Last week on the 3rd Jan I acquired an unrepairable puncture (outside the T-Zone of the tyre according to the garage I later asked to repair it). Fortunately I'd bought a new spare tyre and tyre kit just a few weeks before (how lucky is that!). I drove home (20 miles on the spare) and for this last week have been able to use the other car in the household for work, while waiting for mytyres.co.uk to send me another Vredestein Wintrac to replace the damaged one. After much hassle they've now given me a delivery date for the 15th Jan!!! Grrrrrh that's next week. Rubbish service from the company compared to my past dealings with them. When I first ordered the tyre their website said they had some in stock so I've no idea why the delay in delivery and they haven't explained either. Local garages here did not have one available.

Question is... How safe is it for me to use the car again with the spare (other tyres are Wintracs)? I'm guessing not really safe and that the insurance company might have something to say about it too. My other option seems to be to temporarily put the 17" alloys and summer tyres back on, but the forecast is suggesting a cold spell and I live in a very rural part of the North Pennines.

I don't suppose mixing winter tyres on 16 " alloys and 17" alloys with summers is a good idea??? Think I know the answer to that one already.

Not any help but its due to snow this weekend, if I was you I'd fit all 4 summers on :(

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The slightly skinnier tyre and wheel is only supposed to be used to get you to a place where the correct wheel and tyre can be repaired and refitted. It is NOT designed to be used continuously and is technically illegal to do so.

The slightly skinnier tyre and wheel is only supposed to be used to get you to a place where the correct wheel and tyre can be repaired and refitted. It is NOT designed to be used continuously and is technically illegal to do so.

True. Plus you are limited to max 50mph. EDIT... Space saver only. see my post below.

If you were being a bit sneaky, I am in no way suggesting you should do this, leave the punctured tyre in the boot and if, for some reason, you do get stopped you could say the puncture occurred that day.

What is technically illegal about a tyre with the same rolling radius, but is slightly thinner so you are limited to 50mph?

I am not being funny, but we have these in our cars so I'm curious.

Sorry Richard, I mis-read the OP. edited my post above.

If you have a full size spare fitted then there is no speed restriction.

That only applies to space saver tyres

Common sense dictates that if Your yeti is wearing 17" wheels & 225 aspect tyres on 7" wide rims, and you stick your 16" spare spare on, then you should be aware that your car's excellent handling could be compromised. Combine the same spare with 16" wheels/tyres on the other 3 corners with 215 aspect tyres, you are unlikely to have any problems. However the Yeti's factory fit 16" spare has the usual bright yellow warning stickers on it not to exceed 50mph etc.so if something were to go wrong it would be up to you to try to convince Mr Plod that there was nothing wrong with the way you were driving - on a wheel with warning stickers on it!

The official factory spare is a smaller overall diameter than either of standard wheel options and as suggested above only designed to get you to the nearest repairer at no more than 50mph.

If you really need to use your Monster before the new tyre arrives, I'd put the 17" wheels back on and be prepared to cancel any journeys if the weather does turn to snow.

My thoughts on it anyway and I hope that order turns up soon,

TP

I'd be wary of driving any distance with a differently sized spare as you have 4 wheel drive.

What is technically illegal about a tyre with the same rolling radius, but is slightly thinner so you are limited to 50mph?

I am not being funny, but we have these in our cars so I'm curious.

Because the Rules state that the tyres have to be of the same size, except in an emergency, and putting the "spare" 16" wheel on tyre onto a normally 17" wheeled car obviously isn't that. Rolling circumference is not the same thing.

Because the Rules state that the tyres have to be of the same size, except in an emergency, and putting the "spare" 16" wheel on tyre onto a normally 17" wheeled car obviously isn't that. Rolling circumference is not the same thing.

Yup read that before, each axle must have the same sized wheel and tyre, also you can have bigger wheels and tyres on the back but not at the front

Sent from my Galaxy S3, not a Crapple!

Yup read that before, each axle must have the same sized wheel and tyre, also you can have bigger wheels and tyres on the back but not at the front

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So are you saying I CAN (safely and legally?) drive with 16" winter shod alloys on the front and 17" summers on the rear. That would certainly provide a temporary solution until the replacement winter tyre arrives and is fitted.

Legally yes; look at the wheel sizes on a Smart car, for example, but on a 4x4 Yeti, NO NO NO, as you risk damage to the 4x4 system. (I think)

Legally yes; look at the wheel sizes on a Smart car, for example, but on a 4x4 Yeti, NO NO NO, as you risk damage to the 4x4 system. (I think)

Yes, my 'sensible-head' was telling me that too, but thanks for confirming Llanigraham. So it's the summers on again until the new tyre eventually arrives (it'll probably be further delayed by heavy snow and the lane outside my house not getting ploughed for days -doh) and just when the temperature is forecast to plummet (someone up there is 'having a laugh' eh!).

I had a similar problem 2 years ago. I could not get or afford a replacement tyre. Had to go back to summers in February.

I then bought 2 more tyres and a spare wheel and now have a full size winter spare tyre.

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I had a similar problem 2 years ago. I could not get or afford a replacement tyre. Had to go back to summers in February.

I then bought 2 more tyres and a spare wheel and now have a full size winter spare tyre.

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Mytyres are proving to be a complete 'joke'. This is part of their recent reply to my compliant..."Thank you very much for your e-mail in which you express your concern regarding the delivery of the order ***********.We have traced the goods and noticed they reached UK but unfortunately, the couriers encountered some problems with the delivery and the tyres were redirected to Germany. This might have happened because the labels came off the parcels, the address they had on them was incomplete or incorrect.We regret this unfortunate situation and apologize for the inconvenience caused.We would kindly ask you to bear with us for another couple of days for us to be able to send you the replacement goods.We hope you can accept our apologies for the inconveniences caused."Still doesn't explain why it took a whole week from ordering to the dispatch when their website claimed they were in stock. Previously when ordering 4 tyres from this company they sent me two tyres one week and then another two the following!! That's fine when it's not urgent but really, what a way to run a business. OK rant over, but just to warn fellow formites. Think I'll try clickontyres.co.uk next time.

Surely you'd factor in a spare when buying a winter set?

Only if you have a spare in the first place, surely?

Only if you have a spare in the first place, surely?

What I mean is, the Sharan doesnt have a spare, nor room for it. BUT if I were buying winters, I'd buy 5 full size (regardless of just tyres or steels as well) as if one became unrepairable, I'd have one to get fitted whilst I order another.

Yup read that before, each axle must have the same sized wheel and tyre, also you can have bigger wheels and tyres on the back but not at the front

Where have you seen that you cant have bigger wheels and tyres on the front?

Ive never seen anything.

Surely you'd factor in a spare when buying a winter set?

Personally I think that would have been a bit of a luxury - but we all have different personal levels of risk we consider appropriate.

I bought the standard Yeti spare as I didn't like the idea of driving around with the tyre repair kit which was provided as standard, but nevertheless kept both on board for a 'belt and braces' approach. Turned out to be a good decision to have bought the spare, but I think it's quite reasonable just to have one standard spare wheel and tyre for a car. In my case it was just very unfortunate to have had both an unrepairable puncture and a tyre-selling company with a half-arsed approach to their customers. Usually (as in the past) I would have expected to have been back on all four standard wheels within 24 hours or less.

Edited 12 January, 201313 yr by Ooopnorth

Where have you seen that you cant have bigger wheels and tyres on the front?

Ive never seen anything.

See my reply at #13 above.

The Smart isn't the only car either. Try Porsche, TVR, amongst others.

See my reply at #13 above.

The Smart isn't the only car either. Try Porsche, TVR, amongst others.

But that dosnt answer the question I know of no legislation that says you cant have bigger wheels and tyres on the front.

Take the Audi RS3 it has wider tyres on the front than on the rear.

I was pointing out that there is no legislation that the front and rear wheels/tyres have to be the same size, and giving examples of some vehicles that are like that.

The only legislation is that they have to be the same on the same axle, EXCEPT in an emergency and then when the "spare" wheel is so designed to be fitted AND is marked as a TEMPORARY fitting only, and is subject to a speed restriction, and should only be used until a correct replacement is fitted, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Forgive me if this appears to be a rather simple(ton!) question, but would it be acceptable to mix tyres from different manufacturers of winter tyre? Say, adding a Michelin winter tyre to 3 Vredestein tyres, with inevitably two different makes on one axle?

Presumedly when sets of tyres wear at different rate with, for example, the rear pair often having a longer 'life' than the front pair, some mixing might also be inevitable.