hello all, my wife has just ordered a new fabia monte carlo, it should be ready in a couple of months. I'm looking to get a set of steel wheels with winter treads for it but to be honest I am clueless as to what size we need. I think it comes with 17" wheels but after that it may as well be phone numbers with the odd letter thrown in for confusion factor. alreet i'm thick but am willing to learn!

if you get 16 inch steelies you want 205/45/16 if you get 17 inch ..same size (of course) 205 40 17

15" steels is the cheapest option with either 185/55R15 or 195/55R15. The wheel size is 6Jx15 ET 38 or 43, 5x100PCD. I ran Mk1 Octavia wheels (ET38) with 185/55 R 15 H remoulds this winter - excellent.

15" steels is the cheapest option with either 185/55R15 or 195/55R15. The wheel size is 6Jx15 ET 38 or 43, 5x100PCD. I ran Mk1 Octavia wheels (ET38) with 185/55 R 15 H remoulds this winter - excellent.

so mark 1 octavia wheels will have no problem fitting with stud pattern and disc brake clearance then?

where's cheapest place to get these

My car runs 288mm discs, the same as the vRS and clearance is fine. I got my tyres from My Tyres! http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl and had them delivered to and fitted at, a local tyre fitter. The wheels tend to be quite easy to find on ebay (MkIV Golf and early Audi A3 wheels also fit.The Mk2 Octavia has 112mm PCD and these don't fit)

We have these for our Fabia II vRs....Tucked up in the loft for the summer ready to be fitted again in the winter

http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=66717873.110.12134&typ=R-191015&ranzahl=4&Breite=205&Quer=40&Felge=17&weiter=0&kategorie=6&Ang_pro_Seite=20&Transport=P&dsco=110&sowigan=Wi

Great tyre and felt very safe in snow, ice and cold wet roads!!

One word of caution I've just tried fitting the 15 steel spare over the front calipers on my VRS.

While they clear they are snug with not with a lot of space for any snow or ice build up.

Though I'm not sure what break size the monte comes with.

This may be useful to you

http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp?action=submit

I've used Beetle wheels which are the same as MKIV Golfs, and fitted 185/60/16 M+S tyres.

am i better getting dedicated mud and snow tyres or winter tyres.

am i better getting dedicated mud and snow tyres or winter tyres.

I have used a few different brands of 'snow' tyre not winter tyre over the last 6 winters. Up to now I would rate the Vredestien Snowtrac3's as by far the best performing.

They have been fitted to my Stilo multiwagon and which normally runs 215x45 17's, I have some 15" steels from the scrap yard painted in hammerite black and running 195x65 profile tyres.

The grip I get is amazing and I can drive confidently on fresh and packed snow at near normal speeds... traffic allowing of course!

I have got up steep hills from a stand still which have had icy sections and the braking/cornering ability is to some degrees better than the summer tyres on dry tarmac!

I have had a few occasions where the wheel rim has packed with snow and if left over night has frozen and then taken a bit of revving to free off in the morning, I however have never suffered with them actually jamming up as I think the snow just gets squeezed out through the wheel holes!

I have had loads of people say what a waste of money it is in the UK having a spare set of wheels sat there most of the year but I have not once got stuck or had to think twice about venturing out even in the worst of the last 2 winters here in the North East.. plus my other half has been able to drive in conditions that have scared her witless in the past.

They are actually much better than the summer tyres even on dry but very cold tarmac.. once it starts hitting about 8-9 degrees though you can feel them spinning up on the pull out of junctions and they feel a bit floaty on corners.

When my fabia comes I will be swapping the tyres onto suitable rims as the size is near enough to run the new car... and I am sure as hell not going to wreck my new wheels or tyres by sliding into a curb.

" Does Winter Rubber run at the same pressure as Summer rubber?? "

" What pressure would you use for 205/45/16 Winter tyres on a Fabia MkII Vrs " ( OE 205/40/17 )

Same as summer tyres Andy

Same as summer tyres Andy

Thanks Chris

As I'm dropping a tyre size would you still run the High tyre pressures on the 16" wheels.

The pressures on the 17" summer tyres is rather high but was thinking the 16" would be a bit lower, say, 30/32 front and 28/30 rears

As I'm dropping a tyre size would you still run the High tyre pressures on the 16" wheels.

The pressures on the 17" summer tyres is rather high but was thinking the 16" would be a bit lower, say, 30/32 front and 28/30 rears

Bit tricky that.... I run 195/50 R15 summers and 185/60 R14 winters.....I tend to keeep to what it says on the fuel filler car for each tyre size!!! Thing is tho' tyre pressure is affected by temp.........when the stated tyre pressures are done it is usually at 20C ..... ambient temp.....in winter tho the ambient temp was 0C and lower...-5C during the day in my garage! Now as air expands as it gets warmer, it also contracts as it gets colder....so the stated temps for 20C are too high for and ambient temp of 0C or -5C!!!! (eg if you took a tyre at 0C and inflated it to stated temp for 20C then warmed the ambient temp (not the tyre) to 20C the tyre pressure would now be higher than the stated temp for 20C)

So did some calcs a couple of winters ago (can't find them tho') and it seemed to work out at 0.1bar per 10C.....so if your tyre should be at 2.1bar @ 20C then at 0C you should be pressurising it to 1.9bar!!! Play around with the pressures....but never more than 10 - 15% of the stated value!!!!

I have used a few different brands of 'snow' tyre not winter tyre over the last 6 winters. Up to now I would rate the Vredestien Snowtrac3's as by far the best performing.

They have been fitted to my Stilo multiwagon and which normally runs 215x45 17's, I have some 15" steels from the scrap yard painted in hammerite black and running 195x65 profile tyres.

The grip I get is amazing and I can drive confidently on fresh and packed snow at near normal speeds... traffic allowing of course!

I have got up steep hills from a stand still which have had icy sections and the braking/cornering ability is to some degrees better than the summer tyres on dry tarmac!

I have had a few occasions where the wheel rim has packed with snow and if left over night has frozen and then taken a bit of revving to free off in the morning, I however have never suffered with them actually jamming up as I think the snow just gets squeezed out through the wheel holes!

I have had loads of people say what a waste of money it is in the UK having a spare set of wheels sat there most of the year but I have not once got stuck or had to think twice about venturing out even in the worst of the last 2 winters here in the North East.. plus my other half has been able to drive in conditions that have scared her witless in the past.

They are actually much better than the summer tyres even on dry but very cold tarmac.. once it starts hitting about 8-9 degrees though you can feel them spinning up on the pull out of junctions and they feel a bit floaty on corners.

When my fabia comes I will be swapping the tyres onto suitable rims as the size is near enough to run the new car... and I am sure as hell not going to wreck my new wheels or tyres by sliding into a curb.

cheers! been looking at king pin tyres. seem up to the job

Bit tricky that.... I run 195/50 R15 summers and 185/60 R14 winters.....I tend to keeep to what it says on the fuel filler car for each tyre size!!! Thing is tho' tyre pressure is affected by temp.........when the stated tyre pressures are done it is usually at 20C ..... ambient temp.....in winter tho the ambient temp was 0C and lower...-5C during the day in my garage! Now as air expands as it gets warmer, it also contracts as it gets colder....so the stated temps for 20C are too high for and ambient temp of 0C or -5C!!!! (eg if you took a tyre at 0C and inflated it to stated temp for 20C then warmed the ambient temp (not the tyre) to 20C the tyre pressure would now be higher than the stated temp for 20C)

So did some calcs a couple of winters ago (can't find them tho') and it seemed to work out at 0.1bar per 10C.....so if your tyre should be at 2.1bar @ 20C then at 0C you should be pressurising it to 1.9bar!!! Play around with the pressures....but never more than 10 - 15% of the stated value!!!!

Are you a Scientist,................................. Mr Einstein

Good job I never asked about Gravity

Only Kiddin' Intresting Read

So,

Maxsport RB1

Nankang Snow SV-2

Star Performer SPTS AS

All of these are around £45 to £60 a corner.

Edited 15 July, 201114 yr by apmaman

So,

Maxsport RB1

Nankang Snow SV-2

Star Performer SPTS AS

All of these are around £45 to £60 a corner.

Personally I would go with Winter tact remoulds ahead of the budget snow tyres. I have read a university study that compared far east budget winter tyres, european remoulds and premium winter tyres. The car was equipped with diagnostic equipment to measure forces prior to the tyres losing traction so it was totally objective and the results certainly swung my choice away from budget tyres. Obviously the premium tyres were the best but only by a small margin versus the remoulds whereas the budgets lagged considerably behind. The difference between the prem tyres and remoulds were mainly put down to the remoulds being built around a more rigid summer carcass so having slightly less flex when cold . The main difference with the budgets was the poor quality of the rubber compound, whereas there was no significant difference between the prems and the remoulds.These are also <£35 each.

I thought as much with the chinese tyres, but the Maxsport range are road legal Rally Competition tyres.

Do you think they would work well in the wet and snow compared to a normal winter tyre?

, but the Maxsport range are road legal Rally Competition tyres.

Do you think they would work well in the wet and snow compared to a normal winter tyre?

Had a look at this range a couple of years back.......Had a very in depth discusion with Demon Tweeks about them......not fully speed rated like a winter road tyre I think......they recommended a proper winter road tyre above the Maxsport range for road use........got a set of Michelin Alpins...very good!!!

Hmmm.

GOODYEAR ULTRAGRIP 7+

MICHELIN ALPIN A4

VREDESTEIN SNOWTRAC3

What to choose, found some good deals on all of these three but I duno what too choose. They all get great reviews, the michi's lacking but we have a Michi plant where I live, so I'd be helping the locals

Edited 18 July, 201114 yr by apmaman