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Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Safety standards for WHEELS sold in UK

Hi all,

Hope you all had a good Christmas.

I am looking to buy a set of 5 x 255/85R16 Bf Goodrich KM2 Mud Terrain as part of a wheel/rim package. Ideally I'd like a negative or zero ET. Most alloys seem to have a positive ET. I guess as people are fitting fatter and fatter tyres a negative ET stops them sticking out too far, but as I'll be on a 7 inch rim, with a comparatively narrow tyre, I'm going for a zero to negative ET. I think I've found two options in steel rims, andway with an ET of 0 or -25. Need to check if the -25 will clear the arches, but if it will, that will be my choice.

Anyway, my question is around TUV or other standards for the WHEELS. I have tried to google what standards wheels have to comply to in the UK. Plenty of hits on tyres, but I can't find a great deal on wheels, other than TUV, which isn't mandatory in the UK (Germany, Austria, Benelux), but is at least proof of quality manufacture.

Is it legal to sell wheels which don't meet relevant standards? Are some to higher standards than others? The TUV seems to have impact tests (useful for potholes

and offroad), and a variety of other tests.

27th Dec 2017 2:40pm

Bluest

Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 4217

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black

ISO 3006 is a standard applicable to road wheels, but you have to pay to read it. Don’t know if it is a legal requirement though. There is the Association of European Wheel Manufactirers who may have information.

I’m not certain, but I think there is a E mark stamped on the steel wheels on my Wife’s car, which would suggest an approval is required. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS

27th Dec 2017 3:35pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Just had a quick look outside at my Honda Civic. No markings there, but I believe they stamp all teh useul stuff inside to preserve the "look". The only marking visible on the outside is teh "JWL" (aka JIL) stamp which means it is approved in Japan. That's something, but I doubt any wheels I look at for a Defender will need Japanese approval!

27th Dec 2017 3:54pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Oh, I've also just read that most steel wheels have the markings hidden by the tyre. I vaguely remember seeinng some sort of markings when I change the tyres on my standard LR tubed rims. That may have just been rim size and possibly load rating though, rather than any sort of standard.

27th Dec 2017 3:56pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Hi Bluest,

I've now found this https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&...3bbcU_UpT8 which is a UN document. In paragraph 4, if a wheel manufacturer gets type approval (which I take to mean as a replacement, non-OEM part), then the E in a circle followed by the country number giving the approval should appear on the outside of the rim.

27th Dec 2017 4:14pm

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8582

With the coming of 2018 and our range of items expanding I have to get my head around a new set of regulations! The UN ECE regulation 124 applies to wheels fitted by vehicle manufacturers and exact replacement wheels

UN ECE does NOT apply to 'Special Wheels' which is defined as wheels with different diameter and/or a different width to those originally fitted by the vehicle manufacturer.

The steel deep dish wheels which will shortly be available from Nakatanenga in Europe and from 4x4overlander in the UK are 'Special Wheels' as defined by UN ECE regulation 124 so that regulation does not apply.

The steel deep dish wheels from Nakatanenga has been certified for road use by TUV and has met approval for use in Switzerland. The markings on these deep dish wheels will be as per TUV certification.

HTH

Brendan

30th Dec 2017 9:06pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

That's very interesting Brendan, if completely weird. So new wheels on a new car have to conform to a standard, but replacement "special" wheels don't (and could therefore be made of cheese). I guess I'll be on the lookout for a set with some sort of TÜV approval. When do you think your wheels will go live?

31st Dec 2017 4:33pm

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8582

Hi Martyn, I am reasonably confident that my understanding of the regulations are correct following various conversations with people more knowledgeable then myself.

There is a vast raft of regulations know as the United Nations Vehicle Harmonisation Regulations and for our part of the world UN ECE regulations. Basically if items are approved in any of the signatory countries they are legal in any of the signatory countries.

So a new road going vehicle is fully approved anywhere in the UN ECE area.

For off road use these regulations do not apply. OK industrial off road vehicles may have there own regulations, i.e. tractors and roll cages etc. Daft thing there is farm quads and no roll cages!

There was a company based in Bradford who used to sell there Defender wheels as OFF road use only as they did not have TUV approval. Now they have and say NOT for off road use. Explain that one away.

For road going vehicles I would always go for either an original approved wheel or a special wheel with say TUV approval.

The Hutchinson beadlockers on our grey 90 has TUV approval and I have the paper work somewhere.

The big problem as I see it is what is known as 'Fit For Purpose'. As a private individual if your wheels are 'approved' wheels then to the best of your knowledge they are fit for purpose and are road legal

Just imagine you have a blow out on the motorway and several people are killed/badly injured the police and insurance guys will go over vehicle with a fine tooth comb and if you were running non approved wheels and that was the cause of the accident then you are right up the proverbial without a paddle.

As for the Nakatanenga deep dish wheels we are expecting them to be despatched from Germany 2/3 week in January 2018.

HTH

Brendan

31st Dec 2017 5:02pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Although I guess if I'm fitting 255/85 on 16 inch rims, they recommend a 7" wide rim. 235/85 are supposed to go on 6.5" wide and 7.50 x 16 on 6" wide, so my new wheels will be "special".

31st Dec 2017 5:18pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Yes Brendan. Fully agree. I want my new wheels to have some sort of on-road approval, even if it's by a German body which appears to only be recognised (mandatory?) in Germany, Austria and Benelux. As you say, that recognition would at least carry weight in other European countries. Choosing wheels is more of a minefield than it has any right to be. It ought to be mandatory to publish clear data on whether wheels are approved for on-road use or are "off-road" use only.

31st Dec 2017 5:25pm

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8582

Martyn, I agree with you, however the big problem is that there are unscrupulous manufacturers and traders. Put into the mix the customers with the "I do not care a fig if they are illegal as long as they are cheap"

For instances many people do not understand what an actual E mark or APPROVAL mark looks like!

Many people believe if a vehicle passes an MOT that all items on a vehicle are road legal. That is so wrong an MOT is just a basic safety/functional test not if items are road legal.

An E + number in a circle is a code for the country which has done the approval, it is NOT an approval mark.

An approval mark consists of several parts.

Country code, Regulation or amendment number, plus a 4-6 digit actual approval number.

Look at vehicle glass.

All vehicle glass will have

1) Country code E + number in a circle
2) 43R Standing for UN ECE Regulation 43
3) 4-6 digit approval number.

Next time you walk down street/in carpark just have a look at glass in cars from different manufacturers.

There will also be a manufacturers name on the glass which is not a legal requirement.

One of the easiest way of seeing if an item is approved is to look for a manufacturers name on the item.

The customer often does not care as long as an item is cheap.

The trader often makes more money selling non approved items then selling genuine approved items.

From a customers point of view the biggest danger of using non approved items is in the event of an 'Insurance Scenario'

Non approved items basically mean the vehicle could be considered non road legal and therefore in breach of your motor insurance policy. Loss adjusters are getting trained to look for undeclared and or illegal modifications which may effect any insurance claim.

Brendan

31st Dec 2017 5:46pm

Bps

Member Since: 14 Feb 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 833

255/85/16 on wolf rims, classic combo 👍

Click image to enlarge

1st Jan 2018 10:29pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Hmm, Wolf rims. Hadn't considered those. That's a good thought. At least they'll be approved. They're within the allowed rim width, even if not the recommended 7". (I believe they're 6.5".)

2nd Jan 2018 7:57pm

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8582

Martyn, I have just found THIS

Quote:

Not all aftermarket wheels are created equal
Matt Neal says some aftermarket wheels are better than others: “There’s no fixed regulation that wheels must satisfy to be sold in the UK, unfortunately.”

However, some wheel makers – including Rimstock – design and manufacture wheels for car makers which are then supplied with new cars as original equipment.

“To do that, as a manufacturer we must satisfy other legislation, such as Germany’s TUV certification, which is extremely rigorous,” says Neal. TUV is a European auditing and certification body that ensures wheels manufactured for sale in Germany satisfy certain criteria.

I am surprised that aftermarket wheels do not have to conform to regulations. I personally will only use and sell wheels which have some form of approval.

Brendan

2nd Jan 2018 9:05pm

Martyn668

Member Since: 17 Mar 2013
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 135

Hi Brendan,

I've been looking at the Nakatanenga website. I quite like (amongst others) the look of the Dotz steel wheels. Are you going to be stocking these? Any chance you can PM me with a preview of which wheels you'll be getting from Nakatanenga? They also seem to sell the 255/85r16 mounted on Wolf wheels.

2nd Jan 2018 9:49pm

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