Today the car got stuck and I have been sliding around all week, christ knows how I haven't hit anything and I don't want to as my insurance excess is £650. I've just heard on the news this weather will be with us for another 2 weeks, so I need to get some winter tyres as I have a long commute on b roads. Problem is, I only have one set of wheels, and a couple of months ago I had 4 new toyo proxes fitted. Is it possible to safely remove the tyres currently on the wheels, put snow tyres on, then in a couple of months put the poxes back on and save the snow ones for next winter?

If so, and it won't bugger up the current set of tyres, which snow tyres would you recommend?

Cheers

Luke

yeh theres no problem doing that,

just take some bin bags or old sheets with you to the garage and put the tyres that are coming off in them to save your upholstry.

store them so they wont dry out and they'll be fine for the sunnier months.

just do the reverse when the snow comes back next time.

Today the car got stuck and I have been sliding around all week, christ knows how I haven't hit anything and I don't want to as my insurance excess is £650. I've just heard on the news this weather will be with us for another 2 weeks, so I need to get some winter tyres as I have a long commute on b roads. Problem is, I only have one set of wheels, and a couple of months ago I had 4 new toyo proxes fitted. Is it possible to safely remove the tyres currently on the wheels, put snow tyres on, then in a couple of months put the poxes back on and save the snow ones for next winter?

If so, and it won't bugger up the current set of tyres, which snow tyres would you recommend?

Cheers

Luke

I've just done exactly that, got Cooper Weathermaster Snow fitted ( which are virtually the same as Avon Ice Touring ST ) and they are staggeringly good. Budget on £500 a set though for 225/40 18s. The OE Michelin Exaltos are summer tyres and hopeless in snow

£500, hells teeth! Was hoping £400 max, I paid less than £300 for the proxes!

£500, hells teeth! Was hoping £400 max, I paid less than £300 for the proxes!

Yes but when you crash on your summer tyres, your excess will be £250, your premium will go up and you'll still have to buy a set of snowies. In the long term it doesnt cost you any more as you can only wear out one set of tyres at a time

These look good, are studded tyres illegal? Vredestein Arctrac

http://www.vredestein.com/Banden_Bandtypes.asp?BandgroepID=2&BandtoepassingID=0&BandtypeID=69&PageID=1&UserSessionID=20876276

Edited 7 January, 201016 yr by luke_a

You can get 205/55/R16 from camskill for about £250, so it depends on the tyre size.

Event tyres seem to have suddenly started to sell a large number of winter tyres too (Can't think why ) so it's worth looking there too.

Just for another piece of mind, I've gone from summers to winters, sold the summers which were fitted to another car and then will be moving back to summer tyres around march/april time.

No problem at all doing that.

Thanks for that. Looks like Vredestein Snowtrac 3 retail for about £80, not bad since they won the winter tyre awards - but I still think the Arctrac have got to be better!

205/55 16

I also have done just that on my Sedici. Vredestein Snowtrac 2s for the winter and the bog standard Pirelli’s for the rest of the year. Snow traction is superb. Overtook a stuck and wheel spinning Q5 today on an icy hill and I deliberately used FWD only, to do it (Sedici is a 4x4).

ps Studded tyres will get you pulled by the boys in Blue. they will damage the road so are illegal.

Edited 8 January, 201016 yr by Lady Elanore

I'm also thinking about fitting winter tyres, but was thinking of getting a spare set of cheap rims, so all i have to do is just swap the wheels over. I'm not sure the best place to get the rims from. I'd prefer alloys, but as cost is an issue i'd settle with steel rims if the saving is big enough. I don't mind if they are second hand. I've been told that certain VW, Audi and Seat wheels will also fit as they have the same size bolt holes etc. So i don't know if a set of them would be cheaper. I have a Octavia Elegance Est 04 (Mk1).

Any help or advise on the cheapest rims, where to get them from would be appreciated. Or is it easier to just pay to get them changes twice a year?

Cheers

I'm also thinking about fitting winter tyres, but was thinking of getting a spare set of cheap rims, so all i have to do is just swap the wheels over. I'm not sure the best place to get the rims from. I'd prefer alloys, but as cost is an issue i'd settle with steel rims if the saving is big enough. I don't mind if they are second hand. I've been told that certain VW, Audi and Seat wheels will also fit as they have the same size bolt holes etc. So i don't know if a set of them would be cheaper. I have a Octavia Elegance Est 04 (Mk1).

Any help or advise on the cheapest rims, where to get them from would be appreciated. Or is it easier to just pay to get them changes twice a year?

Cheers

When I was in the trade and also just buying cars, I noted that customers occasionally ask a garage to put a nicer set of wheels on a car when they buy it. I did just this with a Scooby that I had and the garage sometimes buys the old wheels cheap or finds someone who might want them. You could always ask a couple of local Skoda dealers if they ever come across anything like this.

my Vredestein all season where £138 a pair fitted, why not get a couple of steel wheels and get them fitted then all you have to do is swap the wheels over once you have lost that slight dusting

It can be a bit more tricky if it is a copmany or leased vehicle. However there are two options really.

Option 1

Temporarily replace your full allloys and tyres......with a set of steel rims plus winter tyres fitted. Cost is roughly £450 to £650 depending on your tyres choice (including nuts suitable for the steel rims). You can swop them back and forward yourself, at no cost, when it suits you.

Option 2

You can continue to use your alloys, and simply swap the tyres for winter tyres during the cold months, and replace with your summer tyres for the warmer months. The cost for 4 winter tyres is realistically between £220 to £500, again depending on your tyre choice. Generally it costs about £10 to £14 per wheel to have the tyre changed...so lets call it £50 to £60 when changing from summer to winter or vice versa.

I hope that this helps!

Hi

Well living on mainland Europe ,we change tyres each winter as the law states. Ours are Pirelli Winter Carving and we keep them stored with our Croatian Skoda main dealers for the sum of 25 pounds yr. As we have only one set of wheels we do the changeover at the same time as the winter service, so cost is almost nothing. However I have noticed that here in Vienna where we are at present , many drivers of very upmarket cars fit their winter tyres on black steel wheels , they look ugly !! but I suppose it saves their alloy wheels from unseen kerb damage, or even salt.

Edited 8 January, 201016 yr by soldatov

Hi

Well living on mainland Europe ,we change tyres each winter as the law states. Ours are Pirelli Winter Carving and we keep them stored with our Croatian Skoda main dealers for the sum of 25 pounds yr. As we have only one set of wheels we do the changeover at the same time as the winter service, so cost is almost nothing. However I have noticed that here in Vienna where we are at present , many drivers of very upmarket cars fit their winter tyres on black steel wheels , they look ugly !! but I suppose it saves their alloy wheels from unseen kerb damage, or even salt.

Not sure at the moment how quickly one could source winter tyres here in the UK. I ordered 2 Vredestein Quatrac 3 tyres about 18 Dec (Before the cold snap) Despite hassling the tyre place still do not have them. Have phoned around a few other local tyre dealers some are no go some are a min 10days delivery.

Anyone know of stock available for immediate delivery. 205/55 r16 91w (would use V rated)

Swapped to winters on Christmas eve having ordered steel rims from my dealer on 18th (arrived on the 22nd) and tyres from mytyres on the 21st (3 days by post from Germany at Christmas ) assembled and fitted by the local tyre place on Christmas eve for a very reasonable £30.

Bizarrely this worked out cheaper than ordering the complete tyre and rim package offered by mytres plus quicker too. Noticed since the cold weather has continued and obviously with the increased demand, the tyres I ordered are now £13 more expensive :S

TP

Why order a set of steel wheels from a dealer why not get them from a scrappy as long as they are 15 or 16s from any vw group model they will fit

Why order a set of steel wheels from a dealer why not get them from a scrappy as long as they are 15 or 16s from any vw group model they will fit

Just personal preference for new rather than used.

TP

Just personal preference for new rather than used.

TP

Out of interest, what did a set of 4 steel wheels cost fro a dealer?

Out of interest, what did a set of 4 steel wheels cost fro a dealer?

My dealer charged me £147 for the set, which I didn't think was too bad as that's about what it would cost to replace just one of the 17" alloys on the Yeti.

I think with the Octavia II for 16" wheels you require the 6J 16 ET50 steel rims as opposed to the 7J 16 ET45 for the Yeti, (edit) although the Yeti does use the the 6J for the 'space saving' spare and as an alternative for winters only.

Regards,

TP

Edited 8 January, 201016 yr by The Plumber

I think with the Octavia II for 16" wheels you require the 6J 16 ET50 steel rims as opposed to the 7J 16 ET45 for the Yeti, (edit) although the Yeti does use the the 6J for the 'space saving' spare and as an alternative for winters only.

Yep, the 6J 16 ET50 are the ones for the Octavia II, mine are from a Seat Altea, but I believe the Golf Mkv also uses these, the occasionally pop up on e-bay..

See my comments on this thread... http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/148533-vrs-tdi-snow-tyres/page__view__findpost__p__1854629

It can be a bit more tricky if it is a copmany or leased vehicle.

Yup if a company vehicle, you will need written autorisation from your employer to make changes from agreed spec as could void the entire companies policy - which usually covers everything from liability, to cars etc etc. The MD/CEO wouldnt be happy

My dealer charged me £147 for the set, which I didn't think was too bad as that's about what it would cost to replace just one of the 17" alloys on the Yeti.

I think with the Octavia II for 16" wheels you require the 6J 16 ET50 steel rims as opposed to the 7J 16 ET45 for the Yeti, (edit) although the Yeti does use the the 6J for the 'space saving' spare and as an alternative for winters only.

Regards,

TP

I have ordered 4 new steel wheels + winter tyres from mytyres,it works out you are paying £50 each just for the wheel,Total £470 for 4x 16" wheels and Nokian winter tyres-but i think the price has gone p in the last week!

Wouldn't you need to order 5? That way the spare is a winter tyre too.

I have ordered 4 new steel wheels + winter tyres from mytyres,it works out you are paying £50 each just for the wheel,Total £470 for 4x 16" wheels and Nokian winter tyres-but i think the price has gone p in the last week!

Yes the price has well shot up, just looked on the mytyre site; currently £137.40 + £9.90 P&P for Nokian WR G2 205/55 R16 91H on rim's for an Octavia II

Edit

Just looked at the Yeti, on the same 6J 16 ET50 rim you can get the Nokians but V rated for £136.60 + £9.90 P&P

Strange pricing structure.

TP

Edited 9 January, 201016 yr by The Plumber