HoggyN Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I'll print it off and keep it in the glovebox in case I am ever stopped. Another snippet from the web... Tyre Speed and Load Markings All tyres are marked with their load carrying and speed capabilities. For maximum safety, it is important that the tyres you choose are suitable for the maximum speed at which you drive your car. The law requires that in terms of load carrying and speed capability the tyres you have fitted are suitable for the use you put them to Source Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Yes ossifer - some bloke on t'internet said it was OK........................... er, don't think so Nige!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aragorn Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 yer, this about as clear as the law gets: A wheeled motor vehicle or trailer fitted with a pneumatic tyre shall not be used on a road, if :- (a) the tyre is unsuitable having regard to the use to which the vehicle is being put or to the types of tyres fitted to its other wheels, except where a temporary use spare tyre is fitted to a passenger vehicle with up to 8 passenger seats driven at not more than 50 m.p.h., So the wording "the tyre is unsuitable having regard to the use to which the vehicle is being put" kinda implies that if you fit lower rated tyres your fine as long as you dont exceed the new lower rating. I think the insurance argument is a separate issue, where some insurance companies might try to dodge a claim using the fact that the tyre is rated too low for the vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefcoL Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 The law requires that in terms of load carrying and speed capability the tyres you have fitted are suitable for the use you put them to So is it how one uses them or what the truck is/ was rated at when first made? If i only poodle along at 50 mph on motorway, does that bring me inside the law,and if so what evidence is required? Does any one have a chart with the various LR manufactured max top speeds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missingsid Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Hmmmmmhttp://www.tyresave.co.uk/tyrspeed.html Read their words - box of frogs ??? It was one of the reasons I went Simex JTs (Q=100MPH) vs Simex ETs (was 62MPH now 75 MPH) with a LR Factory V8 at 86 mph Top speed, ..... but the linky above does seem an 'interesting little find' ? Nige Intersting but still confusing. My old BMW V8 M5 had Z rated tyres which the site suggests as: Speed Category "ZR" For vehicles with a speed capability over 240 Km/h (e.g. 205/40 ZR 17) or 150mph. Now the M5 was electronicaly limited to 155mph ish (not very accurate) and no top speed quoted although a standard spec one was aledegedly seen at 185-190mph in Germany. So the limited speed must presumably be OK for the law otherwise an actual top speed would need to be quoted? The problem is that does a "ZR" tyre have to have a maximum speed, or just over 150mph? Marc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 from BFG's site tyre speed ratings on this list > = up to the noted speed http://www.bfgoodrich.co.uk/bfguk/front/af...010〈=EN & load index info http://www.bfgoodrich.co.uk/bfguk/front/af...011〈=EN useful tyre safety info from Michelin http://gestdoc.webmichelin.com/repository/...Rubrique=BFG_UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirkthe1 Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 just as a thought, but has anyone considered actually ringing the old bill for a definitive answer. or emailing. i wouldnt know where to start, but im sure someone does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_d Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 ......The problem is that does a "ZR" tyre have to have a maximum speed, or just over 150mph?Marc. ZR and VR rated tyres are allowed to go higher than the rating if the load is lower than the load rating. i.e. as the car gets lighter the speed can rise. Source...IVA inspection manual. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat_pending Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I've come to the conclusion that there is no definitive answer to this. Whilst there's plenty of recommendations to stick to the manufactures speed rating, there appears to be nothing in law that states you must. Only that the tyres must be suitable "having regard to the use to which the motor vehicle is being put or to the types of tyres fitted to its other wheels;" So just fitting lower speed rated tyres is not in itself an offence, but, you could still face a prosecution dependent on the vehicle and circumstances. English law at it's best. As for invalidating insurance, I'd say in the event of an accident they'd have to show the lower speed rating was a contributory factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoggyN Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I've come to the conclusion that there is no definitive answer to this. Having spent some considerable time researching this, I have to agree. There is plenty of anecdotal and web sourced evidence that, as long as the tyres are suitable for the intended use, they are legal. I haven't found a single jot of UK related evidence to the contrary, unless you count the mythical SD1 driver that was referred to earlier in this thread. In fact, I can't find any reference to him anywhere else, not even in the obscure Section 4a of the 'I LOOK A COMPLETE TOOL AND AM BEGGING TO BE PULLED OVER' Act 2008 that I found on ukpoliceonline.co.uk link There are some coppers on this board, perhaps we should ask them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasticbadger Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Never had a blow out on a motorway have you Not in a land rover, but many years back I had a 2.8i Granada and one day I did 100 mph + for 45 minutes straight and the front left tyre blow out, cue high speed embankment power slide, which is better than hitting the centre reservation, but still required a new wheel, tyre and trousers. On review it turned out the super cheap tyres I'd put on it quite recently were 90 something speed rated. Why was I driving so fast? Well my girlfreind of the time had been in an accident and I was rushing to the hosipital, which can and does make people take higher risks than normal. I'm not saying everybody on Simexes or similar are going to drive around as fast as they can until the tyres burst, but they could do which is why it is important to check and make sure that you're tyres are fit for purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicks90 Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 so theoretically i could fit dumper tyres to my 90 and just never drive over 20mph??? because under the examples, links and copied text from previous replies it would appear i can. I dont think so though........................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_hammond Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 My Hayabusa is electronically limited to 186 MPH, well it was I have ZR rated tyres that are rated for "over 156MPH" nearly 200 notes for a rear tyre that lasts 5000miles if I'm lucky !!! They don't do anything with a stated higher speed so could I sue the manufacturer if I had a blow out at 200mph on an airfield ? Could the police still do me for having tyres with no "specific" max speed rating ?? Commen sense is the key, buy the best tyres you can afford that are made for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 ZR and VR rated tyres are allowed to go higher than the rating if the load is lower than the load rating.i.e. as the car gets lighter the speed can rise. Source...IVA inspection manual. Steve from the BFG links above ---- ZR : > 149 mph to me that means UPTO 149mph not over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aragorn Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 V is 149mph Z is OVER 149mph W is 168mph Y is 186mph The Z is an older category before W and Y existed, hence the no upper limit. You sometimes see W or Y tyres rated as both Z and W/Y. Teh markings will say for example 225/45ZR17 102Y ALL tyres rated over 130mph cannot sustain over 130mph at their maximum load rating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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