Winter wheel sizes

[jimbof]

I see Passats often run on 15 195/65 steels for winter wheels, but am I right in thinking that 16 205/55 is the smallest that is "factory spec" for a Superb?

I don't want to end up on the wrong side of my insurance!

[Michael D]

I will fit for sure. But not sure if the insurance is happy with that. Someone?

[jimbof]

I'm also conscious of whether the longer wheel base means that you wouldn't want it on such skinny tyres. I admit I know very little about handling in relation to wheel sizes so I could be worrying about nothing I guess...

[Cown]

The 205/55 R16 is the most common wheel size to be sold on the Superb MK1. I've never used any other size than that.

[Stunts]

I have 17" wheels on my Superb (edition 100). I am currently running 225/50R17's on it - standard is 225/45R17. Finding no problems aside from a slight increase in fuel consumption - which I expected

I imagine that anything that will fit the car and clear the discs/calipers would be suitable. Here's a really useful tool for comparing sizes of wheels to your standard wheel:

http://www.alloywheels.com/Tyre_Calculator

[rum4mo]

I think its best not to annoy insurance companies by fitting "non standard" wheel sizes even if they do fit, as they will in this case. I've been through this in trying to help friends find out the correct wheel/tyre size for winter tyres on a Mazda 2 - and that meant either spending a fortune on steelies from a scrappy or new from dealer, or cutting losses and fitting stupidly wide tyres as already on that version of the car. Now if it had been a newish Toyota equivalent, as I initially though it was, it seems that there is a sensible winter wheel/tyre size already agreed .

Edited 7 January, 2013 by rum4mo

[jimbof]

That is exactly what I'm trying to achieve; I'm not very interested in what wheels people are fitting (heck, if it is round, there is a good chance you can get it in the arches), only what are the true "standard" options for the car. I don't want to be arguing with some jobsworth that though the size of wheels I have aren't what was fitted by the factory that they should still pay out.

Seems like in the absence of better info I need to find some 205/55/16 on ET37 wheels, which is a shame as they don't come up that often (particularly the offset).

[nudger2000]

Are you currently using 16" or 17" wheels on your Superb jimbof?

In either case, why not just use 16" wheels anyway? 205mm are thin enough and also considerably cheaper than wider, larger tyres. If you could get 205/55 R16 winter tyres, Im not sure what more you would be looking to gain from moving to 15". Cost and narrowness are surely the two main factors for keeping the size down for your winter tyres.

And if you are running 16" already, you could even pay to have the tyres changed over if you found it hard to get a decent set of steel winter wheels for the tyres.

I know that's not the answer to your original question but it might save you further trouble and cash outlay.

[dieselV6]

15in rims will not fit over the larger front brakes (312mm as on all V6s and higher powered 4-cyls). minimum size is 16in.

[jimbof]

The car currently has 225/45/17 fitted; the reason I was interested in the 15's was that most of the OE steel wheels with ET37 coming up on Ebay are 15" as that was the most common steel wheel size on Passat. My preferred wheel size would be the 16" steels for winter but just the availability seems to be letting the plan down.

Thanks for the info dieselV6 - I guess that explains why no 15" option for Superb.

Found this which seems to confirm factory options as:

16" steel 7 JX16H2 ET37

http://autopartmaster.com/en/?action=catalog_show&cat=skoda&t_id=9115&added_=SKODA%20Superb%202002%20%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%B0,

and 16" 7JX16 ET37 or 17" 7JX17 ET37 Alloys

http://autopartmaster.com/en/?action=catalog_show&cat=skoda&t_id=9116&added_=SKODA%20Superb%202002%20%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%B0,

[simmi]

I think 155/71 is good for your car. It can carry more load.