Hi there , any info is appreciated on this, I have a 62 plate FL Octavia vrs hatchback 20 lt CR tdi, I currently have Uniroyal rainsports 3 tyres on all round as they came on the car when purchased, they have came to the end of there life and I'm looking to replace with a mid range tyre, I would like some ideas as to what you are all using on your Octavia's and also what tyre pressures yous are using, the rainsports have been great in the wet conditions over the winter bud they have worn really badly and seem a bit a bit soft when cornering hard at times! I've read somewhere they have soft side walls!?, they have worn in quite a strange way too! The inside edges have worn but about an inch further in from the inside edge have worn even worse! The remaining 3qtrs of the tyre has worn but has worn evenly! I've put this down to the supposed soft sidewalls of the rainsport 3s but I've also read that the mk2 octy vrs,s left the factory with the wrong camber settings!! Any truth in this? The car drives straight and dsnt pull whilst driving or under braking so I've put it purely down to the rainsports, so.... Please could I have recommendations for mid range tyres and tyre pressures please, I'm currently running factory recommended pressures which are 2.1 bar in the back and 2.0 bar in the front, thanks for any info in advance, just to add to this the rear tyres have worn very evenly and not as heavy, thanks again

Those pressures are pretty light on.  And unless you have had a 4 wheel geometry check in the last 12 months it is hard to be confident with the set up. The rears on the Octavia often have excessive camber, even with factory settings, esp. when they sag a little with age. However, you have said your rears were ok.

 

The rear camber needs to be setup as close to upright as the adjusters will allow.  You loose a little bit of handling but for 95% it makes no difference.

 

I run 36-38psi but that's a personal thing to account for the lousy roads where I live and the fact I only check my pressures every 4-6 months.  34psi would be the minimum I'd run.

Yes, when I said "light on" in post 2 I should of been clearer. I wouldn't consider running anything lighter than 2.4 bar all round and that is pretty close to 34psi. 2.0 bar in the front is 29 psi.

 

29psi / 2.0bar will give a very compliant ride but much more sidewall flex esp on turn in.  But if your geometry is unknown or you are replacing tyres you should also check that! 

 Hi, thanks very much for peoples input here, when yous mention geometry, do yous mean 4 wheel alignment? Like what tyre spot and other garages do? It's just I've herd of 4 wheel alignment and then I've read on here theres somthing called Huntington 4 wheel alignment! What's the difference if any, Could yous shed any light on that? Yeah the rears have worn fine and have worn even, what make tyres are you guys running? Thanks again for the advice

Edited 13 February, 20179 yr by Catzeye

Yup. It's actually "Hunter Alignment" you want.

 

You can find your nearest centre here: Align My Car

 

It can seem pricey but when you don't have it done and have to replace one or two tyres prematurely due to alignment issues you would have covered the cost and then some of the charge for the service.

My go to pressure is 32 front and 30 rear, which I have used on several cars. Increase it if have to carry a large load or I have a long journey planned with luggage. 

 

The recommended pressures are too high for my liking. 

Ok, Ive put 32 in the front and 30 in the rear and the front end seems better on turn in, I will run them pressures in the new tyres when I get them along with 4 wheel alignment checked and then see how the fronts wear, may I ask what the difference is between 4 wheel alignment and hunter 4 wheel alignment? Or is it the same thing?

Hunter is the type of alignment rig. It is respected as one of the best. However, there are other alignment rigs that can do a decent job and in my opinion, it is even more important to have an operator with experience and who knows what they're doing. 

4 hours ago, Catzeye said:

Ok, Ive put 32 in the front and 30 in the rear and the front end seems better on turn in, I will run them pressures in the new tyres when I get them along with 4 wheel alignment checked and then see how the fronts wear, may I ask what the difference is between 4 wheel alignment and hunter 4 wheel alignment? Or is it the same thing?

 

Too low.  Way too low.  Unless you like edge wear, sloppy & delayed turn-in, wallowy ride, see-sawing, impact damage on potholes, etc.

 

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the brand of machine, the operator is more important.

 

Hunter rigs are good because any numpty can use them and get the gauges in the green and get the alignment 90% right.

Agree 100% with brad1.8T those pressures are much too low.

I have done a couple of company sponsored 'Defensive Driving' courses in the past and they both hammered home the necessity of running higher pressures for safety.

The argument was that when you perform an emergency braking manoeuvre most of the car's weight is thrown onto the front tyres plus the effect of deceleration G-force so let's say an arbitrary increase on the front tyres from 750kg to over 2 tonnes (a pure guess).

The sidewalls of under-inflated tyres will flex significantly and this action distorts the tyre so the centre of the tyre will lift and not be in contact with the ground.

In the days before ABS you would see this as a skid 'tramline' on roads where only the outside of the tyre is in contact. On modern ABS fitted cars you don't skid but it does significantly increase the braking distance.

I ran 36 psi (all round) on my Mk2 which I thought was a great handling/riding car and I did not have to over-worry about increasing pressures for occasional passengers, although for longer journeys/heavier loads/higher speeds you should do the right thing.

I concur. 32/30psi is way too low. Must be like driving on marshmallows! 

 

I found that Skoda recommended pressures in the filler flap are a little on the low side. I use 245kpa (or 35.5psi) front and rear (OK I'm on 205/55/16s) but even so I find the lower recommended pressures a little wallowy. I've never found any uneven wear at this pressure plus it helps with economy on long cruises. When loaded for camping that goes up to 330kpa or 43psi. I use a calibrated hand held gauge.

 

Had a hire car Vauxhall Astra - that had a wide range of pressures for different driving styles from 32psi to 40psi (comfort/economy) and that is for the same tyre!

 

Hi again, thanks for the advice, I'm going to work my way up , like yous are sayin the ride does feel wallowy and have experienced inside tyre wear, the low pressures would also explain a mystery kerb mark on my passenger side front wheel which appeared mysteriously without me or my wife even comming anywhere near a kerb( so she says) makes you wonder why skoda would even put them recommended tyre pressures there when they cause negative effects on the car!! Thanks again for you advice 

3 hours ago, Catzeye said:

Hi again, thanks for the advice, I'm going to work my way up , like yous are sayin the ride does feel wallowy and have experienced inside tyre wear, the low pressures would also explain a mystery kerb mark on my passenger side front wheel which appeared mysteriously without me or my wife even comming anywhere near a kerb( so she says) makes you wonder why skoda would even put them recommended tyre pressures there when they cause negative effects on the car!! Thanks again for you advice 

Manufacturers recommended pressures are a compromise between ride, fuel economy, perceived users of the vehicle, handling etc.  I'd look at them as a minimum recommendation. 

 

Keep in mind that a Golf has basically the same chassis setup and tyres but uses higher pressures as Golf drivers are perceived as more sporty.

2.0 bar in the front isnt too low at all unless you dont have xl tyres fitted. I have run std tyre pressures on both petrol and now my diesel and had no issues with any handling. I did try 35psi all round but I prefer the std pressures for handling. Skoda does a lot of work on setting cars up for handling for a reason.

I check my tyres every few days for pressures and tyre wall damage. But a geometry check is also essential and get mine done every 12 weeks. Thankfully my local garage has a hunter kit and gives me discount.

I've tried running my car al round at 36 then 34 psi and it's like driving on bricks, you feel every little pebble in the road ... I now run it on 32 psi and it's a big difference and much more comfortable 

2 hours ago, labman1001 said:

I've tried running my car al round at 36 then 34 psi and it's like driving on bricks, you feel every little pebble in the road ... I now run it on 32 psi and it's a big difference and much more comfortable 

Possibly the brand of tyre you were running?  The sidewall stiffness varies between different brands/models of tyres. 

 

Also, in the back of my mind, the initial compliance of the OEM dampers isn't great.  I run Koni Sport set fairly soft with Eibach springs and both helped with initial compliance and enabled me to run higher pressures.

 

And of course, some people like a quite plush ride or particularly sporty ride for various reasons.

Also not forgetting that a bit of tyre wall flex actually helps to generate grip.

11 hours ago, Ecomatt said:

Also not forgetting that a bit of tyre wall flex actually helps to generate grip.

Yes, that's true.  

 

Personally, I like the direct steering response that higher pressures offer but lower pressures will generate ridiculous amounts of ultimate grip if you've taken some brave pills.

Hi Brad1.8T, I guess from driving Citroen Xantias and a Mk1 C5 for around 7 years before moving to my Octavua I'm just used to a car that doesn't feed every single bump in the road through to your seat....

 

To be honest if it wasn't for being forced into a buying a car as my C5's suspension sprung a leak I'd have went for an Octavia with 15" or 16" wheels rather than the 17" on my L&K but there was noting at the time that caught my eye the way it has ... Yes, I've gotten used to the ride now but I still feel 34-36psi is way to high.