What would you call an ODD BALL tyre size?

[Mitsuru]

The alloys are astra 16" for a certain trim probably just to get them to sell quicker before they changed
the mk/gen! I too would have gone to my friendly scrapyard who is also a part worn tyre place, and
they too charge £15 for 16" and bigger but less for the smaller. I had gotten some 13" part worns for
the trailer there.

Just taking a break as have just fitted the wheel with new tyre (£45 inc vat fitting and balancing) also
ju8st had to change the battery as it wasn't holding a charge, guess where the battery came from!!!
the neon!!

[JPB]

That's a bummer! How on earth will you start the Neon now?

[arceye]

OUCH cruel Mr JPB...... Cruel

[tractorman]

Check the alternator terminals and earthing on the Astra. Sometime ago, a colleague had a similar non-starting problem and bought a new battery. I called at a friend's workplace the next day and he told me that the alternator "earthing" was a common problem. The colleague took the car there that evening and then took the new battery back to the other place (that wasn't there for long!) and got her money and old battery back! She had no problems with the old battery once the alternator's connections were sorted!

[JPB]

OUCH cruel Mr JPB...... Cruel

Oh dear, what was I thinking of? Sorry Aron, it seemed funny at the time of typing.

Check the alternator terminals and earthing on the Astra. Sometime ago, a colleague had a similar non-starting problem and bought a new battery. I called at a friend's workplace the next day and he told me that the alternator "earthing" was a common problem. The colleague took the car there that evening and then took the new battery back to the other place (that wasn't there for long!) and got her money and old battery back! She had no problems with the old battery once the alternator's connections were sorted!

Good point there, and a phenomenon (poor earths on cars that aren't necessarily Alfas..) that's by no means unique to the popular Vauxhall/Opel product or indeed to the charging device. Last time I was caught out by that, it was my 1957 Minor that was suffering from a corroded thread on the bulkhead earth strap's anchor point. VVS was the most reliable car in the whole world and was doing the daily running about while the Tagora and the R12 Break waited patiently for my attention to their various French problems, so I hadn't seen that one coming!

[kstrutt1]

That's not a particularly unusual size, but it's less common that the 255/50/16, which is an option you could fit to the car (but across both tyres on the axle) and will be cheaper because it's more common. It will give you a softer/gentler ride, slightly less taught handling and the increase in diameter will make a small difference to the speedo but probably still within spec. (On the Volvo, the speedo over-reads by a few %, and fitting these tyres makes it just about spot-on).

If want to stick with the 205 profile and are not happy with their price then shop around, I've found that all tyre places will be able to obtain this size but as I say it's lesss common so will be more expensive. Have you tried black circles and the other on-line suppliers? At least have a look at their price so you can benchmark your local place and see if they really are giving you a "rip off" (I doubt it).

You would need to change all 4 on a modern, abs, esp and tpms would all be thrown out by diffrrent tyres on each axle.

[Luxobarge]

You would need to change all 4 on a modern, abs, esp and tpms would all be thrown out by diffrrent tyres on each axle.

ABS won't (or it's fine on my Volvo with similar tyre sizes, anyway) and I doubt that Astra has the other functions.

[rich.]

not sure what we have fitted to wifeys galaxy but they are round & mostly black covered in mud & whe we try to get replacements the usual reply is a blank stare followed by "what size? never heard of it.." followed by a price that i could have a new ferarri for

[Phil P]

My 1944 Leyland Hippo MKII 6x4 10 tonner runs on 6- 14-00 x 20 22 ply bar treads. There's enough rubber in one to mould a set of tyres for most cars! Not perhaps an odd ball size but at over 400 lbs assembled on the rim they are a bundle of fun to change. I have fitted new ones on my own. I've got the hernias to prove it.

[megadethmaniac]

I think "Just for a Laugh" you should get Tim to try and change on of the Hippos Tyres. Now that really should be amusing.... Do you think that to get in the right "mindset" to do the job it would involve a day at the Zoo?