KozmoNaut wrote:
First off, get a better insurance company. Or do you tell them whenever you change tyres to a brand and model that wasn't OEM fitment? Because it's bloody hard to find new Pirelli P6000s these days! As long as you stay within the OEM size range and speed rating for your car, your insurance company can go piss up a rope about you putting different wheels on. The only reason people sometimes "need" to notify their insurance about new wheels is because they put on expensive new alloys and want them covered in case of theft.
Secondly, used steel wheels are really cheap. So are used alloy wheels. And a complete set of wheel nuts costs almost nothing, they're almost always included when you buy wheels. But tyre/wheel storage and refitment isn't cheap in the long run, and the maintenance and inspection benefits from doing it yourself far outweighs the small amount of work needed to change wheels twice a year.
And please, do tell me which handling issues you expect to have when fitting different alloys or steel wheels? Wheels need to meet certain specifications to be sold and you're not going to feel a lick of difference in a 406 (or a BMW, for that matter). You're driving on public roads, not going 10/10s on Silverstone.
You aren't from the UK are you? Insurance companies rape everyone who changes their car in any way other than how it left the factory.
Tyres are tyres as far as insurance companies are concerned. Aslong as they are road legal they don't care what you have.
If you change your alloys to steels or put different alloys on then they will put your premiums up because as far as they are concerned your car is now modified and you will be out till 5am racing all your other friends with modified cars.
And as far as a set of wheel nuts costing nothing. Ford want £7 each for mine!
And I had a set of steels on my car for a few weeks. 16" steel wheels with Michelin Energy tyres. 215/55 R16 vs my usual 235/45 R17. The car felt less sure footed, started to loose grip far sooner, the front wheels would slip and spin far easier than I'd usually expect but the car was quieter, comfier and tramlined far less. I think to say that you wouldn't notice a difference is nonsense really as it was night and day in my car! Or are you going to say it's because something is wrong with my car like you did the biodiesel debate?
) SOLD I've sorted the airbag light 
) I thought I'd use it while I have the corroded one repaired and then stuff the spare on the curbed wheel. The spare? A 10 year old all season Bridgestone, never been on the road but hard as old wotsit. Sad. I guess it's hard to rotate tyres now they're directional.
