I'm on the brink of selling my recently bought Superb II 1.8 Elegance estate because of the ride, and am trying to get my head around buying some decent condition used wheels and tyres to try out, but keep getting mixed information.

 

I decided to contact Skoda UK, as the last thing I want is for any potential insurance situation to be invalid because of non-compliant wheels or tyres. I'm confused because, Skoda's own brochure (linked to in my original thread) cites a few instances of the Greenline's 16" Spectrum alloy wheels being 205/55 R16 91H, but Skoda customer services tell me (see below) I need 205/55 R16  94V, which the same brochure also mentions.

 

I can't find a set of Spectrum wheels for sale anywhere, so if I find some genuine VAG wheels in 205/55 R16 size, and also find some 94V tyres for them, should I be ok do you reckon?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

"Re: ŠKODA Superb Estate Elegance

Dear Mr

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the wheels sizes suitable for your ŠKODA Superb.

I have spoken with our Technical Support Team who have advised that the following wheel options would be suitable for your vehicle:

205/55 R16  94V  7J x 16  ET 45
205/50 R17 93V  6J x 17  ET 45
205/55 R16 94V  6J x 16  ET 50
225/45 R17 94V  7J x 17 ET 49
225/45 R17 94V  7.5J x 17  ET 49
225/40 R18 92V 7.5J x 18 ET 46

While the above information lists of suitable sizes, clarification that any wheel rim and tyre meet the specified load requirements for the vehicle would need to be checked prior to any purchase.  This is to ensure they match the requirements of ŠKODA's wheels and tyres guide.

I hope this information proves useful.  Thank you for contacting ŠKODA UK

Kind regards

Customer Relations Manager
ŠKODA UK | Selectapost 34 | Sheffield | S97 3FA
Tel:  0333 0037504"

whats wrong with the ride.

 

no matter what the rating of the tyres are, on 16's it should be like a magic carpet

12 hours ago, HopefullyJOllyRoger said:

if I find some genuine VAG wheels in 205/55 R16 size

 

That's a tyre size, not a alloy wheel size.

 

Any set of quality alloys in 7Jx16 ET45 or 6Jx16 ET50 with 205/55 R16 94V tyres should be fine.

 

Personally, I would stick to 94V rather than 91H as you haven't got a Greenline.

 

9 minutes ago, Pessimal said:

no matter what the rating of the tyres are, on 16's it should be like a magic carpet

 

From their other thread, they currently have 18's and want to downsize

Thanks guys, it's a bit clearer now. Why 91 on Greenline and 94 on others - is it just to make the Greenline more efficient, or for safety/insurance/physical standards?

 

Also, can I buy tyres that exceed the minimum load index e.g. instead of going for 94V, I see a set of 100Y in 205/55 R16 size, can I go for these?

Exceeding should be fine, it's only where it doesn't meet the manufactures spec you'll have a problem.

 

As for the greenline, it'll probably say something like "with low rolling resistance tyres" in the brochure so that probably part of the reason.

 

If you do want to use 91H tyres, you can give your insurance company a ring to make sure it's not an issue first.

20 minutes ago, HopefullyJOllyRoger said:

Why 91 on Greenline and 94 on others

 

That number is the load rating for the tyre.

 

A 91 has a load rating of 615 kg.

A 94 has a load rating of 670 kg.

 

The Greenline is exclusively a 1.6d as well as having various weight reduction tricks so I would guess that it doesn't need the 94 as per the heavier (i.e. 2.0 diesels) car.

 

The H is a speed rating - it means the tyre is good to 130mph, which is all that is needed on a 1.6d (max of 121 ish mph). On the 2.0, the V rated tyre would be giving cover for up to 149mph max (the 2.0 range from approx 128 to 140 mph).

?

What pressures have you tried running the tyres fitted at?

?

How many miles has the car done and could the suspension be a bit worn out, 

springs or dampers, or possibly the suspension has been modified by a previous keeper?

The Greenline absolutely needs those 16" wheels, especially since the factory specified pressure is 2.6 bar and the suspension is firmer than what Superbs are known for. Definitely won't let me forget that I'm driving on second world country roads, but the firm handling helps to dodge potholes and other road imperfections surprisingly well for such a large car. Would be nice if the summer tire ride will be nicer, but not keeping my hopes up.

 

As far as I know, the closest the Greenline Superb came to the market here (Estonia) was the general Greenline brochure being translated. I've only seen one other Greenline Superb on the road, even though Superbs are very common cars here. The rozzers use Superbs, Octavias and VW Transporters almost exclusively. I suspect our roads are not good enough, it's too cold and the driving distances are too short to make use of that Greenline magic.

 

Most used wheels are available in 17" and 18", managed to snag the same 16" wheel set I already had off an Octavia. No way I was going with any less tire sidewall. The ride does get significantly smoother when using pressures lower than 2.6 bar, though.

Thanks again for the continued help!

 

It boils down to this. I've found some 16" alloys in the correct spec, bring sold with 205/55/R16 tyres, but the issue is the tyres are load index 99H (compared to Skoda's cited spec of 94V). Reckon this will be okay for the 1.8 TSI Elegance? I'm not a fast driver seldom exceeding 75-80mph.

35 minutes ago, HopefullyJOllyRoger said:

Thanks again for the continued help!

 

It boils down to this. I've found some 16" alloys in the correct spec, bring sold with 205/55/R16 tyres, but the issue is the tyres are load index 99H (compared to Skoda's cited spec of 94V). Reckon this will be okay for the 1.8 TSI Elegance? I'm not a fast driver seldom exceeding 75-80mph.

 

They're deemed safe up to the specified speed (H=130 mp/h or 210 km/h), so you're fine.

Edited 26 April, 20179 yr by TLV

Where about in the North West are you?  My car is on 16s, could arrange a ride if your close.

Is opting for 16" 5x112 alloys in 225/55/R16 instead of 205 possible or a no-no?

You run the risk of the tyres catching the wheel arches on full lock potentially with wider tyres.

 

It might be ok but they are wider than specified.

 

My Saab had 245 tyres and should of had 235 fitted and there were signs of them catching the wheel arches.

My Superb II Elegance currently has the OEM stock spec 18" wheels fitted with 225 tyres, so "all" I would be doing is going from 18" + 40 profile tyres to 16" with 55 profile tyres, keeping the tyre width of 225? The suitable specs Skoda UK customer services gave me do include 225, but not for 16", which is why I'm partly baffled:

 

205/55 R16  94V  7J x 16  ET 45
205/50 R17 93V  6J x 17  ET 45
205/55 R16 94V  6J x 16  ET 50
225/45 R17 94V  7J x 17 ET 49
225/45 R17 94V  7.5J x 17  ET 49
225/40 R18 92V 7.5J x 18 ET 46

Depends what ET the new wheels are though?

 

If it's a different offset then they may be either closer in or further out.

3 minutes ago, HopefullyJOllyRoger said:

Is opting for 16" 5x112 alloys in 225/55/R16 instead of 205 possible or a no-no?

 

You need to make sure that the 16" alloys also have a suitable width and offset.

 

If you do want 225 width tyres on 16's, you're better going for 225/50r16 as they will be closer in size to 205/55r16.

 

Just to point out, you should aim for 7Jx16 if you intend to use 225's. They will be a tight on a 6Jx16. Using 225's on 16's isn't type approved either so you should inform your insurance.

It's partly down to money, as I don't want to gamble more than £600 on a set of wheels and tyres, if the ride doesn't really improve much as a result.

 

This is the set I've seen:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222347816482

Just now, HopefullyJOllyRoger said:

This is the set I've seen:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222347816482

 

I would avoid Mercedes alloys as I think they run a larger centre bore. You need 57.1mm and I think they will be 66.6mm.

Ah, thanks for that advice re Mercedes wheels.

 

These genuine VAG wheels are an option, but although I'm not a bling man and comfort is my priority, they might look rubbish on a Superb estate? I'd need to buy new tyres, as the tyres sold with the wheels are 91V.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262937000657

I'm not sure you can get a Skoda centre cap to fit those Audi alloys. Personally, I'd find the wrong badge annoying  

 

These might be worth a shot http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132158110448 as they are a similar price to the Audi ones.

 

They aren't perfect but if you do like them, you can always have the refurbished and replace the tyres later. Clearance shouldn't be an issue and the tyre size is correct for your Superb.

Another similar Skoda alloy, they are listed separately and are more expensive but look in much better condition. If you message the seller you might get a discount for buying all four:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111922160492

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291697728682

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/381559336216

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/381711689753

 

They are 91v tyres but I'd expect them to be fine until they are replaced. Again, probably worth informing your insurance company as they aren't standard.

From what I remember, the original 1.9 Greenline ran 91 rated tyres (vs 94) as it could not be factory ordered with a spare wheel or a tow bar, whereas every other trim level had a 205/55 x 16 spare wheel (for a few years, at least) and could have a tow bar. I don't think the weight-saving measures were much more than that.

 

I think in Eire the Elegance comes with 17" wheels fwiw. It's all down to the importer; I saw a Belgian one on 16" steels!

 

I can sympathise with your thoughts on the ride (and mine's on 16" wheels). I even experimented with 15" wheels at one point (N.B. they don't fit over the brakes of the bigger engine cars).  Some years back I wondered what had happened to the softer ride that older cars enjoyed. I realised that, say, around the year 2000 an E-class Mercedes could have come with 195/65 x 15 tyres, no wonder cars seemed more compliant then. In the eighties a Jag XJ6 only had 205/70 x 15 (and was similar weight similar to a Superb). How did they manage?

 

Newest Mondeos, Insignias and C-class Mercs are all now available with 60 series tyres, as of a few years back; usually 215 or 225/60 x 16 or 17, I think.

Edited 27 April, 20179 yr by CombatWombat

1 hour ago, CombatWombat said:

I think in Eire the Elegance comes with 17" wheels fwiw. It's all down to the importer; I saw a Belgian one on 16" steels!

 

You're right - my 2014 1.6d Elegance came with 17" wheels ("Laurel light alloy") on 225/45 R17 91W tyres.

 

So with just a puncture repair kit in the boot, no spare wheel, and being someone who seldom carries passengers, can I perhaps legally get away with 91V tyres without invalidating the insurance, providing I notify the insurer first? I've seen loads of wheel and tyre sets for sale below £600, but all with 91V tyres.

 

Thanks for sharing the info on Greenlines, tyre profiles and a Belgian one with steel wheels, which made me smile.

91 load tyres are rated at 615kg each. So that gives you a maximum rear axle load of 1230kg.

 

You need to check the weights plate on the inside of the door. The weight with a "2." before it is the gross rear axle weight. Legally you need tyres that match or exceed the vehicles gross weights.

 

Although you may not carry that much weight you still legally have to meet this weight with the tyres' maximum loading.