Winter Tyres

[JackoVRS]

My Vrs currently has the 225/40R18 tyres, 7.5Jx18ET51 5x112PCD wheels. 

When I am hunting on the likes of eBay etc. Can the spec (like above) differ to what I can fit, so as long as the PCD is correct the rest might work ? 

Sorry to make this confusin I am trying to get my head around it 

[peter3197]

58 minutes ago, JackoVRS said:

My Vrs currently has the 225/40R18 tyres, 7.5Jx18ET51 5x112PCD wheels. 

When I am hunting on the likes of eBay etc. Can the spec (like above) differ to what I can fit, so as long as the PCD is correct the rest might work ? 

Sorry to make this confusin I am trying to get my head around it 

You really need to go on one of the websites such as my tyres  https://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/skw.pl?dsco=110&cart_id=oV5suC12RjhwG02Q.110.887262962&s_p=Steel_wheels

and put your details in to get the options. You can then shop around.

[juan27]

2 hours ago, peter3197 said:

You really need to go on one of the websites such as my tyres  https://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/skw.pl?dsco=110&cart_id=oV5suC12RjhwG02Q.110.887262962&s_p=Steel_wheels

and put your details in to get the options. You can then shop around.

 

Pretty sure Mytyres don't do steel wheels for the Mk3 VRS.

[juan27]

4 hours ago, JackoVRS said:

My Vrs currently has the 225/40R18 tyres, 7.5Jx18ET51 5x112PCD wheels. 

When I am hunting on the likes of eBay etc. Can the spec (like above) differ to what I can fit, so as long as the PCD is correct the rest might work ? 

Sorry to make this confusin I am trying to get my head around it 

 

Assuming you're on Ebay for used OEM alloys.

 

Unless I'm very much mistaken all the 18" VRS wheels from 2005 on have the same width (7.5) and ET (Offset) so can be used.  Other 5x112 wheels from the VW group should fit assuming the offset is not too far out.   

 

Probably wheels from Golf/Leon/A3 are the most likely to work if you can't find some from an Octy.  With non-VW wheels they may have the right PCD, but the central bore may be different, which complicates things.  

 

This site might help offset wise:    https://www.willtheyfit.com/

Edited 3 October, 2018 by juan27

[penguin17]

4 hours ago, JackoVRS said:

My Vrs currently has the 225/40R18 tyres, 7.5Jx18ET51 5x112PCD wheels. 

 

But is it TDI or TSI? 

 

That will determine which brakes are fitted which in turn would indicate what clearance/wheel size you will need. 

[JackoVRS]

It is TDI mate 

[themanwithnoaim]

40 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

But is it TDI or TSI? 

 

That will determine which brakes are fitted which in turn would indicate what clearance/wheel size you will need. 

But what year TDI, 15 plate onwards had smaller front discs as a result of someone realising it wasn't fast enough to require big brakes!!!

[JackoVRS]

It's a 14 plate 2.0ltr diesel 

[Czechers]

17 inch wheels should be fine (but snug), in some markets they came with 17 inch wheels as standard. 16 inch wheels won't clear the larger brakes though.

 

Wheels from the Mk2 Octavia should also fit, as long as you go for 17 inch upwards. I ran 18 inch Neptune's from the Mk2 on my Mk3 vRS without issue. 

 

I now run them on my Mk7 Golf GTD, again no issues. Any genuine OEM wheels made for the Golf Mk5 onwards / Leon Mk2 onwards / Octavia Mk2 onwards or Audi A3 Mk2 onwards should fit as long as they are 17 inch diameter or bigger. 

 

With aftermarket wheels it's less straightforward, so you need to check a site such as willtheyfit.com so see how they compare. If you don't want any issues with insurance, best to stick as close as possible to the OEM spec wheels. So 7.5J width, 18 inch diameter, ET51 offset, 5 stud 112 PCD. 

Edited 3 October, 2018 by Czechers

[JackoVRS]

Thanks Czechers 

[penguin17]

1 hour ago, themanwithnoaim said:

But what year TDI, 15 plate onwards had smaller front discs as a result of someone realising it wasn't fast enough to require big brakes!!!

Well AFAIK the MY13 onwards will take 16’s

 

My Leon FR was a 63 plate, shared the same brakes as the TDI vRS and I ran 16” Winter alloys for 3 years with no issues,  *just* enough clearance. 

[Czechers]

Early Mk3 vRS Octavia's came with 340mm front discs, up to around 2015. Same size as the Mk3 Leon Cupra and Golf GTi PP. My 15 plate vRS TDI had 340mm front discs.

 

AFAIK the Mk3 Leon FR has always had 312mm front discs, same as my Golf GTD has, and same as the Mk3 Octavia vRS now comes with. 

[dunc69]

I got fed up swapping summers to winters and back every October and March on my Mk2 vRS and gave up. 

 

Then it snowed for the first time in 5 years!

 

Even so, there was only one day last winter that I couldn’t get the Mk3 vRS out safely. 

 

Won’t bother again. Tempted by Michelin Cross-Climates in the future, but on the second car. Not on a vRS as I guess I would lose a little performance in the dry.....

 

 

[Auric Goldfinger]

5 hours ago, themanwithnoaim said:

But what year TDI, 15 plate onwards had smaller front discs as a result of someone realising it wasn't fast enough to require big brakes!!!

 

Isn't that the same as the new spec 245 Tsi only has a n/s exhaust as it's not sporty enough to have one on each side

[BigEjit]

11 hours ago, Gabbo said:

 

I also have the Dezent TD wheels but in 17" form.

Do you use the spiggot rings because the ET you bought was different that the standard for the O3 ? (worried now because i just fit mine directly onto the Wheel hub....)

The spigot rings help centre the wheel on the hub. The centre bore of the TD wheel is way larger than the diameter of the central projecting flange on the Skoda hub so it is harder to align the bolt holes up when fitting the wheel.  It’s possible to slightly misalign the wheel causing out of balance like vibration at speed. I think the diameter of the wheel hub centre is 70mm internal dia, hub flange 58mm outside dia...? It’s on the wheel spec sheet on the website. 

 

ET is the offset difference between the machined back face of the wheel hub and the centreline of the rim width which in our case is 51mm (ET51) factory intent. Other ET’s will work as well. 

 

[themanwithnoaim]

7 hours ago, Auric Goldfinger said:

 

Isn't that the same as the new spec 245 Tsi only has a n/s exhaust as it's not sporty enough to have one on each side

Yes I do believe it's gonna have a restricted exhaust, kinda think the sweet spot may have been & gone

[stever750]

9 hours ago, dunc69 said:

I got fed up swapping summers to winters and back every October and March on my Mk2 vRS and gave up. 

 

Then it snowed for the first time in 5 years!

 

Even so, there was only one day last winter that I couldn’t get the Mk3 vRS out safely. 

 

Won’t bother again. Tempted by Michelin Cross-Climates in the future, but on the second car. Not on a vRS as I guess I would lose a little performance in the dry.....

 

 

My experience also. 5 years of wasted cash until last winter but I didn't try to venture out anyway. No amount of winter tyre grip will get past a bus or truck blocking the road.... On that basis I'm not bothering again this winter. 

[Kenny R]

10 hours ago, dunc69 said:

I got fed up swapping summers to winters and back every October and March on my Mk2 vRS and gave up. 

 

Then it snowed for the first time in 5 years!

 

Even so, there was only one day last winter that I couldn’t get the Mk3 vRS out safely. 

 

Won’t bother again. Tempted by Michelin Cross-Climates in the future, but on the second car. Not on a vRS as I guess I would lose a little performance in the dry.....

 

 

Winter tyres are not just for snow. If you regularly drive during the winter months in temperatures below 7 deg then winter tyres are probably the best answer. If you experience milder winters then all season tyres are a good compromise.

[Trilogy]

15 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

Winter tyres are not just for snow. If you regularly drive during the winter months in temperatures below 7 deg then winter tyres are probably the best answer. If you experience milder winters then all season tyres are a good compromise.

What he said.

[stever750]

Tbh I never noticed any difference between winter tyres in cold wet conditions compared to something like uniroyal rain sports. Latter much better in the warmer dry conditions too, so I found (or didn't as the case turned out to be) that winters were of only real benefit when there was snow on the ground. I've driven in central Europe hundreds of times over the years in snow and on winters so I know how good they can be, but if your the 1% minority that has them on UK roads then they're a waste of time because the remaining 99% of vehicles on std tyres just get stuck and block you in. Winters only make real financial sense if they become compulsory on trucks and buses etc. 

[Wangarai]

Jacko, if you're looking for a set of alloys, I have a good set of 18" Geminis. See the link (below). If you're interested PM me with an offer. I'm in central Scotland but travel around most of the country for work.

 

 

[juan27]

2 hours ago, Kenny R said:

Winter tyres are not just for snow. If you regularly drive during the winter months in temperatures below 7 deg then winter tyres are probably the best answer. If you experience milder winters then all season tyres are a good compromise.

 

I'm trying 18" Cross Climates+ as "winter" tyres as I've found in the past I'm spending a significant amount of time in winter driving in temps over 7 degrees C. 

 

I have found the standard 19" Pirellis on the 245 fairly useless on ice/packed snow, I struggled a couple of times last winter in ungritted car parks on a slight slope.     

 

Just put them on and I don't think the difference between the Pirellis and CC+ is that massive.....Just a tad more pronounced perhaps to when I swapped from Michelin Pilot Sports to Avon on my Mk2 VRS in the last few months I had it.   

 

Its also a bit of an experiment to see if I might go to 18s for the summer too, as the Extremes don't offer much for me in exchange for the rough ride, and are also so easy to damage. They are bl**dy heavy too.

 

If I lived in a city and spend most of my time on major roads I wouldn't bother with winters.     

[JD52]

How do the CCs compare for noise?

[dunc69]

6 hours ago, Kenny R said:

Winter tyres are not just for snow. If you regularly drive during the winter months in temperatures below 7 deg then winter tyres are probably the best answer. If you experience milder winters then all season tyres are a good compromise.

Thanks, I am well aware of that, but the summers work fine in cold weather in the UK. 

 

The faff of changing them isn’t worth it to me unless it snows, or is very cold for sustained periods, which it isn’t in Somerset.  

[juan27]

1 hour ago, JD52 said:

How do the CCs compare for noise?

 

I've noticed a bit of noise on highly polished tarmac, but generally I can't say they are much noisier. Quieter than true winters I think.