Looking for some winter tires and possibly rims

[Mr Pig]

I'm not saying all season tyres are bad and if you're happy with them, great. But all season tyres cannot give you the same performance as dedicated summer tyres will in the summer or winter tyres will I the snow. It's a physical impossibility as the technical requirements are diametrically opposed.

The best summer tyres will be too hard in the winter and they won't have enough stipes and gaps in the tread. Winter tyres will be too soft and the tread will flex too much in the summer.

In the crappy UK climate they might offer a decent compromise but that's all they can ever be. Not bad, but a bit less grip than the best in most conditions.

 

[Plaidy]

... but if you have the brembo 370 mm front disc/callipers then you are stuck with 19”...

I am having a really hard time getting exact information on my model number as the models listed on the official Seat parts catalog don't match anything on my registration. The closest I can find is this general page that states I have 370mm front discs:

But if you look at the other pictures I attached, it seems like there would be enough clearance to fit a rim that is 1" smaller. I was definitely able to confirm, no snow chains possible on this car. One tire seller offered me the exact rims I have and a set of Continental Winters for just over 2000 euro. That seems ridiculous to get the exact rims I already have.

 

[CupraGeezer]

Those are the standard brakes, not the Brembo ones, so your front discs will be 340 mm diameter.

 

[Plaidy]

Those are the standard brakes, not the Brembo ones, so your front discs will be 340 mm diameter.

Will 18" rims work on 340mm diameter rotors or is it better to just stick with 19"? The dealer and tire sellers are all saying 19" is the only possible solution but I am not sure if that is the reality or just what their guides are telling them/a way to make the most money.

 

[CupraGeezer]

Will 18" rims work on 340mm diameter rotors or is it better to just stick with 19"? The dealer and tire sellers are all saying 19" is the only possible solution but I am not sure if that is the reality or just what their guides are telling them/a way to make the most money.

Definitely, lots of people have fitted 18" wheels to Cupras. You can see in the pictures that there's easily 1/2" of clearance. That's the size I would choose for winter tyres.

 

[Plaidy]

Definitely, lots of people have fitted 18" wheels to Cupras. You can see in the pictures that there's easily 1/2" of clearance. That's the size I would choose for winter tyres.

With 225/40 R18 tires?

 

[jt20vt]

With the 340 brakes you can fit 17" also. I have a set of 17" seat leon wheels with winter tyres fitted to my 17 reg cupra st 4 drive. You have enough clearance about the same as my mk1 leon cupra r had with the standard wheels.

 

[jt20vt]

Part number for the 17" wheel is 5F0601025B. Just seen a used set of 4 with summer used tyres on ebay UK for £299.

 

[RUM4MO]

With 225/40 R18 tires?

Yes, my daughter's 2019 Cupra has 225/40 R18 92V Extra Load on for Winter use.

Edit:- my logic was - is she needing Winter tyres for safety and mobility only during the extreme days/weeks of Winter, or does she need Winter tyres for staying safer in late Autumn through to late Spring which includes the wettest times in Scotland, also retaining the ability to drive this car in a way that it was intended to be driven - along with a consideration for how the car looks and behaves, I chose the size that better suited the later conditions/use. She is a primary school teacher living and working within a city boundary, so if the weather was really nasty, schools tend to get closed, so keeping out of trouble over that period seemed more important than being able to get out and block the roads in extreme conditions.
On the other hand, when I picked a size for my wife's 2015 VW Polo, originally she was caring for her mother who lived about 25 miles away, so I went down from 16" rims to 15" rims but chose 185 width instead of the 195 or even 206 width options to improve grip in snow conditions.
Sticking with what SEAT has listed as a Winter tyre size must make it easier to keep insurers happy.

 

[Plaidy]

Yes, my daughter's 2019 Cupra has 225/40 R18 92V Extra Load on for Winter use.

Ok and I assume that car has the same size rotors as mine?

 

[Plaidy]

Part number for the 17" wheel is 5F0601025B. Just seen a used set of 4 with summer used tyres on ebay UK for £299.

Thanks for your help.

 

[RUM4MO]

Ok and I assume that car has the same size rotors as mine?

Yes - as long as you have 340mm front rotors/discs - and I've added a bit to that posting after you read it, sorry!

 

[black_sheep]

As above. Some 17” will fit depending on spoke design, ET and use of low profile weights. 18”s will definitely fit with your standard spec brakes (340mm).

I have Dezent TD 7.5J x 17” ET40 rims.

When the VAG MQB platforms (upon which your Leon is based) were first released, choice was limited, which is why I had to choose this size.

These vehicles have been in production for 7+ years, and the rim that I purchased now has a 7.5J x 18” ET 51 spec which matches the OEM sizes.

 

[Plaidy]

Ok. Is there a problem going with 8jx18 ET50? I am looking at some Sparco rims and noticed the stock rims are 8Jx19x50 so i figured it shouldn't cause any issues

 

[jt20vt]

Ok. Is there a problem going with 8jx18 ET50? I am looking at some Sparco rims and noticed the stock rims are 8Jx19x50 so i figured it shouldn't cause any issues

The 8jx18 ET 50 will fit with 235/40/18 tyres maybe even 225/40/18 tyres but 225 width tyres might not wide enough.

 

[Plaidy]

The 8jx18 ET 50 will fit with 235/40/18 tyres maybe even 225/40/18 tyres but 225 width tyres might not wide enough.

I was hoping to actually go for the 235/40/18's but there is a report with the rims that show road suitability is only to 225/40/18 for the Cupra:

But then there are other VAG autos in the list that say 235/40/18s are allowed for use with the rim and the particular car:

I definitely don't want to run afoul of any laws in case the worst happens and someone is inspecting my car for improper parts later on down the road. I don't really get why the 235/40/18s wouldn't be approved as they are much closer to the size of 235/35/19s than the 225/40/18s are.

Edit:

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[jt20vt]

Seat use 225/40/18 tyres with 18" wheel. Normally the wheel will be 18" dia with 7.5 width. They then use the 225 width tyre to fit with it. That is there oem spec and have used it since the mk1 leon. The tyre is common size and easily available that fits to the wheel. Normally an 8" width wheel will use a 235 width tyre ie the 235/35/19. All the tyres and wheel sizes Seat use have an overall circumference that are identical or near identical.

 

[Plaidy]

235/40/18 on a 8x18 ET50 really seems like the way to go if it's allowed:

 

[BigJase88]

225/40/18 on an 8J wheel shows no stretch, i run 225’s on 8J ET45 and imo it’s pretty spot on set up

on an A3 but is the same setup as a Leon

225’s are also much cheaper than 235’s

 

[Plaidy]

225/40/18 on an 8J wheel shows no stretch, ...

Thanks for the pictures! I confirmed yesterday that either a 8j or 7.5j x18 with ET50/51 with 225/40 R18 is legally allowed for the car. It's nice to have an idea of what it will look like with what you posted. There is a Mk3 Seat Leon FR ST parked near my Cupra in the garage with 225/40 R18s but along with having smaller rotors, it is probably on a 7.5jx18 rim so I can't tell exactly how it would translate to my car.

Anyway, thanks everyone for all the help.