Show us your Yeti winter wheels

[900000]

The Octavia boys have a thread all to themselves where they show off their winter wheels. I've asked the moderators if this should not be moved to the Tyre section and they said it is Octavia specific. So here goes our own thread to show off your Yeti winter wheels please.

As most of you know I had some 6J 205/55 ones supplied by my dealer which I used last winter. I sold them to Merlinsfriend and then bought Bohmer's 7J 215/60 set. This set has not been put on my car yet (hopefully Saturday!). So here are some pics.

Here they are shown with the flat disc VW Caddy van centre covers the day Marlborough Škoda put them on for me:

This is what they looked like after doing some donuts in the snow last year! The caps never fell off.

Here are pictures of the same wheels and tyres with the smaller "studded" VW Caddy caps:

I've now painted my new wheels silver (as I really did not like them black) and made the changes to my VW Caddy centre caps so this is what they will look like:

[jeep]

Glad to oblige Sir

[rockhopper]

Strange seeing a Yeti with silver steel wheels....

[rockhopper]

And here are mine, a little on the not so clean side:

and on Elsie the Helipad:

[Merlinman]

Here's mine

[weasley]

They don't half look small in the wheel arches! Not that looks matter when getting about is the objective, but just saying...!

[900000]

They don't half look small in the wheel arches! Not that looks matter when getting about is the objective, but just saying...!

If you are referring to the picture with the two shadow heads at the bottom: THAT is the picture that convinced me to chuck the baby wheels and get proper 215/60s. They look dreadful to my eyes. BUT it was just the light and the mud inside the wheel arches that made it look worse. As you can see on the other pics they don't always look that bad!

[Lowen]

Here is mine, no snow yet though, looks like it could be a mild winter

215 x 60 - 16" Michelin Alpin A4

[The Plumber]

Hi Johann,

strange request but here you go one rear nearside winter wheel assembly in all it's glory

VAG Rim 7Jx16 ET45

Hankook Winter i*cept evo (W310) 215/60 R16 99H XL tyre

Skoda Rif wheel trim

TP

[Sandy.Rogers]

Sadly haven't got a car to put them on!

[speedsport]

My guarantee of a mild winter. Skoda steels with Avon 215/60 R16's and the flat Caddy centre caps previously featured in Johann's photos (yes, I mean the very same ones!):-

EDIT: eek, apologies... the perspective looks weird in that photo. I must have used a very wide angle setting. I'll take another soon with the camera on a more normal setting!

Edited 2 December, 2011 by speedsport

[rockhopper]

I quite like the sliver wheels with the black centres....But I quite like my black wheels and black hubs.....

I did have a comment the other day though asking if I had lost my wheel trims Though to be fair she knows 'nowt about cars or insurance... (which is why I saw her.)

[Witte Yeti]

Dutch Yeti rider in Austria

[Silly Old Hector]

Here's a before and after from this morning :

Here's the after, with new 16" Rif trims :

VAG Rim 7Jx16 ET45

Vredestein Wintrac Extreme 215/60 R16 99H XL tyre

Skoda Rif wheel trim

Took the wheelnut covers off and stored them in the boot .

[a65rocket]

My 15" wheels fitted, they are the same load bearing and external diameter as the 16" wheels.

On the front wheel they cleared the caliper, however on the rear, which has a smaller disc, the caliper fouled, so out with the file :S

[The Plumber]

My 15" wheels fitted, they are the same load bearing and external diameter as the 16" wheels.

On the front wheel they cleared the caliper, however on the rear, which has a smaller disc, the caliper fouled, so out with the file :S

Form an engineering, road safety and invalidated insurance point of view :o

Oh you appear to have the original rear brake set-up as factory fitted up to November 2009, which are almost as big as the front. Later 4x4 models have smaller Bosch rear brakes from the Golf VI.

TP

[a65rocket]

Thought you would like it

[Arkaig]

My 15" wheels fitted, they are the same load bearing and external diameter as the 16" wheels.

On the front wheel they cleared the caliper, however on the rear, which has a smaller disc, the caliper fouled, so out with the file :S

:thumbdown:

Have you actually declared to your insurance company that 15" wheels are not specifically approved by Skoda for fitting to your Yeti, and that you have had to further modify your vehicle to enable them to fit? What was the response of your insurance company? :S

[The Plumber]

There was a tragic case a while back in Lincolnshire, where a father killed a number of his children by loosing control of a modified L/R Defender (wheels and brakes from memory were some of the modifications found to be illegal and dangerous). Went into a river and they got trapped inside and drowned

TP

[Llanigraham]

a65rocket,

I could get banned for this, but are you mad?

Not only do you DANGEROUSLY modify the rear brake carriers, but you then fit wheels and tyres that are not specified for your vehicle.

By doing this you have invalidated your insurance and left yourself open to having your vehicle impounded if stopped and checked at a VOSA check point.

And Tim is correct, and the owner ended up in prison!

[a65rocket]

I have read about the Land Rover case, he used diffident callipers on each wheels, causing an imbalance in the braking - that's criminal (literally).

I have not modified any braking components like that, All I have done is removed an amount of alloy from the offside of the calliper.

The calliper is a single piston type, and is jolly thick (a bit like me ).

The 15" wheels are the same specification as the 16" spare wheels supplied by Skoda, their rim offset is the same, and also their load bearing.

The tyres are Bridgestone Blizzaks 195/65 are are suitable for the weight is the Yeti.

I am not looking for approval for what I have done, I'm just providing the photo's as interest

Future modifications will be the Bluetooth system added, and roof luggage.

[Llanigraham]

I have not modified any braking components like that, All I have done is removed an amount of alloy from the offside of the calliper.The calliper is a single piston type, and is jolly thick (a bit like me ).

So you have modified them!! Removal of metal is a modification! The alloy may be thick for a very good reason and by removing some can you be sure you haven't weakened it in ANY way?

The 15" wheels are the same specification as the 16" spare wheels supplied by Skoda, their rim offset is the same, and also their load bearing.

The tyres are Bridgestone Blizzaks 195/65 are are suitable for the weight is the Yeti.

I am not looking for approval for what I have done, I'm just providing the photo's as interest

Future modifications will be the Bluetooth system added, and roof luggage.

When a vehicle is given for European Type Approval it goes with a list of APPROVED variations, which lists all the size wheels and tyres that the manufacturer considers is safe. No-where in the Yeti list is a 15" wheel included. TP has provided a copy of this list in another thread. It doesn't matter whether the wheels and tyres you have fitted have the same weight loading, they are NOT APPROVED!

Your actions are irresponsible, potentially dangerous and probably illegal, especially if you haven't informed your insurance company of them.

[Arkaig]

I have not modified any braking components like that, All I have done is removed an amount of alloy from the offside of the calliper.

The calliper is a single piston type, and is jolly thick.

The 15" wheels are the same specification as the 16" spare wheels supplied by Skoda, their rim offset is the same, and also their load bearing.

Have you disclosed your modifications and specifically 15" wheels to your insurance company and what was their response?

[a65rocket]

I have not modified the braking system by changing the caliper to be different on each wheel.

I will be talking to my insurance tomorrow, as today is Sunday and I an tasked with installing / checking 5 different Christmas light bundles - now thats a pain.

With regards to insurance companies, when I changed the front forks, wheels and brakes on my BSA motorcycle to items from a Kawasaki, my insurance said 'thats ok, because you have a sidecar,and it makes it better braked.'

I will see what the insurance says tomorrow, and it it is a big no-no - then off to the scrap yards I go for an early Yeti caliper, as the later smaller ones are not suitable :(

[speedsport]

There's absolutely no way you should have skimmed off metal to make your wheels fit particularly if it's an alloy rather than a steel caliper - and judging by your photo, you've taken off quite a significant amount. By its very nature, an alloy casting has to be thicker than a steel one to maintain its ability to handle the spreading forces exerted by the piston when you stamp on the brakes. It has been made that thick for a reason. Had a thinner casting been up to the job, Skoda would have fitted it in order to save weight & reduce manufacturing costs

Sorry a65rocket, as others have said, apart from fitting wheels not approved by the manufacturer FOR THAT VEHICLE which will not impress your insurer, your car no longer complies with its type approval as the caliper is no longer to manufacturers specification.

You should disclose not only the 15" wheels, but also your modification to the calipers.

Edited 4 December, 2011 by speedsport