Tyres. Again.

[ANOBOBOLOUS]

Hello.

I've searched the various tyre threads on here and there doesn't seem to be any 'final word' on Beat tyres for standard rims.

I'm pretty fussy and want decent/ correct tyres on my car, the only H rated front tyres I can find on the UK market are Kumho which don't seem to be rated very highly.

Bridgestone Japan recommend these (http://tireselector.bridgestone.co.jp/cgi-bin/select/tire/kekka.cgi?MK_ID=3&TIRE_ID=38918&CR_ID=163&S_FLAG=S)

Anyone here ever imported tyres to the UK before?

I've sent out a few emails for quotes, but if anyone knows the best way to go about it has any tips or advice it'd be appreciated.

[Bumbly1]

These people have the correct tyre sizes, a decent choice and reasonable prices http://www.camskill.co.uk/ I have used them and had no problems.

Tom

[ANOBOBOLOUS]

Cheers but the thing is, having tyres with the wrong speed rating can void your insurance as far as I know. Which appears to mean budget tyres only for the front.

I also got in touch with Bridgestone europe who advised me not to use the wrong rated tyres regardless of the difference in the cars top speed and the rating of the tyre.

[Mylee]

Kumho's have been fine on my Beat since I imported it over 2 years ago.
I don't do tracks, I don't race, and my Beat is just a summer toy - may be different if your driving all year round.

[Steve_M]

Anyone here ever imported tyres to the UK before?


Any tyre you import from Japan that was not intended for European market will not actually comply to EU legislation as it wont have th 'E' Mark on them.

You will find it difficult to get the correct speed rated tyre for a Beat, as its not a common size for UK. Main use for the Front size is Metro.

Try http://www.event-tyres.co.uk/

They have some good makes - Dunlop, Toyo, pirelli

But they are all 'T' rated. for 155/65 13

Some 'H' rated for 165/60 14

[Beat Red]

Does any one know what the original tyre make amd model was then the cars were new? I suspect Bridgestone somthing or others.
These might be an option as these were what was designed for the car as OEM types.

Steve

[beardo]

Camskill are good for tyres, a good selection, competitive price and excellent service. T's are rated to 118 mph so are fine on the Beat.

Fronts

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m4b0s369p0

Rears

http://www.camskill.co.uk/products.php?plid=m4b0s369p0

[ANOBOBOLOUS]

The tyre place I took it to reckon that the Bridgestones that are on it are the originals! They're K'grids all round, rotational, made in japan and they're starting to crack up.

I figured if it passed the tests on the way into this country then japanese tyres must be ok, although the rules may well have changed since. I'll check the tyres in the morning and see if they have an E or the DOT marking on them anywhere.

[Bumbly1]

I dont think the fact that it was successfully imported means the tyres are legal in UK. That is the responsibility of the driver, not customs officials - imho. The specs I have do list H rated tyres but I would concur with Beardo's view that T rated should be perfectly sufficient but it may give you piece of mind to check that out with a tyre specialist, I am sure Camskill would keep you right ;-)

Tom

[Steve_M]

The tyre place I took it to reckon that the Bridgestones that are on it are the originals! They're K'grids all round, rotational, made in japan and they're starting to crack up.

Yes I would agree with that, and they will be way past there best by now.



I figured if it passed the tests on the way into this country then japanese tyres must be ok, although the rules may well have changed since. I'll check the tyres in the morning and see if they have an E or the DOT marking on them anywhere.

There are quite a few items on a Beat, because it is a Japan model only are actually not homologated for EU use, but because these vehicles come in under SVA test, its a bit of a Loop hole.

[LawrenceHarding]

A quick trawl on the net suggests the lowest rating,"N", is suitable for speeds up to 87mph or 140kph which I believe is the maximum speed of an unmodified Beat. As far as I'm aware there is no problem using tyres of a higher speed rating than specified but you must not go lower.

[Bumbly1]

Given that the maximum speed limit in UK is 70mph then surely all tyres rated above 70mph must be okay for use here ;) Would an insurance company then have to prove that the vehicle was exceeding the manufacturers limit to nullify a claim? :rolleyes:

Tom

[Bumbly1]

A quick trawl on the net suggests the lowest rating,"N", is suitable for speeds up to 87mph or 140kph which I believe is the maximum speed of an unmodified Beat. As far as I'm aware there is no problem using tyres of a higher speed rating than specified but you must not go lower.

My copy of the Honda specs, I don't know if it is the official one, but it does quote H rating despite the speed rating being well in excess of that quoted for an unmodified car. Anyone know why that should be the case, if it is indeed the official line? :confused: FWIW, the parts list also specifies H rated tyres!

Tom

[Steve_M]

The Honda specs that I have a copy of do quote H rating despite the maximum speed being well in excess of that achieved by an unmodified car. I wonder why? :confused:

Tom

Its not just to do with the speed. A relaventr speed rating will come wil a Load rating as well.

This gives a tyre a certain stiffness/performance. A vehicle will be Homologated relavant to that specific tyre type/size etc.

In some countries un like UK. for those countries annual test (MOT) they cannot have incorrect speed rated tyres. This has become a problem on Integra Type R, as Bridgestone have decided to stop production of the only spec tyre there was.

[Bumbly1]

Its not just to do with the speed. A relaventr speed rating will come wil a Load rating as well.

This gives a tyre a certain stiffness/performance. A vehicle will be Homologated relavant to that specific tyre type/size etc.

In some countries un like UK. for those countries annual test (MOT) they cannot have incorrect speed rated tyres. This has become a problem on Integra Type R, as Bridgestone have decided to stop production of the only spec tyre there was.

I understood that the load rating is the two (or three) numbers prior to the speed rating letter.

Tom

[marcair]

this site may be informative:
http://www.1010tires.com/tech.asp

[Steve_M]

this site may be informative:
http://www.1010tires.com/tech.asp

From this website.

"It is also an indication of how the tire will handle at lower speeds. A higher rated tire will give you better traction and improved steering response even at 50mph."

Thats the reason a Beat has OEM tyres that are 'H' rated. Not that it can do 130MPH.

When I had my Beat I had 'H' Rated Continentals on the rear and 'T' rated Firestones on the rear. I did 3 track days at Castle Coombe and quite a few long trips with no tyre issues.

[ANOBOBOLOUS]

Cheers folks, all useful information.

Steve, if it handles well enough on a track day...

I'm no racing driver but I do drive it fairly hard from time to time. The drift is half the fun. It just doesn't fill you with confidence when everywhere seems to say "don't use anything other than OEM spec tyres" and "don't mix speed ratings"

I couldn't see any E or DOT markings on the outer wall of my current tyres but I'm fairly certain they had a DOT mark embossed on the inner wall when the wheels were off.

[TADO]

we imported a pair of advan a048s for ours a couple of months back - it wasnt actually that expensive at all. we sent em by sea which took about 8 weeks - it worked out at about 25 quid more per tyre including jesse's commission fee and you can get the perfect size.

[ANOBOBOLOUS]

Thanks Tado,

I've already got a quote from Jesse, it's not too bad either.


With regard to 'E' marks on tyres, here's a quote from bridgestone:

"As far we’re aware the non-E marked cannot be sold in the UK under the Sale of Goods Act. We’re not aware of any legislation that forbids the use of non-e-marked tyre on UK roads"

interesting.

[LawrenceHarding]

I have an original drivers handbook which lists tyres as 155/65R13 73H and 165/60R14 74H. Unless the law where you live states otherwise I imagine any tyre which matches or exceeds this spec will be OK. I doubt if an insurer would be concerned unless a claim arose from the failure of a poor quality tyre. We should also remember that the Beat was designed best part of 20 years ago. Tyre technology has changed a lot since then and as a result the characteristics of a modern tyre may be notably different from a similarly designated one from that time.

[Steve_M]

155/65R13 73H and 165/60R14 74H.


Theres the problem for tyres available in the UK.
You can only get an underrated 'T' rated, even thou they do meet the 73 load rating.

[ANOBOBOLOUS]

Here's what the DfT have to say on the matter.

"The British regulations require that the tyres must be capable of being used at the maximum speed the vehicle is permitted to travel at, ie 70mph."

"All imported tyres which are to be offered for sale or supply through normal retail outlets must carry either an ‘e’ or ‘E’ approval mark."

Interpret that however you like. I'm now happy to use non 'E' marked tyres on UK roads and T rated are fine legally if thats what you use.

[Bumbly1]

The department of transport is likely to have a different view from insurers. Their reply above seems to indicate to me that any car in UK could use a T rated tyre as the national limit is 70mph. This infers that no-one exceeds that limit and insurers know they do and are perhaps more likely to require that the tyre is better matched to the potential maximum performance of the vehicle and perhaps they are more likely to go with the manufacturers spec as a minimum standard?

Tom

[LawrenceHarding]

It seems to me that we have to be practical here. We don't know why Honda used H rated tyres. It may have been the min spec available at the time in Japan. Possibly they were used on other models (the Beat was a low volume car) and it was easier to standardise on H. If 155/65R13Tare the best available are they up to the job? This size is used on the Rover Metro 1.4, a heavier and more powerful car. Furthermore it is front engined and front wheel drive which would put far more strain on the front tyres than would be the case with the Beat. This would suggest that they are suitable but ultimately if an insurer wants to be picky it would have to be settled in court. For the record both our Beats have T rated fronts but on an island with a 35mph limit its not an issue we thought very much about.

[ANOBOBOLOUS]

ok. so I bought a pair of kumho's for the rear to see what they're like.

ever since they went on, my beat has not been right. it seems to handle fine round tight bends etc but once up to about 60+ it kind of drifts all over the shop. left to right, right to left, its particularly bad under acceleration and when coasting along. It is scary when going around gentle motorway bends. It doesnt seem to pull to one side only and is ok at lower speeds. also the steering wheel now points right.

It's booked in for a wheel alignment soon but I'm not convinced this is going to solve it. my old tyres had no abnormal wear on them. any ideas?

they've clocked up enough miles to wear in since they went on.

[Stokesey]

Hello. First post, owned Beat for just over a month. Returning it to original spec as far as possible. Looking for tyres myself, now I have an original set of steel rims. If you want to stick to Japanese manufacturers Yokohama A Specs are available at both 155/65 13s and 165/60 14s - you can buy them on line to be fitted at a local National Tyres and Autocare at http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/. Using the following voucher code [mv1082] they work out at £156 - £38 a corner.

I have these tyres on my Honda Jazz - they are 'T' rated. I'll let you know my impressions when I get them on my Beat.