Roomster 3 Tyre Sizes

[branwell]

Looking to purchase a new set of tyres for our Roomster 3. The car came with Bridgestone E300; 205/45/R16 87W as standard but they (or perhaps the car) was terrible in the snow we had last winter, theough in the summer the tyres seem fine. We are now looking for a set of replacement tyres but most of the brands i have looked at so far are only for the 83 load rating. Does anyone know if the lower load rating can be fitted or does this go against the manufacturers recommendations? The 87W tyres are generally more expensive and there are fewer options to choose from.

thanks

[Jonny5ive]

Don't know if this will help you decide.

Load ratings

Edit: Probably not. i would speak to your dealer

Edited 5 August, 2010 by Jonny5ive

[Decron]

I don't know what the problem is. These are not high load tyres and from what I have seen the norm is 87w and therefore these have the availability and are cheaper. The Bridgestones are not that bad but I have never found them that good at anything in particular.

See here for suitable alternatives;

My tyres 205 45 16

or here

www.blackcircles.com

I would specifically recommend the Falken Ziex ZE-912 which will tick all your boxes and at £65 a corner fitted are somewhat of a bargin

[branwell]

The problem I have with the standard 87W tyres is that these have a maximum speed rating of 168 mph and a load rating of 545kg per tyre which seems a tad excessive for a roomster with 105bhp and no chance of seeing anything near 168mph. If anyone who can shed some advice on using the lower load rating 83 tyres on the 1.9tdi version it would be much appreciated?

[The Plumber]

Hi,

this PDF My link is from the Skoda Germany web site; lists all aproved tyre and rim sizes for Skoda vehicles which I hope will help. Would try and find an H or if not V rated tyre if possible, the W is just to rigid.

Regards,

TP

[branwell]

Hi,

this PDF My link is from the Skoda Germany web site; lists all aproved tyre and rim sizes for Skoda vehicles which I hope will help. Would try and find an H or if not V rated tyre if possible, the W is just to rigid.

Regards,

TP

Thanks TP; the German spec sheet it looks like the 87 load rating should be used but a speed rating of V can be used which makes more sense. thanks

[The Plumber]

Thanks TP; the German spec sheet it looks like the 87 load rating should be used but a speed rating of V can be used which makes more sense. thanks

Hi again,

which engine type code and approval number does your Roomster have? as looking at the data myself only the earliest cars appear to need an 87 rating.

The type approval number is in the V5c and begins with E11 and will correspond to that given near the top of each data sheet and the engine code usually the first 3/4 letters of the engine number and also on the data sticker on the boot floor or front of the service book.

Regards,

TP

[The PM]

I'd suggest that the problem is that our tyres are not winter tyres, that combined with their being wide flippin' things make them rubbish in the snow.

The Germans have to have winter tyres fitted for a certain part of the year by law so don't have the same issues as we do for our week of snow as most of them have two sets of wheels/ tyres... I'd suggest you email Skoda (perhaps the German version) and ask them what tyres they use for winter use...

Bear in mind that true winter tyres won't be very good in the summer and its expensive to carry two sets just for the odd few days we need them!

Edited 6 August, 2010 by The PM

[Decron]

The problem I have with the standard 87W tyres is that these have a maximum speed rating of 168 mph and a load rating of 545kg per tyre which seems a tad excessive for a roomster with 105bhp and no chance of seeing anything near 168mph. If anyone who can shed some advice on using the lower load rating 83 tyres on the 1.9tdi version it would be much appreciated?

Your problem doesn't really exist.

Load rating is different to speed rating which is what you seem to be mixing up here. There are 83 and 87 rated tyres that also have a v speed rating as well as a w speed rating (BTW these ratings are more relative to temparature than load/speed hence the seemingly high tolerenaces in the quoted rating figures. You get speed and weight ratings because people can relate to them rather than a temp rating which people can't appreciate). Either way they are all quite available and the cheapest and most available happens to be the 205/45/16 87w probably because it is produced in the greatest numbers for other applications.

So why bother about trying to find inferior rated tyres because the higher rated tyres are cheaper and more available? Is that a definition of madness?

Also the 205/45 tyre is fine in the snow as long as you have the right ones fitted. The Falken 912's did me proud in February when we had the bad snow, far better than similar size tyres I had fitted to the Fabia which should prove that the size is not as relevent as is made out but the compund, and pattern is. Although thinner, specifically winter tyres are the best format, realistically you can cope just fine with a good set of all rounders in this country.

[branwell]

Your problem doesn't really exist.

Load rating is different to speed rating which is what you seem to be mixing up here. There are 83 and 87 rated tyres that also have a v speed rating as well as a w speed rating (BTW these ratings are more relative to temparature than load/speed hence the seemingly high tolerenaces in the quoted rating figures. You get speed and weight ratings because people can relate to them rather than a temp rating which people can't appreciate). Either way they are all quite available and the cheapest and most available happens to be the 205/45/16 87w probably because it is produced in the greatest numbers for other applications.

So why bother about trying to find inferior rated tyres because the higher rated tyres are cheaper and more available? Is that a definition of madness?

Also the 205/45 tyre is fine in the snow as long as you have the right ones fitted. The Falken 912's did me proud in February when we had the bad snow, far better than similar size tyres I had fitted to the Fabia which should prove that the size is not as relevent as is made out but the compund, and pattern is. Although thinner, specifically winter tyres are the best format, realistically you can cope just fine with a good set of all rounders in this country.

Thanks Decron for the rather patronising reponses. I understand perfectly the difference between load and speed rating. When the speed limits on UK roads are 70mph the W load rating is plain silly. And the higher rated tyres are not cheaper or more readily available, infact the opposite. The definition of madness....?

Where we live (highlands) snow is a reality for a least 3 months of the year and the Bridgestones 205 width really does't work in proper winter conditions. I'll be changing out to winter tyres this year for December through to March.

[Decron]

Thanks Decron for the rather patronising reponses. I understand perfectly the difference between load and speed rating. When the speed limits on UK roads are 70mph the W load rating is plain silly. The definition of madness....?

Wasn't trying to be patronising, forgive me if your posts did exhibit a certain ignorance to the difference and I just tried to point that out in a way you could see. Looks like I might have failed...

W (Which is the speed rating NOT the load rating, thought you understood perfectly the difference :wonder: ) is not excessive, it's a tolerence. It indicates the maximum permitted speed that the tire can sustain for a ten minute endurance without being in danger. If the temparature of the road is higher this is reduced hence the tolerence. The Roomster isn't going to to hit 168mph but some vehicles might and why produce more than one tyre. It may seem silly to you but it makes perfect economic sense to the rest of the world

And the higher rated tyres are not cheaper or more readily available, infact the opposite

But they are

Check My Tyres, Blackcircles, Camskill, and a whole host of other online retailers just for starters. The evidence is there. Very rarely are they more expensive, plenty of example on there. One swipe of the card and you have them in a few days. I went through all this when getting tyres for my fabia and I can also ring up my local fitter who can get me the higher ratings for the same price as the lowers...in fact he doesn't stock the lowers as there is no demand for them. All the cars come fitted with the higher rating tyres because if you fit the lower index your insurance can be void.

In your location the winter tyres would be a good call, I probably would as well. I would suggest buying a cheap set of 5x100 wheels from ebay with thinner profiles (Mk4 Golf wheels would be good) and keep them as your winter set with winter tyres on them. Easy swap when you want then. BTW don't forget to tell your insurance about the change of tyres.

There is a lot more information on the subject elsewhere

Have a look at this.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=why+is+the+tyre+speed+rating+so+high

The Honest John thread is really good.

Edited 8 August, 2010 by Decron

[branwell]

I am sooooo much better informed having read Decrons posts! (er..... not!). I still don't understand the logic for fitting a 87W rated tyre to diesel powered MPV when the maximum speed limit is 70mph and the car itself will never reach anything near 149mph even on downhill track with the wind behind you. The roomster is a great practical car but i didn't buy it to break any speed records. 16" alloys are nice, look good but really are more of a cosmetic addition to the car than anything else.

Thanks to everyone else for your responses, especially TP on his German specification sheet, this has proved the most useful, and sheds some light on the tyre ratings specified by Skoda.

[Decron]

I am sooooo much better informed having read Decrons posts! (er..... not!). I still don't understand the logic for fitting a 87W rated tyre to diesel powered MPV when the maximum speed limit is 70mph and the car itself will never reach anything near 149mph even on downhill track with the wind behind you.

The W rating is related to a maximum of 168mph. 149mph would be a V rating as discussed previously in this thread.

Edited 13 August, 2010 by mannyo

[mannyo]

Please keep the thread on topic, I have deleted a number of posts irrelevant to the discussion.

[TwoHat]

Would I be right in thinking that I could fit 15" 6J wheels to my Roomster Sprout?

The Type approval number is E11*2001/116*0291*10 BSW engine and AFB variant.

Under this heading in the German document are shown various tyre/wheel combinations ranging from 185/55 R15 on a 15" 6J rim to 205/40 R17 on a 17" 7J rim

The tyres on the vehicle now are 205/45 R16 on 16" 6.5J rim, and the tyre pressure options shown on the fuel filler flap only show this size and the 17" one.

I am thinking of buying a spare set of cheap steel wheels with winter tyres, and there seem to be more tyres available in the 185/55 R15 size than the 16" option.

Am I correct to assume that the data in the type approval means that a 15" rim will clear my brakes etc.?

Many thanks,

Simon

[ChrisC_2]

I'm also trying to find out what wheel/tyre combinations are available to me for my 1.6 Roomster Scout, with a view to getting fitting winter tyres on spare rims. Those data sheets supplied above look really useful, but I'm having difficulty relating them to the details on the label in my boot. The data on the inside of the handbook has been covered over with white labels and somebody has just hand written something like Roomster Scout 1.6 petrol.

I'm not getting any sense out of my local dealer who tells me I must use 6.5j x16" rims. I called into another dealer and someone told me the same at first, but after listening to my reasoning about getting the correct tyre/rim combination rechecked and came up with the information that yes I could use the 6jx15" rims (with 195x55 r15) as I suspected. He also added that there was some 14" fabia rims, that would fit. However, to my regret I didn't take the details down. When I went back to recheck I had to start all over again with somebody else. This guy eventually agreed that there were 15" rims available for my car and also that there were 14" fabia rims that would fit, but didn't know if they would be safe.

So can anybody out there help please!

[branwell]

I'm also trying to find out what wheel/tyre combinations are available to me for my 1.6 Roomster Scout, with a view to getting fitting winter tyres on spare rims. Those data sheets supplied above look really useful, but I'm having difficulty relating them to the details on the label in my boot. The data on the inside of the handbook has been covered over with white labels and somebody has just hand written something like Roomster Scout 1.6 petrol.

I'm not getting any sense out of my local dealer who tells me I must use 6.5j x16" rims. I called into another dealer and someone told me the same at first, but after listening to my reasoning about getting the correct tyre/rim combination rechecked and came up with the information that yes I could use the 6jx15" rims (with 195x55 r15) as I suspected. He also added that there was some 14" fabia rims, that would fit. However, to my regret I didn't take the details down. When I went back to recheck I had to start all over again with somebody else. This guy eventually agreed that there were 15" rims available for my car and also that there were 14" fabia rims that would fit, but didn't know if they would be safe.

So can anybody out there help please!

We've fitted a full set of mud and snow tyres to our Roomster 1.9tdi Roomster 3. I purchased a set of four Vredsteins with Steel wheels from Mytyresco.uk. They were excellent to deal with and arrived after 5 days. The original tyres as per the above posts were Bridegstone 205/45 R16 87W but they were absolutely terrible in the snow. The size I replaced them with was the same as used on the Roomster 2 which was a 195/55 R15 85H. They have been fantastic in the 3-4ft of snow which we have had this year and we haven't had any difficulties. Hope this helps?

[TwoHat]

We've fitted a full set of mud and snow tyres to our Roomster 1.9tdi Roomster 3. I purchased a set of four Vredsteins with Steel wheels from Mytyresco.uk. They were excellent to deal with and arrived after 5 days. The original tyres as per the above posts were Bridegstone 205/45 R16 87W but they were absolutely terrible in the snow. The size I replaced them with was the same as used on the Roomster 2 which was a 195/55 R15 85H. They have been fantastic in the 3-4ft of snow which we have had this year and we haven't had any difficulties. Hope this helps?

Thanks for that Branwell, just what I needed to know.

I couldn't believe how bad my 205/45 Bridgestones are in snow! They are fantastic tyres on tarmac in the summer, and don't even wear out as fast as I thought they might, but come the winter they are absolutely useless - not just snow - a cold wet road has the wheels spinning and the traction control working overtime in the first two gears if you drive it in fun mode!

I shall try and source a set of 15" steelies and some decent winter tyres.

Thanks again,

Simon

[The Plumber]

Just received a set of 195/55 R15 85H Bridgestone Blizzak LM30's on steel rims from mytyres for our Fabia II FL; again to replace the next to useless 205/45 R16's.

Only fitted them last night so have yet to try them out; in our case they took two weeks from ordering to arrive, a week of which being in protracted transit from Germany; thanks DPD :S

TP

[Trevorminor]

Our Roomster Scout is running very well on 195/55/15 Hankook winter tyres. These are fitted to a lovely set of alloys that were originally fitted to a five year old VW Bora. The wheel dimensions are perfect and even the centre caps swap straight over from the original spec rims. The car is stunningly good in all the ice and snow and I'm used to a Yeti 4x4 with winters fitted too.

I think that the wheels look understated and better than the standard. I simply cannot fathom why Skoda fit such rubber band styles to this car as standard. I can see me having to find another identical set of 'Bora' alloys to fit some 'summer' tyres to!

Edited 27 December, 2010 by Trevorminor

[ChrisC_2]

I'm currently waiting to contact my insurer to see if it's ok to fit wheels from other VAG cars. While I've been doing so even mytyres.co.uk seems to have run out of stock of winter tyres :0(

Thanks for the replies guys.

[TwoHat]

I'm going to get a set of steel wheels and winter tyres for my Roomster Scout, the only remaining question is this:-

Can I use the existing wheel bolts which are designed for the original alloy wheels with the replacement steel wheels?

I seem to remember having read somewhere that alloys have a different shape seat or a different taper angle, but I can't find any details anywhere.

Does anyone have a definitive answer, or can point me in the right direction to find out please?

Cheers,

Simon

Edited 20 January, 2011 by TwoHat

[the_raz]

Hi!

When I ordered my Roomster (last week) we discussed the alloy vs steel as winter tires, and at least my sales person said that the original Skoda (as in VAG?) steel rims has the "hole profile" as the alloys, and that the same bolts can be used for both. (Ultimately the price difference to the alloys was so small so I went for alloys for the winter tires as well).

So I guess the answer depends on what steel rims you are getting. If you are buying from Skoda, check this with them first.

[AnotherGareth]

We have Skoda steel wheels on our Octavia and they use the same (radiused) wheel bolts as the standard alloys. After-market steel wheels may require different wheel bolts - a taper is quite common.

[Scottie]

Roomster 3, 1900TDI.

Suggest 205/45 R16 V, Uniroyal Rainsport 2 (load 487Kg.) Excellent wet weather tyre and superb in snow.

Scottie