Council Directive 78/549/EEC of 12 June 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the wheel guards of motor vehicles
Article 6
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Luxembourg, 12 June 1978.
For the Council
The President
K. OLESEN
ANNEX I
1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1.1. The motor vehicle must be provided with wheel guards (parts of the bodywork, mudguards, etc.).
1.2. The wheel guards must be so designed as to protect other road users, as far as possible, against thrown-up stones, mud, ice, snow and water and to reduce for those users the dangers due to contact with the moving wheels.
2. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS 2.1. The wheel guards must meet the following requirements when the vehicle is in running order (see section 2.6 of Annex I to Directive 70/156/EEC) and the wheels are in the dead ahead position:
2.1.1. In the part formed by radial planes at an angle of 30º to the front and 50º to the rear of the centre of the wheels (see figure 1), the overall width (q) of the wheel guards must be at least sufficient to cover the total tyre width (b) taking into account the extremes of tyre/wheel combination as specified by the manufacturer and as indicated in section 5.2 of the certificate set out in Annex II. In the case of twin wheels, the total width over the two tyres (t) shall be taken into account. 2.1.1.1. For the purposes of determining the widths referred to in 2.1.1, the labelling (marking) and decorations, protective bands or ribs on tyre walls are not taken into account.
2.1.2. The rear of the wheel guards must not terminate above a horizontal plane 150 mm above the axis of rotation of the wheels (as measured at the wheel centres) and furthermore the intersection of the edge of the wheel guard with this plane (point A, figure 1) must lie outside the median longitudinal plane of the tyre, or in the case of twin wheels the median longitudinal plane of the outermost tyre.
2.1.3. The contour and location of the wheel guards shall be such that they are as close to the tyre as possible ; and in particular within the part formed by the radial planes referred to in 2.1.1, they shall satisfy the following requirements: 2.1.3.1. the projection - situated in the vertical plane of the tyre axis - of the depth (p) of the outer edge of the wheel guards, measured in the vertical longitudinal plane passing through the centre of the tyre, must be at least 30 mm. This depth (p) may be reduced progressively to zero at the radial planes specified in 2.1.1;
2.1.3.2. the distance © between the lower edges of the wheel guards and the axis passing through the centre of the wheels must not exceed 2r, "r" being the static radius of the tyre.
2.1.4. In the case of vehicles having adjustable suspension height, the abovementioned requirements must be met when the vehicle is in the normal running position specified by the vehicle manufacturer.
2.2. The wheel guards may consist of several components, provided no gaps exist between or within the individual parts when assembled.
2.3. The wheel guards must be firmly attached. However, they may be detachable either as a unit or in parts.
Basically it means:-
Tyres must be fully covered by the wheel arches, excluding any side wall raised lettering or protective ribbing on the side walls of the tyres, or wheel hubs. This may not be a MOT issue but would be an issue under The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
OK so get some wheels and tyre's the right size then you wont have a problem..
