I am about to purchase a  set of wheels fitted with winter tyres for my Octavia FL vRS.  For those of you that fit winter tyres what do you use as a spare?

 

I usually have a 225/40-18 as the spare as that is exactly the same rim and tyre size as the wheels/tyres fitted to the car.   However, I am wondering if the standard 205/55-16 (summer) spare that I have in the garage would be sufficient when the 225/45-17 winter tyres are fitted.  In the event of a puncture I would fit the (summer) spare on the rear so that both front (driven) wheels are still on winter tyres.

 

Perhaps purchasing a cheap winter 205/55-16 tyre and getting it fitted to the standard 16" spare wheel would be a reasonable compromise?

 

Opinions?

I don't use a spare but just have the tin of sealant and the compressor in the boot. Perhaps I should get a spare steel wheel with a winter tyre on it though. Will have a think about it.

I run 18" winter tyres on my vrs and just use the original spare that I have which is a 205/55 16.

I have a matching spec (but asymmetric) winter spare for mine, since I got myself a full size alloy for the summer spare and thus had a 5th steel laying about. Only paid £40 for the spare winter tyre. Yeah, perhaps its overkill, but it wasn't a lot of money and it means I don't ever have to compromise.

 

For those who have them, I believe those pramwheel spares actually work pretty well in the winter.

Asymmetric tyre, as a spare, is a sound idea..

A spare is what it is, a spare, in the event of a damaged wheel/tyre to get you to nearest garage or home..

So almost anything legally roadworthy will do in this scenario..??

225 40 18 and 205 56 16 are the same rolling radius as the 17s on there so you can use either. I can't be bothered to get my 16 inch spare down from my garage loft so my spare will be my 225 40 18 against my 16 inch wheels. I will imagine it will look odd but it's legal and will get me to a tyre shop.

With 3 winter tyres you will have more grip than most so I wouldn't worry,

 

If you are worried look at s/hand tyres from Germany. They have deeper tread limits for winter tyres so most are changed whilst well within UK tread limits, from memory I think  its 3 or 4 mm 

With 3 winter tyres you will have more grip than most so I wouldn't worry,

 

If you are worried look at s/hand tyres from Germany. They have deeper tread limits for winter tyres so most are changed whilst well within UK tread limits, from memory I think  its 3 or 4 mm 

 

That's because at 3-4mm they are worthless as winter tyres since they are at the winter wear marker and will provide nearly no benefit since the sipes will be worn out completely.

 

I decided on full spares so I can use them indefinitely if I need to. Gives me more time to get the correct replacement if I need one and if I'm on a long motorway journey when I need it, I can carry on with minimal interruption. Like I said, overkill, but that's me

put "second hand winter tyres Germany" into Google

 

Threw up a few including http://www.germantyre.com/files/prod-e.htmw

That's because at 3-4mm they are worthless as winter tyres since they are at the winter wear marker and will provide nearly no benefit since the sipes will be worn out completely.

 

I decided on full spares so I can use them indefinitely if I need to. Gives me more time to get the correct replacement if I need one and if I'm on a long motorway journey when I need it, I can carry on with minimal interruption. Like I said, overkill, but that's me

 

Agreed not good in Snow due to less depth but due to softer rubber better than a std tyre & its only a spare. If conditions are awful you wont be going  very fast & if stuck odds are its behind mr plonker on summer tyres

 

Std tyres start to go off below 8 deg as the rubber hardens

Asymmetric tyre, as a spare, is a sound idea..

A spare is what it is, a spare, in the event of a damaged wheel/tyre to get you to nearest garage or home..

So almost anything legally roadworthy will do in this scenario..??

I have always considered a spare as something that allows me to continue my journey driving as before the puncture.  I don't expect to be driving on ice/snow just at low temperatures.  I am retired so if road conditions are really bad (ice and/or snow) then, unless my journey is vital, I just stay at home.  However, there is always the chance that conditions will worsen when I am away from home and need to return.

 

If I have a puncture more than 200 miles from home, in the evening, a tyre that is only good to reach a tyre place is no use.  And this scenario has happened to me twice.

 

As Uber Member says, it may be overkill but a spare that is an exact match for the tyres fitted to the car is the ultimate spare.

I have just ordered a matching spare 205/55/R16 TS850 for my Scout to fit onto a steel wheel.  I've got away with only carrying a Summer spare over the years but would rather be able to keep motoring rather than panicking over getting a puncture fixed.  The roads generally are now so bad that punctures may be more likely.

I have just ordered a matching spare 205/55/R16 TS850 for my Scout to fit onto a steel wheel. I've got away with only carrying a Summer spare over the years but would rather be able to keep motoring rather than panicking over getting a puncture fixed. The roads generally are now so bad that punctures may be more likely.

You need 205/60r16 to match the size of the scout wheels.

205/55 is an inch too small.

You need 205/60r16 to match the size of the scout wheels.

205/55 is an inch too small.

Not sure that's right, my Scout came with a factory supplied spare when new and its  205/55R16

Mine too...

But that depends on the size of the winter wheels Thorfinn is using. If he has them all round, then it matches.

 

BTW, what are all the sizes on the fuel flap on Scouts? As I know they come on wheels 1 size larger than other Octavias.

I am on 205/55 R16 all round as Winter tyres.  This is the full size spare that Skoda supplied as per posts above and also what is on the fuel filler cap.  The alloys on the Scout are 17 inch and come with 225/50/R17.

The problem with winter tyres is that they are called winter tyres, which seems to make people in the UK think of snow and ice.  In my view a better name would be "low temperature tyres".  Whenever I mention winter tyres to friends or members of our motoring group the response is along the lines of, "No point, we rarely have snow in Gloucestershire".  Today in Gloucestershire, at 2pm, the temperature was 6C -  I really must get the 'winter' tyres fitted and make a decision on what spare to carry.

Not sure that's right, my Scout came with a factory supplied spare when new and its  205/55R16

 

 

Mine too...

 

Mine did too.  It's a whole inch smaller than the 225/50R17's the car comes with.  I have since changed it for a 205/60R16 which is within a few percent of the other road wheels.

 

The 205/55R16 factory spare has 50mph/80km/h stickers all over it due to the size difference.  It appears VAG just threw their standard non-scout spare in the back with a sticker instead of sourcing the right size for the scout model.

 

I have run with a set of 205/55R16 winter wheels and found the gearing lower than I liked.  I'll be replacing them with 215/60R16 winters at some point.  This size is very common where I live, they come in on a second set of wheels with used subarus from Japan and get sold for pittance.

Edited 8 November, 201312 yr by Kiwibacon

Mine did too.  It's a whole inch smaller than the 225/50R17's the car comes with.  I have since changed it for a 205/60R16 which is within a few percent of the other road wheels.

 

The 205/55R16 factory spare has 50mph/80km/h stickers all over it due to the size difference.  It appears VAG just threw their standard non-scout spare in the back with a sticker instead of sourcing the right size for the scout model.

 

I have run with a set of 205/55R16 winter wheels and found the gearing lower than I liked.  I'll be replacing them with 215/60R16 winters at some point.  This size is very common where I live, they come in on a second set of wheels with used subarus from Japan and get sold for pittance.

 

205/60/16 is not an approved tyre size for the Octavia (Scout or not)

205/60/16 is not an approved tyre size for the Octavia (Scout or not)

 

Neither is the 215/60R16 and the rims they'll be fitted to aren't VAG approved (different offset).

 

Skoda probably don't approve of where and how I drive either.  It's never really worried me.

Neither is the 215/60R16 and the rims they'll be fitted to aren't VAG approved (different offset).

 

Skoda probably don't approve of where and how I drive either.  It's never really worried me.

 

Might not worry you and won't make any difference to the car, but is a nice get out for the insurance company in the event of an accident.

 

According to my insurance fit approved size winter tyre and you don't even have to tell them. Fit non-approved size and they want £100 for a modification.

Might not worry you and won't make any difference to the car, but is a nice get out for the insurance company in the event of an accident.

 

According to my insurance fit approved size winter tyre and you don't even have to tell them. Fit non-approved size and they want £100 for a modification.

 

I am continually appalled by how much your UK insurance companies suck.

 

Here it's quite simple.  If it's a legal size (within 5% of original diameter for speedo/odo accuracy, doesn't extend past the guards and doesn't foul the body work) then it's none of the insurance companies business.  It's legal.  I've heard there is a limit on change of rim size (+3 inches without certification), but that has never concerned me enough to look it up.

 

Even if it weren't strictly legal, it would have to cause an accident to have cover voided.  For example if an accident was caused by fitting monster sized tyres which resulted in your brakes not working, then you're probably paying for it all yourself.

In the UK if you have the wrong accessory plugged into the cigar lighter the insurance company will try to wriggle!

The irony is that you can have cheap tyres fitted with virtually no grip (the hard compound tyres often found on Japanese grey import cars are known as "Nippon Nogrips" because many Japanese want their tyres to last the life of the vehicle) and the insurance company won't care at all.  The difference between a bad tyre and a good tyre is much bigger than the difference between a winter tyre used in summer and a summer tyre.  In fact, some people run winter tyres all year round as a better compromise.