Hi

I got a set of virtually new (delivery mileage) 16" VW Transporter steel wheels off ebay for £120 or so and got a full set of Continental WinterContacts at my local Kwikfit on a Saturday morning for just over £60 per tyre as they were fitting them to loose wheels. I picked the wheels/tyres up in my astravan, took them home and fitted them to the VRS. I took it out for a test drive in the thick snow - what a difference - if you drive with care, they really handle much better and increase your safety.

I was so impressed with the tyres that within the hour, I called the guy at Kwikfit and asked him to keep me another 4 for my van - got them fitted on the Sunday morning for just over £70 per tyre as they had to charge me fitting but he gave me the excellent same price for the tyres (remember this was in the middle of winter when online prices were around £130 to £150 each for the same tyre) - A very good deal and excellent service - not something you would expect to hear about Kwikfit. Good on them.

I made 2 triangular brackets out of angle iron and bolted them to the garage wall and the winter wheels/tyres are on them up high out of the way. I will swap them back onto the car and van when the weather starts to turn again.

Well worth forking out for the winter tyres - just watch you insurance treating the steel wheels as a modification as my Wife's insurer, Tesco does when the winter wheels are on the car.

Cheers

Dave

Exactly the steel wheels i have and i'm glad they fit was going to try them today althought dont have tires but have visions of them not fitting properly!! Thanks for the vote of confidence just need tires now i guess you went to the kwik fit at the Leapark? i'm just round the corner from there.

Exactly the steel wheels i have and i'm glad they fit was going to try them today althought dont have tires but have visions of them not fitting properly!! Thanks for the vote of confidence just need tires now i guess you went to the kwik fit at the Leapark? i'm just round the corner from there.

Yeah, Bo,ness Road its only a couple of mins away from me - spoke to a bloke called Jamie if I remember rightly - very helpful. They will also store your summer wheels for you over the winter and the winter wheels over the summer but I think it costs about £40 or so.

I will be a bit better prepared for this winter I hope.

Cheers

Dave

The mk1 octavia is 5x100, the mk2 is 5x112 so mk1 wheels will not fit onto a mk2. I suspect the site you're referring to is mytyres - lots of people appear to have trouble paying for tyres from them if there is a high value order from a first time customer. My neighbour is having diffulties and told me their customer service is appalling, so be warned!

Yep that's the one! I'm glad you mentioned about the mk1 wheels being different to the mk2 I won't be going to those guys at "mytyres" then I'm having a real problem finding the right size good quality steel rims on ebay that will fit! I might just have to bite the bullet and take out a loan to buy steel rims + winter tyres. I can see this costing me a small fortune :( I'm so worried about more snow forcast this winter I can't afford not to have the tyres done. I live somewhere near Biggin Hill, Kent and the snow was the worst in 40 years last year! :(

Look for 2nd hand VAG alloys on eBay instead, there's bloody loads of em.

Look for 2nd hand VAG alloys on eBay instead, there's bloody loads of em.

Just seen 4 steel rims for sale in good condition that are of a VW Transporter T5. They're 16" rim width is 6.5J and offset 51, would these rims be good for my mk2 VRS?

Hi

I got a set of virtually new (delivery mileage) 16" VW Transporter steel wheels off ebay for £120 or so and got a full set of Continental WinterContacts at my local Kwikfit on a Saturday morning for just over £60 per tyre as they were fitting them to loose wheels. I picked the wheels/tyres up in my astravan, took them home and fitted them to the VRS. I took it out for a test drive in the thick snow - what a difference - if you drive with care, they really handle much better and increase your safety.

I was so impressed with the tyres that within the hour, I called the guy at Kwikfit and asked him to keep me another 4 for my van - got them fitted on the Sunday morning for just over £70 per tyre as they had to charge me fitting but he gave me the excellent same price for the tyres (remember this was in the middle of winter when online prices were around £130 to £150 each for the same tyre) - A very good deal and excellent service - not something you would expect to hear about Kwikfit. Good on them.

I made 2 triangular brackets out of angle iron and bolted them to the garage wall and the winter wheels/tyres are on them up high out of the way. I will swap them back onto the car and van when the weather starts to turn again.

Well worth forking out for the winter tyres - just watch you insurance treating the steel wheels as a modification as my Wife's insurer, Tesco does when the winter wheels are on the car.

Cheers

Dave

I've seen some of these rims too! 6.5J offset is 51. I'm very tempted to buy them but is the offset correct for my mk2 VRS? Please let me know before they're sold thanks.

I've seen some of these rims too! 6.5J offset is 51. I'm very tempted to buy them but is the offset correct for my mk2 VRS? Please let me know before they're sold thanks.

Have a look at your spare - it will be stamped on the back of it somewhere, ET51 means an offset of 51. I would look at mine, but it's tipping down with rain

Just seen 4 steel rims for sale in good condition that are of a VW Transporter T5. They're 16" rim width is 6.5J and offset 51, would these rims be good for my mk2 VRS?

No the T5 wheels have a different pcd apparently, 5x120.

Need 5x112 for the octy.

No the T5 wheels have a different pcd apparently, 5x120.

Need 5x112 for the octy.

Ok, thanks for that info.

Having come from a SWB 4x4 with AT tyres on, the Octy was a handful in the snow. I live halfway up the side of the Pennines and at the top of my road is an artificial ski slope which follows the slope of the land !!!!

BUT

I then took KwikFit up on the £80 per corner Continental TS830s on 205/55R16 on my original alloys and boy what a difference! It powered up a hill that was 6" deep in snow that 4x4's were getting stuck on.

As others have said, get the right tyres, drive sensibly for the conditions and you don't need a 4x4.

The only issue will be ground clearance, but hey, if we get a foot of snow I'm staying in until the snow ploughs have been round and cleared some of it!

These look like tasty steelies off of a MK6 Golf

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MK6-Golf-16-Steel-Wheel-Trim-205-55-16-5K0-601-027-/330535335230

I wonder if these can be picked up cheaply elsewhere - I wouldn't even bother with the trim, just leave them black!

I have both and the main thing about the 4x4 is when the snow is deep no problem and when things go wrong. Which they do you don't care so much in a cheap 4x4. Like the car behind give you a nudge or you hit a kerd that you did not see in the snow they are a lot tougher.

Why do you need 18's you running bigger brakes??

The price of winter tires is shocking just now wtf is going on!

Yep, running bigger brakes so 18's is the smallest I can go.

Been looking at T5 steels but they are like rocking horse ****e

Best car I ever had in the snow was an old Austin Metro. That thing went anywhere and on the odd occasion I had a bit a trouble on a really steep hill (plenty in Sheffield) I just went up in reverse

Well I had another look at Ebay without much luck. There is a company called Tyremen who sell the steel rims but for a price. 4x rims £245! + 4 new winter tyres, say Michelin Alpine 4's (they were voted best winter tyre 2010) £136 each! :( That's about £750!!!! :'( Would anyone pay this much for to drive to work? or would it be cheaper to take a few days off until it's safe to drive? I'm not sure I want to take a loan out myself for this, what if it doesn't snow this year! I'm going to sit it through this time and wait for the next one in 2012 if the world is still here.