wheels

[ray red altea]

hi everyone first post on forum and need some advice about wheels ,am thinking winter snow tyres on steel wheels, from online MY TYRES. after last years fiasco. they show the steel wheel option on my altea 1.9tdi, as 5 stud 77kw which is fine but am i right in thinking i can put thinner tyres on those wheels, my normal tyre is 205/55/16, can i put 195/65/16 tyres on these steel wheels thinking thinner better for snow and also a lot cheaper any advice or what other people are running ,anyone using snow tyres that they would recomend? i am thinking avon or falken which are getting quite good reviews on black circles, many thanks

 

[Wimbledonian]

You'll need the 15" steels for 195/65/15 tyres. That's a correct Altea fitment.

 

[ray red altea]

thanks for the reply wimbledonian so even though my wheels are 205 55 16 the steels to get are 15s am i right in thinking the 65 tyre makes up for that ?

 

[Wimbledonian]

Yep. According to the calculator, 205/55/16 has an overall diameter of 63.19cm and 195/65/15 gives 63.45cm. You won't get any closer than that.

My wife has the entry level Altea that comes on 195/65/15 steels anyhow.

 

[Steve H]

I have just fitted AVON winter tyres and you can notice the improved level of grip already. I put them on my standard 16" rims running 205/55 16. Have now bought some 17s for the summer months, good excuse to buy new alloys. The tyres that came off I will keep for my wife's Altea as they have only done 14k. Don't what would be cheaper or easier, getting some second hand 16's alloys or getting 15's. Need to shop around suppose but I paid £90 per corner fully fitted. It was easier for me to use orginal 16's and get another set of 17's.

 

[ray red altea]

thanks for all your replies guys, looking on my tyres price for a 15inch steel wheel and an avon ice touring 195/65/15 tyre balanced is £75 plus a tenner post and packaging so about £340 for all four, job done whip the alloys off for winter and run these for 4 months is the idea.

 

[pdh 14a]

Do you live somewhere that is particularly bad for snow? i made it to work (9 miles) in 5" of snow in places on 235/45/17's last year!
i'd just pop a pair of proper winter tyres on,and swap them back in the spring!

 

[ray red altea]

yes had a real bad time last year live in a very hilly area and very bad country roads nearly killed myself last year on sheet ice at 5 in the morning fishtailing down a hill towards a oncoming car worst nightmare ever ,deer also a problem as they are suicidal around here final indignity last year was my wifes fabia coming to pick me up in 10 inches of snow were i was stuck with some bmw drivers that fabia is a brilliant little car. anyway will buy the steels and rotate every year for 3 or 4 years. my neighbour does it every year and i used to think he was mad now i have seen the light

 

[pdh 14a]

Sounds very bad there mate! on sheet ice though,it don't matter what rubber your on! I still think normal proper winter tyres will be better than just going skinny!

 

[Steve H]

Am pretty sure that Avon Ice Touring tyres are rated as a winter tyre. Going skinny would only really help in deep snow and doubt anyone would notice the difference between 15's and 16's in the snow. Might notice the difference on wet greasy roads with having a skinner tyre.

We did a driver training day ages ago at work where you drive cars on different size tyres with differnet tread depths. Amazing he difference proper tyres inflated correctly make. Trashed a few cones when guessed breaking distance wrong on nearly bald tyres on a damp track.

 

[iain1970]

Winter tyres, particularly those that are M+S marked carry two distint advantages over all season or summer rubber. The first is that the tread doesn't hold onto the snow & ice, it flicks it out so that you always have open tread for grip. The second is the compound is good to use below 7degreesC, preserving flexibility and grip; summer tyres harden off.

I have some 205/55/16 winters on order from my fleet supplier, my dilemma is do I fit them to my stock alloys and go to 18s for summer or seek out some cheap 16s to fit them to?