Lowered suspension & alloy wheels!

AdrianC

hanna_angels wrote: »

...the cheapest jom suspension parts...

jom? . .

JustinR1979

Hanna_angels wrote: »

A car enthusiast can be split into 2 very distinct categories. One being purely for aesthetic reasons and the other, performance. Usually you find that many teenagers who lower their Corsa, Fiesta or Clio do it because they think it looks, 'cool.' Using the cheapest JOM suspension parts which actually make the car handle worse than stock.

They'd just cut the springs, but this whole subject is a dark matter.

colino

I'm sure there are two DM personalities (and I use the word loosely) on just this one thread. It really has to stop,

londonTiger

adding alloys actually reduced my premiums. i guess they see someonewho adds alloys as having pride for their car and more likely to look after it than someone who drives around in steelies and treats the car like an appliance

londonTiger

AdrianC wrote: »

It would have been cheaper to buy an un-barried car to start with. As it is, you're going to have to buy new springs and dampers, plus labour to fit, and a set of standard wheels and tyres, probably also wheel bolts.

And, no, three alloys and one steel is not going to get you off the insurance hook. If they're different size tyres, then it'd also be an MOT fail.

its not an mot fail, its an advisory. i had a puncture on the way to mot place once and put the spare on.

AdrianC

londonTiger wrote: »

its not an mot fail, its an advisory. i had a puncture on the way to mot place once and put the spare on.

It's a fail.
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s04000101.htm

Iceweasel

Can we just clarify this point about being a fail or an advisory?

As I understand it - it's having mis-matched tyre sizes on the same axle that would fail an MOT. So a spacesaver would fail due to the tyre size.

Having the correct size of tyre, but on a steel wheel, when the other wheel on the axle was an alloy should not be a problem.

Am I right?

AdrianC

Iceweasel wrote: »

Can we just clarify this point about being a fail or an advisory?

Not sure how much clearer it can be than the official .gov.uk online version of the tester's handbook. <points up to link>

As I understand it - it's having mis-matched tyre sizes on the same axle that would fail an MOT.

Reasons for Rejection
1. a. One tyre is of a different nominal size or aspect ratio to any other on the same axle

So a spacesaver would fail due to the tyre size.

It would fail even if it was paired.

Reasons for Rejection
1. b. a ‘temporary use’ or ‘space- saver’ wheel and tyre fitted as a road wheel

Having the correct size of tyre, but on a steel wheel, when the other wheel on the axle was an alloy should not be a problem.

Correct - I was quite explicit in saying originally that it was the wrong size which would fail. Bear in mind that alloys may well use different fasteners to steels, and using the wrong ones may result in a fail for an insecure wheel, but the tester can't undo them to find out.
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s04000201.htm

Retrogamer

Hanna_angels wrote: »

For some reason I think the type of drivers who bother to lower a Vauxhall Corsa, know next to nothing about how an engine works and aren't car enthusiasts.

That might be the case for some, but it would be a mistake to think that way towards them all.
I used to have a lowered Corsa with alloys myself not so long ago and know my way around cars / engines a bit more than the average person.
There was a forum user as well on the Corsa forums i used to use who worked in an engineering shop specializing in engine modifications (rebore, port polishing, balancing crankshafts etc)

OddballJamie

londonTiger wrote: »

adding alloys actually reduced my premiums. i guess they see someonewho adds alloys as having pride for their car and more likely to look after it than someone who drives around in steelies and treats the car like an appliance

It possibly opened the quote up to brokers such as Adrian Flux and Chris Knott. When I used to run modded cars, the insurance was cheaper having them modded than standard with AF and CK.