OT-ish: car wheels/tyres

They'll fit, but the rolling circumference will be different because the height of the tyres goes from 80% of 13" to 70%. This:

That will cause your speedo to overread by 4mph (which is OK), but I'd be wary of mixing them, particulary mixing tyres on the same axle.

Theo

But a pair of winter tyres is an invitation to reversing into a hedge.

I would be wary about fitting a tyre size that is not mentioned in the car's handbook as you might invalidate the insurance.

Would you like to explain that cryptic remark?

On Wed, 23 Jul 2014 08:18:56 +0100, Nightjar > But a pair of winter tyres is an invitation to reversing into a hedge.

Does it need explaining?

Put a pair of winter tyres on the front of a FWD car in poor conditions and - woo! You can MOVE!

Get to a bend or corner, turn in, and - woo! The front'll grip and turn.

Shame the back won't follow it...

BTDTGTTS, wasn't winter tyres front "ordinary" back. Just new on the front, worn on the back and a slightly slippy road surface. Tried to correct the large understeer, followed by equally large oversteer, followed by understeer but gave up, hit drystone wall at a shallow angle, rolled and ened up upside down.

What I should have done is still "steered into the skid" but also floored the accelarator and the back would have been dragged back into alignment and eventually grip.

Did it the other way on the land river freelander. chunkies on the back. Bags of traction but when I tried to strop..

OTOH the rental car I drive in France last month had zero front grip and was understeering off wet corners.

Snow tyres left on it they said, from winter.

Evidently.

Last FWD car I had was a Mk1 Mini and when I fit winter tyres, which I do every November, I fit a full set, so that was far from obvious to me.

On Wed, 23 Jul 2014 09:52:38 +0100, Nightjar > Put a pair of winter tyres on the front of a FWD car in poor conditions

If you put just a pair on the back of a RWD car, you'll get moving, but fail to stop or turn in...

OP here - thanks for all the wise advice chaps. Maybe I'll put my snow tyres on Ebay, or summat.

Cheers John

Or buy another pair, is it a 4WD Panda?

Or sell that pair and buy four the right size...?

That seems the correct course of action doesn't it?

And in answer to Dave -- no, not a 4WD (would I have needed snow tyres if it was? I think not).

Of course: we haven't needed snow tyres round here (Tynedale, Dave) for at least two years .... which may be a good reason, ju-ju-wise, to buy some, eh?

J.

Umm, yes.

Four driven wheels get you moving. They do nothing to help you move in a different direction or stop moving. So, if anything, winter tyres (NOT "snow" tyres, they give at least as much benefit on cold dry tarmac) are more needed with 4wd...

I'd rather be unable to move than get moving then find I can't stop or turn.

The only mini I ever owned was a Mk1 van, and the rear radius bearings were so worn you could pull the stub axlefrom side to side by about 2 inches. It went round corners just like those rear-steering low loaders you see occasionally on the road.

I can't say that it would ever have occurred to me to put just two winter tyres on any vehicle, particularly as, apart from the current car, I have been driving 4x4s for many years..

Having read the thread - there's no guarantee the wheel studs will be in the right position, nor if it's hub-centric that the hub will match. So they might not even go on.

If they do... _then_ you can have fun with oversteer!

Andy

In message , Another John writes

The Alto tyres are squatter and fatter. You may find that on full lock they scrub on something.

/ Having read the thread - there's no guarantee the wheel studs will be in the right position, nor if it's hub-centric that the hub will match. So they might not even go on.

If they do... _then_ you can have fun with oversteer!

Andy /q

If you re-read it there's no mention of wheels.....

Jim K