Winter Tyre Size 225/50 17 or 245/45 17

[Persuader]

Hi.

I have purchased some used 17x8 ET43 A8 Wheels to use as winters on my A6.
I have three questions and I would love to hear your views.

1. Should I get 225/50 17 tyres or 245/45 17 tyres. People say the narrower the better. Is using 245 tyres a total disadvantage or are there any advantages?

2. Are Nankangs really that bad. Reports say that braking in the wet isn't great but I'm assuming they will still be better than a non premium summer tyre? Set of Nankangs in 225/50 17 is circular £350 whereas Dunlops are over £600.

3. Anybody used Cooper Weathermaster as they a good price for 245/45 17?.

Oh and 4. Is a 225 tyre ok on a 8" width rim.

Thanks in advance.

[neilos100]

Hello,

I purchased a set of used alloys from a B7 A4, again ET 43 but IIRC 7.5J. I have bought a set of used Conti TS790 winter tyres to go on them. Definitely go for the narrower tyres; wider tyres tend to act as a ski does whereas the narrower tyres actually cut down through the snow a bit more......hence why rallye drivers use REALLY skinny tyres.....
As to the other questions:

2. Get the best tyres you can......Nankang is a brand I would never buy...I'd rather get a second hand set of something decent....ebay always has loads of stuff...for around £200ish you should get a decent set of four with 5mm on them.

3.Never used them but get 225's...will be cheaper and more efficient anyway.

4. Pretty sure any 17'' tyre will fit any 17'' rim...or so I have been reliably informed by a local tyre fitter....no, not a Kwikfit one either!

Neil

[shabazmo]

225 or 235 is correct. 245 is borderring on the max width for 8 inch wheels, and 215 on the minimum

[Persuader]

225 or 235 is correct. 245 is borderring on the max width for 8 inch wheels, and 215 on the minimum

But Audi standard fitment on 225/50 17 is 7.5", 245/40 18 is 8.0" and 255/35 19 is 8.5".

[shabazmo]

But Audi standard fitment on 225/50 17 is 7.5", 245/40 18 is 8.0" and 255/35 19 is 8.5".

You are quite correct but my statement still stands. My reference is the web site below. My A7 has 255/45/18 on 8.5" wheels and I might change these to 235/50/18 at some stage in the future. In the meantime I have just bought 255/45/18 michelin alpin snow tyres which are very wide. I will see how I get on with these, but am sure that the 235s will have better traction

http://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/...es-advice.html

[Persuader]

Sorted.
Managed to get a set of the newly launched Dunlop SP Wintersport 4D 225/50 17 Tyres really cheap.

Thanks everyone.

[sparkythecat]

Sorted.
Managed to get a set of the newly launched Dunlop SP Wintersport 4D 225/50 17 Tyres really cheap.

How cheap?

National Tyres quoted me £150 each for their predecessors, the Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D.
For the same money, I nbought a set of Pirelli Winter 240 Sottozeros from Pneus Online

[Persuader]

How cheap?

National Tyres quoted me £150 each for their predecessors, the Dunlop SP Wintersport 3D.
For the same money, I nbought a set of Pirelli Winter 240 Sottozeros from Pneus Online

Paid £320 for all 4 tyres off of a chap who purchased them for his Volvo V70 but he then decided to change it for a XC70 after only doing 200 miles on the winter tyres so he put summers back on before part exchanging it.

[neilos100]

You got an absolute bargain there! Well done.....I'm only "slightly" jealous.........

Neil

[bennettp23]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a similar question.

On my a6 2009 2.0TDI I have the audi 8 inch alloys with the original 245/40/18 tyres. I want to get some winter tyres and reading this I'm thinking I may like some 225's. I have done a tyre tool thingy and I think that I can do 225/45/18, but this does not seem to be a common size, can anyone comment if they think my maths is correct?

Thanks

Paul.