Just been looking for winter tires for my car which have 195/50/R15 tires on it all ready , looking to buy steel wheels with the tires . I want to know do I have to get winter tires with 195/50/R15 size tires to fit the car?.

http://www.tyresave....k/tyresize.html

Keep it within 2.5% if poss

Edited 14 January, 201016 yr by Mike B

Hello bradfordfabia,

Simplified answer NO.--Read on.

See a tyre dealer and have a chat for safety reasons. --Tyres can be 'Winter' or 'Summer' tyres, same goes 'Directional' or Non-Directional tyres.-- Same tyre can be fitted on 'Steel' or 'Alloy' wheels as long as they conform to correct size and grade for that particular vehicle.--

For instance on my 2005 Fabia VRS, I removed 'Steel' spare wheel and placed it's tyre onto an 'Alloy' wheel to match the rest of the 'Alloy' road wheels.-- This could be done as the spare tyre was the same as fitted to the 'Alloy' road wheels.

Edited 14 January, 201016 yr by giandougl

It's recomended that you stay within 5% od the originals try the calculator on www.tyretraders.com/Tyrecalculator/

I fitted 185/60/15 winter tyres on my VRS, which are within 5% of yours, as they were a reasonable price ~£270 fitted for 4 . Look at the different sizes that you can fit as they vary in price.

Could you drop to 14 inch wheels with narrower tyres?

HTH

I'd think that a VRS could not drop down to 14" wheels - it would give the callipers a spot of bother!

If you are thinking of buying steel wheels I'd be interested in what price you had to pay for them, for the record, to use 195/50 X 15 tyres you would need 6J X 15 H2 ET43 wheels, and VAG p/n 6Q0 601 027G would fit the bill, have a look at the stamped details on the outer side in the recess where the fixings are. Also, I think that VAG UK only ever used these wheels as steel spares on cars with alloys. So if going to scrappy you would be looking to harvest one wheel from one suitable car. With that in mind, anyone got any better ideas for getting steel wheels - what price do dealers charge for a steel wheel. Alternative plan might be to try mytyres as they supply snow/winter tyres fitted to new steels - that would be less trouble. In my case, I've only got a Polo 1.4 with smaller discs, so have the choice of dropping a size to make things cheaper, and maybe just get used wheels from scrappy - although they might charge a bit if the tyres fitted (I don't want) have good tread on them! For anyone else reading this and considering getting 14" steels from scappy, watch out as there are 5J and 6J 14" VAG wheels out there - 5J is okay for 165/70 but 6J is needed for 185/60.