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Advice needed about winter tyres please....

funguy
funguy Posts: 601 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
Hi everyone!

I have a 2012 Ford Focus 1.0 hatchback - currently on 17 inch alloys with summer tyres (215/50/17).

I am looking to switch to winter tyres - my options are sticking to the alloys and buying 4 x 17" winter tyres fitted although im worried changing tyres twice a year will eventually damage the alloys.

My alternative is to buy 4 x 16" steel alloys (none near me on Ebay and im not comfortable visiting a scrapyard) and get winter tyres fitted onto those. This may be easier all round as this would be cheaper to swap round each year and 16" winter tyres are cheaper. I would need 205/55/16.

Any advice about above. If 2nd option - can anyone find a site that will do the steel wheels and winter tyres and offer the option of a local tyre fitter fitting it all inclusive - like blackcircles but they dont do the steel rims.

All your advice appreciated. Thank you in advance.....
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Comments

  • GolfBravo
    GolfBravo Posts: 1,090 Forumite
    funguy wrote: »
    Hi everyone!

    I have a 2012 Ford Focus 1.0 hatchback - currently on 17 inch alloys with summer tyres (215/50/17).

    I am looking to switch to winter tyres - my options are sticking to the alloys and buying 4 x 17" winter tyres fitted although im worried changing tyres twice a year will eventually damage the alloys.

    My alternative is to buy 4 x 16" steel alloys (none near me on Ebay and im not comfortable visiting a scrapyard) and get winter tyres fitted onto those. This may be easier all round as this would be cheaper to swap round each year and 16" winter tyres are cheaper. I would need 205/55/16.

    Any advice about above. If 2nd option - can anyone find a site that will do the steel wheels and winter tyres and offer the option of a local tyre fitter fitting it all inclusive - like blackcircles but they dont do the steel rims.

    All your advice appreciated. Thank you in advance.....
    mytyres.co.uk (it's a German company, tyres arrive usually within 4-5 days) offer steel wheel and winter tyre packages. And I think oponeo.co.uk (a Polish company, 4-5 day delivery) offer them too.
    "Retail is for suckers"
    Cosmo Kramer
  • nobbysn*ts
    nobbysn*ts Posts: 1,176 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    You could look at 15"wheels, with 195/65/15 tyres, these were a factory fitted wheel as well.
  • funguy
    funguy Posts: 601 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    nobbysn*ts wrote: »
    You could look at 15"wheels, with 195/65/15 tyres, these were a factory fitted wheel as well.

    Really? will these fit on my car as well? Is it better to drop to these? It doesnt give me options for 15" wheels on any of of the websites when i enter the car details
    Kind regards
  • bigjl
    bigjl Posts: 6,457 Forumite
    I would double check the use of 15" wheels mate.

    I had a v50 with 16" wheels which is basically a mk2 Focus and I don't think the front calipers would fit behind a 15" wheel.

    I had 205/55/16 Goodyear Ultragrip 8's on my 16" alloys and they lasted well, don't think they made much of a difference in the little snow we had near London but they were worth the money purely for the way they worked in cold and wet conditions. Very little pull when hitting standing water for example.

    I would just find some wheels on eBay as if you buy via Mytyres or Blackcircles they will fit and dispose of your old tyres as part of the deal.

    Nokian have a good reputation for winter tyres, I found the Goodyear Ultragrip 8 good but I think they have been superseded this year. We had Michelin Alpin at my old work place which were good not sure of the exact model but you can never go far wrong with a Michelin.
  • funguy
    funguy Posts: 601 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    nobbysn*ts wrote: »

    Thank you - interesting my vehicle handbook doesnt recommend 15" wheels.

    Any other good websites? Neither opneo nor mytyres off a fullly inclusive service which includes fitting.....
  • funguy
    funguy Posts: 601 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    bigjl wrote: »
    I would double check the use of 15" wheels mate.

    I had a v50 with 16" wheels which is basically a mk2 Focus and I don't think the front calipers would fit behind a 15" wheel.

    I had 205/55/16 Goodyear Ultragrip 8's on my 16" alloys and they lasted well, don't think they made much of a difference in the little snow we had near London but they were worth the money purely for the way they worked in cold and wet conditions. Very little pull when hitting standing water for example.

    I would just find some wheels on eBay as if you buy via Mytyres or Blackcircles they will fit and dispose of your old tyres as part of the deal.

    Nokian have a good reputation for winter tyres, I found the Goodyear Ultragrip 8 good but I think they have been superseded this year. We had Michelin Alpin at my old work place which were good not sure of the exact model but you can never go far wrong with a Michelin.

    Im happy to purchase a new set of 16" steel alloys and get the new tyres fitted etc if i can find a company that will send them fitted and balanced so the garage just has to swap the sets over (much cheaper i assume than asking the garage to do the fitting, balancing etc.)
  • Ultrasonic
    Ultrasonic Posts: 4,235 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    nobbysn*ts wrote: »

    I'm always a little cautious of that website since it is American and I'm not sure if all cars are definitely the same spec as here. This website doesn't list exactly the same wheel size for my current car as the UK manufacturer, although I suspect both sizes would work.
  • bigjl
    bigjl Posts: 6,457 Forumite
    Nothing wrong with that plan as they can send them fully fitted to your address I would have thought. So no need to go to a tyre shop.

    Mytyres and Blackcircles will swap the tyres and dispose of the old ones for you if needs be.

    New steel wheels even from a dealer are not huge money.

    Actually try your local Ford dealer(maybe the one you bought your Foucs from) as they may have a set of 16" steel wheels that have been upgraded by the buyer.
  • neilmcl
    neilmcl Posts: 19,460 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    funguy wrote: »
    Thank you - interesting my vehicle handbook doesnt recommend 15" wheels.

    Any other good websites? Neither opneo nor mytyres off a fullly inclusive service which includes fitting.....
    Don't rule out alloys. You may be able to get a set of used 16" alloys sutiable for your car as cheap as a new set of steelies.
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