I have a L&K Estate coming up to 3 years old. It came with the 19" wheels (235/40/19R) and has never handled potholes well.

Recently had a slow puncture & repairer said the wheel had 4 small cracks and recommended welding.

 

I wasn't sure about this because:

a)  I'm not sure about welding alloys.

b)  I don't know the condition of other wheels; seems to me that they would need  to be checked before going ahead with wheel repair.

c)  I have suspected for some time that I might have been better off with 18" wheels. I don't know if I've just been unlucky with my tyres/wheels or whether it is the low profile.

 

Coming up to MOT time, so I need to decide soon. I didn't buy a new tyre yet because I'm not sure I should stick with that size.

 

Any opinions or advice?

 

Obviously a Wheel refinnisher welding alloy wheels would need the gear and more than an idea, like training and Insurance and not just be Back Street or Kerb Side autos.

 

Sounds like you need Function over style, and wheels and tyres with XL markings and bigger / taller sidewalls, and still try to miss potholes.

18" sounds like the way to go.

Keep the 19's for when you get shot of the car and you can sell the 18's if not needed for the next car.

Check the transport blocks have been removed, often the simple cause of bad ride. They restrict suspension movement and the result is pothole disaster. Check out the threads on this forum.

If you find any still left in then you have reason to claim for consequential damages to your alloys / tyres / car from the initial dealer who was responsible for the PDI. New alloys maybe, free geometry check and thorough inspection for damage to car.

Edited 25 September, 20187 yr by xman

I was sceptical of having 19s when i changed from my mk2 fl vrs octy, as the ride on that was horrendous lol.  But as the superb is set up for comfort it actually rides 10 times nicer even with 19s.  I have a set of 18s with winter tyres to go on once temp drops more and lookong forward to seeing if it changes how it rides!

23 hours ago, Offski said:

Obviously a Wheel refinnisher welding alloy wheels would need the gear and more than an idea, like training and Insurance and not just be Back Street or Kerb Side autos.

 

Sounds like you need Function over style, and wheels and tyres with XL markings and bigger / taller sidewalls, and still try to miss potholes.

18" sounds like the way to go.

Keep the 19's for when you get shot of the car and you can sell the 18's if not needed for the next car.

Thanks

 

Sounds sensible.

 

And I live a sea of mud for much of the year using single track roads where verge visiting is compulsory, so style isn't really an available option.

23 hours ago, xman said:

Check the transport blocks have been removed, often the simple cause of bad ride. They restrict suspension movement and the result is pothole disaster. Check out the threads on this forum.

If you find any still left in then you have reason to claim for consequential damages to your alloys / tyres / car from the initial dealer who was responsible for the PDI. New alloys maybe, free geometry check and thorough inspection for damage to car.

Thanks.

 

Definitely the first thing for me to get checked.

The car was bought from the initial dealer, having been previously used by a director. I'd assumed that they'd have had everything even minor irritations fixed; certainly had all the options. Far more than I would have specified for myself.

I got the car after my previous one was written off after someone drove straight out in front of me at the last minute (police told me no action would be taken because they had surrendered their licence). Needed to have a car for work when I was OK to go back, wife did test drive because I wasn't feeling up to it at the time. I definitely wanted all possible safety options and this one had them.

 

23 hours ago, Adrian55555 said:

I was sceptical of having 19s when i changed from my mk2 fl vrs octy, as the ride on that was horrendous lol.  But as the superb is set up for comfort it actually rides 10 times nicer even with 19s.  I have a set of 18s with winter tyres to go on once temp drops more and lookong forward to seeing if it changes how it rides!

It's interesting. I find the ride very smooth when the road is, but poor with potholes etc. I had assumed this was the low profile - and maybe the roads I'm usually on.

Yeah roads arent the best in uk, most my roads i use i know where pot holes are and do avoid them as id hate to mark/scuff/damage my nice unmarked 19s!

No transport blocks, so it is on to the 18" wheels and deeper tyres.

16 minutes ago, Wessmith said:

Please join Freedom if you wish to sell on Briskoda

 

@Wessmith 

Just to update with outcome.

 

The 4 wheels were replaced at Skoda dealer with new 18" + tyres. £983 all in.

No problems since. Ride much improved.

 

I’ve had alloys straightened and welded in the past, never had an issue.

 

Yours is not a bad story, had 18’s on a Honda Accord and went through 4 in one year. Swapped for 17’s and ended up replacing those one by one also. Honda denied there was an issue, but in a million miles of driving, the Honda is the only car I have ever needed to replace a wheel on!