After last year's snow-based shenanigans, I'm considering buying some winter tyres for my 2008 L&K Estate. 2.0L (103Kw engine according to the code plate in the service book/boot floor)

Currently I have the factory fitted 17" Sputnik Alloys with 225/45 R17s on, with the 112mm 5 stud spacing.

So, what's going to be the cheapest or most cost effective way to get a set of 4 Winter wheels?

I know I can go down to a 16" 6.5J rim with 205/55 on, but will 15" Rims fit the L&K? 195/65 R15 give the same rolling circumference as the 225/45 R17s (634mm)

I understand that the vRS has larger brake discs (312mm?) and won't take anything smaller than a 16" rim but I don't know if the same applies to the L&K 2.0 Estate.

If 15" wheels will fit, do I want to go for a 6.5J rim (and 205/60) or a 6.0J rim (and 195/65)?

my options at the moment are to either buy a complete set of rims+tyres from somewhere like mytyres, or to buy some second-hand wheels from eBay. However finding suitable rims is proving elusive so far. (I'm in central Scotland, so saving £100 just to spend it again on diesel just to collect a set of rims doesn't seem like a good cash-saving idea!)

I'm not too worried about getting genuine Skoda alloys, so which other wheels will fit? So far I understand that Mk1 Octavia don't because they have a 100mm stud diameter.

Presumably some VW or Audi rims will fit, but not everyone selling stuff on eBay knows what measurements to include in their listing. (I gather that Audi A6 will fit, but other than that I'm unsure.)

Any pointers, tips etc most welcome. edit: especially for tips on which brand of winter tyres to buy!

Many thanks

Edited 25 October, 201015 yr by L&Ken

Wheels from any Audi post 2004, except the A2, will fit but some 2009/10 Audis have a low offset, you need 5x112 stud pattern with 45-50 offset. Also any Golf MK5 wheels will fit but they tend to be much more expensive

There's definitely a need for some kind of sticky post explaining the options for this.

I was thinking something along the lines of:

If you have vRS with 18" you can use X, Y or Z

If you have L&K with 17" you can use H,J or K

Wheels from any Audi post 2004, except the A2, will fit but some 2009/10 Audis have a low offset, you need 5x112 stud pattern with 45-50 offset. Also any Golf MK5 wheels will fit but they tend to be much more expensive

Some Audi's older than 2004 also use 5x112 PCD in various ET's.

West End Garage, Uphall in West Lothian can sort you out for £499 (steels and tyres package) and they'll keep the good wheels for you over the winter, and vice versa when you're on the summer wheels.

Niall

2008 L&K Estate. [...] 225/45 R17s [...] 112mm 5 stud

We have a Mk1 Octavia estate - the standard wheels are 205/55VR16 but I noticed that on the inside of the fuel filler flap there are pressures for 195/65R15 so I bought steel wheels from the local Skoda dealer for about £43 each inclusive, checked they fitted over the front calipers, then ordered H-rated tyres. The lower speed rating is perfectly legal, but it is important to check the load rating -- look on the ministry plate for front and real axle loads, then look up the corresponding minimum load indices on one of the tyre information webpages before ordering wheels and tyres!

The size issue for our car was that the 15" steel wheels won't fit over the calipers if the front disks are larger than 288mm. Fortunately ours are either 280 or 288 mm, but that's why I checked the wheels fitted before buying the tyres. The other useful piece of knowledge is that the same wheel bolts could be used on the steel wheels.

It would have been cheaper to buy steel wheels from a breakers but I didn't want to go searching without the assurance that I knew what I should be looking for. As it happens, though, many wheels from other VAG cars will fit. The only thing to be aware of is that older cars, like our Mk1 Octavia, use a different pcd.

We have a Mk1 Octavia estate - the standard wheels are 205/55VR16 but I noticed that on the inside of the fuel filler flap there are pressures for 195/65R15 so I bought steel wheels from the local Skoda dealer for about £43 each inclusive, checked they fitted over the front calipers, then ordered H-rated tyres. The lower speed rating is perfectly legal, but it is important to check the load rating -- look on the ministry plate for front and real axle loads, then look up the corresponding minimum load indices on one of the tyre information webpages before ordering wheels and tyres!

The size issue for our car was that the 15" steel wheels won't fit over the calipers if the front disks are larger than 288mm. Fortunately ours are either 280 or 288 mm, but that's why I checked the wheels fitted before buying the tyres. The other useful piece of knowledge is that the same wheel bolts could be used on the steel wheels.

It would have been cheaper to buy steel wheels from a breakers but I didn't want to go searching without the assurance that I knew what I should be looking for. As it happens, though, many wheels from other VAG cars will fit. The only thing to be aware of is that older cars, like our Mk1 Octavia, use a different pcd.

on MyTyres.co.uk you can price up a set of winter tyres on steel rims delivered to your door.

For a set of 16" wheels with decent tyres you're looking at around £700 or so.

Hopefully this helps in the decision making process.

£700 is way more than I'm able to spend at the moment, which is why I'm trying to find out if 15" rims will fit the L&K. mytyres are doing the Vredstein Snowtrac 3 M+S on a steel wheel at around £430 for the set, delivered. which seems like an affordable option. my budget is around £100 per corner.

An afternoon's research has thrown up some other interesting issues, such as potentially affecting insurance policy and premiums increasing because the car would be 'modified'. Do those of you that change your wheels over notify your insurance company? do you get stung for 'modified = boy-racer = more likely to have an accident' premium increases even though you're fitting more appropriate tyres for the road conditions?

Edited to add:

Just had a look inside my filler cap and it gives pressures for 195/65 R15. I've also had a quick look with a tape measure at the brake discs and it looks as if they're 280mm which would indicate that I should be able to fit 15" rims. I'll whip a wheel off in the morning for a double-check

Edited 25 October, 201015 yr by L&Ken

£700 is way more than I'm able to spend at the moment

I looked on the mytyres website and found 16" steel wheels for a 1Z Octavia fitted with Kumho KW23 205/55R16 H-rated tyres would cost £140 each including carriage. In comparison, if the wheels were fitted with V-rated Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme they would cost £169 each.

You can save money by having a lower speed rating so long as the load index is correct - my preference was to not go lower than H when normal tyres are V-rated but as long as the load index is correct then you have met the C&U legalities.

mytyres are doing the Vredstein Snowtrac 3 M+S on a steel wheel at around £430 for the set, delivered. which seems like an affordable option. my budget is around £100 per corner.

The 195/65R15 H-rated Snowtrac 3 tyres on our car seemed amazing last winter, but having seen the European reviews I might have chosen something different if I had been looking for a different size.

Remember to include carriage costs - seems to be £10 per wheel with a tyre - so the H-rated Snowtrac 3 on a 15" wheel would be £120 each, and the Nokia WR G2 that a number of people hereabouts seem to like are available at the same price, and the Kumho KW23 are £10 a corner cheaper.

potentially affecting insurance policy and premiums increasing because the car would be 'modified'.

I notified my insurer and was told there was no change in premium. It might have helped that I used Skoda steel wheels. I was prepared to argue that they were effectively a manufacturer option - the handbook mentions using winter tyres in the winter - and that the steel wheels were a lot less desirable than the oem alloys that I normally use. I've heard of some insurers demanding extra even for steel wheels though.

Just had a look inside my filler cap and it gives pressures for 195/65 R15.

It might be worth pricing up steel wheels from a Skoda main dealer and getting the tyres separately - I haven't checked what mytyres charge for the wheel part of the package.

£700 is way more than I'm able to spend at the moment, which is why I'm trying to find out if 15" rims will fit the L&K. mytyres are doing the Vredstein Snowtrac 3 M+S on a steel wheel at around £430 for the set, delivered. which seems like an affordable option. my budget is around £100 per corner.

The 700 was for Continental tyres, I probably should have pointed that out!

It might be worth pricing up steel wheels from a Skoda main dealer and getting the tyres separately - I haven't checked what mytyres charge for the wheel part of the package.

Vredstein Snowtrac 3 195/65 R16 91T on Steel Rims @ £97.80 each + 9.90 p&p = £430.80

Same tyre, with fully fitted option (at a local garage) including p&p = £77.00 each = £308

so the effective price of the steel wheels is £30.70 each , or £122.80 for the 4 (including p&p)

Without the P&P the steel wheels are £20.80 each.

Of course, using genuine Skoda steel wheels might not affect the insurance premium, whereas using mytyres steel wheels might be seen as an aftermarket modfication by some insurers maybe?

I'll call my local dealer in the morning to see if they can do me a price on some steel wheels.

Edited 25 October, 201015 yr by L&Ken

Update:

Phoned my local dealer, who only seem 'to list 16inch wheels' for my car. at £60/per rim it seems a bit steep. Not entirely impressed at the receptionist who transferred me without a word, or the parts guy who, despite trying to help, couldn't tell me if 15" rims will fit or not.

Looks like the mytyres package is going to be the best bet.

I've been led to believe that these will fit, £120 including delivery makes them £30 each then your local tyre fitter can sort of the tyres?

edit to include the link - sorry blonde moment!!!

Edited 26 October, 201015 yr by polocoupe

Can you not just put the new winter tyres on the existing rims and keep the other tyres to swap back over? Or do you have to have separate rims?

Can you not just put the new winter tyres on the existing rims and keep the other tyres to swap back over? Or do you have to have separate rims?

Depending on the rims this can be cost effective.

On my car (vRS estate) winter tyres to fit 18" rims are expensive, and if I was getting winter tyres I'd want something narrower than currently fitted.

If you already have 15 or 16" wheels then swapping the rubber is probably the best option, unless you're keen to protect the rims from the harsh winter or, again, want narrower snow-specific tyres.

I've been led to believe that these will fit, £120 including delivery makes them £30 each then your local tyre fitter can sort of the tyres?

As far as I can see, mytyres don't appear to offer the rims separately. the £30/each is my own working out based on the fully-fitted locally&delivered tyre price subtracted from the complete wheel on rim price.

I don't expect that the rims really ARE £30 including delivery; I'm assuming that there's a 'tyre+rim' discount being applied.

Can you not just put the new winter tyres on the existing rims and keep the other tyres to swap back over? Or do you have to have separate rims?

yes depending on the size of wheels fitted. General view that I've read on here that 16's are the better option than running winter wheels in 18's

As far as I can see, mytyres don't appear to offer the rims separately. the £30/each is my own working out based on the fully-fitted locally&delivered tyre price subtracted from the complete wheel on rim price.

I don't expect that the rims really ARE £30 including delivery; I'm assuming that there's a 'tyre+rim' discount being applied.

sorry bud forgot to post the link! take a look HERE

Can you not just put the new winter tyres on the existing rims and keep the other tyres to swap back over? Or do you have to have separate rims?

Yes, you can put winter tyres on the existing rims.

However, as I've discovered, winter tyres for 225/45 R17 are a LOT more expensive than steel wheels+winter tyres for a 195/65 R15 (the Continental WinterContact TS830P 94V XL BSW is an eye watering £265 per tyre. That's the most expensive one I could find on mytyres. The Avon Icetouring ST is a tenner more for a fitted 225/45 R17 than the wheel/rim combo for the 15" rim.)

Then you have to pay fitting and balancing to put your original ones back in the spring, at a cost of £50. So that's going to be around £100 every year in swapping the tyres onto one set of rims.

sorry bud forgot to post the link! take a look HERE

Nice find I'm still clinging onto the hope that I can fit 15" rims rather than those 16" ones, because the tyres will be cheaper

Just been to order 2 Vredestein Snowtrac 3 , they are scarcer than hens teeth, tyre fitters recon it could be around a month or longer before they get some available due to Europe being supplied first

I bought Kumho KW 28 Winter tyres from Camskill for £46 each!!

Audi A6 112 & ET 45 Alloys for £120 which I have sanded and sprayed.

They fit very well!!