GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk6 => Topic started by: Buck on 27 September 2011, 14:35
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Hi Guys
Sorry I've not been on here much recently - holidays, work and just generally busy mean I get little time to contribute but I have managed to dip in and out for my fix!
A question for those more experienced than me in all matters relating to winter wheels as I am going to get myself sorted soon - hopefuly by the end of October.
I have read through the 'epic' thread from last year but wnated to get your opinions on actual usage and living with your current set up as well as thoughts on the options I feel I have: -
For the tyres I have narrowed it down to either the
Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme 16"=£116; 17"=£149 (both excluding fitting)
Continental WinterContact 830P 16"= £103; 17"=£167 (both excluding fitting)
(probably from www.mytyres.co.uk)
Option 1
16" Steel Wheels
Cheapest option but as I plan to have these on the car November to March I'm not sure I could live with them
Total Cost £700 inc fitting
Option 2
16" Alloys - OEM wheels such as these (could sell the tyres on for a small payback)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170697795824?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Total Cost £950 inc fitting
Option 3
17" Alloys - OEM Wheels such as these from a Mk5 GT (Same 5 x 112 fitment)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140610871213?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Total Cost c.£1000
Option 4
17" Alloys - OEM Wheels such as these from a GTi but bearing in mind my car is the GTD!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180728575905?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Total Cost c.£1100
Option 5
After Market Alloys - brand new with Winter Tyres
http://www.wheelbasealloys.com/17_Inch_ZCW_Grace_SC_Alloy_Wheels_with_225_45_17_HR_Vredestein_Wintrac_Xtreme__P968_1910
Total Cost £1050
Thoughts and advice please....
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17" OEM wheels, or good aftermarket wheels, Vredestein Wintrac Extreme tyres...on in October through to March...looks good, works well, job done.
Make it so.
BTW, I especially like the Mk5 GT 'Classix' wheels...and those with a set of 225/45/17 tyres on would look OEM enough to run for 5 months and be very happy with the look of your car.
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Agree with Ess_Three.
*17". I went bigger to 18" as my standard wheels are 18".
Alloys: Use the ones you have or good after market ones. I went aftermarket.
Tyres: Goodyear UltraGrip 8, Vredestein Wintrac Extreme tyres or Michelin Pilot Sport PA3 tyres in 225/45 R17 94V/W XL. Latter tyres my preference on 18" wheels for their W rating, though unnecessarily expensive. The Goodyears are the most modern of this group of three and probably the best.
16" wheels: Go for the Goodyear UltraGrip 8 on steel rims. You'll get amazing grip but be embarrassed by the looks.
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I'm going with 205/55/16 91H - one of the recommended winter sizes in the workshop manual. And 4 VW alloys from a local breakers.
I want Ultra grip 8 tyres, but having difficulty getting them.
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I managed to get 4 17" Monzas off gumtree for £120, a bit scuffed but easily tidied up.
Just fitted them with Dunlop Winter Sport 4D.
Probably be the mildest winter for 100 years this year.. :laugh:
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Thanks for the advice so far
@Asker - I'm definitely not going to swap the tyres over onto my existing rims as I don't want to inflict any damage on them or have the inconvenience - I have the luxury of being able to store a spare set so I cna then swap back and forth when I want. Also I think 18" will look nice but they will compromise the traction/gain from the winter tyres so 17" is my maximum ;)
@Ess_Three - I think the Classix are my preferred choice - coupled with the Vredestein's - seems a good package without compromising the looks or benefits.
@Daz / @mike. - I've had a look locally but nothing that is cheap without a reason :(
...the search continues
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Also I think 18" will look nice but they will compromise the traction/gain from the winter tyres so 17" is my maximum ;)
They don't...I ran 225/40/18 Vredestein Wintrac Extremes last winter and they were epic.
A 225 wide 18" winter tyre is no worse than a 225 wide 17" tyre...it's the compound that matters.
Of course the higher sidewall gives better protection on the 17"s...even more so with 16s.
If you want SERIOUS winter performance, then a 205 wide 16" wheel/trye is the way to go...but having gone through last winter on decent 18" winter tyres, I never felt I was lacking in grip.
@Ess_Three - I think the Classix are my preferred choice - coupled with the Vredestein's - seems a good package without compromising the looks or benefits.
True...nice wheels those.
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^^^
Thanks for clarifying Glen. Thining about it, it's the footprint that matters - 225 is 225 whether on a 17 or an 18 - I thnk 17's will still look decent wihtout breaking the bank.
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I'd personally go for the 17'' Monzas, pick a cheapish set up (there are usually a few sets knocking around for sensible money except when you're actually looking for a set - a wanted ad will be your easiest option as a lot of people chuck them in the garage when they've upgraded to 18s and never get round to advertising them) as the Monzas are really easy to clean and look good on the Golf.
Then again if it's going to get cold enough to warrant winter wheels and tyres the things are going to be covered in salt and road filth most of the time if you do big miles so a set of 16'' steelies are strong and cheap and will take the knocks.
I skidded a works van into a kerb last year on sheet ice, I was only doing about 5 mph before the downhill skid but sped up thanks to the inertia. It was a Ford Connect with steel wheels which took the bump very well and there was barely a mark to the lip of the rim. It sounded like a bomb going off from inside the cab and I thought the wheel and tyre would have been destroyed.
I jumped out and skidded around to the side of the van prepared for the worst only to find the tyre still fully inflated and the wheel looking dandy. No steering knocked out from centre or anything thanks to the big sidewall of the tyre which took the impact. 9 months plus later and the same van has the same wheel and tyre and still fine. An alloy wheel would have been destroyed by that impact I reckon going from the impact noise.
So 16'' steelies are the sensible option.
I'd still go for 17'' Monzas. Happy compromise.
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-GT-MK5-TDI-SPORT-17-INCH-ALLOYS-GENUINE-/260856526021?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Trims_Car_Rims_ET&hash=item3cbc42b4c5
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-GT-MK5-TDI-SPORT-17-INCH-ALLOYS-GENUINE-/260856526021?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Trims_Car_Rims_ET&hash=item3cbc42b4c5
Very nice, perfect for the winter wheel option and they wont ruin the look of the car.
Jim
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Bit steep for 17" wheels.... I would be tempted to go for these*
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=207459.0
:grin: :grin:
*shameless plug
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-GT-MK5-TDI-SPORT-17-INCH-ALLOYS-GENUINE-/260856526021?pt=UK_CarParts_Acc_Wheels_tyres_Trims_Car_Rims_ET&hash=item3cbc42b4c5
Hi Andy
I'd seen these but TBH I'm not sure about black wheels on a black car - I like them on a white red or silver one but on black I don't feel the same "wow" about them
Hmmm decisions
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Bit steep for 17" wheels.... I would be tempted to go for these*
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=207459.0
:grin: :grin:
*shameless plug
Haha! - I'm not tempted :grin:
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(http://listers.co.uk/img/v/used/main/96641/BP11HKJ3.jpg)
Nowt wrong with all black.
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Coming from another angle, how about some 18'' winters? Here's a set of well priced tyres for staters and I know this guy, doesn't live too far away from me.
http://www.r32oc.com/sale/36313-four-225-40-18-toyo-snowprox-s953-winter-tyres.html
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Do you want looks or function. :undecided:
It depends how much snow you get were your at and how good your council is. Im on the border of two councils and so get no grit or road clearing. Last winter for 2 weeks of it the mk6 could not even get anywere near gettign out the village with 225x45x17 Vredestein Wintrac on were as a next door neighbours TDI got out with 205 winters on.
So if i had the choice again i know what i would go for as i decided from that point on the mk6 would not do any winter work and i would use my other car.
Sadly that cars has now died so the mk6 will have to be used this year unless i find something else and at near £1000 for winters for the other family car im thinking another car with small wheels and tyres for me and use the mk6 winters on the family car.
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I got a brabd new set of Mk5 17" VW Exis alloys at a good price last year and shod them with some 225 45 winters. The car performed really well, the only thing that became a problem was when the snow got that deep, the lowered front of the GTI started to act like a snow plough. At that time it was time to garage the GTI and use the wifes Yaris, which was also on winters
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I've been driving for years and never seen the need for winter tyres, this is a subject I can only read and think WTF?
Jim
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Out here in Germany I am going to be plumping for a set of 16" steelies and fitting 205/55s (probably Contis / Michelin / Dunlop), at the end of the day with all the crap on the roads in the winter it doesn't make sense to me to be driving around on a set of nice alloys.
In one thread I do remember seeing a picture of a Golf MkVI with steelies on but with genuine VW badge centre caps - looked quite cool (honest) but for the life of me I can't find it...
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I've been driving for years and never seen the need for winter tyres, this is a subject I can only read and think WTF?
Jim
Were you from? How was the snow.
I have been driving since 89 and before on private roads and never needed them either but the problem nowadays is simple. Its the width of the wheels, tyre compond, weight of the cars and power/tourque of the cars.
I managed to have no problem with the daihatsu with cheap normal tyres on this year but the mk6 just simply would not go. I was infact the only 2 wheel drive car out there a couple of the days as no one else could get out. I was one of very few who made it to work everyday even though i was coming from the highest point with the most snow and non treated or cleared roads. Driving skill and experience has a lot to do with snow driving (I went through the 90s winters etc) but modern cars with hard suspension, low profile summer compond tyres and tread pattern are simply dangerous and a danger to others imo.
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I live in Berkshire, the snow was bad last year here but I just didnt go out :tongue:
Lucky for me my commute is 2.5 miles so it's really bad I'll walk (taxi)
Jim
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Berkshire! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
You want to get up where we live and then say you don't need winter tyres :grin:
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In one thread I do remember seeing a picture of a Golf MkVI with steelies on but with genuine VW badge centre caps - looked quite cool (honest) but for the life of me I can't find it...
mAYBE?
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/flogitg/Forum%20photos/utool_f_1263669058_825.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/flogitg/Forum%20photos/utool_f_1264948106_703.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/flogitg/Forum%20photos/utool_f_1258115884_97.jpg)
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Berkshire! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
You want to get up where we live and then say you don't need winter tyres :grin:
No doubt mate, not saying others don't need them just saying I don't :evil:
Jim
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Do you want looks or function. :undecided:
It depends how much snow you get were your at and how good your council is. Im on the border of two councils and so get no grit or road clearing. Last winter for 2 weeks of it the mk6 could not even get anywere near gettign out the village with 225x45x17 Vredestein Wintrac on were as a next door neighbours TDI got out with 205 winters on.
So if i had the choice again i know what i would go for as i decided from that point on the mk6 would not do any winter work and i would use my other car.
Sadly that cars has now died so the mk6 will have to be used this year unless i find something else and at near £1000 for winters for the other family car im thinking another car with small wheels and tyres for me and use the mk6 winters on the family car.
I'm in Yorkshire so do get quite a bit but I can travel to work on main roads etc and last year the council were very good with gritting and clearing.
A big part of me getting the winter tyres is not just for the snow - where I live we are very high up so it does get a bit on the cold side and I know that the winters will perform better at near or below zero temperatures.
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I got a brabd new set of Mk5 17" VW Exis alloys at a good price last year and shod them with some 225 45 winters. The car performed really well, the only thing that became a problem was when the snow got that deep, the lowered front of the GTI started to act like a snow plough. At that time it was time to garage the GTI and use the wifes Yaris, which was also on winters
They look nice wheels - I know what you mean re snow ploughing - last year I nearly put a flashing orange light on top and got a job with the council :grin:
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In one thread I do remember seeing a picture of a Golf MkVI with steelies on but with genuine VW badge centre caps - looked quite cool (honest) but for the life of me I can't find it...
mAYBE?
Good effort, but unfortunately not quite there! It was a Golf with bare black steel wheels with a VW centre cap on each wheel...will keep on searching!
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In one thread I do remember seeing a picture of a Golf MkVI with steelies on but with genuine VW badge centre caps - looked quite cool (honest) but for the life of me I can't find it...
mAYBE?
Good effort, but unfortunately not quite there! It was a Golf with bare black steel wheels with a VW centre cap on each wheel...will keep on searching!
This one?
(http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/grunt00002/JA010923.jpg)
SteveP's photo in this thread
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=172854.50
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Berkshire! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
You want to get up where we live and then say you don't need winter tyres :grin:
+ 1, last winter was horrendous I put on a set of contisport 18" winters and had no problems whatsoever.
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As a winter wheel for my GTD I have been considering this VW Wheel - 17" Khartoum - Titanium. Part No. 1K9071497V7U
Designed for Retailer fit Cost £145 inc VAT
(http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd407/zorroone/208.jpg)
Anyone have a photo of these on a car or any views?
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The Snow Queen is Rolfe with her amazing iced walled drive. But she only uses winters in the front. This caused a monumental drama with some posters. It was a hot topic whilst our butts were freezing.
Amanda was toying with the idea of a Freelander as she was housebound at some stage, then slipped and slid all over the moors like a drunken Mira Hindley until she bought winter boots.
Then in the summer, 6 months later, it was Fiesta time. But she saw sense again and kept playing Golf. Now what will me-lady want in 6 months from now?
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Buy these, ditch the summer tyres on ebay and you'll be quids in:
http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,32281.0.html
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The Snow Queen is Rolfe with her amazing iced walled drive. But she only uses winters in the front. This caused a monumental drama with some posters. It was a hot topic whilst our butts were freezing.
Amanda was toying with the idea of a Freelander as she was housebound at some stage, then slipped and slid all over the moors like a drunken Mira Hindley until she bought winter boots.
Then in the summer, 6 months later, it was Fiesta time. But she saw sense again and kept playing Golf. Now what will me-lady want in 6 months from now?
No Freelander, no Fiesta, the GTI is all I want and will be staying with me for the forseeable future. It is as I have said before everything I want in a car and the build quality is fantastic (I know some of you disagree) as far as I am concerned. :grin:
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This one?
(http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/grunt00002/JA010923.jpg)
SteveP's photo in this thread
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=172854.50
Yeah that's the one - cheers! I quite like the look in a sort of sleeper or rally slag way!
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I've been doing a bit of a nose round and am thinking about Autec Zenit alloys like below, are those 17's or 18's? I think they're 18's but would think the 17's would look ok! then with some Vredy's.
"What's peoples perception of Autec?"
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/The_nav/VW_Golf_GTI_Autec_Zenit_poliert.jpg)
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Read this:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bild-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
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Read this:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bild-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
Interesting...
"Auto Bild, well known for their excellent tyre tests, have recently tested 11 premium winter tyres and 1 premium all season tyre in the popular 225/45 R17 to create their 2011 winter tyre test."
Here is another review from that website, with completely different results... :undecided:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-ACE-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-ACE-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm)
"[ACE] tested 8 winter tyres in the popular 205/55 R16 91H size on a VW Golf."
Edit to add: In those reviews, when you click on a tyre you are interested in, a page will come up showing - previous reviews the tyre was in, what place the tyre was in the review and what size of tyre was being tested. It would appear that most tyres perform very differently when tested in a different sizes. :shocked:
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i would just get any old winter tyres... its not like you are racing on snow. as long as they do the job you will be fine :rolleyes:
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Read this:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bild-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
Interesting...
"Auto Bild, well known for their excellent tyre tests, have recently tested 11 premium winter tyres and 1 premium all season tyre in the popular 225/45 R17 to create their 2011 winter tyre test."
Here is another review from that website, with completely different results... :undecided:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-ACE-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-ACE-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm)
"[ACE] tested 8 winter tyres in the popular 205/55 R16 91H size on a VW Golf."
Different sizes, different results, different reviewers ......... :rolleyes:
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i would just get any old winter tyres... its not like you are racing on snow. as long as they do the job you will be fine :rolleyes:
Hmmmm...?
"While budget winter tyres can offer vastly superior snow performance to any summer tyre, budget winter tyres can struggle when the roads are wet or warm. Premium manufactuers spend hundreds of millions of pounds a year on R&D and testing, ensuring their tyres can meet the demands of one criteria, without significantly sacrificing other performance. With the average winter in the UK being 40% dry, 45% wet and 15% snow, we'd think twice before fitting a budget winter tyre which might only be an advantage for 15% of the winter!"
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Winter-Tyre-Buying-Guide.htm (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Winter-Tyre-Buying-Guide.htm)
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i would just get any old winter tyres... its not like you are racing on snow. as long as they do the job you will be fine :rolleyes:
Hmmmm...?
"While budget winter tyres can offer vastly superior snow performance to any summer tyre, budget winter tyres can struggle when the roads are wet or warm. Premium manufactuers spend hundreds of millions of pounds a year on R&D and testing, ensuring their tyres can meet the demands of one criteria, without significantly sacrificing other performance. With the average winter in the UK being 40% dry, 45% wet and 15% snow, we'd think twice before fitting a budget winter tyre which might only be an advantage for 15% of the winter!"
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Winter-Tyre-Buying-Guide.htm (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Winter-Tyre-Buying-Guide.htm)
Buy the best you can afford. You cannot afford not to.
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Different sizes, different results, different reviewers ......... :rolleyes:
... yeah, I just figured that out (see edit on previous post).
Though the tyres I have just bought finished 1st in 3 different reviews for the size I wanted.
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I bought the Michelin PA3s for my 18" wheels. Expensive.
Vredestein Wintrac xtreme
"designed to protect you"
225/40 R18 92W XL with rim protectionleiste
only £ 194.70
Average based on 799 test results
Score: 1-Excellent 6-Poor Ø1.9
Grip in dry conditions 1.9
Braking in dry conditions 1.9
Grip in wet conditions 1.9
Braking in wet conditions 1.9
Grip in snow 1.8
Driving comfort 1.8
Internal noise level 2.0
Exterior noise levels 2.1
Tyre wear 2.1
Kilometres driven 12.165
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3
225/40 R18 92W XL with rim protectionleiste, GRNX
only £ 222.30
Average based on 85 test results
Score: 1-Excellent 6-Poor Ø1.9
Grip in dry conditions 1.7
Braking in dry conditions 1.7
Grip in wet conditions 1.8
Braking in wet conditions 1.8
Grip in snow 2.1
Driving comfort 1.6
Internal noise level 1.9
Exterior noise levels 2.0
Tyre wear 2.0
Kilometres driven 11.244
Both these winter tyres are superb and very close in performance.
The Michelin is slightly quieter with a slightly better ride.
The Vredestein is better in the snow.
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I bought the Michelin PA3s for my 18" wheels. Expensive.
My requirements are slightly different. I regularly dodge potholes on some of the worst roads in the UK. My seattle shadows would get destroyed along with the relatively expensive 17 inch tyres. So am putting Goodyear Ultragrip 8 tyres on some cheap secondhand R16 VW alloys. Total cost of 4 tyres and alloys fitted £530.
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I bought the Michelin PA3s for my 18" wheels. Expensive.
My requirements are slightly different. I regularly dodge potholes on some of the worst roads in the UK. My seattle shadows would get destroyed along with the relatively expensive 17 inch tyres. So am putting Goodyear Ultragrip 8 tyres on some cheap secondhand VW alloys. Total cost of 4 tyres and alloys fitted £530.
Probably the very best 16" Winter tyres.
If they made them in 17" and 18", they would probably be tops too.
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I'm going to buy a cheap set of 16 wheels for the winter
i have spotted a very decent and well priced set of audi A3 wheels. they're from a 2007 model
they should fit a 2011 GTI right?
i have been looking at steel wheels and tyres from mytyres website but the alloys would look a bit better i suppose!
we have 2 cars and the golf won't be doing much work at all over the winter but i want to take best care as possible of my moza shadows.
way i see it a set of spare winter wheels costs the same as having 2 monza wheels refurbed and once I'm done with them i can sell them on any way!
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i would just get any old winter tyres... its not like you are racing on snow. as long as they do the job you will be fine :rolleyes:
Hmmmm...?
"While budget winter tyres can offer vastly superior snow performance to any summer tyre, budget winter tyres can struggle when the roads are wet or warm. Premium manufactuers spend hundreds of millions of pounds a year on R&D and testing, ensuring their tyres can meet the demands of one criteria, without significantly sacrificing other performance. With the average winter in the UK being 40% dry, 45% wet and 15% snow, we'd think twice before fitting a budget winter tyre which might only be an advantage for 15% of the winter!"
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Winter-Tyre-Buying-Guide.htm (http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Winter-Tyre-Buying-Guide.htm)
Buy the best you can afford. You cannot afford not to.
Considering i have managed 10yrs of winters without winter tyres... i think i will just about get by ok. I have only ever struggled with traction in the snow, but still managed to always get where i am going. No need to spunk £600+ on tyres when £300 ones will do the trick.
Altering your stlye rather than your tyres will help you get through the conditions in 90% of the uk
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Considering i have managed 10yrs of winters without winter tyres... i think i will just about get by ok. I have only ever struggled with traction in the snow, but still managed to always get where i am going. No need to spunk £600+ on tyres when £300 ones will do the trick.
Altering your stlye rather than your tyres will help you get through the conditions in 90% of the uk
True. But as ken and I have pointed out above there some good reasons to have winter tyres. And not just to protect our original alloys. The 'A' road I drive to work on is sometimes gritted and sometimes not when there is frost. Last year I counted 3 cars in the ditch IN ONE DAY! They had all lost control at slow speed on black ice. As for the cost, well my summer tyres should last me roughly twice as long. So my summer tyres will last me 2 years instead of 1. Also my 16 inch winter tyres are cheaper than my performance summer tyres are likely to be. In cold weather, winter tyres are said to wear better than summer tyres as they spin and slide less.
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summer or performance tyres wear out loads quicker in the cold conditions as they don't get hot enough and the rubber cold tears, instead of being playable
your right you will get more miles out of summer tyres if you used them just in the sprain/summer.
when you weigh up the pro's and con's it makes sense to have a spare set of cheap winter wheels. if i hit a kerb the cost of a replacement wheel would far outweigh the cost of a set of winter crappy ones.
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Considering i have managed 10yrs of winters without winter tyres... i think i will just about get by ok. I have only ever struggled with traction in the snow, but still managed to always get where i am going. No need to spunk £600+ on tyres when £300 ones will do the trick.
Altering your stlye rather than your tyres will help you get through the conditions in 90% of the uk
True. But as ken and I have pointed out above there some good reasons to have winter tyres. And not just to protect our original alloys. The 'A' road I drive to work on is sometimes gritted and sometimes not when there is frost. Last year I counted 3 cars in the ditch IN ONE DAY! They had all lost control at slow speed on black ice. As for the cost, well my summer tyres should last me roughly twice as long. So my summer tyres will last me 2 years instead of 1. Also my 16 inch winter tyres are cheaper than my performance summer tyres are likely to be. In cold weather, winter tyres are said to wear better than summer tyres as they spin and slide less.
All valid points. Although it would be also unwise to assume winter tyres are going to help you when you hit ice.. in fact most people would probably drive with a little less caution assuming their winter tyres can cope with bad conditions. In truth, once you are on black ice there isnt much that is going to help you.
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All valid points. Although it would be also unwise to assume winter tyres are going to help you when you hit ice.. in fact most people would probably drive with a little less caution assuming their winter tyres can cope with bad conditions. In truth, once you are on black ice there isnt much that is going to help you.
That's what I used to think.
This video made up my mind...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYEMH10Z4s
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^^ Thanks for sharing the video :shocked:
For me it's using all the available tools i.e. Winter tyres AND common sense/caution
Last year I realised that my driving skills were no match for the conditions hence me buying winter wheels and tyres this time around.
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The latest What Car? Magazine has done comparative tests between Winter vs Summer tyres, clearly showing the marked superiority of the former in cold weather use (though in one test they have managed to mix up the results).
BTW, the Goodyear Ultra Grip 8 comes out on top.
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only reason i want winter wheels is to prevent my good wheels getting damaged/corroded.
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All valid points. Although it would be also unwise to assume winter tyres are going to help you when you hit ice.. in fact most people would probably drive with a little less caution assuming their winter tyres can cope with bad conditions. In truth, once you are on black ice there isnt much that is going to help you.
That's what I used to think.
This video made up my mind...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYEMH10Z4s
Thats a good informative vid :smiley:
now all you have to watch out for is all the other w4nkers that dont have grip... good luck :grin:
p.s. I have been crashed into every year over the last 4 years :undecided:
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My winter wellies for this year courtesy of Mr P.... :smiley:
(http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/NeilGti/e5095749.jpg)
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^^^ nice
Can I have these for £200 instead of the R32s? It'll save you having to swap over the tyres !!! :grin:
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My winter wellies for this year courtesy of Mr P.... :smiley:
(http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/NeilGti/e5095749.jpg)
Congratulations. Are those 18" Superturismos?
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^^^ nice
Can I have these for £200 instead of the R32s? It'll save you having to swap over the tyres !!! :grin:
:grin: in a word ..... no :smiley:
They are silver at the mo, getting them painted or powder coated as the pic :cool:
And yes Asker they are Supertourismos
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Cool, nice one Neil. :cool:
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Here is my winter alloys
(http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu69/cheethama/IMG_0222.jpg)
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They look immaculate, very nice. :cool:
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blink and someones had three of your VW center caps away.....feel for you dude!
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^^ look very nice Andy - did you get them powder coated yourself?
i'll be looking to get my winters (ex Neil's!) coated after this winter - my favoured choice at the moment is Graphite :cool:
====
Well, ordered my Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme's today - most places out of stock but phoned mytyres and they have stock of the size I need - 4 x 18" for less than £700 (with a 3% cashback via Quidco :smug:) so pleased with that. I'll be collecting these when Neil returns from the 'ring and getting them fitted - hopefully in time for the forecast wintry weather
Now off to do some overtime to pay for these :grin:
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Just had my Wintrac xtremes dropped off by courier this morning from mytyres :cool: Took a week to deliver. Got two yesterday and two today. Just need the temp to drop off a little bit before I fit them to my seattles.
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^^ look very nice Andy - did you get them powder coated yourself?
i'll be looking to get my winters (ex Neil's!) coated after this winter - my favoured choice at the moment is Graphite :cool:
====
Well, ordered my Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme's today - most places out of stock but phoned mytyres and they have stock of the size I need - 4 x 18" for less than £700 (with a 3% cashback via Quidco :smug:) so pleased with that. I'll be collecting these when Neil returns from the 'ring and getting them fitted - hopefully in time for the forecast wintry weather
Now off to do some overtime to pay for these :grin:
I bought the three wheels without the hub caps for £150 from ebay and they where kirbed to death, and the one with the hub cap was £100 cause it had a tyre which I flogged for £40. The powder coating was done by Johnny at http://www.puredetail.co.uk/ (http://www.puredetail.co.uk/) he charged £150 all in. The wheel specialist quoted me £250 so not a bad result.
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Thanks.
That's a good deal and the finish is :cool:. I used the wheel specialist when I had my Audi and tbh I was far from impressed with the quality.
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Can anyone confirm if 5x112 ET50 16" Audi wheels will fit my GTI
The stud pattern and centre bore is right but not 100% sure what the offset should be. My gues is ET50 should be fine but don't want any clearance issues
Thanks.
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Ken
The smaller the ET number the more they will stick out towards the arches so ET50 will be more in the arch than say ET45
HTH
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yeah thats why I need to confirm an ET50 16" wheel won't have clearance issues (with the callipers etc)
as far as i can find 18" monza shadows are ET50 anyway so there shouldn't be an issue hopefully
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ok found that the recommended winter tyre size is
6 x 16 5 x 112.00 x 57.00 ET: 50.00 5-hole steel wheel
so the wheels I'm buying from the breakers are fine (hopefully!)
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Here is my winter alloys
(http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu69/cheethama/IMG_0222.jpg)
Those Monza's look good in gloss black. I'd be interested to see what they look like on your car.
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Heres what was/is an option from the factory
As said above 16" steel wheels will fit the GTI (with standard brakes) and were even a winter option from the factory and still are for the mk6.
Räder / Reifen - Winterräder (zusätzlich) *
Winterräder (zusätzlich) 4 Stahlräder 6 J x 16 Winterreifen 205/55 R 16
615,00 €
Wheels / Tires - Winter wheels (additional) *
Winter wheels (additional) 4 steel wheels 6 J x 16 winter tires 205/55 R 16
€ 615.00
The R/R32 had optional winter 17s which are narrower than the standard alloys
Räder / Reifen - Winterräder (zusätzlich) *
Winterräder "Meribel" (zusätzlich) 4 Leichtmetallräder 6 J x 17 Winterreifen 205/50 R 17
1.000,00 €
(http://www.volkswagen-zubehoer.de/shop/images/product_images/popup_images/1K0073637FD8Z8.jpg)
Steels with hubcaps(look better without imo)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/flogitg/Forum%20photos/utool_f_1263669058_825.jpg)
(http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k513/grunt00002/JA010923.jpg)
(http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/flogitg/Forum%20photos/utool_f_1264948106_703.jpg)
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And if you don't wish to change tyres between summer and winter months, best to use
winter cold weather tyres all year round. This is the opinion of all the tyre manufacturers. Makes sense?
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And if you don't wish to change tyres between summer and winter months, best to use winter cold weather tyres all year round. This is the opinion of all the tyre manufacturers. Makes sense?
Just won the last wheel to complete my set of winter alloys, bought a full set of oem Monza in 18", 2 are in need of a mild refurb but am considering having all 4 done replacing the polished front with a hyper silver, my winter tyres are sitting in the garage ready for use.
On the other hand if I leave them polished they will be worth more come resale time, what do you think ?
I can't recommend winter tyres highly enough, had a set on the wifes BMW 320D last winter and the car was virtually unstoppable
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Are your 18" wheels Monza Shadows?
I think keeping them with machined fronts makes them look tastier and therefore more valuable. I personally don't like a painted Monza as it looses all its charm and looks very dull and heavy.
However, a machined Monza is more prone to the dreaded white worm especially with winter usage.
I wonder what opinion Exonian has on this subject. He's very wheel orientated.
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And right on cue ... :grin:
Well, if you're just going to run winters on them you may as well get rid of the ringworm prone polished finish and have them painted anthracite.
If you're going to use the wheels in summer you really need to keep the wheels with the polished face as it looks amazing in sunlight. It also looks amazing under certain streetlighting too.
So a set of polished for summer and a set of grey for getting covered in salt would be the ideal situation in my not particularly humble opinion.
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On cue ......
These are my 18" Wolfrace Silver Lugano winter wheels:
(http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac50/am1w/1-1.jpg)
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Yay we can all spam the forum with pics of Interlagos style wheels on Golfs now!!
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g26/Andy_vRS/STA42625.jpg)
Have you got them yet Asker? :smiley:
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Yay we can all spam the forum with pics of Interlagos style wheels on Golfs now!!
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g26/Andy_vRS/STA42625.jpg)
Have you got them yet Asker? :smiley:
Next week from Germany, ET50s. Fingers crossed. :smiley:
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Lets hope it doesn't snow in Germany next week or your wheels may end up stuck in a warehouse for 3 months!!
No, I forgot for a second there, it's only the 'Lets not invest any money into the infrasructure that won't be rekindled before the end of this tax quarter' United Kingdom that grinds to a halt after half a mm of snow.
Sorry Jules, I sounded a bit like an over 30 there ... :lipsrsealed:
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And right on cue ... :grin:
Well, if you're just going to run winters on them you may as well get rid of the ringworm prone polished finish and have them painted anthracite.
If you're going to use the wheels in summer you really need to keep the wheels with the polished face as it looks amazing in sunlight. It also looks amazing under certain streetlighting too.
So a set of polished for summer and a set of grey for getting covered in salt would be the ideal situation in my not particularly humble opinion.
The spare set will be used just for winter and the odd track day, I would never give up on my shadow monzas as I still believe one of the finest looking wheels out there so these will be kept pristine for fair weather use, think I may just go with your tip and get the spare set done in anthracite, these would be both practical in winter and mean and moody for track days, still seems a crime though as 2 of the wheels are mint, needs must I guess :sad:
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And right on cue ... :grin:
Well, if you're just going to run winters on them you may as well get rid of the ringworm prone polished finish and have them painted anthracite.
If you're going to use the wheels in summer you really need to keep the wheels with the polished face as it looks amazing in sunlight. It also looks amazing under certain streetlighting too.
So a set of polished for summer and a set of grey for getting covered in salt would be the ideal situation in my not particularly humble opinion.
The spare set will be used just for winter and the odd track day, I would never give up on my shadow monzas as I still believe one of the finest looking wheels out there so these will be kept pristine for fair weather use, think I may just go with your tip and get the spare set done in anthracite, these would be both practical in winter and mean and moody for track days, still seems a crime though as 2 of the wheels are mint, needs must I guess :sad:
:cry:
Oh please don't.
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And right on cue ... :grin:
Well, if you're just going to run winters on them you may as well get rid of the ringworm prone polished finish and have them painted anthracite.
If you're going to use the wheels in summer you really need to keep the wheels with the polished face as it looks amazing in sunlight. It also looks amazing under certain streetlighting too.
So a set of polished for summer and a set of grey for getting covered in salt would be the ideal situation in my not particularly humble opinion.
The spare set will be used just for winter and the odd track day, I would never give up on my shadow monzas as I still believe one of the finest looking wheels out there so these will be kept pristine for fair weather use, think I may just go with your tip and get the spare set done in anthracite, these would be both practical in winter and mean and moody for track days, still seems a crime though as 2 of the wheels are mint, needs must I guess :sad:
:cry:
Oh please don't.
Or alternatively I could just get 2 refurbed to match the mint oem ones and just not worry about white worm safe in the knowledge I got them cheap in the first place, at least would make 2 of us happy :)
Despite all the practicalities of dark wheels each time I fit them I always crave something shiny again so thankyou for reminding me of that !!
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And right on cue ... :grin:
Well, if you're just going to run winters on them you may as well get rid of the ringworm prone polished finish and have them painted anthracite.
If you're going to use the wheels in summer you really need to keep the wheels with the polished face as it looks amazing in sunlight. It also looks amazing under certain streetlighting too.
So a set of polished for summer and a set of grey for getting covered in salt would be the ideal situation in my not particularly humble opinion.
The spare set will be used just for winter and the odd track day, I would never give up on my shadow monzas as I still believe one of the finest looking wheels out there so these will be kept pristine for fair weather use, think I may just go with your tip and get the spare set done in anthracite, these would be both practical in winter and mean and moody for track days, still seems a crime though as 2 of the wheels are mint, needs must I guess :sad:
:cry:
Oh please don't.
Or alternatively I could just get 2 refurbed to match the mint oem ones and just not worry about white worm safe in the knowledge I got them cheap in the first place, at least would make 2 of us happy :)
Despite all the practicalities of dark wheels each time I fit them I always crave something shiny again so thankyou for reminding me of that !!
If I had known you had mint Monzas Shadows, I would have exchanged one of my very slightly damaged one for a mint one and given you £120 in addition. Too late now as I've had it fixed. Damn.
Keep 'em shiny and keep 'em lovely. Brightens up a miserable winter.
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Oh dear, I've bought the second lowest rated winter tyres .... The Michelin Alpin PA3s! And they are the most expensive! Damn and blast. :angry:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bild-Performance-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
I bought the winners :laugh:
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Oh dear, I've bought the second lowest rated winter tyres .... The Michelin Alpin PA3s! And they are the most expensive! Damn and blast. :angry:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bild-Performance-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
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Oh dear, I've bought the second lowest rated winter tyres .... The Michelin Alpin PA3s! And they are the most expensive! Damn and blast. :angry:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Bild-Performance-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
I bought the winners :laugh:
Which ones smug sir?
Mine are W rated, not that this matters in snow and ice!
Whoops, sorry about the deletion!
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What happened there, my post appeared before yours even though I replied to it after :shocked:
Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D 225/45 17 94V on the cheap 17" Monzas I picked up a few months back .
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..
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What happened there, my post appeared before yours even though I replied to it after :shocked:
Dunlop SP WinterSport 4D 225/45 17 94V on the cheap 17" Monzas I picked up a few months back .
Me messing around and deleting a post. Sorry.
Ah, ok, they were not available when I bought my Michelins last year.
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:cry: I don't even get on podium with my Continental WinterContact TS 830 P's, Let me go find another review that puts me at the winner....
ah here's one ....
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Express-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
oh and another....
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-EVO-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
Damn it, only 3rd on this one!!
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-ACE-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm
back on form for 1st
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-European-Winter-Tyre-Test-195-65-R15.htm
:evil: Go Rubber!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:evil:
Not that Conti would heavily sponsor or push goods and holidays on to testers and editors, no no no no!
I'm still amazed that there is no definitive way of running exactly the same test with a machine to identify which one is truly better in each condition, everything's still largely subjective, even on the Tyre-safe videos on pooh tube the car that makes it round the corner is slower than the summer wheeled derivative.
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Insurance companies 'charging more for winter tyres' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11969958)
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Insurance companies 'charging more for winter tyres' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11969958)
I'd heard this too. seems a tad naïve in this day.
I checked with my insurance company (via my broker) and have had confirmation back that there'll be no change to my policy - phew :smiley:
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Thats old news from last year. the ABI and others have told there members they cannot do so if they are genuine parts to manufacturers spec.
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Insurance companies 'charging more for winter tyres' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11969958)
I'd heard this too. seems a tad naïve in this day.
I checked with my insurance company (via my broker) and have had confirmation back that there'll be no change to my policy - phew :smiley:
I'll call the whores tomorrow to check if they caharge for new winter rubber as it might reduce the sensation of having a good bang. :shocked:
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Having my winter wellies put on tomorrow as the temperature has dropped considerably.
-
Heres what was/is an option from the factory
[The R/R32 had optional winter 17s which are narrower than the standard alloys
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Heres what was/is an option from the factory
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Tried to order the above Meribel wheels for my GTD. Currently not taking order for these, not in stock.
Can anyone give any information as to when or if they will be available?
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information I got from Listers was:
"we are expecting stock to be available towards the end of November."
So decided that was a bit late by the time you add a lead time and chances of being out of stock and went a seperate 17" OEM Activa wheels with some Conti 830 P's route.
Worked out at just over £1k as opposed to "The fully inclusive fitted price for a set of these is £1355."
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I like this vid....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aahMDAr0ksM&feature=related
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I like this vid....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aahMDAr0ksM&feature=related
haha indeed!! good vid :cool:
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I like this vid....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aahMDAr0ksM&feature=related
He drove like a typical idiot BMW driver... Overtaking like a cock... heading into oncoming traffic like a cock......
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Crazy driving, even on winter tyres. He left no margin for error at all passing so close to the other cars at speed.
Winters going on both our cars this weekend.
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I like this vid....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aahMDAr0ksM&feature=related
He drove like a typical idiot BMW driver... Overtaking like a cock... heading into oncoming traffic like a cock......
+1 bet he didn't stop to help anyone out.
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Just a heads up for anyone ordering tyres from mytyres.co.uk ..... dont forget to use the forum discount code. :cool:
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=128101.10
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information I got from Listers was:
"we are expecting stock to be available towards the end of November."
So decided that was a bit late by the time you add a lead time and chances of being out of stock and went a seperate 17" OEM Activa wheels with some Conti 830 P's route.
Worked out at just over £1k as opposed to "The fully inclusive fitted price for a set of these is £1355."
I like these rims. Did you get at VW dealer and what is the cost per rim please?
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At time of writing they have 3 out of 6 sets left.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280709746307?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
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They are the guys I bought my alloys off last year to fit my winters. They give some good prices on geuine alloys
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At time of writing they have 3 out of 6 sets left.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280709746307?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Thanks. Looks good. Have you these fitted to car as yet?
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Im going to order but just wanted to be certain the rim offside of 54 was ok. I understand on the GTD you can go 5mm either side of 50. Is this correct do you know?
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I took a bit of a gamble that it would be good! I think the standard for the GTD is 51 so to go to 54 is only 3mm well within your 5mm rule..
My Rubber is currently in a **ity link depot, so will likely be picking them up in the next day or so and fitting everything on a day next week! Will get some photo's up ASAP next week.
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Thanks, all the best
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Hi Guys
I have 18" monzas on mine and im just thinking about swapping two front tyres for winter conti's or good years leaving my potenzas on the back ? Will this be a problem ?
I look forward to your comments / views.
Thanks
Owls11
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Hi Guys
I have 18" monzas on mine and im just thinking about swapping two front tyres for winter conti's or good years leaving my potenzas on the back ? Will this be a problem ?
I look forward to your comments / views.
Thanks
Owls11
Have a search of the forum as a couple of folk only changed the fronts last year and had good results. Although from what I remember it started a mighty argument about traction control or something similar!!
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spin 150 pd:
A warning: When you have your damaged Monza Shadows re-machined, the sharpness of the rim edge with respect to the wheel face will no longer be as pronounced. The edge will no longer be as sharp but have a slight curvature. It won't be obvious but you can feel it. Can't be helped, I am told. Anyway, it is still worth having them fixed with machined surfaces.
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Hi Guys
I have 18" monzas on mine and im just thinking about swapping two front tyres for winter conti's or good years leaving my potenzas on the back ? Will this be a problem ?
I look forward to your comments / views.
Thanks
Owls11
Watch this then you decide...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cBSWEhimdA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cBSWEhimdA)
1m30secs into this one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCyiBoTxCao&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCyiBoTxCao&feature=related)
Four of a kind beats two pair :nerd:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBsPrK54yO4&feature=relmfu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBsPrK54yO4&feature=relmfu)
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-1.0 on the drive to work this morning. Brrrr!
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Hi
Thanks for comments, Four winters are obviously better than four summers but are two winters (front) & two summer (back) better than no winters ?
Thanks
Owls11
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Hi
Thanks for comments, Four winters are obviously better than four summers but are two winters (front) & two summer (back) better than no winters ?
Thanks
Owls11
Rolfie ran just two winters on the front of her car last year and never got stuck! She lives up in Scotland so that's a good indication of how well they perform :smiley:
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Hi
Thanks for comments, Four winters are obviously better than four summers but are two winters (front) & two summer (back) better than no winters ?
Thanks
Owls11
... it will definitely help get you moving. The problem will be turning and stopping - especially in an emergency.
The risk with having only 2 winter tyres on the front is "snap oversteer" if you turn too quickly. Not even the stability control will help if only 2 tyres have grip.
Same problem if you have to break sharply in a corner. The rear end of the car will swing round.
I decided it was not worth the risk. I opted for 4 winters. But then I have had an accident due to the rear end of my motorbike trying to overtake the front end, which had more grip, resulting in a 'highside'. I was not speeding and was lucky not to be injured. That must be why I am so particular about the tyres I use.
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Thanks for all info.
Just to put a different slant on this, forgetting winter if you run on summer tyres and the fronts get worn, so you change fronts to back leaving 7mm front 3mm on back would this give you the same issue ?
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Thanks for all info.
Just to put a different slant on this, forgetting winter if you run on summer tyres and the fronts get worn, so you change fronts to back leaving 7mm front 3mm on back would this give you the same issue ?
Tests have shown that it is safer to fit 2 new tyres to the rear of a car and not the front.
Though with both tyres worn I doubt it would make much difference. Unless there were other factors such as wet/slippy roads.
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Here's my winters... Continental WinterContacts. 18" - so slightly smaller than my usual 19's... and 1/2" less width on the road too.
To be honest I can't really tell you how they perform as I got them on this January, had them on until April... and they didn't really see any snow!
They're currently sitting in their VW wheel bags all ready to go at the first sign of snowfall. I had them re-balanced the other day too! They'll be going on at the beginning of November even if there is no snow as the temp will be constantly less than 8 degC.
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z92/p3eps/IMAG0126.jpg)
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z92/p3eps/IMAG0127-1.jpg)
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Thanks for all info.
Just to put a different slant on this, forgetting winter if you run on summer tyres and the fronts get worn, so you change fronts to back leaving 7mm front 3mm on back would this give you the same issue ?
Tests have shown that it is safer to fit 2 new tyres to the rear of a car and not the front.
Though with both tyres worn I doubt it would make much difference. Unless there were other factors such as wet/slippy roads.
I was wrong. Always fit the better tyres on the rear...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5YsQ_a_ijA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5YsQ_a_ijA)
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^^ oh dear! here we go again :laugh:
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P3eps: Rims look good !
Daz auto: cheers for comments
My options are:
1) stick with Re050's through winter ?
2) put just 2 winters on front ?
3) get 2 autosocks ?
I would love to get 4 new rims with winters but budget / storage area doesn't allow :(
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My Vredestein's have arrived and Neil is back from his jaunt to the 'ring (lucky man!) so will be fully prep'd by the end of next week.
@Owls - out of your three options, I'd say go for two winters on the front and then buy two more next year but just remember they will give an improvement in traction and drive but this will increase the grip differential between front and rears which could create more challenge in low traction scenarios.
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@Owls 11:
You should PM Ben Lessani for winter tyre advice. He'll set you on the right path. :grin:
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^^^ I think he is still cowering in a corner somewhere! :laugh:
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Got my 16" steelies fitted today and looking forward to using them in anger!
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Fitted our winters today on both cars seeing as it was such a nice day. That's both ready for the cooler mornings
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Don't forget the other option.
One set of wheels and two sets of tyres.
Kwik fit and others will look after the set you aren't using for £20 or so a season.
They've been great with mine.
Time to book the swap to Winters soon.
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http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/259734/
I think the first line in the headline should be "Some", otherwise a tad misleading.
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I think you may find all insurance companies who are a member of the ABI will not charge extra as they told there members last year they could not unless you use aftermarket expensive alloys.
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Got winter wheels and tyres for our main two cars today.
Tiguan is going from a 255/40/19 down to 215/60/16 so is going to look properly strange :grin:
Also got a good deal on some Dunlop Winter Sports for the Polo in a 16" too.
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At time of writing they have 3 out of 6 sets left.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280709746307?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
I ordered these on Friday and they arrived today, great service. They look better in real life, really nice looking rim which I'm really pleased with.
I am considering 3 tyre types for the rims that are currently available to me locally. Either the WintersportDunlop 3D at £630 (Kwik fit) or Hankook Icebear W300 (£400) or Lassa Snowways by Bridgestone (£400).
Im thinking of going with the Dunlops as the reviews seem better.
Can anyone offer advice. ie do you get what you pay for or should I go for a cheaper option?
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Glad you like, getting mine fitted tomorrow.
Read the reviews, most people on here seem to go for the premium, you get what you pay for. Purely I think because you don't go to the expense and hassle of winter wheels unless your actually going to fit something that is more superior for the conditions than an all weather tyre.
It's your hard earned at the end of the day and it's how much you buy into this bunch of helpful monkeys, magazines, online content providers in lieu of your own winter tyre experience.
I went through the reviews and analyzed where some of the strengths are, I live in the midlands so supreme snow ability is not as high on my list as say ice, rain and wear rate.
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I have read alot of reviews myself as well as speaking with tyre so called specialists. The reviews recommend the premium tyres and the dealers say the cheaper opyions are as good.
I, like yourself do think you get what you pay for, well I think so. It would just be nice to get an independent view. Can't get contis as I have been quoted £180 plus and I think that is over the top.
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At time of writing they have 3 out of 6 sets left.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280709746307?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
I ordered these on Friday and they arrived today, great service. They look better in real life, really nice looking rim which I'm really pleased with.
I am considering 3 tyre types for the rims that are currently available to me locally. Either the WintersportDunlop 3D at £630 (Kwik fit) or Hankook Icebear W300 (£400) or Lassa Snowways by Bridgestone (£400).
Im thinking of going with the Dunlops as the reviews seem better.
Can anyone offer advice. ie do you get what you pay for or should I go for a cheaper option?
Hello, ive also been thinking of buying a set of these for my mk6, could you possible upload a few photos of them fitted?
Cheers :)
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come on, only 1 set left :p pics pics pics :)
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I will when I get tyres next week Mr F may have his on first!
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come on, only 1 set left :p pics pics pics :)
Pic Whore!
:wink:
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Well with one set remaining, you'd best decide fast....
Apologies for the photo's the camera is making the blue look lighter than it atually is, but still, welcome to a very ordinary looking Golf...looks like a GT....
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/The_nav/P1020657.jpg)
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/The_nav/P1020654.jpg)
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/The_nav/P1020656.jpg)
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd464/The_nav/P1020655.jpg)
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Good looking job Mr F however I am sure like me you prefer the look and style of the Charlestons but hey needs must to protect them. I have now sourced Winter Sport 4Ds at for my wheels at £600 fitted. Hopefully will be in stock for me tomorrow.
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Thanks Noel,
I've just realised I have V rated tyres, now I'd best set the Winter Tyres setting in the MFD to 140mph to get the warning beep, make sure I don't exceed this rating!!!!!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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they look great ! consider them ordered :) thanxs for the photos :D
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Thanks Noel,
I've just realised I have V rated tyres, now I'd best set the Winter Tyres setting in the MFD to 140mph to get the warning beep, make sure I don't exceed this rating!!!!!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Out of interest do you think 94V XL rated is necessary as I am going for the 91H rating?
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Here are the recommended tyres from the workshop manuals for the GTI/GTD
I think there is a mistake in the first table as the last entry should be Pirelli..
SUMMER
(http://www.thewindinglane.co.uk/images/mk6gti/summer.JPG)
WINTER
(http://www.thewindinglane.co.uk/images/mk6gti/winter.JPG)
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come on, only 1 set left :p pics pics pics :)
Pic Whore!
:wink:
hahaha thanks to those pictures, i am now down £429.99 :p
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hmmm, odd that I used http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html and came in with 45/R17 so that's what I got, where as they quote 50/R17. hmmm....
Have noticed a difference on the speedo/gps round the lanes yesterday, need to run a more steady pace test on the motorway on the way home this evening.
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Here are the recommended tyres from the workshop manuals for the GTI/GTD
I think there is a mistake in the first table as the last entry should be Pirelli..
SUMMER
(http://www.thewindinglane.co.uk/images/mk6gti/summer.JPG)
WINTER
(http://www.thewindinglane.co.uk/images/mk6gti/winter.JPG)
Can I assume from this that the Dunlop Winter Sp 4D 91H is ok for the GTD as opposed to spending more money for the 94V XL 4D. VW Dealership locally have not been helpful.
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unless your an autobahn fanatic, save some dollar:
H = 130 mph
V = 149 mph
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unless your an autobahn fanatic, save some dollar:
H = 130 mph
V = 149 mph
I know your right any issue with the load index do you know?
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hmmm, odd that I used http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html and came in with 45/R17 so that's what I got, where as they quote 50/R17. hmmm....
Have noticed a difference on the speedo/gps round the lanes yesterday, need to run a more steady pace test on the motorway on the way home this evening.
The recommended tyres are 205 wide and not 225 so 205/50/17 would be the right tyre.
If yours are 225 then 225/45/17 would be correct.
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doh, i forgot it's a percentage thing!!!!
I need a drink!
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Thanks again, 4Ds fitted to new alloys. Ill post some pics when I put them on the car. :smiley:
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Picked up my alloys from Neil tonight. Thanks Neil - great to meet you and see the GTI in the flesh :cool:
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Picked up my alloys from Neil tonight. Thanks Neil - great to meet you and see the GTI in the flesh :cool:
Good stuff... :smiley:
I would have happily had them off him, but a wee change of plan and a set of TD Pro Race 1.2s came up...so that was that!
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Picked up my alloys from Neil tonight. Thanks Neil - great to meet you and see the GTI in the flesh :cool:
Good stuff... :smiley:
I would have happily had them off him, but a wee change of plan and a set of TD Pro Race 1.2s came up...so that was that!
Yes good to meet you Adi, the Alloys have gone to a good home :smiley:
(note to self) I Need to get the Oz's powder coated now and ready to get the vred's on :cool:
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Yep - need to see your car with your new winter boots Neil.
Tyres are going on mine next week and then they'll be kept in the garage waiting for the temp. to drop a little more and then I'll change them over
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Yep - need to see your car with your new winter boots Neil.
Tyres are going on mine next week and then they'll be kept in the garage waiting for the temp. to drop a little more and then I'll change them over
You will have to put Mrs Bucks winter wellies on before yours :grin: :grin:
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True - otherwise I'll be in the dog house (again)!
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True - otherwise I'll be in the dog house (again)!
:grin: I'm always in the doghouse so join the club :smiley:
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waiting for the temp. to drop a little more and then I'll change them over
Winter is chapping at the door. I brought my van out with me on nightshift last night and had to scrape the windows this morning. Meant to be freezing all weekend with temps getting cooler now. I need to get the Vreds shod on the Seattles this week. As it was not far off this time last year when the snow fell. Are we not usually 2-3 weeks behind what the US eastern seaboard get. So snow by 19th November :rolleyes:
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Will put ours on next weekend, which is just in time as my summer tyres are just about shagged.. :laugh:
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I was going to put mine on a couple of weekends ago when we had some 3-5degrees C mornings - but then it changed back to 10-14 in the mornings.
The winter compound is supposed to be used at under 8degC - so I'm waiting for it to fall a bit lower.
The way it was today though... that might be next weekend!
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Was looking at the tyre on my last car (my girlfriend owns it now). I thought they should last until next summer, but she has been moved at work and is driving a lot more miles. So I was looking at some winter tyres for her. The price has gone up £17 per tyre since I last looked about 6 weeks ago :shocked: I checked the tyre size that I bought and same thing - up £68 for a set.
Imagine what is going to happen to the price if we actually get snow. :undecided:
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Was looking at the tyre on my last car (my girlfriend owns it now). I thought they should last until next summer, but she has been moved at work and is driving a lot more miles. So I was looking at some winter tyres for her. The price has gone up £17 per tyre since I last looked about 6 weeks ago :shocked: I checked the tyre size that I bought and same thing - up £68 for a set.
Imagine what is going to happen to the price if we actually get snow. :undecided:
Prepare to be properly raped!! Buy now before the prices go up further and further.........
I think at one point last winter prices for 18 inch winter tyres were well through the £200 per corner barrier :shocked: :shocked:
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Prepare to be properly raped!! Buy now before the prices go up further and further.........
I think at one point last winter prices for 18 inch winter tyres were well through the £200 per corner barrier :shocked: :shocked:
Yep... I think my Continental Wintercontacts 18" were £204 each if I remember correctly when I ordered them at the end of December!!
I think they're a pretty expensive tyre at the best of times, but when the snow was on the ground they were a tad more than normal - especially since the whole UK had sold out! They came from a French company (I think? - Pneus) but were shipped from Germany.
A wise man would have bought Winters a few weeks / months back before the mention of snow!
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Raped ....and then long delivery times.
My winter rubbers been on a few weeks in anticipation of the snow that was in the headlines, so was putting myself in a very smug position. Didn't feel so smug driving down to south wales last weekend when it was 17 deg c. In fact just a little bit silly.
Talking of Silly, the lovely local chaps / girls (as were in a PC world) have been writing on my back window on a visit to Sheffield this weekend, I have "Cock'n'balls" coupled with a very nice graphic and my personal favourite "Volks wayne kerr". Got to love that winter spray up your back end.
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General view on winter tyres - preaching to the converted on here but does show the difference...
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/videos/featurevideos/275428/winter_tyres_vs_summer_tyres.html
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Had a call today to say that the winter wellies have now been powdercoated in Anthracite :smiley: pic up thurs and get them on for the weekend methinks, temps are dropping slowly :sad:
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Nice one Neil - need to see pics - they looked good per-refurb so can imagine they'll be spot n :)
I got my Wintracs fitted to your old rims on Saturday - like you just waiting for the temperature to drop.
Where'd you get the refurbs done? Need to find somewhere for summer when they come off. Then it's decision time - stick with silver or go darker/anthracite!?
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I have a full set of immaculate 18" Monza (MkV) with brand new Hankook Ice Bears - 225/40/18 now surplus to requirement, balanced and ready to go, keep the best look for winter but have the traction, PM me if interested.
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I got 20% off Michelin Alpine tiers at Cosco which worked out at just under £600. Now glad I upgraded the alloys when I bought the car which means I have the original alloys for winter tiers while the up graded alloys are for summer use only.
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Nice one Neil - need to see pics - they looked good per-refurb so can imagine they'll be spot n :)
I got my Wintracs fitted to your old rims on Saturday - like you just waiting for the temperature to drop.
Where'd you get the refurbs done? Need to find somewhere for summer when they come off. Then it's decision time - stick with silver or go darker/anthracite!?
Adi,
I would get them redone in Silver on a black car, i got mine done at Ian Jemisons engineering near York racecourse he use to do all the refurbs and wheel straightening etc for TVR, very reasonable prices and a spot on guy, don't know if he got a website but i have his no: if ever needed :smiley:
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Thanks Neil
I'm thinking silver is the right choice too - will have to save Anthracite for another day!
I've sent you a PM re the wheels guy in York (only an hour away for me so that's good)
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Thanks Neil
I'm thinking silver is the right choice too - will have to save Anthracite for another day!
I've sent you a PM re the wheels guy in York (only an hour away for me so that's good)
PM replied :smiley:
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Winter tyres are now starting to trend upwards in price, wonder what they will do now that snow is forecast this weekend up here in Jockland. It's meant to fall as far south as Perth with 'flutters' across the central belt :rolleyes:
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Winter tyres are now starting to trend upwards in price, wonder what they will do now that snow is forecast this weekend up here in Jockland. It's meant to fall as far south as Perth with 'flutters' across the central belt :rolleyes:
Dose civilisation not stop at Perth while the Republic Of Sheepland begin ? Thought it was more husky dogs and sledges up way beyond rather than winter tiers :wink:
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I've been holding off waiting for the temperatures to drop a bit before the winter tyres go on.
On Tuesday I put them on - and on Wednesday and today the temp display has had a snowflake!
Anyway - here's a pic of them on...
(http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z92/p3eps/b83942ce.jpg)
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^^ they look good.
I had 2.5C on the temp gauge today - I'm aiming to get mine on this weekend now - I think the weather has (at last) turned.
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^^ they look good.
I had 2.5C on the temp gauge today - I'm aiming to get mine on this weekend now - I think the weather has (at last) turned.
Thanks... I'm quite pleased with them. They don't look too bad for a set of winter rims. Skoda vRS wheels that cost about £80 each off eBay - and then were powder coated in anthracite to make them a little different from my Talladegas.
I had 2.5C this morning too - and apparently its supposed to drop down to -4 over the next few days. 'Apparently' its supposed to have snowed for the last few weeks though - so who knows?!
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Just had to make another post - I'd seen what my post count was !!! :laugh: :grin:
What size rims are the winters? They look like 18s and fill the arches nicely
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Just had to make another post - I'd seen what my post count was !!! :laugh: :grin:
What size rims are the winters? They look like 18s and fill the arches nicely
The number of the beast!!
Yeah, they're 18's. The good thing is that being a genuine VAG group wheel, they have an ET51 (my Talladegas are ET50) so they're a perfect fit.
An inch smaller and 1/2 inch less wide. That's about as much as I was prepared to sacrifice!!
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They look :cool: :cool: :cool:
At least thats one golf we wont have to worry about this winter :smiley:
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Wheels are looking great p3eps.
What kind of figure are you looking at to have them powder coated?
Its zero degrees in Glasgow just now!!!!!
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Nice wheels. Some of you guys just don't compromise.
I really like my Seattle shadows and was not looking forward to putting the 10 spoke 16" Passat rims on my car. They look rubbish beside the Seattle shadows. Now the winters and rims are fitted to the car they look... well, not as bad as I thought they would. :undecided:
£120 for rims from breakers, £10 for wonder wheels to clean the rims, 4 hours scrubbing, £356 for Ultragrip 8's, £24 for fitting tyres to rims and a set of 4 VW tyre storage bags for £25. So £535 total.
The tyre storage bags are a great job for keeping me and the car clean :cool:
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What kind of figure are you looking at to have them powder coated?
They were done by a company in Aberdeen called PPS. They did them for £40 each as we use them for stuff at work - so I got a few quid off. I think they were meant to be £45 per wheel.
It was pretty good in the snow last year before the winter tyres were on. I did get stuck in my carpark on Christmas day cause it was quite deep. My neighbour and I pushed the car out whilst my wife drove (the only time she's ever been allowed in the drive seat!).
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I fitted my Winters last weekend shod on 17" Monzas.
The grip they give is superb especially exiting roundabouts in the wet, no wheel spin at all.
Road noise has been reduced probably due to going from 18" to 17", in fact I think the car feels more positive and alive.
Maybe I will just keep them on.. :laugh:
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I fitted my Winters last weekend shod on 17" Monzas.
The grip they give is superb especially exiting roundabouts in the wet, no wheel spin at all.
Road noise has been reduced probably due to going from 18" to 17", in fact I think the car feels more positive and alive.
Maybe I will just keep them on.. :laugh:
D'ya know, I was thinking the same. It's just I don't think they'll last too long once it warms up in the spring.
I fitted a set of Hankook W300 Ice Bears on 17's on my Passat. Apart from being a bit squirmy for the first few miles, when it's wet and greasy, they are superb.
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I've been driving for years and never seen the need for winter tyres, this is a subject I can only read and think WTF?
Jim
Just hope you're not in front of me when the white stuff comes.
Winters are safer in the winter. Simple.
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I'm a mere spring chick, as I didn't pass my test until 1987. I have managed all this time without them. Through some proper winters as well, but I thought this year I'd give them ago. The difference even on damp, cold, greasy country roads is very noticable. Factor in the reduced wear rate (summers wear faster when it's cold) and it all makes perfect sense.
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Yeah, they're 18's. The good thing is that being a genuine VAG group wheel, they have an ET51 (my Talladegas are ET50) so they're a perfect fit.
An inch smaller and 1/2 inch less wide. That's about as much as I was prepared to sacrifice!!
Same here!
I drop from 8.5"x19" to 8"x18" for winter....same width of tyre.
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I think a lot of this depends on your location?
We have winters for our 4x4 but not the golf as I just won use it if it's very icey or it snows.
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I've been driving for the last 16 years and have to say the Golf is one of the best cars I've driven in the snow.
Sure, the Golf R now has 4wd - but even my ED30 a couple of years back was a delight compared to some of my previous cars.
My wife drives a BMW 120 Cabrio - which doesn't move once there is a little more than frost on the ground... so I have to take her everywhere (since she only gets to drive it in extreme emergencies!)
At the end of the day - when you look at the cost of the car overall... what difference does another few £££'s ontop for a set of winter tyres make?
I've noticed a difference already in the 5 days I've had them on - with how well they grip in the damp / cold conditions. Maybe they'll save me having to pay out a large excess on an insurance claim? Maybe they'll stop me getting stuck in my car park? Maybe not?!
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A few more dodgy pics with new winters on :smiley:
(http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/NeilGti/e087b7a4.jpg)
(http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/NeilGti/3301ac42.jpg)
(http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/NeilGti/8ea80bd5.jpg)
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Another vid of the advantages of winters vs summer tyres.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/total_tyre_guide/259435/winter_tyre_test.html?CMP=NLC-Newsletters&uid=d34604b92e94a5324ad378962c64fd4d
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Neil
They look very nice, very nice indeed - grpahite works well with the red :cool:
I've just put mine on today - it was 4C when out in the car this morning and we had a hail storm - omens of things to come this week so I swapped them over
I took the opportunity to fit the front mudflaps too - just need to clean and store the Vancouvers and perhaps take a pic or two :wink:
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What kind of figure are you looking at to have them powder coated?
They were done by a company in Aberdeen called PPS. They did them for £40 each as we use them for stuff at work - so I got a few quid off. I think they were meant to be £45 per wheel.
Thanks. That's actually not a bad price for the work involved. They are looking great.
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Neil... they look awesome. :cool:
I picked my wife up from her night out last night, and it was -1°C at about 12am.
Today I've seen a load of photos from friends up in Aviemore / Huntly / Elgin where they have a load of snow thats fallen last night / today.
Looks like I might get my new snowboard out before the end of the year afterall!!
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After putting the winter wheels/tyres combo on today, We went over to some friends and the TPMS warning light came on (this is the aftermarket fit from SteveP)
I checked all the pressures - all OK but when I tried to reset it - pressing the button in the centre console, the light has still remained on.
Any ideas guys?
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You be to hold it for about 10 seconds to reset it I think?
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Thanks P3eps - ill try that in the morning.
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You be to hold it for about 10 seconds to reset it I think?
Tried this today (and for a lot longer too) but no joy
Wonder if the wiring isn't right in the switch - will take a look later this week when I have half an hour.
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Engine off, but ignition on IIRC
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Engine off, but ignition on IIRC
Strange as I've always reset mine with the engine running by just holding the button for a couple of seconds.
@Buck, I remember reading that you didn't actually need the switch installed as the TPMS could be activated by vag.com but the drawback was it had to be reset by vag.com as well.
Sounds like although you have the switch installed, its obviously not connected properly. If all else fails at least it can be reset by software.
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i just bought some pirelli winter tyres for my clio... that thing is going to be a machine in this snow we had today :evil: :evil:
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anyone know would OEM vw 15" mk5/6 wheels fit a gti mk6?
or is 16" smallest i could go?
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I think 16" is the smallest you can go to fit over the brake calipers
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I think 16" is the smallest you can go to fit over the brake calipers
That's correct...16s are as small as you can go.
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anyone know would OEM vw 15" mk5/6 wheels fit a gti mk6?
or is 16" smallest i could go?
There are big brake calipers in the front of my car. The alloys need to be 16"+ to leave room for the calipers AFAIK. VW recommend 16" or 17" with narrower tyres for winter use.
The roads were covered in snow and ice this morning on my way to work. I decided to really test the winter tyres on a back road through the mountains. I would never have attempted this in summer tyres. The road had no black tyre tracks it was completely white. I was expecting to see a lot of the traction control light on some of the steeper hills. It came on once when the DSG changed down and the engine revved on one of the steepest bits. :cool:
The winter tyres are better than I expected. The difference has to be experienced to be believed. Amazing!
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The roads were covered in snow and ice this morning on my way to work. I decided to really test the winter tyres on a back road through the mountains. I would never have attempted this in summer tyres. The road had no black tyre tracks it was completely white. I was expecting to see a lot of the traction control light on some of the steeper hills. It came on once when the DSG changed down and the engine revved on one of the steepest bits. :cool:
The winter tyres are better than I expected. The difference has to be experienced to be believed. Amazing!
Totally agree - outside temperatures have been c.20C since Sunday and have I noticed a difference? Absolutely!!
- Quieter
- More supple ride
- no wheel spin
- 'sticky' driving
I'm just wondering why it's taken me over 25 years of driving to realise what I've been missing!!
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I got 20% off Michelin Alpine tyres at Cosco. As I originally upgraded the alloys still means I have the original 17's.
The wife's work is in a village on high ground where she told me the snow was quite deep.At her work the car park has a steep incline.
The GTI was the only car in the car park and my wife was told she wont get it back out. It drove out no problem.
The wife said she did not feel the car slipping at any time.
Glad to hear that because with the 20% discount they were £620 which took me by surprise.
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^^ not cheap as you say.
My set up including wheels was around £950 but I've already forgotten the dent in the wallet and am set on enjoying the drive and the reassurance they bring in every day driving.
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If they are quieter, more grip in the winter and just as good in the wet, is there any reason to buy "all season" tyres in the future?
Should we not just run with these throughout the year or is there a marked difference in the warm weather?
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Should we not just run with these throughout the year or is there a marked difference in the warm weather?
They don't work too well when they are hot I'm told. Also, increased wear rate in higher temperatures. Just like increased wear rate through the winter months with "summer" tyres.
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sod it
my gti is all washed, waxed and spanking clean and in the garage for the winter. don't think i want to get it dirty/salty and risk it in the crap conditions.
think I'm going to keep it in there till the weather picks up (about april??!!)
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If they are quieter, more grip in the winter and just as good in the wet, is there any reason to buy "all season" tyres in the future?
Should we not just run with these throughout the year or is there a marked difference in the warm weather?
Regular tyres are designed to operate at +4°C. Winter tyres are designed to be used at below 8°C. At above 8°C winter tyres degrade faster and provide less grip as they are a softer compound. Vice versa for the summer tyres in winter. Plus you end up wearing your summer tyres in winter quicker with all the wheel spinning :grin:
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So if both have pros and cons I wonder what would be best for all year round? Summer or winter.
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There are some 'all season' tyres available - but I imagine they'd be mediocre in summer and winter!
If you want performance in all seasons then I'm afraid you need to spend 60% of the year in summer tyres, and the other 40% in winter tyres.
And when I say that - I'm talking about the outdoor temperatures, not the actual weather... since it feels like winter here 75% of the time!!
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My theory is that after the initial outlay, having both winter and summer tyres will not cost any extra money. I am hoping that I will get three winters out of my new set of winter tyres. In the time that they are on, I will not be suffering increased wear throughout the winter on sumer tyres, therefore increasing the longevity of them.
I can only wear out one set of tyres at a time, so it makes sence to use the best performing tyres with the least wear rate for the appropriate season. The savings in tyre wear, should pay for having the tyres swapped over come spring time and then next winter.
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My theory is that after the initial outlay, having both winter and summer tyres will not cost any extra money. I am hoping that I will get three winters out of my new set of winter tyres. In the time that they are on, I will not be suffering increased wear throughout the winter on summer tyres, therefore increasing the longevity of them.
I can only wear out one set of tyres at a time, so it makes sense to use the best performing tyres with the least wear rate for the appropriate season. The savings in tyre wear, should pay for having the tyres swapped over come spring time and then next winter.
+1 for all the above, although I took the logic that little bit further and totted up the cost of someone fitting 18" rubber onto my existing rims for a few winters and offset that against the cost of new rims! It also gave me the opportunity to downsize the winter rubber required by using new 17" rims, thus extra savings. Now I can swap myself!
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My theory is that after the initial outlay, having both winter and summer tyres will not cost any extra money. I am hoping that I will get three winters out of my new set of winter tyres. In the time that they are on, I will not be suffering increased wear throughout the winter on summer tyres, therefore increasing the longevity of them.
I can only wear out one set of tyres at a time, so it makes sense to use the best performing tyres with the least wear rate for the appropriate season. The savings in tyre wear, should pay for having the tyres swapped over come spring time and then next winter.
+1 for all the above, although I took the logic that little bit further and totted up the cost of someone fitting 18" rubber onto my existing rims for a few winters and offset that against the cost of new rims! It also gave me the opportunity to downsize the winter rubber required by using new 17" rims, thus extra savings. Now I can swap myself!
I've got them on my Passat, so they are 17" wheels anyway. I am now considering getting a second set of original Phoenix wheels and having them refurbed over the winter, ready to fit new summer tyres to in the spring. That way I can do my own wheel swapping come next winter too.
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It definitely makes sense to have a winter set and a summer set. There is no denying that and yeah I can see you can only wear out one set at a time so financially you wouldn't really be out of pocket apart from the initial outlay of a new set of wheels for the winter tyres or the cost to change them over.
What I was trying to get at was, if you could only have one set of tyres on your car throughout the year, would it make more sense to have summer tyres on throughout the season or winter tyres on throughout the season. Just for normal driving, not to take the car to its limits :smiley:
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Having just one set of tyres, I would do what I have done for the last 24 years and have a set of premium summer tyres and just put up with the poor capabilities through the winter.
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Agree wtih Dubber on this - the key as well is not just the tyre but knowing your limits as a driver and the behaviour of your car.
Mix all those together and you will still be a safe driver but will have to manage increased risk in winter with stopping distances, traction and overall performance.
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Agree wtih Dubber on this - the key as well is not just the tyre but knowing your limits as a driver and the behaviour of your car.
Mix all those together and you will still be a safe driver but will have to manage increased risk in winter with stopping distances, traction and overall performance.
Why do you need to drive 10mph if you could be driving 60???
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I don't mean to be playing devils advocate here but a lot of threads I've read about in winter tyres generally are along the lines of:
"My car was the only car that made it into the works car park. All other cars had to stop at the bottom of the hill"
They all seem to be about getting you from A to B when all other cars fail, not about stopping distance or manoeuvrability.
I think all drivers become aware of their and their cars limits and drive accordingly.
My wife for example just tootles along and doesn't push her car anywhere near the limits. She will alter her style like we all do when the snow is here regardless of what tyres she has on her car. But if summer tyres aren't even going to get her up the hill out of our estate, then it becomes immaterial if she alters her driving style as she can't physically move the car to try it :laugh:
However in the summer with winter tyres on, she'll just tootle along as normal! Or am I missing something? Is there a big disadvantage of winter tyres being used in the summer apart from they wear slightly quicker?
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She sounds a bit like my wife. She mainly drives the Golf and always with an eye on the mpg. There is no reason why she couldn't keep them on all year round. In fact, the bloke that I get my tyres from, has them fitted on his vans all the time.
It would be worth while checking the speed ratings on the winter tyres. You may find youself tearing down an Auto Route at a fair old lick, having forgotten that you have winter tyres on.
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I don't mean to be playing devils advocate here but a lot of threads I've read about in winter tyres generally are along the lines of:
"My car was the only car that made it into the works car park. All other cars had to stop at the bottom of the hill"
They all seem to be about getting you from A to B when all other cars fail, not about stopping distance or manoeuvrability.
I think all drivers become aware of their and their cars limits and drive accordingly.
My wife for example just tootles along and doesn't push her car anywhere near the limits. She will alter her style like we all do when the snow is here regardless of what tyres she has on her car. But if summer tyres aren't even going to get her up the hill out of our estate, then it becomes immaterial if she alters her driving style as she can't physically move the car to try it :laugh:
However in the summer with winter tyres on, she'll just tootle along as normal! Or am I missing something? Is there a big disadvantage of winter tyres being used in the summer apart from they wear slightly quicker?
Even if you have winter tyres you still have to drive accordingly to conditions. Last winter was terrible so I got them this year to keep my wife on the move.
Plus the huge difference in stopping distance in snow and ice and cold weather compared to convectional tyres make them a great safety feature.
I take it you don’t think winter tyres are worth getting? If that’s the case I strongly recommend you do a wee bit home work on the benefits of winter tyres.
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However in the summer with winter tyres on, she'll just tootle along as normal! Or am I missing something? Is there a big disadvantage of winter tyres being used in the summer apart from they wear slightly quicker?
The biggest safety disadvantage of using winter tyres in the summer is stopping distance, which can be several meters longer from speed in wet conditions. It's not the normal driving conditions where you'll notice, it's the emercency situation which you didn't forsee having to slam the brakes on.
I'd rather spend the 9-10 months of the year when the temperature is above 7C driving with the tyres which will stop me more quickly. Winter tyres should be used for proper winter conditions only.
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However in the summer with winter tyres on, she'll just tootle along as normal! Or am I missing something? Is there a big disadvantage of winter tyres being used in the summer apart from they wear slightly quicker?
The biggest safety disadvantage of using winter tyres in the summer is stopping distance, which can be several meters longer from speed in wet conditions. It's not the normal driving conditions where you'll notice, it's the emercency situation which you didn't forsee having to slam the brakes on.
I'd rather spend the 9-10 months of the year when the temperature is above 7C driving with the tyres which will stop me more quickly. Winter tyres should be used for proper winter conditions only.
This trail of thought is spot on, in this country winter tyres would be used no more than max 3-4 months and provide massive benefits. We had some severe ice in the village this week with numerous cars struggling on the hill, my wifes BMW sailed on regardless but as my wife correctly pointed out moving isn't always the problem, stopping can still be an issue despite the massive improvement offerred plus she gets so angry at other drivers who do not adjust their driving style to suit the conditions, we have a lot of idiots on the roads so anything that can help us with the safety aspect has to be worth the initial outlay. Last year was my first year with winter tyres in 20+ years of driving but I am totally converted:)
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I take it you don’t think winter tyres are worth getting? If that’s the case I strongly recommend you do a wee bit home work on the benefits of winter tyres.
On the contrary the exact opposite. I was just trying to work out if my wifes car would be better off with winter tyres all year round or summer all year round. Like I've said above I can fully see the merits of winter tyres in the winter.
Winter in the summer means longer braking distances which I'd have to look into .
Summer in the winter means she might not even get out the street.
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If there is so much snow on the roads that my wife feels uncomfortable driving, then she would probably stay at home, therefore there is no point at all in putting winter tyres on her car. If the weather is that bad, you have to ask the question, can you manage with not going out for the few days of snow we actually get? In our part of the country we get bugger all snow really, so as far as we are concerned, winter tyres are not all about tyre performance on snow and ice. Having said that, the way she drives and the journeys she does, means that she can manage perfectly well on good summer tyres all year round.
I on the other hand, travel a lot further in my Passat. It's also the car that we use as the weekend family workhorse. I fitted winter tyres on it a couple of weeks ago and have to say, it feels so much more secure on our cold, greasy country roads. It's the first time that I have every had them, and I have to say I am totally sold on the idea, for me anyway.
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Staying at home is by far the easiest and safest option, I personally wouldn't bother with winter tyres if it weren't for the fact my job takes me places where you want to ensure you can always get home. If I'm at home with my job I can choose to work from home and cancel other engagements and walk / slide to the shops if we need food. My girlfriend is also within half an hours walk from her work, easy.
I also go silly places like the lakes, snowdonia, the brecons for various outdour-activities and it just makes them that bit more realistic / possible / safer.
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The biggest safety disadvantage of using winter tyres in the summer is stopping distance, which can be several meters longer from speed in wet conditions. It's not the normal driving conditions where you'll notice, it's the emercency situation which you didn't forsee having to slam the brakes on.
I'd rather spend the 9-10 months of the year when the temperature is above 7C driving with the tyres which will stop me more quickly. Winter tyres should be used for proper winter conditions only.
What about the stopping distance of summer tyres during the winter? :huh: On snow and ice that difference is not measured in a few meters. It is measures in 'times'. i.e. summer tyres need two or three times the distance to stop a car on snow and ice.
Comparatively, winter tyres will loose a small percentage of their performance during the summer. Comparatively, summer tyres loose a small amount of their performance when it is cold and wet. However, they loose a massive amout of performance on snow and ice.
And you are six times more likely to have a car accident during the winter months.
Where in the UK do you live that you only get 2-3 months of temperatures below 7C? Last year it was below 7C for a full 5 months. The average I believe is 4 months.
I would rather have winter tyres for winter driving and summer tyres for the rest of the year. It has cost me very little to do this. As someone has pointed out. I can only wearout one set of tyres at a time.
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If there is so much snow on the roads that my wife feels uncomfortable driving, then she would probably stay at home, therefore there is no point at all in putting winter tyres on her car. If the weather is that bad, you have to ask the question, can you manage with not going out for the few days of snow we actually get?
Totally agree that if its that bad then the best bet is to stay at home but the problem with where we live is, Glasgow (where she works) can be snow free but our place is covered in snow and were basically snowed in. So everyone thinks your at it :smiley:
I work in the health profession so don't have the option of just saying I'm not going in today as caring doesn't stop but I've had to text my boss a couple of times with pictures of our place, in my defence :grin:
One of these days I'll get the winter tyres :smiley:
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Major squeaky bum moment on Friday. :shocked:
It froze overnight and then it snowed early in the morning. So I reckon there was wet snow on black ice. After my mountain expedition on Tuesday morning's snow and ice - I was full of confidence that my winter tyres could handle anything. I pulled out onto the road and there was fresh snow with no other tyre tracks. I slowly brought my speed upto 50mph. The road is straight for 2 miles before a sharp right-hand bend and an immediate stop onto the main road. I had approached this bend way to fast. As I breaked and turned the whole car started to go sideways. The ABS and ESP took over the car wobbled a bit and came to a stop. I sat there thinking, 'what and idiot!' I guess I would have pushed the limits at some stage. This showed me that even winter tyres have their limits in poor conditions.
Summer tyres would have been no use at all in that situation. If I had only had two winter tyres I have no doubt that the car would have spun and I would have crashed.
I learned that you still need to be careful on winter tyres.
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Summer tyres would have been no use at all in that situation. If I had only had two winter tyres I have no doubt that the car would have spun and I would have crashed.
I learned that you still need to be careful on winter tyres.
Horrible moments those. Its as if time stands still.
I reckon its all relative and if you had summer tyres on then there is no way you'd be doing that speed on snow. But then again may have slid at a lot slower speed.
I know I am extremely aware I run with summer tyres on so adapt my style accordingly. Its the getting stuck in the snow with summer tyres that makes winter tyres appeal to me.
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i gave the clio winter tyres a good test on saturday morning... found a nice frosted over lay by and slammed on the brakes. Pretty impressed, but still felt the abs working under my foot.
Think you have ensure you dont drive silly with these winter tyres on just to show you have them.
On another note last year I drove my dads 7 series bmw with 20" wheels + summer tyres home on 3" of snow.... 2 tons of car sliding down a dual carriageway side ways is a very scary sight!! :evil: :evil:
I was going to get him some winter tyres this year as a xmas pressie... at £447 per tyre he will just have to sit his a$$ at home :laugh:
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Major squeaky bum moment on Friday. :shocked:
...sounds like it too - at least you're hear to share that OMG moment with us all - makes you realise just how much stopping power/grip is needed - the other night I braked then I realised I wasn't stopping quickly enough and ended up "nose-diving" and stopping centimetres fromt he car in front mouthing "5hit" as I realised how lucky I was - normally I read the road ahead really well but for some reason hadn't noticed that they were not just slowing but stopping!
Lesson learnt ... until next time
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I'm going snowboarding tomorrow at either The Lecht or Glenshee - so it will be the first time my winter tyres have ever seen real snow!!
Apart from a few frosty mornings and a slightly icy car park, they haven't had any action yet!
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I made the mistake of going through the mountains this morning. The snow was much deeper than last time. The tyres were unstoppable, but I didn't like the car acting like a snow plough because of the low ground clearance :(
Another lesson learned.
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I made the mistake of going through the mountains this morning. The snow was much deeper than last time. The tyres were unstoppable, but I didn't like the car acting like a snow plough because of the low ground clearance :(
Another lesson learned.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d1/Mr_Plow.gif)
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OK this is the last time I go over the mountains. It is quicker, but just to dangerous.
One half of the road was clear, but icy. The other half covered in snow. The scary part was when meeting other cars. I was going up a long hill with a medium gradient and slight curve to the right in the road. I reckon one of the cars coming down the hill had winters on the front. When he touched the breaks the rear of his car swung out. :shocked:I pulled onto the snow to get out of his way. Next was a van and it went sidways too, before he started driving down the ditch for grip. Not sure he had any winters on. On a steeper hill who knows what would have happened!
My car did manage to stop on sheet ice going down one hill. ABS was going mad but it still stopped.
Drive safe everyone.
Edit to add: it was raining on the sheet ice!
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Ok, my first post on this forum, so please don't shoot me down if I'm asking a dumb question that's been asked lots of times before.
I'm looking to put some steel wheels on my GTi for the winter. The 18" Monzas with summer tyres, are just not right for the job. Plus they've had a few winters now and the laquer is coming off, so I want to get them refurbished, so need a spare set of wheels.
I did some brief research and found out that the wheels I need are 5 x 112 PCD
Seems that the post 96 Passat, Sharan, Transporter T5 and Caravelle came in this size.
I've seen some 16" Transporter steels on ebay for an ok price. I don't need them with tyres as I'm going to be buying 4 winters anyway.
But this is my question. Do 16" wheels fit the GTi mk 5 / 6? The standard fit alloys are 17" so I thought maybe that was the smallest, but people are mentioning 16" here. I don't want to buy 4 plus pay for shipping to the Isle of Man, only to find that won't fit over the callipers.
Can anyone confirm they've fitted 16" steels without problem?
Thanks
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Welcome mate! Looks like the 16s will fit, have a look at page 8 from this very thread.
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=207445.70
:wink:
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Can anyone confirm they've fitted 16" steels without problem?
Thanks
I'm sure VW recommend 16" wheels for the winter. There was a link somewhere but as usual when I'm looking for it I can't find it!!
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This is the recommended list from Elsawin for the GTI/GTD
(http://www.thewindinglane.co.uk/images/mk6gti/winter.JPG)
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I'm sure VW recommend 16" wheels for the winter. There was a link somewhere but as usual when I'm looking for it I can't find it!!
Do VW not recommend the 'merribel' winter wheel - which is a 17" alloy that's really skinny?
I finally got a chance to test mine out in the snow on Monday - although it was short lived as it mostly disappeared that night. It was only about 2" deep - but after clearing the car I tried giving it full beans out of my carpark from a standing start. Very little in the way of wheelspin, and instant grip. Cornering seemed good, and firm braking barely caused a slide. I only managed to test for a few miles on my way to work - but they definitely seem like a huge improvement on standard tyres.
My trip to The Lecht last week was a different story however. It was about 7am, and there was little in the way of snow on the road. As I got closer to the mountain, the surroundings started getting whiter but the roads remained black. Suddenly whilst cornering on a B-road - the back stepped out a bit. The roads suddenly got VERY icy! I slowed down a lot - and occasionally felt some 'twitches' where I could feel the tyres losing traction. There were a few nervous moments when the car struggled to turn at first - despite me being very gentle with the steering wheel.
The last mile or so of the journey were done in blind drifts - and the road to the Lecht is a 20° incline - so is very steep. I ascended and descended the hills without any problems and the car felt very planted in the snow. I got in and out of the carpark without any problems too.
So far so good!
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Us southern softies have been lucky so far. Kiss of death but I think its going to be one of the mildest Christmas's on record down here :smiley:
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Us southern softies have been lucky so far. Kiss of death but I think its going to be one of the mildest Christmas's on record down here :smiley:
Driving home from work 20 minutes ago and my MFD crept up to 9°C :shocked:
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Thank you to everyone for their advice.
I'm now the owner of 4 x 16" steel wheels courtesy of ebay http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wheelsnthings/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 (http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wheelsnthings/?_trksid=p4340.l2559) and they look fine.
Have ordered a set of Hankook I*cept Evo W310 tyres from Black Circles and waiting for them to arrive.
And might treat myself to a set of these wheel trims as they look the part http://www.amazon.co.uk/INCH-REPLACEMENT-WHEEL-TRIMS-COVERS/dp/B003JIASW0 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/INCH-REPLACEMENT-WHEEL-TRIMS-COVERS/dp/B003JIASW0). I was going to leave the wheels as naked black, but i'd still need to get centre caps and my VW dealer seems a bit useless on the computer system and can't guarantee I'll end up with the right part. If anyone knows of the black centre cap part number for 16" steel wheels, I'd prefer that to wheel trims if I'm honest.
So nearly sorted, for what looks like a very mild winter and probably no snow at all :rolleyes:
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Thank you to everyone for their advice.
I'm now the owner of 4 x 16" steel wheels courtesy of ebay http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wheelsnthings/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 (http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wheelsnthings/?_trksid=p4340.l2559) and they look fine.
Have ordered a set of Hankook I*cept Evo W310 tyres from Black Circles and waiting for them to arrive.
And might treat myself to a set of these wheel trims as they look the part http://www.amazon.co.uk/INCH-REPLACEMENT-WHEEL-TRIMS-COVERS/dp/B003JIASW0 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/INCH-REPLACEMENT-WHEEL-TRIMS-COVERS/dp/B003JIASW0). I was going to leave the wheels as naked black, but i'd still need to get centre caps and my VW dealer seems a bit useless on the computer system and can't guarantee I'll end up with the right part. If anyone knows of the black centre cap part number for 16" steel wheels, I'd prefer that to wheel trims if I'm honest.
So nearly sorted, for what looks like a very mild winter and probably no snow at all :rolleyes:
By Christ those wheel trims are awful.
There's a hired Caddy van at my work at the moment, if I get chance to get at it before it goes back to the hire company I'll see if I can get the part numbers off the centre caps for you. I was eyeing them up yesterday thinking how good they'd look on a set of winter steels.
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Thank you to everyone for their advice.
I'm now the owner of 4 x 16" steel wheels courtesy of ebay http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wheelsnthings/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 (http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wheelsnthings/?_trksid=p4340.l2559) and they look fine.
Have ordered a set of Hankook I*cept Evo W310 tyres from Black Circles and waiting for them to arrive.
And might treat myself to a set of these wheel trims as they look the part http://www.amazon.co.uk/INCH-REPLACEMENT-WHEEL-TRIMS-COVERS/dp/B003JIASW0 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/INCH-REPLACEMENT-WHEEL-TRIMS-COVERS/dp/B003JIASW0). I was going to leave the wheels as naked black, but i'd still need to get centre caps and my VW dealer seems a bit useless on the computer system and can't guarantee I'll end up with the right part. If anyone knows of the black centre cap part number for 16" steel wheels, I'd prefer that to wheel trims if I'm honest.
So nearly sorted, for what looks like a very mild winter and probably no snow at all :rolleyes:
Do you need to get some different wheel nuts? I'm sure the wheel nut seat on the OEM alloy is different to that on a steelie
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I was really p!ssed off that I couldn't afford winter wheels and or tyres this year.
However I think I would have been even more p!ssed off if I'd bought them and then found the temps had been in double figures for most of the winter!! 12 degrees on Xmas day FFS!!
UK weather lets us down in so many ways :laugh:
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I asked the VW dealer and they seemed to think the alloy nuts were ok on steel. I had heard that before though, so I'm not convinced. Maybe you can't use steel nuts on alloy, but the other way round is ok!?!
Yes, if someone does have a part number for the Caddy centre caps, that would be most appreciated.
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I asked the VW dealer and they seemed to think the alloy nuts were ok on steel. I had heard that before though, so I'm not convinced. Maybe you can't use steel nuts on alloy, but the other way round is ok!?!
The bolts are the same regardless...both the alloys and the steels use radius seat bolts...so all is well there.
The issue comes if you fit some aftermarket wheels which require taper seat bolds to match the taper seat of the wheels.
Any VAG OEM wheels will be radius seat and hence OK.
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I was really p!ssed off that I couldn't afford winter wheels and or tyres this year.
However I think I would have been even more p!ssed off if I'd bought them and then found the temps had been in double figures for most of the winter!! 12 degrees on Xmas day FFS!!
True...but 4 days ealier it had been -6.5 and seriously icy.
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I asked the VW dealer and they seemed to think the alloy nuts were ok on steel. I had heard that before though, so I'm not convinced. Maybe you can't use steel nuts on alloy, but the other way round is ok!?!
Yes, if someone does have a part number for the Caddy centre caps, that would be most appreciated.
Right, I've been to see the Caddy which is filthy, it was dark, freezing cold and the cap took most of the skin off my thumb when I prized it off, so you owe me one!!
Part number 2K0 601 169
It looks quite neat really, a bit like the original mk2 Golf GTI steel wheel centre caps in black.
As Glen says above, you can use the same bolts.
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I asked the VW dealer and they seemed to think the alloy nuts were ok on steel. I had heard that before though, so I'm not convinced. Maybe you can't use steel nuts on alloy, but the other way round is ok!?!
The bolts are the same regardless...both the alloys and the steels use radius seat bolts...so all is well there.
The issue comes if you fit some aftermarket wheels which require taper seat bolds to match the taper seat of the wheels.
Any VAG OEM wheels will be radius seat and hence OK.
Agreed if they are OEM, but IsleOfManGTi has bought aftermarket steelies from http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wheelsnthings/?_trksid=p4340.l2559 Maybe best to check just to be 100% sure. I may be wrong, but I would have guessed the steels being non OEM would need taper seat bolts
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Yes I agree. Go with the alloys, hopefully something lighter than stock. I've been running Nokian R's for the last 4 winters and i wouldn't consider any other tire. Great in the wet and slush.
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BTW, make sure you get painted wheels for your winter set up.
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I ordered a set if genuine VW winter wheels today
I know its July but as I'm using the golf as a daily driver now and it will live outside I decided to make the most of a good deal I saw
£795 for brand new genuine 16" VW wheels with Bridgestone blizzak tyres
Not bad at all.
Just need somewhere to store all my wheels now as I also recently bought a set of ultraleggera with AD08s for my clio track wheels!
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May as well store them on the axles of the car with the amount of rain were having this summer.
:-)
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Who's used winter tyres this time and have you still got them on?
I fitted mine on my Passat in November. Whilst they were good when the roads were cold, wet and greasy, they have not have any snow or ice to deal with. Even with the generally warmer temperatures, they have hardly worn at all. This has been the third winter I've used them and they still have nearly 5mm of tread left.
I'm debating when to swap them back. I've got my original diamond cut wheels cleaned, sealed and with new Conti Sport 5's ready to go. I'll probably wait until the car has it's post winter decontamination and put them back on when it's looking it's best.
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I think I'll swap mine back in the next week or so.
I had my first 'slippy' journey a week ago, where the front didn't seem to have much grip well on a couple of corners. I checked the temperature and it was +9C...so time for the summer wheels I think.
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I'm debating when to swap them back. I've got my original diamond cut wheels cleaned, sealed and with new Conti Sport 5's ready to go. I'll probably wait until the car has it's post winter decontamination and put them back on when it's looking it's best.
Good choice.
I've kept my conti sport 5p's on all year round and no issues over winter (apart from a puncture but that was down to a nail). Great grip in wet and dry. Had them rotated front to back in Feb.
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Still got mine on the leon as its often only 2-5 degrees in a morning and can be frosty at 6am and at 5:30pm it has once or twice been 7+ degrees but normally dull and about 4-5 degrees. Have not used this car at weekends during the day were the temps have been higher just used it to comute.
I plan to take them off at the end of the month after its been MOTed.
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I had my winter tyres put on a brand new set of winter alloys that I bought back in October. They've sat in my garage ever since. I never thought the weather was bad or cold enough to warrant putting them back on.
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My experiences this winter have shown that it doesn't have to be cold for the benefits of winter tyres to make sense. As I said earlier, the additional surefootedness when it's wet and greasy is noticable. Also my "best" wheels have been kept away from the salt, crap and tar spots for a few months.
Even with the temperatures being higher, tyre wear hasn't been an issue. Maybe because out in the sticks, speeds are generally lower than for those people that spend a lot of time on motorways, so the tyres don't get as warm.
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My experiences this winter have shown that it doesn't have to be cold for the benefits of winter tyres to make sense. As I said earlier, the additional surefootedness when it's wet and greasy is noticable. Also my "best" wheels have been kept away from the salt, crap and tar spots for a few months.
Even with the temperatures being higher, tyre wear hasn't been an issue. Maybe because out in the sticks, speeds are generally lower than for those people that spend a lot of time on motorways, so the tyres don't get as warm.
^^^ this^^^^^
Given the amount of rain we have had, I have been very grateful to have had my winters fitted. Ive seen people aquaplane in front of me yet my car just drove straight through; no fuss, no drama. Grip levels in these types of conditions are just phenomenal and well worth the cost
Summer wheels will be going back on shortly judging by the forecast though!!
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I've still got my winters on and in fact had to have and tyre put on last Saturday as a result of a pothole splitting the wall :angry: Only about 6,000 miles on it.
Luckily, the mild winter meant that I found some in stock but still cost me £130 inc. delivery
I think I'll keep them on until at least the end of the month - some cold weather this weekend will remind me why I have them - the improved grip vs summers will make them worthwhile.
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My experiences this winter have shown that it doesn't have to be cold for the benefits of winter tyres to make sense. As I said earlier, the additional surefootedness when it's wet and greasy is noticable. Also my "best" wheels have been kept away from the salt, crap and tar spots for a few months.
Ditto and i'm back onto the Monza's this week,with Fresh V105's just fitted, Bring on the Spring :evil:
Sandy