My MOT is due soon......

loubie_lou

.........and i'm a bit worried because earlier this year I had 4 new alloy tyres and wheels fitted to my car.

My concern at the moment is the front two tyres are about 1" past the wheel arches. The car drives absolutely perfect even better actually than the orginal tyres and wheels

My original tyres were 14" the new ones are 15" and the tyres are a bit more chunky.

What are the chances of them failing me on this?

Thanks

LandyAndy

Tyres that extend beyond the wheel arches are illegal. I don't know if they are an MOT failure though. Sorry.

espresso

It sounds like the wheels are the wrong offset for your vehicle. Have you informed your insurance company? as they may invalidate the policy as well as fail the MOT.

Andy_Edinburgh

The MOT tester's criteria are defined here:

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_410.htm

I can't find anything that says it should be a "fail" unless there's evidence they're actually fouling on the bodywork, however I agree with the other posters that they could well still be illegal; if the offset is wrong you'll (at best) wear out the tyres and possibly also the wheelbearings prematurely, and (at worst) screw up the steering of the car. If the latter, you'll probably find out in an emergency situation...

Wig

Hope you have kept your old wheels, because those are illegal. Who fitted them without telling you they were illegal?

They are illegal for road use but will not necessarily fail an MOT. The MOT test will check if they foul the wheel arches or body work.

Turn them full lock one way then full lock the other way, preferably with the front wheels off the ground. check if the tyres rub on any part of the bodywork or steering/suspension mechanism.

If they do not foul they will not fail MOT providing the tyres are not worn and the Tyre Size/construction is the same for each of the 2 tyres on a single axle.... (yes there is 1 exception to this rule but just check if the tyres are the same size or not, as a first step)
.
Now then, are you aware police could do you for those wheels? (construction & use regulations)
Are you aware if they are the correct size, and will not give you an innaccurate speedometer reading - causing you to get a speeding ticket when you thought you were doing under 30?
Are you aware in the event of an accident your insurer might not pay you a bean for your car because of illegal roadwheels?

loubie_lou

Wow looks like i may be in some trouble then.

No the people fitting them did not tell me they might be illegal.

Great, better find some legal wheels pretty sharpish then!

I'll check the full lock manouvere tomorrow.

Thanks

Edited to say i think 1" was a bit of an over estimate it's barely past the wheel arch but i suppose that it still illegal.

Wig

loubie_lou wrote: »

Edited to say i think 1" was a bit of an over estimate it's barely past the wheel arch but i suppose that it still illegal.

If they are past the wheel arch, they are illegal, hold a long straight stick accross the tyre vertically,
If it touches both top and bottom of the tyre and is clear of the wheel arch - not legal.

If it touches bottom of the tyre but hits the wheel arch instead of the top of the tyre - should be ok.

If it doesn't foul the bodywork, will not fail MOT. If you like your wheels, you could get some plastic wheel arch extentions fitted, to make you road legal again. But you should tell your insurer as you have modified the car to have alloy wheels and wheel arch extentions.

Good luck.

loubie_lou

Thanks wig

Yeah i do like them and thanks for the suggestion on the extentions.

I contact the insurance company monday!

Louise

Conor_3

Excellent. That just means you've yet another weekend of driving around uninsured....

ohreally

Why not return to the supplier who appears to have mis-sold you incorrect wheels and create merry hell and get the correct application fitted?