winter wheels

[mas]

Hi,

I want to get a cheap set of 15" wheels to put winter tyres on. Anyone got any suggestions as to a source.

I have looked on ebay but all the 15" wheels seem to be for the s3 or golfs, and the wheel fitment is different. I know that 15" was standard on the A4 (although mine is 16").

thanks

Mark

 

[imported_AudiOwner96]

15" ?

I would have thought you would be alright staying with 16".

I can't understand why you would want to go smaller than 16". I have 16" alloys on at the moment but I am getting some bigger ones a.s.a.p. because compared to the low profiles on most modern cars, even these look like tractor tyres.

 

[imported_AudiOwner96]

Oh, and S3 wheels are 17" standard.

 

[imported_AudiOwner96]

Sorry, forgot to say:

Try Ebay.co.uk

 

[PaulJC84]

I wouldnt bother going smaller than 16s.

Just buy a set of 18s for the summer and use your 16s for the winter.

 

[mas]

OK,
sorry should have said A3 not S3.

why 15" ? because it is audi's recommendation for my A4 quattro for WINTER tyres - 185/65-15. Im actually planing to use 195/65 which is a better match to the 205/55-16 standard.

Also 15" winters can be easily bought for £50 each. 16" adds £30+.

I wouldnt use 18" because I want to keep some comfort in the suspension. Putting 18" on the Carrera 4 made it very uncomfortable.


Anyone used Rochford tyres ? Their prices seem OK, assuming the price really is for 4 wheels...

 

[imported_kris_tdi]

why do you want winter tyres in the uk?
you dont need them for the small amount of snow we have every few years.

besides thinner tyres are better for snow anyway.

look on mytyres, you can get 16" tyes for £50 each

 

[mas]

I want them because of the low temperatures. I have contisport2's on at the moment and when it is -3 on muddy country roads they are sliding more than they should. A good winter tyre will (so the mfr's tell me) outperform a summer tyre once the temps get below about 8c. I've spoken to a couple of people locally who do use winters and they confirm that they are much better. (only used from early Dec- late Feb) But given the forecast that this is going to be the worst winter for x years I want one of our cars to cope with anything - makes sense for it to be the quattro which is my wife's car.

she is a doctor and can get called out in the middle of the night, I want as secure handling as possible.

 

[imported_AudiOwner96]

I've been driving round in 205 55 r16. The past week, one morning was -3.5, another -2.5. I just take it easy when its frosty - it goes without saying.

I won't change my wheels or tyres to a smaller size, in fact I am currently in the process of buying some 17" wheels to put on the car.

I don't know anyone that changes their tyres for winter and I never have done myself, so I am not really qualified to answer. In my opinion though, the difference you will feel by changing your wheels to be an inch smaller is not worth the cost and effort of changing them.

It's not as if your going to go flying round a corner with your 16" wheels on, hit a patch of ice and spin off the road, then whilst pulling the car out of the hedge curse yourself for not fitting the 15"'s. I think you would spin off the road whichever you had on.

But, this being a sport orientated forum, most people have 17-18" wheels on their cars some guys even have 19", whether that is Audi's recomendation or not. I'm not sure if anyone here will advise you to go with 15" wheels.

(EDIT - I wrote this post before I read your last post)

 

[jdp1962]

[ QUOTE ]
I want them because of the low temperatures. I have contisport2's on at the moment and when it is -3 on muddy country roads they are sliding more than they should. A good winter tyre will (so the mfr's tell me) outperform a summer tyre once the temps get below about 8c. I've spoken to a couple of people locally who do use winters and they confirm that they are much better. (only used from early Dec- late Feb) But given the forecast that this is going to be the worst winter for x years I want one of our cars to cope with anything - makes sense for it to be the quattro which is my wife's car.

she is a doctor and can get called out in the middle of the night, I want as secure handling as possible.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where in N Yorks are you? The Moors?

 

[Lowride]

I kept my polished A8`s on all the way thru last Winter, u should see them now! They need a refurb bcuz some of the metal has reacted with the salt/grit

Gave me an excuse to get them mirror polished. I`m rolling on standard 16`s now until March

Watch this space...

 

[mas]

Jeff

we actually live near Ripon, but the on call area covers Hartlepool almost to Whitby (which was apparently briefly cut off yesterday).

Mark

BTW for all you rubber band merchants, depending on the sizes you want, ask for N rated tyres, you will get better performance tyres, stiffer sidewalls. Porsche have their own approval system for tyres and their ratings are N followed by a number. The number just means that its that revision of the particular tyre that has been approved by Porsche. Sometimes the porsche approved ones are the same price as the ordinary version, sometimes they cost a couple of pounds more.

 

[A6QuattroDriver]

I've kept my original 16" alloys and fitted Toyo Snowprox S (purchased from www.mytyres.co.uk delivered including VAT for £70 a tyre.

But they also do Nankang SV-1 for £47

What most people forget about Winter tyres is not just the advantage of the tread pattern and a narrower tyre for coping with snow & ice but that summer tyres stop performing as required when temperatures drop below 7Deg C. Which covers more than 4 months of the year in most of the UK let alone further north in England & Scotland.

 

[mas]

costco will do 195/65 15 michelin alpin for £54 all in inc fitting - but need a couple of days notice.

how much difference do you notice on the winter tyres ?

 

[A6QuattroDriver]

Difference is significant - When I lived in Munich the difference between a car with winter tyres and one without was that with Winter tyres you could drive and the non winter tyres where just spinning.

Confidence is worth the change alone.

Costco price is good.

 

[imported_kris_tdi]

found this article, seems very interesting:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74208