I thought the 205's reduced wheel dia by about an inch, reducing ride height by about 12mm or so.......

Mike

What about ground clearance? For me, it defeats the purpose of having crossover if ground clearance is reduced to what you usually have with hatchback.

According to this thread

Yeti GreenLine II - Moon alloy 7J 16 ET 45 (UK specification on all levels of trim)

Tyre specification required = 205/55 R16 91H (UK specification, may differ in some European Countries).

Note: ground clearance on this model reduced to 155mm.

I didn't quite understand this, if I choose 205/55 16'' ground clearance will be reduced to just over 15 cm or is this just the standard ground clearance for Yeti GreenLine II model?

The ground clearance on my non-greenline Yeti was reduced by about 1/2 inch / 13mm when I fitted 205/55 R16 winters, so Greenline appears to have lowered suspension.

(I wonder how many 170 PS owners are going to retrofit Greenline lowered suspension to improve on-road handling?)

Hi,

as far as I'm aware the Greenline II has a 20mm drop on the suspension; the other 5mm (approx) being the reduced tyre diameter. This reduction in ride hight being for aerodynamic reasons and reduced tyre rolling resistance.

The new ride hight I believe is comparable with the standard Octavia 4x4.

Regards,

TP

Ok

So it is Greenline II specific. I was asking since I already have Bridgestone Blizzak LM25 205/55 R16 91T for my Auris so I am planing to use same for Yeti but only if it will not significantly reduce ground clearance.

Thanks

The ground clearance on my non-greenline Yeti was reduced by about 1/2 inch / 13mm when I fitted 205/55 R16 winters, so Greenline appears to have lowered suspension.

(I wonder how many 170 PS owners are going to retrofit Greenline lowered suspension to improve on-road handling?)

That's fine. 13mm is not the problem. Thanks

Does this help? Sorry it's in imperial, not metric measurements, the USA is still in the dark ages!

Tyre Size ................Sidewall height ..............Overall Diameter

225/50-17 ......................4.4inches ............................25.9inches

215/60-16.......................5.1in ..................................26.2in

205/60-16.......................4.8in...................................25.7in

215/55-16.......................4.7in...................................25.3in

205/55-16.......................4.4in.................................. 24.9in

Note: These are static, unloaded measurements. Allowance will need to be made for the diffrent charactaristics of individual brands/types of tyre as the sidewall compression is not necessarity identical for every tyre.

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by speedsport

Does this help? Sorry it's in imperial, not metric measurements, the USA is still in the dark ages!

Tyre Size ................Sidewall height ..............Overall Diameter

225/50-17 ......................4.4inches ............................25.9inches

215/60-16.......................5.1in ..................................26.2in

205/60-16.......................4.8in...................................25.7in

215/55-16.......................4.7in...................................25.3in

205/55-16.......................4.4in.................................. 24.9in

Note: These are static, unloaded measurements. Allowance will need to be made for the diffrent charactaristics of individual brands/types of tyre as the sidewall compression is not necessarity identical for every tyre.

Definitely helpful . Imperial units are just fine. So difference between standard size 225/50 R17 and 205/55 R16 is 1'' (2.5 cm). Am I missing something or ground clearance will be reduced by 1'' with 205/55 R16?

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by macakfric

Definitely helpful . Imperial units are just fine. So difference between standard size 225/50 R17 and 205/55 R16 is 1'' (2.5 cm). Am I missing something or ground clearance will be reduced by 1'' with 205/55 R16?

EDIT: That's certainly my interpritation. See next post #108 below

The dimensions refer to the tyre fitted to a 7Jx16" wheel not mounted on a vehicle. So the qualification about the table not allowing for sidewall deflection is referring to the way individual tyres "squash" when a vehicle is sitting on them.

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by speedsport

That's certainly my interpritation.

Actually, when I think about it, as Fred_Bristol said it should be 1/2'' since difference should be calculated for half of overall diameter. So if we take 225/50 17 as standard then we will have something like this:

Tyre Size...........Overall Diameter.........Ground Clearence Diff

225/50-17..................25.9''..........................0.00''

215/60-16..................26.2''......................... 0.15''

205/60-16..................25.7''.........................-0.10''

215/55-16..................25.3''.........................-0.30''

205/55-16..................24.9''.........................-0.50''

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by macakfric

Actually, when I think about it, as Fred_Bristol said it should be 1/2'' since difference should be calculated for half of overall diameter. So if we take 225/50 17 as standard then we will have something like this:

Tyre Size...........Overall Diameter.........Ground Clearence Diff

225/50-17..................25.9''..........................0.00''

215/60-16..................26.2''......................... 0.15''

205/60-16..................25.7''.........................-0.10''

215/55-16..................25.3''.........................-0.30''

205/55-16..................24.9''.........................-0.50''

OOps! You are absolutely correct of course. Half the extra diameter is at the top of the tyre! :yes:

The ground clearance on my non-greenline Yeti was reduced by about 1/2 inch / 13mm when I fitted 205/55 R16 winters, so Greenline appears to have lowered suspension.

(I wonder how many 170 PS owners are going to retrofit Greenline lowered suspension to improve on-road handling?)

Going a bit off topic here, but this interests me...

Is the Greenline actually lower, or the ground clearance is lowered due to some form of aerodynamic undertray being fitted?

Alterations to lower part

Thanks to aerodynamic alterations to the lower part of the car, including a reduction in the clearance by 25mm, the air drag coefficient (cx) has improved and fuel consumption has fallen.

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by CT17

EDIT: That's certainly my interpritation. See next post #108 below

The dimensions refer to the tyre fitted to a 7Jx16" wheel not mounted on a vehicle. So the qualification about the table not allowing for sidewall deflection is referring to the way individual tyres "squash" when a vehicle is sitting on them.

So, I was right then in post 101, but I was only allowing 0.7mm for tyre squash, whereas it will actually be more, and therefore the ride height will be even lower

Mike

Going a bit off topic here, but this interests me...

Is the Greenline actually lower, or the ground clearance is lowered due to some form of aerodynamic undertray being fitted?

Yes; GreenLine has 20mm lowered springs compared to other versions (info from the Jan '11 brochure). This will likely reduce ground clearance by the same amount.

I too drew up a short list, having analysed the Tyrereviews European Winter Tyre Tests but although i learned a great deal about Winter Tyres that I didn't know before, much of it is academic when there are so few available and several of those have had their prices doubled over the last few weeks.

I guess that I'm looking for the impossible... a known brand tyre that has excellent performance in snow and mud, that handles well in dry & wet conditions & doesn't dull the terrific handling feel of the Yeti. All at as low a price as possible.

I know I will need to compomise, but which bit?

We can all read tyre tests and reviews of Winter and Summer tyres until the cows come home, but overall in reality I doubt that many of us will be able to tell the differences between one tyre and another on the road under normal driving conditions (hopefully not too much of a contentious statement).

When it comes to tyres, its like most things; You get what you pay for and Cheapest is Seldom the Best.

Overall I feel its really simple to split tyres into Premium, Mid-range and Budget and comparing any Premium tyre with another premium tyre you will find little by way of real world difference. Clearly if you compare a Premium vs. a Budget tyre there will likely be notable differences in performance and price.

To sum up; yous pays your money and yous takes your choice! :yes:

PS> For what its worth; I bought Yokohama W.drive as that is what was available (in early December) in the size I wanted at a price that was not too extortionate.

Yes; GreenLine has 20mm lowered springs compared to other versions (info from the Jan '11 brochure). This will likely reduce ground clearance by the same amount.

So is this a mod for you?

Mike

So is this a mod for you?

Mike

'fraid not! I've had lowered springs on several cars before and on balance didn't like them and ultimately removed them. I even kept OE springs on my Octavia vRS (albeit with Koni FSDs).

Additionally;

1) there may be an issue with the self-levelling system of the Xenon headlights (this precludes the fitment of Eibachs lowered springs that drop by 30 - 35mm) and

2) I quite like the Tonka toy styling with large wheel arch gaps of OE spec.

We can all read tyre tests and reviews of Winter and Summer tyres until the cows come home, but overall in reality I doubt that many of us will be able to tell the differences between one tyre and another on the road under normal driving conditions (hopefully not too much of a contentious statement).

When it comes to tyres, its like most things; You get what you pay for and Cheapest is Seldom the Best.

Overall I feel its really simple to split tyres into Premium, Mid-range and Budget and comparing any Premium tyre with another premium tyre you will find little by way of real world difference. Clearly if you compare a Premium vs. a Budget tyre there will likely be notable differences in performance and price.

To sum up; yous pays your money and yous takes your choice! :yes:

PS> For what its worth; I bought Yokohama W.drive as that is what was available (in early December) in the size I wanted at a price that was not too extortionate.

Cant disagree with anything you say! The various European tyre tests are an "average" test for all of Europe, not just Britain where wet roads and slush are more likely to be encountered than serious long term snow & ice... and we all know that British roads have more potholes than anywhere else these days, so a taller, more compliant tyre should give a better ride, at the expense of handling. Most drivers won't notice the difference in handling of course.

The Yokos appear to be well suited to the UK's wet roads, with slightly lower ability in snow, which is actually an excellent compomise, particularly given their reported excellent wear rate. Looks as though you've made an excellent choice!

Edited 16 January, 201115 yr by speedsport

The Yokos appear to be well suited to the UK's wet roads, with slightly lower ability in snow, which is actually an excellent compromise, particularly given their reported excellent wear rate. Looks as though you've made an excellent choice!

I hadn't read any reviews when I bought them; it was a case of availability/price! I've had Yokos in the past and been OK with them so doubt I'll be disappointed.

We don't get too much snow 'down south' so good cold/wet ability suits me perfectly. That's also why I stuck with 225/50 17s and didn't bother with 205/215s on 16s.

'fraid not! I've had lowered springs on several cars before and on balance didn't like them and ultimately removed them. I even kept OE springs on my Octavia vRS (albeit with Koni FSDs).

Additionally;

1) there may be an issue with the self-levelling system of the Xenon headlights (this precludes the fitment of Eibachs lowered springs that drop by 30 - 35mm) and

2) I quite like the Tonka toy styling with large wheel arch gaps of OE spec.

I also had OEM springs on Koni FSD's on my Octavia. I didn't want to lose that comfort either.

I want to raise the ride height, not lower it

Mike

This topic about Winter Tyres and 4x4 traction is quite interesting. Unfortunately many of the posts contain incorrect and misleading personal views.

I regularly travel a considerable amount of miles from Rotterdam to a small town in Southern Germany (Bavaria) and have done so for some 22 years. The German federal government passed a law in November 2010 that made it mandatory to fit Winter tyres during the Winter season to all vehicles using the German road network. Prior to this a similar legislation was in force, but only applied to the Bavarian state. I can inform you that every car etc belonging to residents would as a matter of course be fitted with Winter tyres mounted on a set of steel wheels. If you purchase a car in Germany during the Winter period they are automatically supplied with the appropriate tyres, the car dealers are often obliged to store your spare wheels during the summer and Winter. Lets get one thing straight, Winter tyres with their soft rubber amalgamation are absolutely amazing on all surfaces when the temp drops below +7. I remember the first time I went out with my German colleague in his Audi A6 (front wheel drive) shod with Winter tyres, the roads were covered in hard packed snow, I closed my eyes in fright at the speed he negotiated the mountain bends. He happily informed that he would not even contemplate using Summer tyres during the Winter and that he normaly travels at that speed because he always has is set of winter tyres fitted. Now I find this really amazing because his second car is a new long wheel base Land Rover Defender which he uses for towing his large heavy caravan, he said he only uses it when the roads get really bad!

I was there 2 weeks ago, they had some very heavy snowfall (1 metre +) the motorways and main roads were clear but minor roads and side streets were covered in frozen snow, we travelled to Garmisch in his front wheel drive Smax shod with steel wheels and winter tyres, with no loss of traction.

Myth number 1 Winter tyres increase fuel consumption, they are actually quieter and have a lower rolling resistance than Summer tyres and therefore do not impact on fuel consumption, dont take my word for it ADAC and TUV publish annual Winter tyre test results, these can be read at www. mytyres.co.uk

Myth number 2 "All Season Tyres" are good in the snow, wrong, these tyres are a really big compromise, they are not as good as Summer tyres in the Summer for traction and braking and not as good as Winter Tyres in the Winter. Steer clear they are a waste of money.

Myth number 3 "Tread Pattern" affects grip, wrong, it is not the pattern of the tread that makes a Winter tyre perform in cold conditions it is the design of the Sipes, the edges of the tread and the composition of the rubber that makes them superior. You can have a blocky, well defined tread pattern, but if there are no sharp Sipes and Summer composition rubber is used, they will be useless in icy/snowy conditions.

In conclusion, I would advise anybody that a front wheel drive car, with a sensible ground clearance and fitted with Winter tyres will tackle all but the most deepest of snow fall, it will certainly outperform any large 4x4 shod with wide low profile summer tyres.

I am awaiting delivery of a new 170 Elegance, hopefully it will be here by the Spring, first job, spare set of "Riff" steel wheels fitted with Nokian WR G2 Winter tyres ready for our next Arctic Blast!!

first job, spare set of "Riff" steel wheels.

I thought the 'RIF' were the plastic trims, another one of Skoda UK's interesting catalogue anomalies.

I have the standard steel 16" Skoda wheels.

Great post, by the way.

Mike

I thought the 'RIF' were the plastic trims, another one of Skoda UK's interesting catalogue anomalies.

I have the standard steel 16" Skoda wheels.

Great post, by the way.

Mike

Cheers Mike.

Latest Yeti Brochure effective 4th January 2011 still refers to 16" Rif steel wheels, like you say one of numerous anomalies ie no mention of SD card reader with Bolero unit!

Guy in Skoda garage in Gelting (Bavaria) quoted me 50 Euros for each "Rif" Felge (Rim) during our recent visit.

Also, forgot to mention on our 600mile trip from Rotterdam to Gelting on the 27th December, that, although the landscape had a huge amount of snow cover, the motorways were absolutely clear , including the hard shoulders, we saw a constant stream of Ploughs, gritters and blowers and not one police car!

Cheers Mike.

Latest Yeti Brochure effective 4th January 2011 still refers to 16" Rif steel wheels, like you say one of numerous anomalies ie no mention of SD card reader with Bolero unit!

Guy in Skoda garage in Gelting (Bavaria) quoted me 50 Euros for each "Rif" Felge (Rim) during our recent visit.

That sounds pricey to me. They were about £120 for 4 a month or so ago. Plus the wheels at £45 each. I bought some second hand VW T5 hub centres and some Skoda badges, and, some evostick later, have some smart, but now dented, black steel wheels. - see plenty of my photos in the picture thread.

(or the hard disk on the Columbus)

Mike

Riff wheel trims were RRP £23.17 + vat just over a year ago according to my recipt for a set.

Regards,

TP

Myth number 2 "All Season Tyres" are good in the snow, wrong, these tyres are a really big compromise, they are not as good as Summer tyres in the Summer for traction and braking and not as good as Winter Tyres in the Winter. Steer clear they are a waste of money.

We have all season tyres on one car and winter tyres on another car. The car with all season tyres is slightly disadvantaged on slippery surfaces as it is front-engined and rear wheel drive so there is less weight over the driven wheels, although it's not too bad as the weight distribution is 51:49 due to a rear clutch and transaxle.

I explain all that to make the point that so far there have been no circumstances in our part of the country where the car with all season tyres has not been able to go where the car with winter tyres has gone. That's not to say the all season tyres are as good as the winter tyres -- our feeling is that the winter tyres have the edge -- but they're a darn sight better than summer tyres would be in the same conditions.

The all season tyres were fitted late summer and seemed to perform reasonably well. They might not be as good as the best summer tyres, but they inspired a lot of confidence at speed on minor country roads.

The tyres in question are Vredestein Snowtrac 3 (central European winter, 195/65R15) and Vredestein Quatrac 3 (all season, 195/55R15).

Overall I would say that, if they are available in the correct size, good quality all season tyres that are also rated for winter use, (that is, they have the triple peak & snowflake symbol), are suitable and appropriate for most people in the UK.

Edited 19 January, 201115 yr by AnotherGareth

We have all season tyres on one car and winter tyres on another car. The car with all season tyres is slightly disadvantaged on slippery surfaces as it is front-engined and rear wheel drive so there is less weight over the driven wheels, although it's not too bad as the weight distribution is 51:49 due to a rear clutch and transaxle.

I explain all that to make the point that so far there have been no circumstances in our part of the country where the car with all season tyres has not been able to go where the car with winter tyres has gone. That's not to say the all season tyres are as good as the winter tyres -- our feeling is that the winter tyres have the edge -- but they're a darn sight better than summer tyres would be in the same conditions.

The all season tyres were fitted late summer and seemed to perform reasonably well. They might not be as good as the best summer tyres, but they inspired a lot of confidence at speed on minor country roads.

The tyres in question are Vredestein Snowtrac 3 (central European winter, 195/65R15) and Vredestein Quatrac 3 (all season, 195/55R15).

Overall I would say that, if they are available in the correct size, good quality all season tyres that are also rated for winter use, (that is, they have the triple peak & snowflake symbol), are suitable and appropriate for most people in the UK.

Gareth - I am really interested to hear this as I was looking at putting on All Season Tyres on my Yeti when my current Dunlops wear out. My car has coped well in the snow and ice but I thought having All Season Tyres would give me that extra bit of security. I am not going to get Winter Tyres as mine is a lease car and so the outlay for potentially one year only is not worthwhile. I don't drive like a nutter so any marginal lack of grip in summer is not something I would expect to notice as I don't push the car in that way.

I am reading your post in a way that suggests you have found All Seasons are good enough in summer and genuinely better than summer tyres in winter and so worth the potential compromise. Would you agree with my reading of your post? I am interested as amidst all the posters with winter tyres I think you are the first I have read who has actually run on All Season tyres.