Winters on !

[Spongefactory]

Put mine on on Saturday morning, was effing freezing, ground very icy. 17" Wheels and Nokians were purchased for my MKII around this time last year with the intention of them going on the MK3 I was pretty sure I'd be buying at some point (swapped in March 2015). They looked OK on the MKII but suit the Meteor Grey MK3 much more I think;

 

 

[cheezemonkhai]

Wouldn't 215/50 have been a better option, or is that a size you can't get?

Going with steels this time as 3 bad winters made a bit of a mess of the alloys on the MkII.

Sent from my phone so please excuse brevity and spelling

 

Not having a VRS, I took the larger alloys off and went with 205/55/R16 on 6J steels I had from the MK2.

Did it just in time to meet some naff weather.

 

The 16" will fit over 312mm brakes from the MK2 and the standard brakes from the MK3, but not the larger vRS brakes, which require 17" or larger steels.

 

 

Glad I had my Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8's put on some days ago - looks like the studs will be a lifesaver the next days due to hot weather during the day, and freezing in the nights.

 

That's kind of the issue in the UK.

Salted roads, plus a bit of sun and traffic and it all melts, then overnight it freezes into a compressed ice block.

Nasty, but unlike you guys we're not allowed studs.

 

I was looking at the Hakk R+, with the carbide grit in the compound, which would have been good, but it's wet weather performance isn't so great and realistically here, that's more important most of the time.

 

In the end I carried on with the WR family. I had WR, then WRG2, then WR A3 and now I've gone for the D4.

Surprisingly I used to do mega miles, so a set would last 1 to 2 winters max. Hopefully that's no longer the case with my much reduced mileage.

Edited 23 November, 2015 by cheezemonkhai

[mork23]

looks very smart spongefactory, can I ask where you got them from and how much?

[Spongefactory]

looks very smart spongefactory, can I ask where you got them from and how much?

 

I knew someone would ask, just dug through my eBay history and found them, still for sale from the same seller;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/17-GM-DRC-DRS-ALLOY-WHEELS-FITS-VW-VOLKSWAGEN-CADDY-EOS-GOLF-MK5-MK6-JETTA-T4-/400743649238?hash=item5d4e2ecfd6:g:0oQAAOSwI~VTx-lV

 

And finished off with some stick on Skoda emblems which fit perfectly;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKODA-4-x-NEW-LOGO-Emblems-55mm-2-3-16-WHEEL-CENTER-CAP-STICKERS-3D-DECALS-/111059328611?hash=item19dba6de63:g:e9cAAOxyn9BRaAsc

 

Purchased the Nokians from tyreleader IIRC and had them fitted locally.

[M12MKD]

Put mine on Saturday too, lovely warm weather it was.

Went for 17's and it only just clears the calipers on mine. Ok maybe 2-3mm.

Will post some pictures later in the week.

[mork23]

I knew someone would ask, just dug through my eBay history and found them, still for sale from the same seller;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/17-GM-DRC-DRS-ALLOY-WHEELS-FITS-VW-VOLKSWAGEN-CADDY-EOS-GOLF-MK5-MK6-JETTA-T4-/400743649238?hash=item5d4e2ecfd6:g:0oQAAOSwI~VTx-lV

 

And finished off with some stick on Skoda emblems which fit perfectly;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKODA-4-x-NEW-LOGO-Emblems-55mm-2-3-16-WHEEL-CENTER-CAP-STICKERS-3D-DECALS-/111059328611?hash=item19dba6de63:g:e9cAAOxyn9BRaAsc

 

Purchased the Nokians from tyreleader IIRC and had them fitted locally.

 

thanks muchly - interestingly the eBay advert says these do not fit my vehicle!!  65 VRS TDI but clearly they do!

[vegit8]

Went for 17's and it only just clears the calipers on mine. Ok maybe 2-3mm.

 

 

All you have to hope is that a stone doesn't get picked up inside the rim and fly up between the rim and the caliper..

[M12MKD]

All you have to hope is that a stone doesn't get picked up inside the rim and fly up between the rim and the caliper..

Indeed though I should have said 2-3mm of clearance between the weights and the caliper.

When I fitted I was worried it would catch.

Fingers crossed it doesn't

[cheezemonkhai]

I sweated my nuts off in the sunshine walking in to town from work this lunchtime  Even if I had winters to use. it still feels way too early - at least in Devon for sure.

 

Agree, but it's a bit variable, I've had sun one minute and the temperature being below 4 degrees not much later and for a good while.

I think it's time for them to go on, just so I don't get caught out, but it's certainly not the brutal winter of doom predicted by some.

[Ootohere]

LOL,

It is November only, and some people have had Autumn weather they usually get in Autumn.

When winter comes we might see what it actually is like, 

December to April maybe.

[Gizmo]

LOL,

It is November only, and some people have had Autumn weather they usually get in Autumn.

When winter comes we might see what it actually is like, 

December to April maybe.

That will be next Tuesday then!

Personally I would rather have them on early as they will be fine on the warmer days... and who wants to change them when it's freezing outside?

[Ootohere]

We have had below freezing in the North in some areas since August. 

had days never above 4*oC, and nights below freezing, Gritters, no Gritters Snow and no Snow and Snow gates closed.

There was snow in April, and Cold Weather fuel since the middle of October.

Some just are prepared all year.

Location location.

[M12MKD]

My winters are now on.

 

 

[Ubbs]

I'm thinking of purchasing a set for the wife's vrs I'm a bit confused do you have to buy wheels with pressure monitors in or can it be disabled?

[flybynite]

I'm thinking of purchasing a set for the wife's vrs I'm a bit confused do you have to buy wheels with pressure monitors in or can it be disabled?

 The system monitors the pressure by sensing the change in rolling radius of a soft tyre using the ABS speed sensors so any wheels that fit will do.

 

You just have to remember to do a reset of the system when you change them as it will sense the slight difference in rolling radius there will be between your summer and winter sets. Sometimes I forget and get a warning.

[Ubbs]

Cheers for the reply I had 2 tyres fitted to my car and they had little black boxes over the valve on the inside

[Gizmo]

Cheers for the reply I had 2 tyres fitted to my car and they had little black boxes over the valve on the inside

 

What car were the wheels off? 

[Ubbs]

My wife's car is a vrs estate mines an a45 amg

[Gizmo]

Marc and Audi to name just a couple use ‘proper’ TPMS, hence the need for the box inside the wheel.

 

Škoda however use the ABS sensors so there is nothing inside the wheel.

[Ubbs]

My previous car to the amg an 8p rs3 didn't have the sensors but a proper pain as you couldn't swap the tyres round as the fronts were wider

[Ubbs]

My previous car to the amg an 8p rs3 didn't have the sensors but a proper pain as you couldn't swap the tyres round as the fronts were wider, think I'll go 225 45 17 on some cheap alloys

[Gromle]

Marc and Audi to name just a couple use ‘proper’ TPMS, hence the need for the box inside the wheel.

Škoda however use the ABS sensors so there is nothing inside the wheel.

Im glad skoda use thw cheapo solution. Aint the other system quite expencive when you change tyres and when the batteries in the sensors quits?

[PhilbvRS]

I scuffed one of my brand new winter wheels last night. So annoyed and especially because when I got them I told the Mrs to be extra careful with them because there is zero protection from the tyres. At least they should be easy to fix.

[cheezemonkhai]

Marc and Audi to name just a couple use ‘proper’ TPMS, hence the need for the box inside the wheel.

 

Škoda however use the ABS sensors so there is nothing inside the wheel.

 

Audi don't on the A3 at least.

[Geek42]

Im glad skoda use thw cheapo solution. Aint the other system quite expencive when you change tyres and when the batteries in the sensors quits?

 

I'm glad they use the cheaper system too. My father-in-law just got a new Fiesta and wanted to buy winter tyres with the intention of putting them on the same rims (his next door neighbour is a tyre fitter and will swap them on the cheap), but of course I told him not to be so daft. We found suitable steel wheels very quickly (good German ones with the correct TUV approval) for about £100 for the whole set, but then when we realised that he needed the pressure sensors too it became a minefield. We found a ready to use set on the web for about £270, then we found another set for £130, but the description sounded like it needed a separate mounting kit which wasn't listed. The two parts we found also looked totally different to each other, which was confusing to say the least, so at that point we gave up and just got the tyres.