Winter Wheels (again!)

[RobL]

I was looking through E-Bay yesterday and considering my options for winter wheels. I know there's about 1 gazillion threads of this like already, but my question is less facts and figures than the actual activity of buying them..

By this I mean I was going through all the E-Bay steel wheels for Golfs etc and thinking I don't have a bloody clue. I have read the posts telling me which are compatible and I'm looking at pictures of some of them, but how do I know if they are knock off Chinese things made of plastic bags and gum or have been owned by a nutcase who jumped potholes for a living?

I saw some supposedly genuine 15" skoda new ones for around £171 quid for a set delivered but that seemed a bit steep?

Has anyone been looking recently and found any good deals for a Fabia VRS MkII on winter steels or complete wheels?

I'm looking for 195 55 15 solutions ideally due to the lower cost of the tyres and the higher side wall to give my back a rest.

Be really greatful if someone had a couple of good deals they were willing to share?

Can PM me if you'd rather.

[CRASH67]

Have you considered all seasons tyres?

[apmaman]

if you just want wheels go to your local scrappy and there will be shed loads of decent steel wheels. just a set of hub caps will make them look new and a quick spray paint if they need it.

some tyre websites do brand new steel wheel packages with there winter tyres as well.

anything 5x100 will fit. a minimum of 15 inch for the vrs due to the front brakes.

i got used steelies that came off a new/old beetle and just used hammerite white on them and came up great for something a bit different than black.

[Ootohere]

*Remember and get the correct wheel nuts to suit the wheels you get*

Once you get your wheels,

remember to get tyres that are Speed Rated for the vehicle.

Are they for going on a vRS.

I does not matter if you will be gong slower in winter with these tyres fitted etc etc.

The tyres need to suit the vehicle. Wrong speed rating and possibly void insurance.

195 is a bit narrow to run all winter if it is from October to March and you maybe have 10 days of snow and a few of really cold.

So 5-6 months of very narrow tyres & lots of good or warmer weather days!

(no idea if you are even in the UK)

I run 205's on 16" which i think are fine, & more suitable on a vRS

http://www.tesco-tyr...lp/speed-rating

http://www.michelin....ld-weather-tips

Important to understand tyre pressures in the cold, and setting them.

http://www.houki.co....size-calculator

george

[Auric Goldfinger]

Once you get your wheels, remember to get tyres that are Speed Rated for the vehicle.

Are they for going on a vRS.

I does not matter if you will be gong slower in winter with these tyres fitted etc etc.

The tyres need to suit the vehicle. Wrong speed rating and possibly void insurance.

195 is a bit narrow to run all winter if it is from October to March and you maybe have 10 days of snow and a few of really cold.

So 5-6 months of very narrow tyres & lots of good or warmer weather days!

(no idea if you are even in the UK)

I run 205's on 16" which i think are fine, & more suitable on a vRS

george

Think the load rating is more important than the speed rating. I informed my insurance company and they made a note on the system but no extra charge.

[Ootohere]

Actually,

Both are equally important if your vehicle is on a Ramp being inspected by a Police Vehicle examiner or an Insurance Company Inspector or loss adjustor.

george

[RobL]

Yep it's for the Vrs. Wondered about the 16's, might be a better option..

Hadn't thought of scrappies might shoot down our local and see what they have. Can at least see them in person then.

Thanks all.

[simon_g]

mytyres do suitable 15" steels with winter tyres fitted - about £375 for a set with Maxxis winters (cheaper options available).

[RobL]

Have you considered all seasons tyres?

Not too keen on them, in this country with our amount of dull and rainy days they might be worth considering tho. I'm UK btw.

[CRASH67]

Not too keen on them, in this country with our amount of dull and rainy days they might be worth considering tho. I'm UK btw.

Well im considering the idea for the monte. But theyd have to have some dry weather preformance tho.

Im not kken on the idea of two sets of wheels lol

[apmaman]

pretty good deal for those maxis tyre package.

have you tired somewhere like halfords or local car part shop for some cheap alloys? might be able to pick up a decent set of cheap aftermarket alloys on special offer or simmilar.

[Kiwibacon]

If the speed rating is in excess of the legal speed limit. Then what is the concern? Does the UK legislate a minimum speed rating?

[Ootohere]

In a word 'Yes'. (or is that 'No'!)

It is 'Minimum' speed Rating for the 'Vehicle' (or is it Maximum, who cares?)

Fitting a Higher Rated Tyre is OK!

It matters not if the car never ever goes above 30 mph, you fit what is required to be fitted.

http://www.tesco-tyr...lp/speed-rating

Construction & Use, EU Approval, etc.

Most importantly Safety.

Any one can jump in a car and drive it and not look at what tyres are fitted any time of the year.

They might leave the UK with its National Speed Limits of 60 mph & 70 mph and drive to Mainland Europe.

**Do not get caught out in a Non-Fault accident by you,

then passengers being advised to sue you, because the vehicle having been subject to an inspection and having the Wrong Tyres for the vehicle fitted.

Some blame gets passed to you, when the plonker with some cr4p but legal tyres ran into you on a snowy day

Plenty to choose from of the correct Cold Weather or Winter and the correct ones are no more expensive than the wrong ones.*

It is good that Skoda's have a Warning that can be set for 'Winter Tyres' to sound when you exceed the speed you choose..

As a reminder of Winter Rubber being fitted, even on nice warm days.

george

[Kiwibacon]

So the UK has no minimum speed rating (certainly couldn't find one in the online MOT guides), but the EU does?

The EU one that I found is the max speed of your car with the winter tyre exception (speed warning sticker). Meaning there is no legal or other problem in the EU with winter tyres and a lower speed rating. Provided of course your winter tyres have a lower speed rating than your cars maximum.

http://www.goodyear....-load-index.jsp

This is what Goodyear wrote on their site above: M&S (winter) tyres with a lower speed rating than that of the vehicle may be fitted. In some countries it is mandatory that a sticker be placed in the view of the driver indicating the maximum speed of the tyre. This speed may not be exceeded while these tyres are fitted. This rating system applies to all tyre makers.

So again lots of baseless scaremongering about insurance and being sued when neither is the case. The lowest speed rating I have actually seen on a winter tyre is T (190km/h). Who outside Germany drives above 190km/h sustained with winter tyres on?

[Ootohere]

No scaremongering.

'Why cause grief or problems with Insurance just to actually save no money,.?'

If you want to save money just keep the tyres on you have and drive more carefully or do not go out!

Best to Just come over here (To the UK)

and stand there as a Vehicle gets gone over on a Ramp by a Qualified Vehicle inspector after a Fatality,

or just by an Insurance Company Examiner before being approved on an insurance claim.

Or get stopped at a Road Side check by VOSA, pulling a trailer or not.

It is so simple,

Fit with tyres suitable for the vehicle you drive when in the UK.

Get the tyres the vehicle should be fitted with.

People can do what they like, it is for them to choose.

Maybe forget our MOT Test, even the one that came in in 2012.

Maybe Look at our IVA tests,( 'Individual Vehicle Approval'), was SVA & still is on some Goods & Light Goods Vehicle.

('Single Vehicle Approval')

because i have been at a few of those, & the inspection by VOSA Examiners is of a different standard.

Someone here was asking about tyres on a vRS, it does not really matter if its a vRS or any car,

just best IMHO to stay on the safe side of things.

People are grown up and they can do what they want, 'What is the worst that can happen?'

george

[Kiwibacon]

Lets go through your scenarios.

VOSA check on the side of the road. With no UK mandated speed ratings on tyres, they will not give a damn.

Fatality or any other crash. Unless the crash was caused by a tyre, they won't give a damn. They will focus on finding the actual cause. If your tyres were only rated to 190km/h and you were doing over that when you caused the crash, then excessive speed will be the root cause. Again they won't care about the speed rating on the tyres.

Likewise, an insurance company examiner cannot complain about anything that is fully legal and functional. A winter tyre with a 190km/h speed rating will not be on their "hunt down and victimise list.

There is nothing illegal or bad about winter tyres and their speed ratings in the UK. There is no reason for concern and no reason to create one.

Unless your driving takes you over the autobahns the speed rating on any winter tyre will exceed all your requirements, legal and otherwise. Auric was perfectly correct when he said the load rating matters more.

[XK140]

*Remember and get the correct wheel nuts to suit the wheels you get*

Once you get your wheels,

remember to get tyres that are Speed Rated for the vehicle.

Are they for going on a vRS.

I does not matter if you will be gong slower in winter with these tyres fitted etc etc.

The tyres need to suit the vehicle. Wrong speed rating and possibly void insurance.

195 is a bit narrow to run all winter if it is from October to March and you maybe have 10 days of snow and a few of really cold.

So 5-6 months of very narrow tyres & lots of good or warmer weather days!

(no idea if you are even in the UK)

I run 205's on 16" which i think are fine, & more suitable on a vRS

http://www.tesco-tyr...lp/speed-rating

http://www.michelin....ld-weather-tips

Important to understand tyre pressures in the cold, and setting them.

http://www.houki.co....size-calculator

george

205's on 16" wheels is the vRS mk1 size,is it not?

So do mk1 vRS wheels fit a mk2 vRS?...there always seems to be plenty of these available s/h on ebay.

[Ootohere]

Kiwibacon, that makes total sense.

Everyone here will be well advised to Print out your Post and keep it safe incase they ever need to show it to anyone.

They will know that everything will work out fine that way.

There will no doubts and be no reason for an Insurance Assesor or Loss Adjustor to question the choice of tyres you had fitted,

that will be even when the tyres fitted did not contribute to the accident.

Or even if there was no accident.

??? JUst to be clear,

Are you saying that it is OK in the UK, to fit a 'S' or 'T' marked/rated tyre on a Fabia MKII vRS ??

george

[ChrisRs]

Yes Mk1 Fabia alloys will fit a Mk2 Fabia

[XK140]

Yes Mk1 Fabia alloys will fit a Mk2 Fabia

OK,thanks.

On a quick look it seems like a s/h set of 16"mk1 alloys (which I can refurb myself)+205/45/16 winter tyres might cost say £600,whereas a set of new steel wheels + 195/55/15 winter tyres might be slightly less.

Decisions,decisions...?

[Kiwibacon]

George,

If you never exceed those speeds, then yes. It's perfectly safe, legal and everything else. S is 180km/h, T is 190km/h.

But good luck finding an S or T rated tyre in a suitable size for a VRS. Mytyres doesn't have anything lower than H (210km/h) in 205/40R17 or 205/45R16.

If there was no accident, then why would an insurance assessor be looking at your car?

Shame on me for bringing logic to the party. Sorry there are no monsters under the bed.

[the mad monk]

my insurance company actually said, so long as they fit the car we dont care what tyres you use. ALL tyres are rated above 70 mph so should something happen above those speeds youve more problems than what tyre ratings youve used

back on track i just scoured the local adds and found some old golf wheels for a few ££ and bought nankangs off mytyres, they were over £30 cheaper than any local tyre shop could sell me them and despite not having much snow i still felt safer with these on

[Ootohere]

I will tell the reason that is common in this area Tayside & Aberdeenshire for an Insurance Inspection or Examination.

The Police stop a Boy Racer or just a Customised car.

They give it a going over and pick out Lowering Springs or Coilovers, an Induction Kit & a Performance Exhaust or even a Replacement Engine.

This does not require to be a young person it happens regularly here.

The Vehicle will be Siezed if they do an Insurance Check & There is not Cover for the Mods or if the Officer wants the vehicle looked at.

Bill Stephens Motors, Brechin will be called to come and uplift the vehicle.

You can collect it if someone with Insurance to Cover the vehicle can.

Or if the Vehicle is Inspected & proves to be totally safe and was covered by insurance.

A common reason the vehicle will be siezed in the First place may be because of the tyres, they might be wide and low,

but you will find out when the Insurance Inspection you request is done.

Sound far fetched, lets see what anyone from Aberdeenshire or Angus/Tayside says about the Police and how they use the powers here.

Plenty nice vehicles get crushed, not insured.

george

This example is just a general clampdown,

the Boy Racer clampdown started in 2007 when they got the powers and in this area you know that any excuse can be used.

They have stopped giving Modified cars as a reason for stopping people.

But that is where most seizures happen.

http://www.brechinad...ivers-1-2240535

[the mad monk]

your going a bit off track here George, it started off as speed ratings and now its wide and low, yes i agree if there too wide its illegal, not sure about too low though and undeclared mods arent the same as putting winter tyres on ( wasnt this proven a safety issue rather than modifying? ), im sure all this is factual from you but off topic rather dont you think

[Ootohere]

'Wide and low' was really just a reference & an example at other times to something that catches 'their' attention and makes 'them' look closer, that what you actually have fitted.

Yes it is OTT from me on winters, Higher & Narrower.

(Kiwibacon was asking why anyone would be checking or inspecting if there was no Accident)

Back to the OP. Winter tyres/wheels.

195/55/15 in an H Speed rating during winter is never likely to cause a problem in the cold weather.

Less than an H rating would most likely.

I would not be driving a 195/55/15 H on a vRS in warmer weather & your insurance company would hardly be expecting you to i would imagine.

2 days of cold weather can easily be followed by weeks of nice weather between October & March.

(just get the trolley jack out and change the wheels)

They are not going to accept less than an H rating tyre to be fitted.

Plenty of 205's in a 16" available in an H rating or above,

& Cold Weather ones that will be fine for more than the 10 days you might really need them on.

george