I've got a vRS230 with 19" xtremes and am looking to get some aftermarket alloys to put a set of winter boots on but not sure I have got my head around wheel sizes, etc. The Skoda wheels are 7.5J width and have an offset of ET51. Just wondering if wheels with a 35 offset and 8J width will fit okay? Seems to me that they should be okay but will stick out from the arches a bit? And will need a longer set of bolts? 

 

 

8J would normally mean 225 tyres and that's where it gets expensive, I think... or what are you intending to put on? 205/50R17 would probably be a decent compromise, but it ain't gonna be cheap...

 

 - Bret

9 hours ago, brettikivi said:

8J would normally mean 225 tyres and that's where it gets expensive, I think... or what are you intending to put on? 205/50R17 would probably be a decent compromise, but it ain't gonna be cheap...

 

 - Bret

 

What?? The stock wheels 17" size is 225/45/17 - what is this 205/50 you talking about?

 

Also, it is totally OK to go up to 235/45/17.

7 hours ago, Jaco2k said:

 

What?? The stock wheels 17" size is 225/45/17 - what is this 205/50 you talking about?

 

Also, it is totally OK to go up to 235/45/17.

 

...and, correcting myself, although the stock size is 225/45, it does seem that a 205/50 would have the same amount of circumference, but those would be fairly thin tires and not sure which rims would fit well.

 

I have 225/35/19 for Summer wheels and 225/45/17 for Winter, but come time to change it will be 235/35/19 and 235/45/19, which BTW are the more standard sizes in the "cousin" cars (VW Golf and Seat Leon)

...for some reason they have the 19" on 235 and the 17" on 225 on the Golf GTi/R and on the Leon Cupra, but 235/35/19 should be the more correct circumference for the speedo calibration and the matching 17" circumference is 235/45/17, but these are just my 0.02c

Sorry, should have mentioned I'm thinking of 225/40/R18.... Literally £100 cheaper per tyre for continental 850 winters than 19" would be so nearly pays for the alloys I'm looking at! 

winter tyres are a waste of money in the UK, hard roads eat them and they really only are any benefit in light/medium snow. So unless you live in the Scottish Highlands i wouldn't bother. I work in large transport company and not one of the fleet managers would consider putting them on any vehicle let alone their own motors.

 

getting back to the OPs question. you may get some rub but not on the outer arch and the ET has not effect on the length of the bolt. 

Edited 17 November, 20178 yr by JohnnyType2

You do not have to live in the Scottish Highlands to drive in them, or the Scottish Borders, North of England, Wales, or just high roads or any roads where low temperatures and winter might affect them, even if only a few hours of snow or a few days of it.

Indeed, I've no doubts about fitting them, have done to every car I've owned for the last 10 years and have found them invaluable in icy conditions and any amount of snow, even deep. Previously lived in Bolton on the side of a long, steep hill but now travel back up regularly from Kent and even a light dusting of snow almost stops traffic whereas can motor past easily with the winters. Also don't forget that a transport company is a very different scenario given that vans/trucks are much heavier than cars therefore are affected less, at least by snow. 

 

Back to the OP though, where do you think they'll rub JohnnyType2? 

20 hours ago, Headinawayoffski said:

You do not have to live in the Scottish Highlands to drive in them, or the Scottish Borders, North of England, Wales, or just high roads or any roads where low temperatures and winter might affect them, even if only a few hours of snow or a few days of it.

or Sheffield . Steep hills + snow = going nowhere without winter tyres.

I've just discovered that the chap from wheelbase was talking *"£#@+)* and the wheels I'm looking at come in et35, but also et40 and et45! He was obviously just trying to push the ones he had in stock on me.  Going to order the et45s from elsewhere which should fit fine, thanks for all the replies though chaps. 

I've driven 90 miles to work every day through the Mourne mountains. We can get 3 feet of snow as its as high as two thousand feet. I have never fitted winter tyres and never had any problem.

 

The only problem is when  your behind someone who is inexperienced in snow and does not know best driving practices. its the internet everone has and opinion

On 11/17/2017 at 00:00, JohnnyType2 said:

winter tyres are a waste of money in the UK,

 

Watch THIS especially the last bit

 

No snow, no ice, not even freezing. Cold wet tarmac, and we get enough of that in the UK. Wouldn't be without them personally but like you say everyone has an opinion.

 

Or if you do ever have snow THIS says a lot

 

2 hours ago, JohnnyType2 said:

The only problem is when  your behind someone who is inexperienced in snow and does not know best driving practices

 

Only problem I have is when I have someone behind me without them.

 

17 hours ago, GSte said:

Going to order the et45s from elsewhere

 

They should do fine, anything up to around et40 on an 8x18" will fit without issue

 

On an 8" 225s sit nicely and are standard for the car

nice videos. i wonder how much the tyre companies spend in advertising with autoexpress.... 

 

yes we all have opinions otherwise it would be a boring forum. My own experience i wouldnt waste money on winter tyres and advice from experts in the business for years i work with back that up.

 

Call me sceptical but i take anything from an auto magasine that rake in tens of thousands in advertising from tyre companies with a pinch of salt. 

36 minutes ago, JohnnyType2 said:

Call me sceptical but i take anything from an auto magasine that rake in tens of thousands in advertising from tyre companies with a pinch of salt.

 

I'm about as sceptical as they come , just my experience of driving on them for many winters, many of them in places where they are law.

 

I do not want to start another 'WINTERS ON' thread (although it is that time of the year )  but experiences I have had myself like THIS are why I put them on most of my machines every year, even in the UK.

 

Like I said, each to their own (as long as you are not behind me when I stop)

 

Maybe best not to hijack the thread (there are enough on the subject to resurrect) the poor OP was only asking about wheel sizes after all, not opinions on whether he should or should not.

not hijacking at all. i dont like to see people waste their money for little or no improvement at all.

Driving in snow, driving in daylight in snow or on snow can be lovely, 

but as it is above freezing at this time and the temp is way to go to around -4*oC or lower and no salting has been done when it was 6*oC or so and black ice is forming its nice to have the right tyres and still drive carefully.

Going up is easier than going down when the car becomes a sledge.

 

If you are on a journey and the weather changes, the snow falls and it gets so changing lane is a no no and everyone is not a driving god it is nice to know you are in control even if not everyone around you is.  10 miles of driving in some sort of winter hell can soon have you wishing you had the right tyres.

Having to do a 120 mile detour because you have not the right tyres or is that the right vehicle for getting home can be a bit annoying.

http://trafficscotland.org/weatherstations 

 

Where people get 3 feet of snow cars are not driving through it unless ploughed or the snow blower cut through, 

(you can have 20 foot drifts, people driving through are the Snow Blower Drivers, followed by the ploughs / gritters.

You will be on a few inches above the Black Top or going through a few inches of snow i imagine unless you are on some hard pack.

Not many drive through 2 feet of snow.

 

Hopefully a lovely snow winter coming.

Edited 18 November, 20178 yr by Headinawayoffski

Now that's some snow!  Wheels and tyres ordered, thanks for the help all.

Argh, just been informed wheels aren't available! They can get them in a different colour but when I searched for them myself, I've found them £100 cheaper than Demon Tweeks have them at a place called 'Autojantes'.... Anyone ever used this site?

Edited 28 November, 20178 yr by GSte