I was in a supermarket petrol forecourt last night getting some air in the tyres when the attendant nips out for a sly smoke round the back of the shop.

He then procedded to lecture me on how my tyres were completely wrong for the car and that if he were me he would and I should get rid of those alloys and get some 15" steel wheels as low profile tyres don't grip as well as the steels with "nice big sidewalls". He was adamant of this fact

When I asked him why did skoda fit in their widsom low profile tyres, he claimed it was purely down too cosmetic reasons and insisted I would be better off removing those wheels.

So can anyone tell me why Skoda fitted the wrong wheels too my car from the factory ????

Did you check if his tractor was parked out the back?

I was in a supermarket petrol forecourt last night getting some air in the tyres when the attendant nips out for a sly smoke round the back of the shop.

He then procedded to lecture me on how my tyres were completely wrong for the car and that if he were me he would and I should get rid of those alloys and get some 15" steel wheels as low profile tyres don't grip as well as the steels with "nice big sidewalls". He was adamant of this fact

When I asked him why did skoda fit in their widsom low profile tyres, he claimed it was purely down too cosmetic reasons and insisted I would be better off removing those wheels.

So can anyone tell me why Skoda fitted the wrong wheels too my car from the factory ????

It must be very unusual to meet a automotive suspension/tyre expert working as a supermarket petrol station attendant .

Edited 15 February, 201016 yr by vwcabriolet1971

Which supermarket was it mate?

So can anyone tell me why Skoda fitted the wrong wheels too my car from the factory ????

When I asked him why did skoda fit in their widsom low profile tyres, he claimed it was purely down too cosmetic reasons and insisted I would be better off removing those wheels.

Were you not paying attention or something?

Rob.

so there's highly qualified automotive engineers or a gimp petrol station attendant, hmmmmm, tough choice as to who i would trust with wheel choice

Mark

Which supermarket was it mate?

Asda Coryton round the corner from the house

Were you not paying attention or something? Rob.

I was too busy trying too hurry up and get away from the tyre expert, as he was starting too scare me with his stupidity :rofl:

Although saying that I do wonder sometimes - I get almost as much cornering grip from my car with standard size (82 profile) 13-inch wheels as my model with low profile tyres. Low profile tyres look better, but they don't seem to add much on the road.

I was in a supermarket petrol forecourt last night getting some air in the tyres when the attendant nips out for a sly smoke round the back of the shop.

and of course your reply should have been why dont you smoke by the pumps..................................................bye

I've also heard that cars fitted with drum brakes all round stop faster than cars like those silly Porches we see with the new fangled ceramic setups. They only put those on to look good you know.

Although saying that I do wonder sometimes - I get almost as much cornering grip from my car with standard size (82 profile) 13-inch wheels as my model with low profile tyres. Low profile tyres look better, but they don't seem to add much on the road.

I'm sorry, but you're lying/deluded

Although saying that I do wonder sometimes - I get almost as much cornering grip from my car with standard size (82 profile) 13-inch wheels as my model with low profile tyres. Low profile tyres look better, but they don't seem to add much on the road.

I can see your point there but dropping form 17" factory wheels too 15" steels with huuuge sidewalls isn't going too make my particular car handle better. I would think it would just become an unstable mess the minute I corner or brake.

I just thought of something else he said, "the sidewalls are very weak on the low profile type tyres" and he's seen quite a few peolpe catch the sidewalls on the raised kerbs where the pumps sit and it's ripped right through the tyre, but never on a normal tyre :no: :no: :no:

F1 car tyres are hardly LOW PROFILE..... Go figure that one then

It's not really sensible to compare them to normal road tyres.

Look at DTM/BTCC cars instead.

Although saying that I do wonder sometimes - I get almost as much cornering grip from my car with standard size (82 profile) 13-inch wheels as my model with low profile tyres. Low profile tyres look better, but they don't seem to add much on the road.

Cornering G rises as speed^2, for example, if you can go round a corner at 30mph in the Estelle, and at 42 in the Fabia, the Fabia is cornering pretty much twice as hard, even though the speed is less than 1/3 higher.

So can anyone tell me why Skoda fitted the wrong wheels too my car from the factory ????

A better question to ask is what size wheels Skoda fit to the same model in other countries. I understand that all manufacturers tend to specify larger wheels with lower profile tyres on cars for the UK market.

Following on from that it might be worth thinking about the effects of differing unsprung weights.

F1 car tyres are hardly LOW PROFILE..... Go figure that one then

That's a completely different argument/discussion and outwith of the issues raised here...

I'd have just ignored him, finished your checks and driven off

Steve

A better question to ask is what size wheels Skoda fit to the same model in other countries. I understand that all manufacturers tend to specify larger wheels with lower profile tyres on cars for the UK market.

Following on from that it might be worth thinking about the effects of differing unsprung weights.

I wasn't being serious with that retorical question mate. :D

I'd have just ignored him, finished your checks and driven off

Steve

Which is pretty much what I did, it was either that or hit him as by that point he doing my box in tbh. :rofl: :rofl:

I heard that a complete set of those dohnut space saver wheels enhance a cars performance and handling ..........

Go back , tell him to stand up straight with his legs together and push him hard from the side , then tell him to plant his feet wide apart and bend his knees , and push him again, then tell him he's knows 4call and to shut up till or if, he ever does .