THE Winter Tyres Thread

[Rab-k]

Was going to take mine off this weekend until I saw the forecast.

Looks like winter will be making a brief return over the coming two weeks. (In this part of the world anyways).

[Stevoraith]

Just a word of advice to all- I ordered one of these wheel trees from Westfalia.

It arrived very quickly and it fits my 255 section tyres on it no problem (thank Magic).

Hower I wasted £5 by buying one of their suggested accessories which was a protective cover. There is no need to buy an additional cover as there is already one included with the tree! It doesn't say so in the description so I thought I'd make you all aware so you don't waste your cash!

Edited 6 March, 2011 by Stevoraith

[Rab-k]

Just a word of advice to all- I ordered one of these wheel trees from Westfalia.

It arrived very quickly and it fits my 255 section tyres on it no problem (thank Magic).

Hower I wasted £5 by buying one of their suggested accessories which was a protective cover. There is no need to buy an additional cover as there is already one included with the tree! It doesn't say so in the description so I thought I'd make you all aware so you don't waste your cash!

Ooops - I shouldv'e mentioned that on my earlier post - I too ordered (needlessly) the cover; it does indeed already come with one. (Hat, coat, door...)

[Stevoraith]

Ooops - I shouldv'e mentioned that on my earlier post - I too ordered (needlessly) the cover; it does indeed already come with one. (Hat, coat, door...)

No worries, I'll send you my bank details and you can refund my £4.99

[vannus]

Will be looking to buy some winter wheels and whilst looking on ebay have seen a few that have correct pcd and are 16"

just need to know what is the deal with the offset, ie what can i get away with fitting. I know standard on vrs is 50

but most seem to be lower around 36-42 will these be ok.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Will be looking to buy some winter wheels and whilst looking on ebay have seen a few that have correct pcd and are 16"

just need to know what is the deal with the offset, ie what can i get away with fitting. I know standard on vrs is 50

but most seem to be lower around 36-42 will these be ok.

Assuming you will be getting 6.5J or 7J rims you will be OK with an offset of between ET54 and ET39; but I would aim to get as close to ET50 if you are planning to fit snow chains.

[Reds]

Took my winter wheels off last night. I was determined to wait until April, but it's been 18.5c the last two days! Just watch the weather change now I've done it.

So, they were on since the end of November, I've done about 11k miles and they haven't worn any more than I'd expect. Should be good for another one or two winters. They were excellent in the snow - amazing traction compared to standard tyres, they presumably helped in the freezing temperatures, no noticeable loss of grip in the dry or wet and weren't as noisy as I expected them to be. No regrets in purchasing whatsoever.

BTW, they are Viking SnowTech, bought from mytyres.

[bahnstormer vrs]

I found these as an alternative on ebay over the weekend - £14.99 delivered;- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330521251919&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Bought these off ebay this week. Looks like it will do the job quite nicely and I have a cover for my tyres already.

Having checked them against the 'Westfalia' tyre tree they seem to be the same as the £13.99 one, except that @ £14.99 postage is inclusive whereas its another £4.99 (total £18.98) with Westfalia.

Just got to change my wheels over in the next week or so now.

[Rab-k]

They're off! But had to replace one due to a nail near the wall. Amazing how much less they are now than when first purchased; Nokian WR G2 205/65R15 95H now £20 less on Pneus Online than when first purchased in January.

(Don't forget to tell your Insurance Company that you're back on summer rubber)

[Lady Elanore]

Took my winters off today and bumped into Fluffy Destroyerofworlds doing the same thing to his Yeti.

[OctaviaJo]

I've just got a brand new set from skodaparts.com as I need them at Easter very pleased with the deal. 700 notes got 4 steel wheels designed and recommended to fit and a full set of Dunlop 3D super sport M&S tyres all brand new and less than 24hrs delivery. I think they were on special offer as the winter is all but over - might be worth a look if anyone fancies a set. N.B. No affilitition apart from a pleased customer.

[vannus]

Well took the plunge and bought these off ebay in preperation for getting the new car(still build week 20 so heres hoping).

Will order some winter tyres later on thinking off either nankang sv2 or falkens.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200601371164&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[pist0nbr0ke]

Well took the plunge and bought these off ebay in preperation for getting the new car(still build week 20 so heres hoping).

Will order some winter tyres later on thinking off either nankang sv2 or falkens.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200601371164&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Nice find. Should look good with some Skoda centre caps!

I think you should be able to get a great deal on winter tyres in the next couple of months. (Off season)

[Grizzle]

I'm hoping the Vredestien Snowtrac 3's come down they are still at £82 for 205/55/16 which is ridiculous!!!

[Grizzle]

Back up to £83.30!

[AnotherGareth]

Grizzle, since you're looking at H-rated Snowtrac 3 tyres from Camskill, have you considered H- or V-rated Quatrac 3 instead? The H-rated tyres appear to be available and are significantly cheaper, currently £70.70. Our experience of Quatrac 3 is that they probably aren't quite as good as Snowtrac 3 on solid snow and ice but they're not all that far behind, to the extent that they managed to go everywhere our car with Snowtrac 3 tyres went last winter.

[Stevoraith]

I've been keeping an eye on a few sets of 17's that I fancy on eBay as I'm too vain to fit 16's.

Just had a look at the price of Conti winters that are recommended (I forget the model now) and you're looking at £180 per tyre in 225/45/17!

I got Kumho KW27's in the same size for my BMW last year and they were only £80 each! Obviously the Contis will be more expensive but surely not that much more. Hopefully the price is high as there is no stock and come September time they'll return to normal levels. If not I'm not going to bother with winters this year I don't think.

[nudger2000]

I've just got a brand new set from skodaparts.com as I need them at Easter very pleased with the deal. 700 notes got 4 steel wheels designed and recommended to fit and a full set of Dunlop 3D super sport M&S tyres all brand new and less than 24hrs delivery. I think they were on special offer as the winter is all but over - might be worth a look if anyone fancies a set. N.B. No affilitition apart from a pleased customer.

Just had a look at that site and found the package you ordered. Glad you were pleased.

This is specifically for the A5 / Mark II version of the Octavia isn't it?

What size are the steel wheels? I have a Scout which has the 17" wheels on and I know that the handbook says that these can't be used with chains. If your steel wheels are 16" or even 15", I guess that removes that problem.

I see from the website that the wheels came with the tyres already mounted and balanced. Did they come with their own bolts or were you able to use the bolts that were already on your car (assuming you had alloys on rather than steel wheels already)?

How are you storing these? Does anyone have advice as to the best way / position to store mounted tyres?

This seems like a good deal as the cheapest stuff I had found with steel wheels and winter tyres together was a similar price from mytyres.com but this way you absolutely know that the wheels are the correct spec in every way.

Presumably you would let your insurer know even though you are using manufacturer specified kit?

Cheers for your reply in advance!

[AnotherGareth]

How are you storing these? Does anyone have advice as to the best way / position to store mounted tyres?

Wheels with tyres should be stored flat, stacking is possible but I don't know how high you should go. I have five stacked. Tyres should be stored on their treads. In both cases they should be out of direct sunlight and weather - I put ours in a shed. You can get wheel trees for stacking - then there is a small gap between each. Westfalia have a couple of designs, both can hold 4 wheels.

If you want to save money then you need to research in more detail. It's not hard to find the correct wheel sizes for your car even if it means asking a dealer! There are usually wheel brochures and, hopefully, they contain the sizes of the wheels on offer. Your handbook probably has some information about various tyre sizes, and the wheel sizes by implication. It probably also has information about what sizes can be used with snow chains, which probably ought to be a pertinent factor if you want to cover all eventualities. You can probably buy appropriate steel wheels from your local dealer although it might not be the cheapest way to buy wheels, but at least the dealer will then be able to tell you whether your existing wheels bolts are suitable. It may be cheaper to buy tyres from a UK retailer such as Camskill.

[nudger2000]

Wheels with tyres should be stored flat, stacking is possible but I don't know how high you should go. I have five stacked. Tyres should be stored on their treads. In both cases they should be out of direct sunlight and weather - I put ours in a shed. You can get wheel trees for stacking - then there is a small gap between each. Westfalia have a couple of designs, both can hold 4 wheels.

If you want to save money then you need to research in more detail. It's not hard to find the correct wheel sizes for your car even if it means asking a dealer! There are usually wheel brochures and, hopefully, they contain the sizes of the wheels on offer. Your handbook probably has some information about various tyre sizes, and the wheel sizes by implication. It probably also has information about what sizes can be used with snow chains, which probably ought to be a pertinent factor if you want to cover all eventualities. You can probably buy appropriate steel wheels from your local dealer although it might not be the cheapest way to buy wheels, but at least the dealer will then be able to tell you whether your existing wheels bolts are suitable. It may be cheaper to buy tyres from a UK retailer such as Camskill.

Thanks for the info about storing.

I already knew the correct wheel sizes - 6J 16" or 6J 17". The handbook is already quite clear about only using chains with 15" or 16" wheels which is why I wanted to confirm what size wheels the skodaparts.com package came with - it doesn't say on the website so I'll just give them a ring.

In fact, I was going to buy 4 steel wheels with cold weather tyres from mytyres.com but when I asked, they told me that they don't supply any bolts which is why I was asking that question. And yes - that's a cheaper way of doing it so maybe I will go back that option..

By storing tyres on their treads, do you simply mean that they are just left standing vertically? Does it not matter that they stand on the same part of the tread for a season as they are only carrying the tyres' weight anyway? You don't need to roll them onto different parts of the tread? Sorry - I realise that sounds like a stupid question..

[AnotherGareth]

Regarding wheel sizes, you may need to know the offset and pcd if you're not buying from a dealer or tyre specialist. As far as I know, recent VW AG cars use the same bolts for oem alloys as for oem steel wheels but it's best to check with a dealer. Wheels from other suppliers may need different bolts.

Loose tyres should be standing vertically. I understand you're meant to roll the stored tyres every now and then. I seem to remember once a month was enough but more often wouldn't hurt.

[Niall]

Regarding wheel sizes, etc, etc, etc

I would refer you to the first post of this thread!

Niall

[nudger2000]

I would refer you to the first post of this thread!

Niall

Thanks Niall

I'd already read that many months ago! What I was actually interested in was whether OctaviaJo's wheel and tyre set that he / she bought from www.skodaparts.com was 15" or 16" and presumably not 17" because of the issue with snow chains.

Anyway - I will find out when I ring them on Tuesday after the BH weekend.

I presume it's 16" as the Octavia recommended winter tyres from that site are 205/55 R16. Also, the stand-alone 16" steel wheel they sell matches the part number in your original post for the 6.5J wheel. There's just no specific mention of the tyre or wheel size in the package description. No matter..

Thanks for the replies though..

Edited 28 May, 2011 by nudger2000

[Jeeves]

I've been keeping an eye on a few sets of 17's that I fancy on eBay as I'm too vain to fit 16's.

Just had a look at the price of Conti winters that are recommended (I forget the model now) and you're looking at £180 per tyre in 225/45/17!

I got Kumho KW27's in the same size for my BMW last year and they were only £80 each! Obviously the Contis will be more expensive but surely not that much more. Hopefully the price is high as there is no stock and come September time they'll return to normal levels. If not I'm not going to bother with winters this year I don't think.

Just ordered some V rated Avon Ice Touring STs in that size which may be a little small for my Scout. 245/45 would have been better, but needed a wider wheel than standard so just to be on the safe side I also ordered 225/55 as well which are the same radius as my 245/45 R 18 Wrangler AT/R (quite good in the absence of proper winter tyres). Prices were really good so 5 of each ordered (just in case of terminal puncture). Which ones I keep depends on our strategy for cars over the next couple of years, but I'll offer them here first when they arrive in October.

[Stevoraith]

Just ordered some V rated Avon Ice Touring STs in that size which may be a little small for my Scout. 245/45 would have been better, but needed a wider wheel than standard so just to be on the safe side I also ordered 225/55 as well which are the same radius as my 245/45 R 18 Wrangler H/P (quite good in the absence of proper winter tyres). Prices were really good so 5 of each ordered (just in case of terminal puncture). Which ones I keep depends on our strategy for cars over the next couple of years, but I'll offer them here first when they arrive in October.

Where did you order them from mate?