Low offset means the wheels sit nicely in the arches. Not my favourite style of wheel but they'll be quality items and do the job nicely I'm going to wait as long as I can before putting mine on because as much as I want to try them out I know come February I'll be desperate to get the 18s back on.

I've put my winters on my OE 18 inch wheels and I can't wait to get em off!

Car handling has gone, steering too light and no feel, it better snow!

Sods law says that as we are all now prepared for winter this will be the mildest winter on record with no snow whatsoever. I have been putting off putting the winters on due to current temps, but having shelled out circa £700 on a set of second hand Audi A4 alloys, 4 winter tyres and a full refurb from TheWheelSpecialists in Anthracite (TheWheelSpecialists in Manchester did a fantastic job, thanks Andy et all) so can't wait to display them (And free the Scout alloys up for a refurb).

I've put my winters on my OE 18 inch wheels and I can't wait to get em off!

Car handling has gone, steering too light and no feel, it better snow!

But are they compatible quality winter tyres you have fitted?

I've put my winters on my OE 18 inch wheels and I can't wait to get em off!

Car handling has gone, steering too light and no feel, it better snow!

I went for a second set of 16" alloys as i) I didn't want to fork out for 18" winter tyres, ii) The higher side wall should provide better levels of grip, iii) I don't want to risk kerbing my 18" alloys in the snow/ice like I did on my last vRS last winter.

Sods law says that as we are all now prepared for winter this will be the mildest winter on record with no snow whatsoever. I have been putting off putting the winters on due to current temps, but having shelled out circa £700 on a set of second hand Audi A4 alloys, 4 winter tyres and a full refurb from TheWheelSpecialists in Anthracite (TheWheelSpecialists in Manchester did a fantastic job, thanks Andy et all) so can't wait to display them (And free the Scout alloys up for a refurb).

I toyed with the idea of getting my winter alloys refurbed but couldn't justify it. I would of gone for black or anthracite but I figured they're just winter wheels and will no doubt take a bit of punishment so couldn't see the point. Although I agree, sods law says we'll get no snow now :(

...sods law says we'll get no snow now :(

You might be right there, but even if it doesn't snow this winter there will almost certainly be cold frosty days and black ice. Winter tyres will make the difference between stopping where you want to stop and sliding through a junction with the ABS thumping away under your right foot. It will also be the difference between pulling out safely from a T-junction and sitting stranded with the wheeels spinning hopelessly.

You might be right there, but even if it doesn't snow this winter there will almost certainly be cold frosty days and black ice. Winter tyres will make the difference between stopping where you want to stop and sliding through a junction with the ABS thumping away under your right foot. It will also be the difference between pulling out safely from a T-junction and sitting stranded with the wheeels spinning hopelessly.

I know but I want to play in the snow with my new winter tyres

I know but I want to play in the snow with my new winter tyres

Me too, and a few more 'snow days' off work won't go amiss either

Put the winter wheels and tyres on the Octavia today. The wheels are 7Jx16 ET35 from an Audi A6 fitted with 205/55/16 winter tyres

We'll do the Fabia in a week or two or whenever the temperatures have dropped enough.

Comments welcome

Looks great to me, but then again I'm biased......

Although, despite looking identical, mine are 6.5Jx16 ET50 and I think from an A3.

Looks great to me, but then again I'm biased......

Although, despite looking identical, mine are 6.5Jx16 ET50 and I think from an A3.

Snap, same style, 6.5Jx16 ET50 too, don't have a pic though as they are not on yet, but will look very similar to your pic!

I have some large Skoda stickers that cover the Audi 'rings', will have to see if they look ok when on or I'll be peeling them off again!

Looks great to me, but then again I'm biased......

Although, despite looking identical, mine are 6.5Jx16 ET50 and I think from an A3.

What a lovely set of wheels you have there

These wheels come in three offsets: ET50 from an A3, ET42 from (I think) an A4, and ET35 from an A6. The ones from the A6 have a slightly more concave dish to them than those from an A3

What a lovely set of wheels you have there

These wheels come in three offsets: ET50 from an A3, ET42 from (I think) an A4, and ET35 from an A6. The ones from the A6 have a slightly more concave dish to them than those from an A3

Julie you truly are the wheel queen What you don't know about wheels isn't worth knowing

Edited 13 November, 201114 yr by Guest

You might be right there, but even if it doesn't snow this winter there will almost certainly be cold frosty days and black ice. Winter tyres will make the difference between stopping where you want to stop and sliding through a junction with the ABS thumping away under your right foot. It will also be the difference between pulling out safely from a T-junction and sitting stranded with the wheeels spinning hopelessly.

Julie I couldn't agree more, it was just me wishing for a bit of snow.

The only problem I have at the minute is the very variable temps. I could have done with the winters last Monday, problem is only for the first 10 miles of a 200 mile journey. Set off from Yorkshire at 0.5 degrees with a sharp frost at 5:30am, roads were really Icy and car was slithering all over, but by the time I hit the M1 temps had risen to 6 degrees and roads were dry and ice free. Temp hit 14 degrees by the time I made the M25 at around 8:30.

Since then I have not seen a sub 8 degree temp so have refrained from changing the wheels.

Julie you truly are the wheel queen What you don't know about wheels isn't worth knowing

Blimey - wheel queen indeed! I just pressed "place bid" and hoped for the best!!

Snap, same style, 6.5Jx16 ET50 too, don't have a pic though as they are not on yet, but will look very similar to your pic!

I have some large Skoda stickers that cover the Audi 'rings', will have to see if they look ok when on or I'll be peeling them off again!

Interesting... I've been looking on eBay for something similar, but eventually gave up as I couldn't find any the right size and worried about them fitting over the central dome. Do you have any pics?

Interesting... I've been looking on eBay for something similar, but eventually gave up as I couldn't find any the right size and worried about them fitting over the central dome. Do you have any pics?

Here is a wheel with the sticker, unfortunately chose the one with the scuff (not me!).

The stickers I bought from this place on ebay. They are big enough, but you do get a couple of wrinkles that won't go away due to the dome shape, and need to make a little hole to get the cap puller in. Not sure how long they will stay on once the spray gets to them, but they weren't too expensive.

Thanks! They are now mounted on the car, ready for winter (allmost )

Painted the oem grill in same color as the rims

have no pics in daylight yet sadly..

I don't know how you manage to work on your car in such a pokey garage. Must be really frustrating where to store your wheels or even find space to lay your tools out.

Your a lucky man

Well, tis done...... ordered the winter wheels yesterday. So I can guarantee that we will now have the warmest winter on record!

Eventually gave up on trying to find tidy used alloys (although its worth noting that Save On Tyres Direct do some good deals on new Audi alloys...... it was just the Hifly tyres that put me off!), so have plumped for OE-spec steelies but shod with 205/60R16 Yokohama W Drives (was determined to keep the standard rolling circumference!).

Should be here late next week - you'll know when 'cos we'll all be walking around in shorts & T-shirts!!!

You're quite right, but the standard fitment on my Scout is 225/50R17, and whilst Skoda recommended winter fitment is 205/55R16, it leaves the circumference over 8cm short.

The 205/60 profile gets me within 0.5%, near as!

I really don't know - heard various things about making provision within the arches for snow-chains, etc.

After last winter, additional room under there would be beneficial as my arches packed out a few times with frozen slush. But the 205/55 on the Scout also loses over an inch of ground clearance - not a massive consideration (and I don't intend to off-road mine), but still useful to have in the pocket down here.

I really don't know - heard various things about making provision within the arches for snow-chains, etc.

After last winter, additional room under there would be beneficial as my arches packed out a few times with frozen slush. But the 205/55 on the Scout also loses over an inch of ground clearance - not a massive consideration (and I don't intend to off-road mine), but still useful to have in the pocket down here.

The Yeti has the exact same size of standard alloy wheel and most of us also use either the 205/55 or 215/60 winter tyres. The former looks ridiculous in the huge expanse of Yeti wheelarch - so I sold those to get 215/60s this year. Also to get that added bit of ground clearance (you get 1,2% more whereas with the 205/55 you are 3,8% closer to the ground). Here are the relevant sizes of these tyres relative to the standard:

From http://www.miata.net...e/tirecalc.html

Original 17" to 215/60:

Specification---Sidewall---Radius---Diameter--Circumference--Revs/Mile--Difference
225/50-17-------4.4in------12.9in-----25.9in----------81.2in-----------780---------0.0%
215/60-16-------5.1in------13.1in-----26.2in----------82.2in-----------771---------1.2%



Original 17" to 205/55:

Specification--Sidewall--Radius--Diameter--Circumference-Revs/Mile--Difference
225/50-17-----4.4in-----12.9in----25.9in---------81.2in-----------780---------0.0%
205/55-16-----4.4in-----12.4in----24.9in---------78.2in-----------811------- minus 3.8%


215/60 to 205/55:

Specification--Sidewall--Radius--Diameter--Circumference-Revs/Mile--Difference
215/60-16------5.1in----13.1in-----26.2in--------82.2in---------771--------0.0%
205/55-16------4.4in----12.4in-----24.9in--------78.2in---------811-------minus 4.9%

215/60 7J on left and 205/55 6Js on the right:





Just a note of caution: if you want to go to certain areas in Europe you cannot fit 215/60s since there are no snow chains that will fit them (that still leave enough clearance for the wheels to rotate unhindered). Some areas in the Alps require the fitment of these regardless of you having winter tyres or not.

Just a note of caution: if you want to go to certain areas in Europe you cannot fit 215/60s since there are no snow chains that will fit them (that still leave enough clearance for the wheels to rotate unhindered). Some areas in the Alps require the fitment of these regardless of you having winter tyres or not.

Hence why I would have thought 205/60 R16 would be a better bet all round. (And is still the closest 16" match to 225/50 R17). Certainly 205/60 is where I'll be headed with the Scout once the current 205/55s need replaced.

Niall

Indeed - this Scoutibus (I believe is the correct Latin term for our chosen mode of transport) is not heading that far afield..... Durham is about as far as she's likely to go! (In winter anyway!)

It's a minefield. Why should Skoda recommend tyres that are so different? Something's wrong somewhere.

Yes the rolling diameter of your equivalent equates to only 0.7% difference.

My Elegance is normally on standard 205/55R16, but I've bought 195/65R15 for winter steels, equivalent to just 0.4% difference.

mike

Hence why I would have thought 205/60 R16 would be a better bet all round. (And is still the closest 16" match to 225/50 R17). Certainly 205/60 is where I'll be headed with the Scout once the current 205/55s need replaced.

Niall

I asked the same question when I was looking at winter tyres, and was having the same 55 profile or 60 profile debate in my head. I contacted Skoda in the Czech republic (not SUK, always found them to be useless!) and this is the reply I got on 08/09/2011:

"Dear XXX,

as far as your question concerning “rim-tyres†combination is concerned unfortunately I must disappoint you.

Tyres 205/60 R16 were never tested for Skoda vehicles Octavia Scout included. Skoda company uses tyres 205/60 R15 only.

For this reasons I can confirm you that only combination of rim 6Jx16 ET 50 & tyre 205/55 R16 91H is permitted from the side of “Technical Development†Skoda Auto a.s.

I hope I helped you.

With best regards

Jiri Vavra"

So, in the end I went with 205/55R16s even though I knew 205/60R16s would be a better match size wise and they'd be perfectly road worthy. I ignored the load rating though and ended up with 94H tyres.

I asked the same question when I was looking at winter tyres, and was having the same 55 profile or 60 profile debate in my head. I contacted Skoda in the Czech republic (not SUK, always found them to be useless!) and this is the reply I got on 08/09/2011:

"Dear XXX,

as far as your question concerning “rim-tyres” combination is concerned unfortunately I must disappoint you.

Tyres 205/60 R16 were never tested for Skoda vehicles Octavia Scout included. Skoda company uses tyres 205/60 R15 only.

For this reasons I can confirm you that only combination of rim 6Jx16 ET 50 & tyre 205/55 R16 91H is permitted from the side of “Technical Development” Skoda Auto a.s.

I hope I helped you.

With best regards

Jiri Vavra"

So, in the end I went with 205/55R16s even though I knew 205/60R16s would be a better match size wise and they'd be perfectly road worthy. I ignored the load rating though and ended up with 94H tyres.

Be very careful when going for a size that is not stated in the handbook (like this 205/60 size). Your insurance will be invalid unless you declared not only that you are using winter tyres but you also need to decrare that you are using a non tested, non approved tyres size... See how happy they are about that.

Be very careful when going for a size that is not stated in the handbook (like this 205/60 size). Your insurance will be invalid unless you declared not only that you are using winter tyres but you also need to decrare that you are using a non tested, non approved tyres size... See how happy they are about that.

That's what finally decided it for me and why I conformed with 205/55R16s.