Poor ride quality on poor roads

[Goderich]

Hi,

The ride quality on good roads is fine. However, I find the ride quality on poor roads is poor and about half of the roads where I live in the UK come into this category. The ride is certainly a lot worse than with my old MItsubishi, which was not exactly a luxury car. There seems to have been some debate about this on forums etc . Would replacing the 18 inch wheels with 16 inch make enough difference to be worth doing or anything else? I guess there could be something else wrong with my suspension, but I think there would then be a problem on good roads as well, Thanks for any ideas.

[Ootohere]

You would find out easily enough if you fit 16" wheels and tyres and see how it goes, or if your suspension is the issue.

(maybe someone has a set they can lend in your area.)

?

How about buying a set of Winter Tyres / Wheels maybe from Briskoda 'For Sales' and then after the winter or after trying them you could sell again and it will not have cost you much.

[gav_is_con]

A lot of comments indeed about the ride on 18" wheels. I do agree running my 16" winters is a lot more acceptable ride wise on bad roads. I don't like the look of 16" wheels. As per some recommend the best compromise is 17" comfort vs looks. Not had opportunity to test that theory myself. 

[nafeun]

Check shocks. Just replaced our rear springs and shocks. The shocks were both knackered. Free sliding 

[williamshatnerspants]

The other thing to check are tyre pressures. I can run our 18"s at 38-40PSI and its still comfortable (better roads over here ;o)). Even a few PSI is noticeable.

 

As noted above get the shocks checked with one of those shock absorber checking tester. If they are OK I'd suggest buying some second hand 16" or 17" wheels. 

[achapman]

I went down to 17" and think it is a great improvement.  Hitting a pothole with the 18" wheels would give the car a worryingly vicious jolt, but with 17" it is nothing like as bad.  Whether moving down to 16" gives a significantly better ride still I don't know.  In terms of looks 17" is acceptable, whereas I'm dubious about 16".

[Goderich]

Thanks for that. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who switched to 16 inch wheels.

[Declan O'Shaughnessy]

I switched to 16" from 18" in December 2017. To be perfectly honest, it hasn't improved the ride as much as I'd hoped. You can still feel potholes etc. but they are less "violent". But you still know when the road surface is poor, which I was hoping wouldn't be the case. The smaller wheels have made a huge improvement to fuel economy though, so I'd recommend them for that alone. I'm not bothered by the looks at all, but that's a personal thing.

 

It basically cost me nothing to switch: I sold my 18" rims for the same price as I paid for the 16" (my rims were in a terrible state, so the 16"s look quite shiny in comparison). The tyres are significantly cheaper, so that's good. Handling at motorway speed is, I think, less assured, but that's subjective experience. Braking has been much the same. Tyre wear seems much the same, but I won't know for sure until the 12 month mark.

 

If you're expecting miracles in the ride quality, I think you'll be disappointed (based on my experience). But if you're happy with marginal improvement of comfort, and significant improvement of fuel economy, and cheaper running costs for tyre replacement, then it's worth making the switch.

 

If you do think about switching, bear in mind that the recommended tyre pressures on the 16" are quite high. My local tyre place thought they were too high and reduced them. I put them back to the recommended pressure because (call me mad) I reckon that Skoda probably know more about what pressure the tyres should be at than some monkey who sets every tyre to the same pressure because that's what he learned 30 years ago. But if you're prepared to lower the pressure (or just don't think the way I do), then you may find that lower pressures on the 16" has a marked improvement on ride quality. I haven't tried it myself so I can't comment.

[oldbadger]

Hi all, not sure if putting smaller wheels and tyres on would go down with you insurer very well, they would jump at the chance of not paying out after an accident.

[jafo]

@oldbadger

 

You are confusing modification - non standard size - with a different but manufacturer approved / recommended size - check label on the inside of the fuel flap for sizes and pressure. 

Edited 7 September, 2018 by jafo

[oldbadger]

Hi Jafo, I still think dropping 2 inches off the rim size you would need to inform your insurer, you wouldn't want any nasty surprises  if you did happen to have an accident and they refused to pay out.

[jafo]

@oldbadger

 

You mean just to let them know? As if you have correct size they can't refuse to pay out. 

Edited 8 September, 2018 by jafo

[gav_is_con]

Even if you change the size that came from the factory to an approved size on the label. You need to inform your insurance, surely ?

[Ootohere]

You check out your Cars Type Approved Wheel tyres sizes, and check out the Manufacturers Recommendation for Winter Use if Chains are fitted, 

the smaller size of wheels Steel or Alloy are the recommendation so that chains can be fitted, so if you are in the UK you are looking at the safe option if you ever need them on in the UK or if in European Countries that require chains to be carried or fitted if the signs say they need fitting.

Tell your Broker / Underwriter that by having the smaller wheel fitted you are being 'Simply Clever' and thinking of Safety & Others.

Correct Tyre Approved Wheels, Load / Speed rated tyres as required and no 'increased interest to car / wheel thieves' as not more desirable....

[KnightRider007]

Hi

 

I have recently brought a Octavia VRS Limited Edition and have the same issue with ride quality mine has 18" wheels but was thinking of getting the lowering springs replaced to standard one.  Don't know is this will resolve the ride quality issue.

[oldbadger]

Hi Knightrider,

                         I have just replaceed all four tyres on my Superb and was considering putting 225/45/18 or even 225/50/18 on but was advised that this may improve ride quility but would affect the speedo, so i thought best too stick with recommended sizes, i would change your lowered springs back to standard ones and maybe put better shockers on.

                                                                                                                                                           cheers, Oldbadger.

[vborovic]

37 minutes ago, oldbadger said:

was considering putting 225/45/18 or even 225/50/18 on but was advised that this may improve ride quility but would affect the speedo

 

3% slower speed would be displayed than the real speed, but that offset can be changed/coded with the diagnostics software

Edited 30 September, 2018 by vborovic

[Goderich]

I am on 225/40/18 at the moment so going to 225/40/18 with nearly another inch would be worth doing when changing tyres anyway. How does this compare with going for 16 inch wheels I wonder? I didn't  know about the lowered springs, I will defo look into that. 

Thanks,

  Andrew

[vborovic]

Just now, Goderich said:

I am on 225/40/18 at the moment so going to 225/40/18 with nearly another inch would be worth doing when changing tyres anyway

 

I don't see where you've lost that one inch ...

[Goderich]

sorry typo, I meant 225/40/18 to 225/50/18. At least this doesn't involve the cost of new tyres, but if it didn't work you would then have the wrong tyres for 16 inch.

[chimaera]

2 hours ago, vborovic said:

 

3% slower speed would be displayed than the real speed, but that offset can be changed/coded with the diagnostics software

It can't on the Superb 2. Coding is limited to two tyre sizes, the standard sizes, and one that is equivalent to a 235/45/R18. k-number is not adjustable via adaptation like it was on older cars.

 

I've written about it here:

 

[Goderich]

This info from Chimera suggests that with 18 inch wheels you can only have a width of 40. Are VW right about this? 

[Goderich]

Personally I would not worry about the speedo being out by 3%. My last car was out by 10% anyway.

[chimaera]

2 minutes ago, Goderich said:

This info from Chimera suggests that with 18 inch wheels you can only have a width of 40. Are VW right about this? 

The only type-approved 18" size for Superb 2 is 225/40. Other sizes can be fitted but you would need to check with your insurer.

 

Also if the change in profile height is too great you risk your speedometer under-reading, which leaves you at risk of speeding fines.

[Goderich]

I have asked SKoda customer services if they can come up with a recommended solution to this although I am not optimistic s they are just helpdesk people without much of a clue or access to people who do have a clue. There first and last resort is always to suggest asking the dealer who has no idea either. It seems that the original design of the car has been messed up in rider quality by attempts to make it look more trendy.  I guess test driving a skoda without the changes would give some indications about solutions.