Choosing your tyres to suit the season
Fitting a tyre on a wheel is a job for a professional. Don't take the risk of doing it yourself!
Refrain from fitting a tyre to, or removing it from, a rim unless you have the appropriate training and equipment. Leave this work to the professionals.
Your dealer will be careful to follow the manufacturer's instructions in the choice of tyre, preliminary inspection of the inside and outside appearance of the tyre and fitting and removal procedures.
Your dealer will also be careful to provide the following services to ensure your safety and the lifetime of your tyres:
Stay balanced!
Setting the wheel alignment and geometry
If your dealer notices abnormal wear on your old tyres, they may suggest checking the wheel alignment and geometry. This additional service will help you prevent your tyres from wearing irregularly or abnormally fast.
Choosing a winter tyre
When weather conditions are difficult, it is better to have winter tyres on your car.
Below 7°C, fit your car with 4 winter tyres. This is the temperature at which the rubber of summer tyres hardens and begins to lose grip. They are designed for all winter conditions: damp, waterlogged, snowy and icy roads. Fitting winter tyres is a question of safety for you and your loved ones.
With KLEBER winter tyres, you will reduce your braking distance and increase your safety.
The treads and high proportion of natural rubber in winter tyres can reduce braking distances by up to 50%. A standard car driving at 50 kph on snow will need 48 metres to stop with summer tyres, and only 24 metres with winter tyres. It's worth thinking about ...
Contrary to popular belief, winter tyres do not wear more rapidly than summer tyres!
It is highly recommended to fit 4 winter tyres. With only 2 winter tyres, you risk changing your roadholding in winter conditions.
Winter tyres are mandatory in some European countries. Before travelling, check that you comply with local regulations.
Choosing summer tyres
When winter is over, opt for summer tyres!
Choosing your tyres to comply with the Highway Code
The Highway Code includes rules for tyres.
Rules imposed by the Highway Code
It is illegal to equip motor vehicles and/or their trailers with tyres of a load capacity index or speed rating symbol that is lower than the maximum capacity declared by the manufacturer of the vehicle (Article R59 of the Highway Code supplemented by the decree of 24/10/94).
The Highway Code requires that tyres on the same axle be:
- the same brand,
- the same size,
- the same usage category (e.g.: road, snow, all-terrain),
- the same structure (cross-ply or radial),
- the same speed rating (T, H, V, W etc.),
- the same load capacity.
Why is it mandatory to comply with speed indices?
The size, speed rating and load index have been determined by the car manufacturer (and validated by the tyre manufacturer) to provide maximum driving safety, quality and ride comfort.
This data is clearly part of the characteristics of the vehicle when it undergoes approval by France's government vehicle testing service.
For summer tyres, fitting tyres of different sizes, speed rating or load indices is therefore dangerous and represents a violation of the Highway Code. On the other hand, it is always possible to fit tyres with a higher speed and/or load index.
For winter tyres, the latitude is greater. Tyres with a lower speed rating than that of the original tyres may be fitted. But take care, in this case, the driving speed MUST comply with this lower limit. A label providing a reminder of this lower speed will also be affixed inside the vehicle, in a place that is easily seen by the driver.
To find out more, the "Find your tyre" section will tell you the possibilities available from KLEBER for your vehicle, in accordance with the legal provisions described above.