The Great Tyre Debate

Chat about your 2018+ AW/BZ model Polos here!
Andy Beats
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by Andy Beats »

monkeyhanger wrote: Sun Jun 13, 2021 6:31 pm

120Nm, which doesn't feel a lot when you torque up.
120NM is a high torque setting though, some people would struggle to get there.
Stuart_Rendall
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by Stuart_Rendall »

Andy Beats wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:38 am 120NM is a high torque setting though, some people would struggle to get there.
I think 120Nm is around standard for most cars now (I've seen wheel nut torques in excess of 160Nm) and is easy to achieve. Especially considering torque wrenches that go to 120Nm are long and give good leverage. Otherwise find a bar to go over the end and it'll be easy.
TurboTrev
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by TurboTrev »

Last Friday I broached changing my wife's Polo GTI+ 215 tyres to 225 with her insurance company. They confirmed it was classed as a modification and they did need to know. However, after being on the 'phone for about 20 minutes I gave up.

Their questions included: were the tyres being professionally fitted, why was she changing the size, how much was a 215 tyre, how much was a 225 tyre, why are 225 more expensive than 215, what is the VW specified size, what other makes and models of cars run the 225 size, what other makes and models run the 215 size, why do VW specify the 215 rather than the 225, was the wheel being changed or just the tyre?

In the end I said I'd never heard such strange and ridiculous questions, so I said forget it, we'll just fit 215s again. Anyone else had problems with their insurance company?
SRGTD
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by SRGTD »

TurboTrev wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:19 am Last Friday I broached changing my wife's Polo GTI+ 215 tyres to 225 with her insurance company. They confirmed it was classed as a modification and they did need to know. However, after being on the 'phone for about 20 minutes I gave up.

Their questions included: were the tyres being professionally fitted, why was she changing the size, how much was a 215 tyre, how much was a 225 tyre, why are 225 more expensive than 215, what is the VW specified size, what other makes and models of cars run the 225 size, what other makes and models run the 215 size, why do VW specify the 215 rather than the 225, was the wheel being changed or just the tyre?

In the end I said I'd never heard such strange and ridiculous questions, so I said forget it, we'll just fit 215s again. Anyone else had problems with their insurance company?
There’s no standard underwriting and risk acceptance approach taken by insurance companies on modifications - each will adopt their own individual approach. So there’ll no doubt be some companies who will accept a tyre change size without any issues whereas others like yours might not without additional information.

Strictly speaking, any change to the original factory spec of the car is a modification. The Polo GTI would been homologated with only 215/45 R17 or 215/40 R18 tyres, and that might be why your insurance company asked all the additional questions that they did so they could consider whether or not a non-standard tyre size which wasn’t part of the Polo GTI’s homologation is acceptable to them.

As a matter of interest, who is the insurance company?
Stuart_Rendall
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by Stuart_Rendall »

You would surely imagine an insurer would decrease the cost of your annual insurance if the width of the tyre is increased. Extra width = extra contact = better control and breaking. Seems like a win win win to me. I changed my wheel and tyre sizes last year, only stated the new alloys on my insurance and they refunded me £50. Bit insane some insurers interigate people on seemingly little things like an additional 10mm of tread on each corner.

Appears like a good lesson however, change your insurer next year.
Rosinfield
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by Rosinfield »

Better still, don't ask or mention. What are the odds of getting into trouble because of this after all. Or do you really think the insurance company takes the trouble of investigating what kind of tyres were fitted after an accident?
monkeyhanger
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by monkeyhanger »

Rosinfield wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 5:42 am Better still, don't ask or mention. What are the odds of getting into trouble because of this after all. Or do you really think the insurance company takes the trouble of investigating what kind of tyres were fitted after an accident?
If it's serious enough they will, to ensure they weren't lacking tread as a contributory factor, if nothing else. If it were that serious then an independent safety assessor would judge that your mod had improved the car's safety and not its performance. If I ever had to explain it away, I'd say I had 2 punctures on a long journey and the tyre place only has 225/40s in stock.
Stuart_Rendall
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by Stuart_Rendall »

monkeyhanger wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:21 am If it's serious enough they will, to ensure they weren't lacking tread as a contributory factor, if nothing else. If it were that serious then an independent safety assessor would judge that your mod had improved the car's safety and not its performance. If I ever had to explain it away, I'd say I had 2 punctures on a long journey and the tyre place only has 225/40s in stock.
I can't imagine they'll be looking at brand or tyre size. Surely they'll see the michelin brand and check tread depths and that will be it. If not I reckon you'll have a good case to fight in court if they attempted to void a claim.
TurboTrev
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Re: The Great Tyre Debate

Post by TurboTrev »

In addition to the price saving, we were also thinking about the extra protection the wheel rim would get from the wider tyres. They did say at the end of the conversation that I should ring back within 30 days of changing the tyres and they would make a definite decision then. I don't think it had helped matters when I said it would be another 3 months or so before we would be changing them. Maybe I'll have one more chat before we commit to 215s again, you never know I may get a more knowlegable adviser when I 'phone back?
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