Finding 155/80 R12 all season tires, it's almost impossible...

Are they even being made? The only all season tire I can find is a Petlas PT875, but I'm not really sure about that brand... The better brands only make 13" and up. How are you dealing with this? Have you ever bought new shoes for your ride?

Why is all season important? Because Germany is filled with Germans.

This is why all hijet owners need 13" pcd 4x110 wheels.

Nope. Not one 13" 155/70 tire has got the correct load value (they all are 75, the Hijet wants 86/88), it isn't going to work on 13" either... Are you all driving on the wrong load value?

All season tires seem to be not that good and you have to adapt your way of driving during summer and winter. (Test ANWB) Are you sure you want them? By the way ... who want's to go to Germany at free will. :-)

I have 165/70/13s on mine, don't really give a shit about the load rating, it's lighter than some cars of its era and I have had around 900 kg in the back and never had any issue with the tyres?

Logi wrote:I have 165/70/13s on mine, don't really give a shit about the load rating, it's lighter than some cars of its era and I have had around 900 kg in the back and never had any issue with the tyres?

I agree.

Hijet weighs 850kg. Plus 2 people in the cab

Small cars weigh 1350kg - but takes 5 people

Putting multi ply commercial tyres on hijet is pointless.

The Hijet SE was fitted with 165/70R13 tyres which I thought gave the right load rating.
I think you were thinking of the wrong 13" tyre size. Mind you, the SE was an MPV not a van.

Manuel_nl wrote:All season tires seem to be not that good and you have to adapt your way of driving during summer and winter. (Test ANWB) Are you sure you want them? By the way ... who want's to go to Germany at free will. :-)

I don't want to change tires every season, it's a waste of time, money and efforts. Germany has the cheapest booze, it's only a 10 minute drive for me and I don't want trouble with the Polizei when I don't have the snowflake icon on my rubber.

Logi wrote:I have 165/70/13s on mine, don't really give a shit about the load rating, it's lighter than some cars of its era and I have had around 900 kg in the back and never had any issue with the tyres?

I give a shit, because I use it for what it's made for; loads.

HighlyJetted wrote:

Logi wrote:I have 165/70/13s on mine, don't really give a shit about the load rating, it's lighter than some cars of its era and I have had around 900 kg in the back and never had any issue with the tyres?

I agree.

Hijet weighs 850kg. Plus 2 people in the cab

Small cars weigh 1350kg - but takes 5 people

Putting multi ply commercial tyres on  hijet is pointless.

It's not pointless, but if you want to risk it I can't stop you. Do not exceed the load value and do not exceed the top speed value of your tires. They don't put it on there to fill up blank spaces. Tires will blow and not in the hot and sweaty bedroom/kitchen/cellar/Vondelpark way.

I think that you are on your own here Lex.
I appreciate your reasons for wanting what we used to use in Car Club Events, M&S's or Mud and Snow tyres.
I know that the laws on the Continent are different to here, whereas you are required to fit Snow tyres in the winter which has I believe been in force around 40 years.

The tyre laws here have changed too. Years ago the Mot required Commercial Tyres on a van like a Transit and it would fail the Mot if it had ordinary Radials on.

Now you see new vans with massive alloy    wheels and normal Radial tyres.
I run 185/60/13's on my MPV, which like Logi's gets loaded with tools, bricks and goodness knows what else. I have never as Matt says too, had any blowout or problems. In my Pickups I have regularly carried 15cwt of rubble or dirt. Never a problem. I have 20 plus 8ply tyres 155/80/12 most in nearly new condition. Nobody wants them. They either use the cheaper 155's or run 13" wheels.
I haven't in the 3 years I have been on this Forum heard mention of anyone having tyres blow out on them.

You'd have good fun driving a hijet on its max rear axle weight !

Seeing as you cannot achieve the max axle weights without being over the gross vehicle weight, I do not mind running 80 to 83 rated tyres / 450kg to 487kg.

Making sure tyres have air in them is a good way to avoid blow outs !!


88 = 560kg  86= 530kg

Winter tyres
Hankook RW 06 165/70 R13 88/86 R C
Wanli WINTER CHALLENGER 165/70 R13 88/86 R

Decent all round tyres
Dunlop SP 9 C  165/70 R13C 88/86R
Continental Conti Vanco Contact 2 - 165/70 R13 C 88R TL

or just under the load rating 83 @ 487kg =
Car Tyre Continental Conti-EcoContact 3 165/70 R13 83 T XL
Hankook H730 Optimo 4S Hankook H 730 - 165/70 R13 83T XL TL

Well I think that you have just about wrapped this subject up Matt. Unless Lex has anything else to add.

Just my 2p worth - manufacturer specifies 6- or 8-ply tyres. Any deviation from that could invalidate insurance if not informed. Unlikely, but remotely possible.

What? you insure yours?.......

Woodie wrote:
I haven't in the 3 years I have been on this Forum heard mention of anyone having tyres blow out on them.

That's because there's not enough users on here... I'm not on my own.

PFM wrote:Just my 2p worth - manufacturer specifies 6- or 8-ply tyres. Any deviation from that could invalidate insurance if not informed. Unlikely, but remotely possible.

Thank you, because this is exactly the problem. As soon as I crash into someone without the correct tires, the insurance companies (and the police/prosecutor if I kill someone, etc.) are going to check every nook and cranny in my policy to make sure they don't have to pay out. I don't really care about the trouble boys that are tough and are running the "wrong" tires, but I'm not going to venture on that road.

You are not insured when you're not playing by the rules, even though you're paying for it, simple as that.

So, 155/80 12" tires by Petlas is my only option in the all-season section... Bummer.

Plenty of 'users' on here, more than anywhere else I think. Have you tried Nankang?

Has anyone ever heard of, or know of any case where insurance refused to pay out due to incorrect tyre sizing here in the uk? Don't all shout at once.

I do know a case where they refused to pay out due to the car had bald rear tyres.

"Wrong" tyres - what's that - anything other than the exact brand/model that was fitted by the factory ? I don't think they fitted winter tyres - tut tut tut.

You state "not insured" in some kind of authoritative way, that is pretty strong mate. My motor insurance policy states "road legal suitable tyres", thus as long as they meet the "Construction and Use Regulations 1986" then I am legal. E.g. as long as the vehicle is not over the weight of the tyres load ratings, correctly inflated, and within the 1.6mm wear limit I am fine.

I don't know about the E.U nanny state, but to be honest I expect it to be far from our UK rules. I don't think I could build and road register my bike engined hijet in europe.

What I'm using to see what's available all-season: http://banden.autoweek.nl/vierseizoenenbanden/155-80-r12/

But I don't think you can read all that Dutch gibberish...

Then there's this in the winter collection: http://banden.autoweek.nl/winterbanden/155-80-r12/

I'm not sure yet if maybe I should just roll on winter tires all year round.

I also tried German comparison websites, but they don't even offer the 12" option. Normally the Germans are a fair bit cheaper, but in the case of tires the Dutch are the cheapest so I'm not bothering the Germans for tires. This afternoon I'm going to check out a big second hand tires warehouse for other cars, so I might as well ask if they have something good for cheap. It's not like they sell out that size very quick.

@HJ Go ahead and try the insurance company yourself, but I'm not going to. I appreciate your input, but as I said earlier, I'm sticking to the rules like an autistic 12 year old.

Surely Lex the answer is to get 5 steel wheels and fit your winter tyres to those so it would be a ten minute job to swap over the set of wheels that you want to use.

I appreciate that there aren't so many Hi-Jet parts around in your neck of the woods.
I hopefully can in the not too distant future supply you with 4 or 5 rims once I am on the mend. I haven't got a clue of carriage costs.
But you have some time before you need to swap to winter tyres. Have a think about it.

Another bonus that I have got is Motor Trade Insurance which does I have found tend to be more understanding and reasonable, rules wise.

Winter tyres are terrible in summer, they wear out very quickly, and are noisy, and give poor fuel economy. They are very very good at pinching the snow giving great snow grip. I know this as I have a set on my van which were free.

Summer/normal tyres are useless in snow, but good at displacing water and giving good dry grip.

All season tyres are neither great in the snow, nor great in the summer. They are like having the perfect van and sports car in one - chasing an impossible dream. Too much compromise on both the snow side and dry side.

Here in the UK where it doesn't really snow properly, just the occasional wet mush - I think the best choice for daily drivers are some decent summer tyres which are good for rain - e.g. pirelli rain tyres, uniroyal rainsports  and then a set of snow chains in the boot for that occasional snow fall.

I have read my insurance policy front to back, every page of small print. I know exactly what I am insured for and what not. Not many people have ever read their small print. I too am rolling on a Motor Trade road risks policy which covers me for any vehicle in my possession up to £65,000 value.

Two sets of wheels is the best option, it only takes 20 minutes to swop them over.

I have Maxxis M&S on the van at the moment which will be coming off at the weekend. These tyres give great grip in mud or snow and great grip in general poor weather conditions. The down side is the when you first put them on it feel like you are driving a completely different vehicle, a bit like driving on a jelly! It takes a bit of getting used too.

I have Hankook van tyres for summer use which give excellent stability in cross winds, Much better than car tyres, which means you can drive faster without being scared shitless when it's windy.

Gra

i think that the best option would be to buy some good normal tires now like the others said
and use the time that youve got until the next wintertime to find another set of 4x110 steelies from an old cuore or something from the scrapyard.
and fit some wintertyres on them at the the end of the year for the 3 days of snow we get over here   ..
or for the trips to germany in the wintertime.

all season is just half a winter tire and half a normal tyre
like hj said the winter part works against you in normal weather and the summer part will work against you in the winter time

HighlyJetted wrote:I don't know about the E.U nanny state, but to be honest I expect it to be far from our UK rules. I don't think I could build and road register my bike engined hijet in europe.

who told you that?
offcourse every country in europe has got their own rules regarding engineswaps
there are heaps of differences between belgium the netherlands and germany that i know off

im no expert but i know some guys who got their cars normaly registerd over here in the netherlands
mitsubishi colt with 4g63t / charade g11 with 1.6 applause engine
you see a lott of old vw golfs with vr6 engines or turbo engines.. all registerd

i think it has something to do with what year the car is from... 1998 and newer have to meet stricter rules than pre1998 cars.
a bike engined car would indeed be a problem i think in the netherlands

We have some strange situations here in the UK.

Our number plates do not have to have the EU star on them, and country letters - under our UK highway law. But under EU law, our plates are illegal. Our police follow UK highway law, but really we should be conforming with EU legislation. Every car without the stars on the plate and GB, are displaying an illegal plate, under EU law.

Swapping an engine of the same manufacturer is pretty straight forwards, what I call a bolt in conversion. But we can weld in whatever we want, with no inspections or engineers report. As long as its "fit for the road" and MOT worthy - its road legal. The only sticking point is if its registered after 1992, it needs a catalytic converter.

I worked for a company which bought cars from europe, left hand drive, we modified them, then sold them back to Germans, because if it was an import the equipment did not have to be TUV marked. I did not really understand it.

We can build our own car from scratch, and register it. We call this the kit car market. The kit car market it technically illegal under EU law, because the vehicle is not CE approved.

I realise every country is different. But this all really stemmed from a tyre debate, and from a legal point of view, any tyre being operated under its rated value is being used within its design weights. Just because it does not meet the chassis plates weights is meaningless.

scotia wrote:

HighlyJetted wrote:I don't think I could build and road register my bike engined hijet in europe.

who told you that?

.....
.....

a bike engined car would indeed be a problem i think in the netherlands

You it would seem !

in the netherlands a pre 1998 car will also just be cheked for roadworthynes with an engine from the same brand or not,bolt in or not...and thats including kittcars... that inspection with new papers will only cost you 55 euro
and yes we also have rules for cars after 1992 those have to pass stricter rules regarding emmesions

luckily we dont have nothing to do with the german tuv laws
and belgium is even worse when it comes to modifying your car.

1998 and later cars can get valid papers over here but the inspection would cost you a lott off money
that includes test driving on a track and a lott of other checks
its verry difficult but not impossible

i keep reading on dutch forums that kittcar guys without the type 98- approval register it in the uk get their papers in the uk and then register it back with the uk approval and than it will pass dutch laws.
so thank you guys for that

Back on topic... I really don't want to become a wheel swapping idiot... Damn Germans...

All season = not very good in either.

Paying for the convenience of a hollow promise.

Bit like Ski's:- all mountain = not amazing on powder, not the best carvers.

Better off with 2 pairs of ski's if you live near the mountain - some sharp curved edge carving ice beaters, and some big wide flexible powder floaters.

And then your tyres last you longer as the summer ones take the dry scrubbing, and the winters don't get worn out too quick.

It probably is going to take around 40 years before I need new ones if I'm going to swap them every 6 months... The second hand shop didn't have anything with snowflakes either. They had a few summer tires stocked, tucked away between the trailer tires. They almost never sell he said.

My two seventies Datsuns also need 12" tires... Any chance that size is going to be popular again? And no, you cant change tire size on historic cars!

Talking of impossible tyres...

I can't find much choice for 13" semi slicks or drag radials.

Its either something like

Yokohama Advan Semi Slick A048, Medium compound. 185/60/R13 80H



or

Toyo Proxes R888 GG Compound 185 60 13




Or something like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DMack-DMT-RC-Tarmac-Tyre-225-45-13-Track-Rally-Race-Soft-or-Wet-Offer-/182086131185?hash=item2a652dddf1:g:XZIAAOSwT6pVnSVI



I really need to get some grip!