: Sorry – it’s a non-starter – no way – totally different PCD. 4×100 for the Astra and 4×108 for the Ford. The bolt holes won’t line up!
Question -I keep losing Tyre pessure. Ford mondeo? I lose tyre pressure on all 4 wheels on my Mondeo, it has Alloy Wheels and is about 8 years old with 45,000 miles on the Clock. People tell me it is rim leaks. Any help please.
Answer: It is corrosion of the alloy wheels where the tyre fits in the bead seating area. It is common to all alloy wheels after a time. The permanent solution is get the wheels refurbished properly by Pristine Alloy Wheels (http://www.pristinealloywheels.co.uk/). They will strip all the paint and corrosion off, clean the wheels down to bare metal, skim them on a lathe to remove any imperfections on the face of the wheels, then repaint with primer, paint and lacquer. Otherwise any temporary sealing solution is only temporary.
Question – Does it matter if you have tyres of different makes on your car?
Answer: The car will pass every MoT as long as the sizes on each axle are the same. 4 different makes is OK – but obviously desirable to have at least matching pairs of makes and patterns on each axle to give the same handling and performance.
Question – What effect on driving would 2 dented wheel rims at the back have? The rims are both dented on the inside.
Answer: I assume you mean the wheels are flat spotted due to hitting a pothole or speed bump too fast. You may get vibration coming through the car, and the tyres will wear unevenly because they are not running true on the road. You either need the wheels repaired or replaced.
Question – car tyre date codes missing? only one of the 4 tyres has a “DOT” making and a date code, the other 3 have nothing. They are all Goodyear Tourers, Made in Great Britain around 2001 I guess, but why no date?
Answer: The DOT code is only required for tyres sold in the US – it stands for Department of Transport. The is no requirement for the DOT and date code to be marked on both sides of the tyre.
Question – Tyres for people carrier? Does anyone knows if vw Touran (people carrier) can be fitted with 91 load index tyres?
Answer: You need the full correct tyre size and load index – from memory the standard tyres for this car are 195/65R15 91V. But check the vehicle handbook. Check for a sticker in the drivers door recess. Check for a sticker under the fuel filler cap. Or consult your local tyre depot – they can look up the reg, no. on the computer to get the correct specification tyres for you.
Question – How do you remove 4th Nut on a Volvo V40 tyre change? I am in the middle of, literally, changing the wheel on my 1999 Volvo V40 which has alloy wheels. I have removed three of the nuts quite easily and there is a different style of nut in the 4th hole for which I do not have a tool to remove it and a pair of plyers won’t touch it. There seems to be one of these “4th nuts” on all of the wheels – how do I get this off? I would be even more frustrated if I was at the side of the road in hurry!! Any help would be great, surely I should be able to change my own wheel and put the spare on. Thanks
Answer: It is a locking nut to stop the wheels being stolen. You need the key for it – which is an adapter to connect to the wheel brace. If you can’t find it in the car you should go back to the firm or person you bought the car from, or your local Volvo dealer may be able to get a duplicate for you, or you will have to get the locking nuts drilled out, or try a local tyre depot.
Question – Ive bought a set of multifitting alloy wheels for my car but they dont fit any ideas? I recently bought a set of alloy wheels size 205-40-17’s for my pug 306 but for some reason they seem to wide and there close to rubbing on the inside of the back wheel arches is there anything i can do to make them fit and not cost me to much to get them to fit without breaking the bank its the back of the wheels that seems very tight! would it help if i removed the plastic wheel arch lining to free up some space? or if anyone has any ideas id apreciate it thank you in advance.
Answer: Wheels to fit Peugeot 306 usually come in the correct fitment – not multi-fitment because there are no other cars that use the same offset with a different set of bolt holes. Your best bet is to take them back where you got them from and get your money back – they are not suitable for the purpose. If you bought them from a reliable supplier they will refund no problems. If you bought them privately – then you will probably have to sell them on to someone else. Then contact Tyresave at https://www.tyresave.co.uk/ , or Performance Wheels who have given you a similar answer – you need to buy the correct wheels from a reliable dealer.
Question – are ford and vauxhall wheels interchangeable? someone has offered me a nice set of alloys of his astra for my escort but im not sure if they will fit
Answer: Sorry the answer is no – they won’t fit. The Escort wheels will be 4×108 PCD, and assuming you have 4stud wheels on your Astra they will be 4×100 PCD. The bolt holes don’t match and there is no way to modify them
Question – Is it legal to use snow chains for tyres in the UK and where can I get them? I am not looking forward to the icy roads like last years mayhem!
Answer: Snowchains and studded tyres are illegal in the UK. The roads are salted to clear snow and ice. In Europe, Winter tyres are mandatory on all cars and snowchains are required where necessary.
Question – Will lexus is200 alloys fit 2004 honda accord 2.2i-cdti?
Answer: The wheels for both cars have the same stud pattern (PCD) but the centre bore is different – so they won’t fit.
Question – ford transit 2001-2009 can you fit 16″ rims off of a 350 onto a van 280 that came with 15″ rims. wheel nuts? do the wheel nuts have to be changed? I know the wheels will fit in the wheel arches because there is no difference in the body panel size. thank you for your help.
Answer: If the other transit is the same model year, 2001-2009, then yes the wheels and the nuts will fit
Question – Ford Mondeo problem. when I brake the wheels shudder as if the ABS was working?
Answer: Vibration under braking is usually a warped brake disc. If it’s the ABS system faulty you will feel the pedal pushing back at your foot as you as you brake. Nothing wrong with wheels and tyres
Question – Best wet tyres for 1997 VW Golf MK3 with no ABS? I have just bought a 1997 VW Golf MK3 1.9 TDI with 150k on the clock as a run around. I have done quite alot of work on the car including new shocks all round and new cam belt, new front discs & pads. The car does not have ABS fitted and Ive noticed in the wet when braking hard in a straight line, the car does skid more than I like (IM used to an Audi TT with ABS/ESP etc). The front tyres are virtually new 175/65/14 Kumho KH17 and the rear are Austone. So IM hoping someone can provide a recommendation for a really grippy wet tyre.
Answer: have never come across a 1997 Golf Mk 3 fitted with 175.65.14 tyres – if you check the handbook for the car I think they were fitted with 185.60.14 tyres as standard. The extra width won’t make a lot of difference, about 6% greater width, but as the other contributors have said, any sliding in the wet is down to driving style – not the fault of the tyres. Kumho are a decent make of tyre, and nothing wrong with Austone. It is also possible the front/rear brake balance is wrong – when did the car last have an MoT?
Question – Is it legal to repair your own tyres with a repair kit and how easy is it?
Answer: It is legal – but don’t do it – it is dangerous – you could kill your self or someone else – you are saving £10 or £12 for the cost of a proper repair. All tyre depots have to repair tyres to British Standard AU144e – which means briefly – the tyre MUST be removed from the rim – the inside of the casing MUST be inspected for damage and the overall condition of the tyre assessed for suitability for repair – then the inner lining MUST be correctly buffed – then the repair MUST be done using an approved plug-and-patch with correct tyre cement – then the tyre remounted on the rim and re-balanced. Anything less than this procedure may result in a defective tyre which could blow out at high speed. It’s too late when you are dead to say you saved a tenner by doing it yourself, the British Standard procedure is there for safety – if you don’t understand it – don’t do it.
Question – Can 20” alloy wheels be put on a mini cooper s?
Answer: Sorry the answer is no – you won’t find any 20″ wheels with 4-stud fitment, and even if you could get the wheels, the smallest 20″ tyres will rub on the wheel arches. 18″ wheels with 215.35.18 tyres are the biggest you can fit
Question – Is it safe and legal to mix standard and directional tyres on the same axle? Have a really good spare tyre but it is a directional one. Thinking of fitting it on the front to replace a worn one but the other front tyre is a standard non directional tyre. Is this OK for an MOT, and is it safe and legal? Thanks
Answer: It is legal and will pass an MoT
Question -How do i remove the wheel off a ’96 mitsubishi shogun? the truck is jacked up ad all bolts removed, however the wheel wont budge? do i need to remove anything from the central hub to get it off? thanks
Answer: The wheel has seized onto the hub with corrosion – if a sledge hammer won’t shift it spray some WD40 or other easing oil and leave it for a bit – for an hour or a day but keep spraying it every so often. Turn the wheel slowly when you are hitting it with the hammer. If it still won’t come off, put the nuts back on, then drive to a deserted supermarket car park, slacken all the nuts on the wheel about half way back on the threads, then drive as fast as you can within the space possible, then at the last minute bang the steering hard one way and jam the brakes on at the same time. The idea is to put some load on the wheel so it comes loose. Keep checking if the wheel has freed off but make sure you don’t lose the nuts
Question – Whats the biggest tyres you can put on 16x8J wheel rim? And also a 16x7J wheel rim?
Answer: On the 8″ wide wheels you want 245/46R16 tyres, and on the 7″ wheels you want 225/50R16
Question – what metals are car alloy wheels made from?
Answer: Car Alloy wheels are made from Aluminium Alloy, which is a blend of principally Aluminium and Silicon with various other trace elements added to give the correct mixture for strength without being too brittle. See https://www.tyresave.co.uk/alloywheels/ for the full technical specifications of the 2 main blends used: namely LM9 and LM25 depending on the casting process involved.