Spare tyre advice

[Mad4slalom]

Hi All , while the 72 is in the air I took the opportunity to drop the spare wheel tub for a general clean up behind it. I am going to give the tank ( although new 9 years ago, ) a coat of hammerite. I found an old spare wheel with a tiger claw tyre that looks pretty old and past it. Just looking at a budget replacement from northants tyres. Its only a spare, hopefully never needed but will be new and a safer bet than leaving the vintage one in there. Any thoughts or recommendations.

 

[Forrest Gump]

That’s actually a pretty decent tyre - I’ve got four of them on my car! - but in the “raised white letter“ version and the correct size of 225/70/R15. They are H rated, which is a higher rating than both BF Goodridge and Copper Cobra. (I see BFG‘s are eye-watering expensive now at £350 each)
Have you got 205/70 tyres on the car? The tyre size for a spare I assume should be the same as the others on the car, but if it is very similar on diameter then I guess the narrower width isn’t a bad thing for easier storage in the holder.

 

[Mad4slalom]

That’s actually a pretty decent tyre - I’ve got four of them on my car! - but in the “raised white letter“ version and the correct size of 225/70/R15. They are H rated, which is a higher rating than both BF Goodridge and Copper Cobra. (I see BFG‘s are eye-watering expensive now at £350 each)
Have you got 205/70 tyres on the car? The tyre size for a spare I assume should be the same as the others on the car, but if it is very similar on diameter then I guess the narrower width isn’t a bad thing for easier storage in the holder.

Yes just a bit like a spacesaver in a modern car. . At least it will be nee. Cant see the point in carrying a 200quid tyre around for a ride that no one sees and you will hopefully never use , but i want to know the old spare wont explode and take out half a fender in an emergency.

 

[Mad4slalom]

Yes just a bit like a spacesaver in a modern car. . At least it will be nee. Cant see the point in carrying a 200quid tyre around for a ride that no one sees and you will hopefully never use , but i want to know the old spare wont explode and take out half a fender in an emergency.

Oops “new”

 

[curious bystander]

I've alloys on my 79, but the spare is a steel rim. The old spare was old, very old, so I replaced it. I put on a 195/70 x 15, which is actually the same size as my Transit van. Fits perfectly in the carrier.

 

[antijam]

....... (I see BFG‘s are eye-watering expensive now at £350 each)......

Seems pricey. I've just had four 215/70R15 BFG Radial T/A with RWL fitted for £607.87. These are obviously marginally narrower than the 225's that they replaced but they are a nearer rolling radius to the original bias ply F70x15s so the speedo remains more accurate.. They were slightly cheaper than 225's as well.

 

[Mad4slalom]

That’s actually a pretty decent tyre - I’ve got four of them on my car! - but in the “raised white letter“ version and the correct size of 225/70/R15. They are H rated, which is a higher rating than both BF Goodridge and Copper Cobra. (I see BFG‘s are eye-watering expensive now at £350 each)
Have you got 205/70 tyres on the car? The tyre size for a spare I assume should be the same as the others on the car, but if it is very similar on diameter then I guess the narrower width isn’t a bad thing for easier storage in the holder.

Hmm , I dont think I want

Seems pricey. I've just had four 215/70R15 BFG Radial T/A with RWL fitted for £607.87. These are obviously marginally narrower than the 225's that they replaced but they are a nearer rolling radius to the original bias ply F70x15s so the speedo remains more accurate.. They were slightly cheaper than 225's as well.

Tyres across the board seem to have gone up like everything else at more than the supposed official rate of inflation

 

[Roscobbc]

Could be the right time now for some of you C3 owners to consider investing in a set of new larger diameter wheels and tyres?.......tyre size options are really exhaustive now - its really quite easy to find tyres with the same (or very close to) diameters as per the OEM sizes. I've found that 18" rubber seem to give the best option of sizes, and importantly prices. As a side note the Accelera brand tyres are really very competitive and seemingly highly rated by users considering the prices.

 

[Forrest Gump]

Seems pricey. I've just had four 215/70R15 BFG Radial T/A with RWL fitted for £607.87. These are obviously marginally narrower than the 225's that they replaced but they are a nearer rolling radius to the original bias ply F70x15s so the speedo remains more accurate.. They were slightly cheaper than 225's as well.

Sorry, I had looked at the price of 255/60/R15 BFG which is £349 at North Hants tyres (a size that a lot of people have on a C3).
Diameters of the tyres we're discussing-
F70/R15 = 27.1" diameter (OEM)
205/70/R15 = 26.3"
215/70/R15 = 26.85"
225/70/R15 = 27.5"
255/60/R15 = 27.1"

Could be the right time now for some of you C3 owners to consider investing in a set of new larger diameter wheels and tyres?.......tyre size options are really exhaustive now - its really quite easy to find tyres with the same (or very close to) diameters as per the OEM sizes. I've found that 18" rubber seem to give the best option of sizes, and importantly prices. As a side note the Accelera brand tyres are really very competitive and seemingly highly rated by users considering the prices.

Definitely, but it comes back to wanting the "look" of raised white lettering, so sticking with those classic tyre sizes.

 

[antijam]

Definitely, but it comes back to wanting the "look" of raised white lettering, so sticking with those classic tyre sizes.

If the RWL 'look' is essential, how about these?

 

[Mad4slalom]

Yes just a bit like a spacesaver in a modern car. . At least it will be nee. Cant see the point in carrying a 200quid tyre around for a ride that no one sees and you will hopefully never use , but i want to know the old spare wont explode and take out half a fender in an emergency.

Just noticed nearly 30mm less in diameter so will go for a 225 to match this a bit better .

 

[Giu]

Question, but is you move from 215 to 255 you need to change the Wheel Rim as well?

 

[teamzr1]

Part of deciding in going with a different wheel and/or tire size over OEMs is if what is chosen will affect having a
incorrect MPH which also affects the speeds an auto tranny shifts and then if so how to correct that by
changing a speedometer gear pre-1995 MY or via tuning the PCM for C5s and newer so proper MPH is reported

Then consider if going wider of tires, if the existing wheel is wide enough and in case of the front will the tire rub when making full radius turns
or any location rubs when hitting potholes, curbs, etc

 

[Mad4slalom]

Question, but is you move from 215 to 255 you need to change the Wheel Rim as well?

The 72 has 225’s as standard. I thought a 295 would do as a spare til I saw that it had less diameter, would have just felt wrong. 225, 70 ,15 here tomorrow c/o Northants tyres, delivered and inc vat for 137 quid. Very helpful and efficient service.

 

[Forrest Gump]

It does get confusing on here
I just looked at the photo of your old spare - it’s a 205/ 75, not 205/70 so should have a diameter of 27.1” - only slightly smaller diameter than a 225/70 (= dia 27.5”) that’s not 30mm smaller???

 

[Mad4slalom]

Northants delivered today, nice safe spare now , went for the 225 /70

 

[Mad4slalom]

It does get confusing on here
I just looked at the photo of your old spare - it’s a 205/ 75, not 205/70 so should have a diameter of 27.1” - only slightly smaller diameter than a 225/70 (= dia 27.5”) that’s not 30mm smaller???

Ivguess the old spare was just an odd one the po put in there , now have the correct size and same as the ones on the car.

 

[teamzr1]

Northants delivered today, nice safe spare now , went for the 225 /70 View attachment 23060

Just think how skinny yours are to mine, but your sidewall is much larger than mine
Yet if you put mine on your C3 the speedo would be close to perfect

So next time try mine and the ass end of C3 should look badass