Tyre Size

my spare tyre is a different size, 195, to the ones on my alloys, 205,

what size of tyre should i have on as im assuming that they shoudln't really be different

ta

Hi Charlie,
The 2.1 TD auto. tyres are 205/65 the manual version is 195 so no harm as the spare.
Robert.

Except that 'tis illegal to have different sized tyres on the same axle.

must say im not too fussed having different tyre sizes and will have the spare changed over

thanks

Not if one of them is the spare.

Most cars these days have a smaller spare in order to fit it into a smaller space. I didn't some of the XMs do this too? When I got mine they were all 205s including the spare, but when I got some scrap alloys the steel spare had a 195 on it when the 4 road wheels had 205s on them (all off the same car).

However, these are speed limited (is it 50 usually?). And presumably if they found you were using it for more than 'to get home and to get it fixed' then you would probably be in trouble.

Was behind a volvo hogging the outside lane at 50 on the motorway the other morning. When he eventually pulled in I realised he was running on his spare at the back and that was why he was doing 50. Why the idiot was hogging the 3rd lane like this is anyone's guess

Hi All

Not aware of any dispensation in UK law to permit the use of a different tyres on one axle. If stopped by the police then justifying the temporary use might avoid a fine if the odd wheel is part of the cars original equipment and plastered with yellow speed limit stickers and you are heading for the nearest place of repair. Different size tyres on an axle even if the difference is only aspect ratio is also a mandatory MOT failure.

Regards

XMexc

it must be permitted or all of us with alloys, or skinny spares would fail the MOT or be stopped every time. Expect manufacturers would be compelled to fit same size as standard kit if this was in law anywhere.

There's a 70mph limit I believe on the XM 195 spare.

I acquired another alloy which I use as the spare, same size tyre as the road wheels. Can't really see why Cit didn't go this way apart from a 'standardisation across the range' thing. Doesn't make any difference in the spare wheel carrier - 205's fit just fine.

regards
Dave

I can understand using a steel spare for cost reasons, but I also don't see why they put 195s on them.

Hi Rowan and All

I suspect that it came down to the price of the tyres. They just seem to have picked a smaller tyre with a larger aspect ratio to give the same total diameter. For example the spare used on early cars with alloys was 175/70 R15 with a note that the maximum speed in use was 100mph.
It is worth noting that the XM 15 inch wheel centres have common widths and are capable of taking the whole range of XM tyres used. The alloys are slightly narrower than the steel centres. When it comes to actual design of the wheel centres there are two types of steel wheel with a variant modified to take the early alloy bolts. With alloys as well as the different Citroen patterns there are variations of some types to eliminate the centre cap and also to take the later type of combined alloy/steel wheel bolt.
I am not to keen on using an alloy as the spare on the car as alloy and road salt do not live too well together.

Regards

XMexc

Good point XMexc, that's probably why they don't fit an alloy spare.

Derek