tyres speed rating law/insurance implications
Discussion
I need to replace the OME tyres; they are V rated
They are Michelin and cost a fortune
I have had Goodyear GD3 and Pirelli Nero Rosso - which don't appear to come as V but as W rated.
pops into local tyre place tell them what I want and a quote (Goodyear or Pirelli) not arsed, fitter goes out to check and gives sizes to operative, which I already gave, stresses V rated, promptly gets told my insurance will be invalid for fitting W rated tyres when OME was V and they’d had this and that trouble in the past and that would then brake the law
Well, on checking the law it mentions not a thing to do with speed rating (that I can find) mainly concentrates on the usual don't mix crossplys with radial, various diagrams with axle configurations, tread information etc.
Now when I worked in motor claims we didn’t bother with such trivia, we did bother if tyres were bald but as to whether a car had s, t, v, zr, w, z we didn’t care.
So is it a material fact that I’m fitting W rated tyres when the originals were V rated and the car can’t go faster than 140 mph anyway, do the police check – I doubt it
I’d understand it if I had W or Y tyres and was fitting T rated but as you can’t do more than 70 is it a problem anyway
Yeah I know it, is as they’ll fall apart at sustained loads and high speed but you know what I mean
They are Michelin and cost a fortune
I have had Goodyear GD3 and Pirelli Nero Rosso - which don't appear to come as V but as W rated.
pops into local tyre place tell them what I want and a quote (Goodyear or Pirelli) not arsed, fitter goes out to check and gives sizes to operative, which I already gave, stresses V rated, promptly gets told my insurance will be invalid for fitting W rated tyres when OME was V and they’d had this and that trouble in the past and that would then brake the law
Well, on checking the law it mentions not a thing to do with speed rating (that I can find) mainly concentrates on the usual don't mix crossplys with radial, various diagrams with axle configurations, tread information etc.
Now when I worked in motor claims we didn’t bother with such trivia, we did bother if tyres were bald but as to whether a car had s, t, v, zr, w, z we didn’t care.
So is it a material fact that I’m fitting W rated tyres when the originals were V rated and the car can’t go faster than 140 mph anyway, do the police check – I doubt it
I’d understand it if I had W or Y tyres and was fitting T rated but as you can’t do more than 70 is it a problem anyway
Yeah I know it, is as they’ll fall apart at sustained loads and high speed but you know what I mean
jwo said:
So if going the other way is wrong, I have put on w rated tyres (168mph rated) rather than Y rated (186mph) tyres on my car. Load ratings are the same etc etc. The car will only ever do 150mph max. How is that wrong!!!!
It's probably OK as long as the insurers are informed & agree.
IRM said:
I’d understand it if I had W or Y tyres and was fitting T rated but as you can’t do more than 70 is it a problem anyway
As you say - it's not only about the speed rating and the fact that you can only 'do' 70MPH. It's about the torque loading that a car capable of 150MPH+ is able to apply to the tyre carcuss under hard acceleration.
BB
IRM said:
promptly gets told my insurance will be invalid
You know I'm always amazed at the depth of legal and structural engineering training these apparently unskilled workers have been through.
Really they ought to put a surcharge on the tyre service for the white-hot legal consultation provided.
SM
IRM said:
i'm not saying it is in those circumstances but
is speed rating a material consideration that in the event of a claim they can repudiate it ?
is speed rating a material consideration that in the event of a claim they can repudiate it ?
When I asked my insurers whether I could put V rated Toyos on the front of my chim they said no - had to be ZR or equivalent/better.
However, in your case W are a better spec than V so you will be OK - but just email/phone and check if you're unsure.
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