What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Why do you recommend fitting winter tyres onto spare wheels for my Volvo V40?
I have followed your advice on winter tyres, which have transformed my 7-year-old Volvo V40 in the snow and ice. I thank you, but please could you explain why you advise winter tyres 'on a separate set of rims'. Is it simply to save the cost of having the tyres changed twice a year? If so, this must be offset against the cost of new rims, which is significant if I shall be selling the car in the next two years. I have substituted the 'normal' tyres, which now sit in the garage, for exactly the same size in 'winter tyre', and the (national) tyre fitters assure me that this is acceptable, and not a change in specification.
Asked on 6 December 2010 by JG, via email
Answered by
Honest John
Firstly it gives you the option to switch from blingy big wheels with low profile tyres to smaller wheels with deeper profile winter tyres that will be more effective in winter. Secondly, if you swap to steels, it prevents your expensive alloys getting damaged by saline grit. Thirdly it prevents damage to the tyres and rims from having them swapped twice a year, and also reduces the cost. If you switch to steels you will probably need different, shouldered wheel nuts or bolts. You have to tell your insurer, but, sensibly, the ABI has ruled this is not a ‘modification’ subject to a premium increase.
We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.
Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance
Cold-snap snow-how: Advice on coping with the freezing weather, including videos, facts and winter driving advice.
Honest John's Guide To Winter TyresSimilar questions
For readers considering winter tyres, I purchased a set of 16-inch alloys with Goodyear runflat winter tyres fitted from Listers BMW, Boston, Lincs, and because I had to wait three weeks for delivery from...
I posted a message on the Toyota blog relating to the about to be launched new 2013 Toyota RAV4. In it I said:
“I change my car on a 3 year cycle. In 2007 I bought my first RAV4 paying extra for a model...
My Ford Fiesta recently got a flat tyre, and as the puncture was in the side wall, my uncle decided to put on the spare. However, he was unhappy with me driving the 80 miles back home on it on my own as...
.jpg)
