GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: cheets7 on 25 November 2014, 12:50
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Hi all,
Had my gti a year now and I have to say the tyres the car came with are just dangerous in any other weather than dry! The GTi's could not have been originally tested with these tyres and passed fit for purpose. Who feels the same?
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Me!
Can't stand them (assuming you mean S001?) I've got Michelin Pilot Alpin 4 Winters on mine at the moment and the difference is remarkable. Even on the winters, the dry grip is miles better, as is road noise and ride comfort (which I didn't expect).
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Yes, they're sh!te. I emailed VW Germany who thanked me for the time taken to tell them about the tyres (I was aiming to get a flag put on my R order so it wouldn't have Bridgestones fitted), but said I was not within their geographical remit and passed me onto VW UK.
The VW UK representative rang me and we discussed why they were bad, and asked why a car (GTD) that supposedly has an "anti-tramping feature" in it's list of equipment is still able to tramp readily because it has Bridgestones on. She said there was nothing she could do about it, but can pass the feedback on to the factory and if they get enough complaints then they'd have to look into it.
So go ahead people - moan through the official channels and by the time the MK8 is out we might be getting somewhere with this issue.
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They are AWFUL. They seem worse than ever so far this winter. Obviously they've had more wear than they had last year but seriously they are unfit for purpose...
Putting my foot down (not even all the way down, just half throttle) in any gear on any slightly moist road even when it's not raining causes my traction control light to illuminate my dash board and the car to violently pull to one side.
I was thinking today how ridiculous these tyres actually are, earlier I was driving in 5th at 40mph. Needed to overtake so paddle shifted down 2 gears and accelerated in 3rd, car starts squirming and traction control performing a light show in the cabin of my car.
Pathetic tyres. I'm changing them even with 7mm left on the backs. Putting my Continental Winter Contact tyres on this weekend, which I know will actually beable to manage the GTI's torque.
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As I already said, we'll get no-where if we all be British about it and not moan. Get onto VW UK and moan!
So go ahead people - moan through the official channels and by the time the MK8 is out we might be getting somewhere with this issue.
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Calling VW first thing and going to push this until they replace them! Wish me luck!
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Calling VW first thing and going to push this until they replace them! Wish me luck!
After having them on for a year?
I wouldnt waste my time.
If only delivered and didnt get a massive discount there may be the slight possibility that a dealer may replace to sweeten the final deal but not after they've had a years use.
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Calling VW first thing and going to push this until they replace them! Wish me luck!
After having them on for a year?
I wouldnt waste my time.
If only delivered and didnt get a massive discount there may be the slight possibility that a dealer may replace to sweeten the final deal but not after they've had a years use.
Agree with that sentiment. They did nowt for me but advise that if enough people moan about the tyres, they'll have to listen and consider what we're saying. They're not going to give you a new set of tyres after a year of putting up with them, especially if you're only moaning to them about the tyres now. If we an get 10+ people saying that Bridgestones are sh!te then they might have to listen. I wonder whether German GTI/GTD/Rs are specifically not shod with Bridgestones?
I know from experience that the Germans are second only to the Finns in moaning (I work in technical complaints for a pharmaceutical company and those 2 nationalities moan way more than the average market share (4% of what we make goes to Germany yet they account for 28% of our complaints, the vast majority of which are unjustified). I'd have to assume they wouldn't hold back on moaning about sh!te tyres and if there was anything getting done about it because their voice was heard, they'd have done it already.
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Tyres seem to come in batches and vary from time to time - my GTD (late Feb/early March 2014 manufacture) came with Continentals- to my relief.....
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Where you are putting on winter types, I assume you are changing the wheels as well?
Although not a winter tyre, I was wondering how much of an improvement the Conti Sport 5 would be over the Bridgestones in the kind of weather we've had recently?
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I've had no issues with the Bridgestones on my R, and I didn't get hardly any tramping on my GTI with them either - BUT - and its a big but - when the Bridgestones on my GTI starting wearing down to changing tyre time they became very very slippy in the wet - although there was tread left it was like there was none - I don't know if this is just something in general or a Bridgestone problem, but in all my years driving I've never known such a shift from decent grip to f7ck all grip in the wet. Good fun though :grin: but not the first time I noticed it as I went to go round a roundabout at speed and it started sliding around unexpectedly :laugh:
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I've had no issues with the Bridgestones on my R, and I didn't get hardly any tramping on my GTI with them either - BUT - and its a big but - when the Bridgestones on my GTI starting wearing down to changing tyre time they became very very slippy in the wet - although there was tread left it was like there was none - I don't know if this is just something in general or a Bridgestone problem, but in all my years driving I've never known such a shift from decent grip to f7ck all grip in the wet. Good fun though :grin: but not the first time I noticed it as I went to go round a roundabout at speed and it started sliding around unexpectedly :laugh:
Mine were crap from the off on the GTD, even before the DTUK box, my Dad's GTD on Dunlops had no such issues and still don't even with the DTUK box on it, on a car with around 500Nm, and the Dunlops aren't that highly rated - his are well worn too, he'll be replacing them very shortly. The 4WD on the R will save you feeling how crap they are to a point, but you've got to wonder how much more surefooted the R would be really pushing it, on different rubber. Between here and the R forums, it seems a certainty that you'll get Bridgestones on the 19" Pretorias, and still quite likely on the 18"ers. It's a terrible situation to be in to be spending £25-30k on a performance car and then VW limiting it's potential with sh!te grip tyres. I will definitely consider swapping out immediately if mine turn up on the Bridgestones, up on Gumtree for £60-70 a pop.
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The Dunlop's on the gtds are good tyres but I know you had issues on your scirocco. They were 235 on the scirocco whereas they are only 225 on the golf which may help explain your side wall bulging.
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The Dunlop's on the gtds are good tyres but I know you had issues on your scirocco. They were 235 on the scirocco whereas they are only 225 on the golf which may help explain your side wall bulging.
Yeah, my dad's had no issues with sidewall bulges. The roads were generally worse back then, but I was careful and still buggered 3 tyres in the first winter with my first Scirocco - it could be that, or could be that the 225s are more robust, they're certainly significantly cheaper.
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Mine were crap from the off on the GTD, even before the DTUK box, my Dad's GTD on Dunlops had no such issues and still don't even with the DTUK box on it, on a car with around 500Nm, and the Dunlops aren't that highly rated - his are well worn too, he'll be replacing them very shortly. The 4WD on the R will save you feeling how crap they are to a point, but you've got to wonder how much more surefooted the R would be really pushing it, on different rubber. Between here and the R forums, it seems a certainty that you'll get Bridgestones on the 19" Pretorias, and still quite likely on the 18"ers. It's a terrible situation to be in to be spending £25-30k on a performance car and then VW limiting it's potential with sh!te grip tyres. I will definitely consider swapping out immediately if mine turn up on the Bridgestones, up on Gumtree for £60-70 a pop.
I would have killed myself if either car had turned up on Dunlops - I hate them, worst tyre I've ever had. I agree, it will be interesting to see how much more the R can do on tyres other than the Bridgestones - at the moment they don't seem to be an issue, but only time will tell. Once I've burned through them I'll be putting on PS3's :smiley:
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I've had no issues with the Bridgestones on my R, and I didn't get hardly any tramping on my GTI with them either - BUT - and its a big but - when the Bridgestones on my GTI starting wearing down to changing tyre time they became very very slippy in the wet - although there was tread left it was like there was none - I don't know if this is just something in general or a Bridgestone problem, but in all my years driving I've never known such a shift from decent grip to f7ck all grip in the wet. Good fun though :grin: but not the first time I noticed it as I went to go round a roundabout at speed and it started sliding around unexpectedly :laugh:
They are patently not a great tyre for use in the UK but they are hardly a "death trap".
They are very temperature sensitive, more so than any other road tyre I've come across - and worse as they become worn because there is less block movement on worn tyres. In cold weather it can take some time to them up to temperature and in the wet it can be very difficult.
The other contributing factor is their relatively stiff sidewalls - sidewall flex generates heat, stiffer sidewalls = less flex. I imagine in warmer/dryer climes they are fine.
Some if this may be down to how the Golf uses them, the same tyres on my Integra Type R were fine... but the Integra was probably harder on the tyres and caused them to warm up faster...
I understand that they are not the best but claiming that they turn your car into a "death trap" is an exaggeration... I think that you're likely to get further on this by being rational not hysterical :)
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I've had no issues with the Bridgestones on my R, and I didn't get hardly any tramping on my GTI with them either - BUT - and its a big but - when the Bridgestones on my GTI starting wearing down to changing tyre time they became very very slippy in the wet - although there was tread left it was like there was none - I don't know if this is just something in general or a Bridgestone problem, but in all my years driving I've never known such a shift from decent grip to f7ck all grip in the wet. Good fun though :grin: but not the first time I noticed it as I went to go round a roundabout at speed and it started sliding around unexpectedly :laugh:
They are patently not a great tyre for use in the UK but they are hardly a "death trap".
They are very temperature sensitive, more so than any other road tyre I've come across - and worse as they become worn because there is less block movement on worn tyres. In cold weather it can take some time to them up to temperature and in the wet it can be very difficult.
The other contributing factor is their relatively stiff sidewalls - sidewall flex generates heat, stiffer sidewalls = less flex. I imagine in warmer/dryer climes they are fine.
Some if this may be down to how the Golf uses them, the same tyres on my Integra Type R were fine... but the Integra was probably harder on the tyres and caused them to warm up faster...
I understand that they are not the best but claiming that they turn your car into a "death trap" is an exaggeration... I think that you're likely to get further on this by being rational not hysterical :)
You must be getting me confused with someone else, or maybe I've forgotten what I've written - but I don't believe I've ever used the words 'death trap' ?!
My post was completely rational, and from experience. In the wet, as the tyres got near the end of their useful life (but still had tread), they were all over the shop in the wet. And the times I had in mind when I wrote the above, the tyres would have been up to temperature as I had been driving for over half an hour. I'm not into making sweeping statements not based on fact as its unhelpful and a load of old b0llocks :laugh: I'll only state things that have actually happened, based on experiences of driving on the same roads at the same time in the same conditions, so that I've made a true and fair comparison based on my own tests.
As I've stated in other posts, in the dry the Bridgestones were fine, and I didn't have the same issues like for eg. MH had on his GTD with tramping. But in the wet, they were p!ss poor towards the end :smiley:
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I think corgi may have been referring to the title of the thread and thread in general MB and possibly just quoted the last reply to reply to the thread
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I think corgi may have been referring to the title of the thread and thread in general MB and possibly just quoted the last reply to reply to the thread
Ah, I see! Well, just for clarification I don't think they're a death trap! :laugh:
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I think corgi may have been referring to the title of the thread and thread in general MB and possibly just quoted the last reply to reply to the thread
Ah, I see! Well, just for clarification I don't think they're a death trap! :laugh:
That's because they patently aren't.
I quoted you because you were saying that they weren't the best for grip and were offering less as they wore... I was explaining why...
The hysteria I was commenting on was initiated by the title of the thread...
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I think corgi may have been referring to the title of the thread and thread in general MB and possibly just quoted the last reply to reply to the thread
Ah, I see! Well, just for clarification I don't think they're a death trap! :laugh:
That's because they patently aren't.
I quoted you because you were saying that they weren't the best for grip and were offering less as they wore... I was explaining why...
The hysteria I was commenting on was initiated by the title of the thread...
All I can comment on is through my own experience - and in the wet, after around 17,000 miles, they were shocking - and if I wanted to slide around corners and not feel safe in the wet I'd buy a BMW!
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Mine are coming to the end of their tread. (3mm remaining on the fronts) and the car drives like they're bold. Any form of acceleration in any gear causes wheel tramping/hopping and traction control to take over. This is ever since the weather has dropped in temperature and we've had moist roads. They are really pinning back the power of the GTI and I can't wait to take them off and put some real tyres on this weekend.
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I'm coming from Astra GTC VXR with 20s and P-Zeros - I have exactly the same issue as you are experiencing with the bridgestones - the weatherman just needs to say there is a chance of rain and the car loses all grip and tramps like mad!
I was forewarned of the bridgestones by JBirchy so did put in a plea with the dealer. He showed me an R (i think from memory) which had the dunlops fitted - so I'm hoping I get something other than the Bridgestones!!
Mine is coming with 19s Santiago's.
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Mine are coming to the end of their tread. (3mm remaining on the fronts) and the car drives like they're bold. Any form of acceleration in any gear causes wheel tramping/hopping and traction control to take over. This is ever since the weather has dropped in temperature and we've had moist roads. They are really pinning back the power of the GTI and I can't wait to take them off and put some real tyres on this weekend.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 AS2 is a solid option, however I changed them with about 3 mm remaining as the traction seemed to drop off quite rapidly. Shame they don't last long enough.
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Tyres I've had previously and were massively underrated for the cost are Vredestein Ultrac Sessentas.
Had a set on the front of my Mk1 Astra VXR (19" rims) and it was very sure footed. Easily up to the standard of the OEM Conti's.
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That's probably what I will be putting on next Gnasher, will you be putting them on your GTI?
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Mine is coming with 19s Santiago's.
My GTD with 19" Santiagos came with P-Zeros. Not a bad tyre but wore out very quickly. I find the Dunlop Sport Maxx RTs that I've swapped to since are much grippier.
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Mine is coming with 19s Santiago's.
My GTD with 19" Santiagos came with P-Zeros. Not a bad tyre but wore out very quickly. I find the Dunlop Sport Maxx RTs that I've swapped to since are much grippier.
I had a minor pothole/sidewall bulge issue with Dunlop SP01s on my first Scirocco - 3 tyres wrecked in a winter. I'd never buy them again for that reason. Michelin Supersports 19" on my R for me I think (although they are supposedly noticeably less good in the wet than a Conti 5P, but far better wearing).
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My GTD with 19" Santiagos came with P-Zeros. Not a bad tyre but wore out very quickly. I find the Dunlop Sport Maxx RTs that I've swapped to since are much grippier.
I had a minor pothole/sidewall bulge issue with Dunlop SP01s on my first Scirocco - 3 tyres wrecked in a winter. I'd never buy them again for that reason. Michelin Supersports 19" on my R for me I think (although they are supposedly noticeably less good in the wet than a Conti 5P, but far better wearing).
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i've got the super sports on my R at the moment for winter, some could say insane and in reality if it dips below 2 degrees i will probably leave it on the drive, these are unbelievable in the wet and in the dry equally impressive, and trust me these have been hammered off a public road.
interesting comparison will be my R on the super sports compared to the wifes which is going to be on the winter hankooks, she has the bridgestones
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I had a minor pothole/sidewall bulge issue with Dunlop SP01s on my first Scirocco - 3 tyres wrecked in a winter. I'd never buy them again for that reason. Michelin Supersports 19" on my R for me I think (although they are supposedly noticeably less good in the wet than a Conti 5P, but far better wearing).
i've got the super sports on my R at the moment for winter, some could say insane and in reality if it dips below 2 degrees i will probably leave it on the drive, these are unbelievable in the wet and in the dry equally impressive, and trust me these have been hammered off a public road.
interesting comparison will be my R on the super sports compared to the wifes which is going to be on the winter hankooks, she has the bridgestones
So it's a thumbs up for the Supersports then? I saw one review that marked them down quite a bit in the wet, but then again the Bridgestones got a decent rating and we know that's not the case.
Will be looking to get a set ordered and swapped ASAP unless a miracle happens and I get Conti 5Ps rather than the highly likely Bridgestone RE050s coming on Pretorias.
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Will be looking to get a set ordered and swapped ASAP unless a miracle happens and I get Conti 5Ps rather than the highly likely Bridgestone RE050s coming on Pretorias.
Start sourcing the Conti 5P tyres tout suite. :wink:
You are guaranteed to get Bridgestone RE050 tyres with your R. :cry:
All Summer Tyre Reviews:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Tests/#summer
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Will be looking to get a set ordered and swapped ASAP unless a miracle happens and I get Conti 5Ps rather than the highly likely Bridgestone RE050s coming on Pretorias.
Start sourcing the Conti 5P tyres tout suite. :wink:
You are guaranteed to get Bridgestone RE050 tyres with your R. :cry:
All Summer Tyre Reviews:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Tests/#summer
Aren't the 5Ps supposed to be a bit soft and go pretty bad below 4mm? (Yes i've been reading up).
Will be going for Supersports as I know Costco won't butcher the wheels. Maybe I can get one of the R forum posters who think the Bridgestones are great to buy mine.
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Will be looking to get a set ordered and swapped ASAP unless a miracle happens and I get Conti 5Ps rather than the highly likely Bridgestone RE050s coming on Pretorias.
Start sourcing the Conti 5P tyres tout suite. :wink:
You are guaranteed to get Bridgestone RE050 tyres with your R. :cry:
All Summer Tyre Reviews:
http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre-Tests/#summer
Aren't the 5Ps supposed to be a bit soft and go pretty bad below 4mm? (Yes i've been reading up).
Will be going for Supersports as I know Costco won't butcher the wheels. Maybe I can get one of the R forum posters who think the Bridgestones are great to buy mine.
But have you considered the scenario that you might actually like the RE050 tyres? Top Gear drove the R that was shod with them and it came 3rd after the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918 in Speedweek.
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That's probably what I will be putting on next Gnasher, will you be putting them on your GTI?
More than likely (although I think they are being replaced with a newer model).
I am tempted by a set of aftermarket wheels in either 18" or 19" and am looking to get a wheel and tyre package shod with these. That way I can definitely sell my originals as 'unmarked' as knowing my luck the tyre fitter will ruin them!
Looking at either 18" 3sdm 0.01 with 225/40R18 or 19" Dare DR-X2 with 235/35R19, both look good but I'm unsure about wanting to pay for the replacements on the 19's.
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But have you considered the scenario that you might actually like the RE050 tyres? Top Gear drove the R that was shod with them and it came 3rd after the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918 in Speedweek.
The S001s that are VWs 18" rubber of choice right now are supposed to be better than the RE050s, and my S001s are shockingly bad in the damp during the Summer, can't see the RE050s being any better, even on the R when traction issues will be taken care of by the 4WD system, but general grip won't be.
I'd have to ask myself what conditions the Top Gear test was performed in - if it was bone dry then they wouldn't have picked many (if any) limitations of the tyres up.
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But have you considered the scenario that you might actually like the RE050 tyres? Top Gear drove the R that was shod with them and it came 3rd after the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918 in Speedweek.
The S001s that are VWs 18" rubber of choice right now are supposed to be better than the RE050s, and my S001s are shockingly bad in the damp during the Summer, can't see the RE050s being any better, even on the R when traction issues will be taken care of by the 4WD system, but general grip won't be.
I'd have to ask myself what conditions the Top Gear test was performed in - if it was bone dry then they wouldn't have picked many (if any) limitations of the tyres up.
They did drove the cars in snowy/icy conditions in the mountains of Andorra and the R performed faultlessly. But I fully understand that you want the best tyres for your car. Just make sure that the replacement tyres also have good edge protection.
Have you had your BW confirmed?
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am1w: No confirmation yet. On current standing (estimated BW15) I shouldn't be getting confirmation until BW11/12. I might give VW UK a ring today and hope it hasn't slipped any further.
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am1w: No confirmation yet. On current standing (estimated BW15) I shouldn't be getting confirmation until BW11/12. I might give VW UK a ring today and hope it hasn't slipped any further.
I still cannot understand the VW system. Many of the guys who ordered after me are getting their cars 3-4 weeks earlier. Many of them are on confirmed BW4.
Best of luck that your BW has not slipped.
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Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tyres were always excellent on the Mk5 and Mk6 GTI's.
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Best of luck that your BW has not slipped.
BW14 from BW15 as of today's check. :smiley:
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Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tyres were always excellent on the Mk5 and Mk6 GTI's.
That's a thought. But how about the All Season Tyre Vredestein Quatrac Lite? Comes in all sizes. Excellent for UK weather conditions.
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Good evening all. Sorry to come on here as a newbie without an introduction!
I'm Ben and I work with Bridgestone in their consumer team. I just wanted to let you know that Bridgestone's technical department has been alerted to the S002 issues and concerns raised on here and I will be in touch as soon as I have an official response. I hope you can bear with me. We are looking into this as a matter of urgency.
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It's the S001 and RE050 that are on the GTI/GTD/R isn't it? Mine certainly has S001 on.
Seems a characteristic of the tyre that has been prevalent for a very long time - this isn't a new issue, Bridgestones have been slippery in the damp since I had them on my MK5 Golf back in 2007.
Hardwearing tyre = noisy, with poor wet grip generally. Get something nice and quiet with good grip in the wet like a Continental 5P and it usually has a really soft compound that has a relatively short life. Michelins seem to be able to do very good wet grip (but not the absolute best) and a reasonable wear life.
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Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tyres were always excellent on the Mk5 and Mk6 GTI's.
I will be reporting on these on my GTD shortly. I've got a pair sat in my hallway, only trouble is one tyre was damaged in transit so waiting for a replacement.
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Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tyres were always excellent on the Mk5 and Mk6 GTI's.
I will be reporting on these on my GTD shortly. I've got a pair sat in my hallway, only trouble is one tyre was damaged in transit so waiting for a replacement.
I put a pair of these on the front two weeks ago... huge improvement over the Bridgestones (10,000 miles on them) and much more confidence inspiring - especially in the wet.
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Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta tyres were always excellent on the Mk5 and Mk6 GTI's.
I will be reporting on these on my GTD shortly. I've got a pair sat in my hallway, only trouble is one tyre was damaged in transit so waiting for a replacement.
I put a pair of these on the front two weeks ago... huge improvement over the Bridgestones (10,000 miles on them) and much more confidence inspiring - especially in the wet.
Ah, awesome :) Good to hear, I've got great memories of these tyres so I'm looking forward to getting them on. I only got 10,000 out of the conti 2's, so I'm not too worried if I only get 10,000 out of the vred's at the price.
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Good morning. I hope you're all well.
I now have an official statement from Bridgestone regarding the issues that have been raised on this thread, which is below.
Thanks for bearing with us as we pulled this together. I will keep a note of the subsequent comments (now I am a member of the forum!!) and will hope to be of further help if necessary.
Ben
STATEMENT:
The Potenza range is a pure sports ultra-high performance product with maximum grip and precision response. The Potenza S001, has been developed in and for motorsport’s premier arena and has been tuned to deliver high speed stability and optimum road contact in both dry & wet conditions. This ultra-high performance product is original equipment on many high performance vehicles such as the Aston Martin Rapide, Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche Boxster & Cayman.
Concerning the Potenza S001 developed for the VW Golf MkVII (2013), this tyre the 225/40 R18 92Y S001 XL has been specifically developed to match the DNA of the VW Golf hot hatchback heritage. Tyres developed for Original Equipment manufacturers (OEM) go through a rigorous tyre test programme over many years, prior to the vehicle launch. This test programme involves, dry handling, wet handling, aquaplaning (lateral & longitudinal), ride comfort, NVH (noise, vibration & harshness), rolling resistance (RRC), durability, high speed and many more before the tyre is released by both the OEM & Tyre manufacturer.
It is important to remember however that tyre performance is a balancing act between many differing parameters. Improvements in dry grip have an adverse effect on rolling resistance, and Improvements in noise have an adverse effect on wet performance. Therefore, when developing a tyre for an OEM there are trade off’s in performance but what is important is that the tyre approved by any OEM must achieve their vehicle development targets, so matching the requirements of that specific vehicle, whether that be ultra-sports, sports, grand tourer, Eco or budget alike.
The Potenza S001 developed for the VW Golf MkVII (2013) has been specifically developed to give optimum performance, considering all targets set for this modern, premium, seventh generation vehicle. In addition, we have no reported historical complaints from the UK for this specific spec of tyre.
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So, the Bridgestones are actually a fantastic tyre...
Looks like we are all wrong with our observations and comparisons.
We must be driving incorrectly.
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So basically everyone on here is a liar, what we've all experienced is nonsense, and we should be grateful for the Bridgestones as they work fine on a 458 Italia. Excellent. :rolleyes:
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I think there would be "historical complaints" if the people experiencing issues on this forum alone reported it.
The tyre is not fit for purpose. I think we all need to email in to Bridgestone to see if an investigation is carried out or quality check.
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Interesting response, but really only the same as the one VW gave...
I wonder though, when you've swapped to something else, does it actually 100% remove the wheel spin that we all know and love - the booting it off the line one and the (more concerning) one where you can spin up in second or even third whilst moving along?
Is the problem with the Tombstones the road temperature or wet or both?
In other words, has anyone actually started to map this out?
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PS if you thought either company was going to reply with "yeah we've got 5 deaths attributed to our tyres in the last 6 months" then you don't understand the implications of such a statement ;-)
They are never going to say anything like that, even if its true.
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You will never beable to remove wheel spin. Not with a FWD car with such high power and torque outputs (especially with the torque kicking in so early)
So to answer your question, no the wheel spin is still prevalent when flooring it in 1st as you'd expect but wheel hop/tramping HAS been removed since putting Michellins on the front as well as wheel spin in 3rd & 4th which occurred on the Bridgestones.
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I'm not even slightly a techie when it comes to cars, I always assumed people talking about "tramping" where simply referring to loss of traction caused by massive application of the throttle from a high torque engine.
Reading this, it seems its actually caused by a harmonic in the drive train assembly:
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=46781
In which case, tyres won't fix it?
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So basically everyone on here is a liar, what we've all experienced is nonsense, and we should be grateful for the Bridgestones as they work fine on a 458 Italia. Excellent. :rolleyes:
I seem to remember top gear talking about the change from pirellis on the 430 to the bridgestones on the 458. I'm pretty sure jeremy said the first thing you need to do with your 458 is get a set of pirellis because it will handle better and drive better...
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Interesting response, but really only the same as the one VW gave...
I wonder though, when you've swapped to something else, does it actually 100% remove the wheel spin that we all know and love - the booting it off the line one and the (more concerning) one where you can spin up in second or even third whilst moving along?
Is the problem with the Tombstones the road temperature or wet or both?
In other words, has anyone actually started to map this out?
I can clog my Dad's GTD DSG on not experience any tramping from a standstill (On Dunlop SP01 rubber), If I give mine more than 1/3 of the throttle in the damp and 1/2 in the dry to pull away - my GTD will tramp furiously on S001s, in the summer and in the winter.
The Bridgestone tyre is extremely hard - they will last upwards of 14k miles when treated mean, they could easily last 20k miles if you're a toodler. They might be adequate for a 1.2TSI MK7 Golf, but they cannot cope on a GTD or GTI. The GTD's initial brochure spec included an "antitramping feature", if there is such a thing, the Bridgestones have found a way to defeat it.
The "press statement" by Bridgestone does nothing to address concerns or issues, they're denying the issue that some of us have experienced on a daily basis with out GTDs and GTIs that have the wrong shoes on.
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They might be adequate for a 1.2TSI MK7 Golf, but they cannot cope on a GTD or GTI.
I did think that, it says there were rigouroulsly tested for the golf mk7, not for the gti/gti which makes up such a small part of the range sales, that they probably were not in the forefront of the testers minds
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Some more interesting discussion here:
http://www.mc2racing.com/tech/20061012a/
Tires do not cause wheel hop, though they do determine the grip level at which wheel hop occurs. For example, race tires, with their increased grip over street tires, will not break traction until you reach a higher level of acceleration. Some people might think that race tires solved their wheel hop problems, but in truth they merely changed their "wheel hop acceleration threshold" from a level below their launch acceleration to a level above their launch acceleration.
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Fred. That's exactly what we're saying though. The "threshold" for wheel hop is significantly lower on the Bridgestones than other tyres.
That post kind of contradicts itself as it says tures don't solve wheel hop they just stop it from happening. Which is the same thing? :P
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You will never beable to remove wheel spin. Not with a FWD car with such high power and torque outputs (especially with the torque kicking in so early)
So to answer your question, no the wheel spin is still prevalent when flooring it in 1st as you'd expect but wheel hop/tramping HAS been removed since putting Michellins on the front as well as wheel spin in 3rd & 4th which occurred on the Bridgestones.
Same here, 5k on PS3 and no tramping whatsoever, although they do still spin if very slippery.
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Has anyone tried the harder suspension bushes instead as a fix?
Would that massively change the harshness of the ride though?
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In which case, tyres won't fix it?
It might, because different tyre construction/compounds might induce a different harmonic...
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Has anyone tried the harder suspension bushes instead as a fix?
Would that massively change the harshness of the ride though?
I haven't... but doubt it would entirely solve the issue. It may reduce the tramping but the semi-cure may be worse than the disease... A road car on hard suspension bushes will not be very pleasant to drive or to ride in. Whilst, in theory, the car on stiffer bushes may handle better, in reality on your average bumpy, potholed road the softer bushed car may well reverse the theory...
Anyway, it would probably be better just to replace the tyres. I've had Conti SportContact 2 and Michelin PS3 on the front of my GTD. I have not had any tramping with either set... wheelspin yes but no tramping...
I've mooted before about the Bridgestone tyres which I have experienced in other fitments not being "death traps" and that it may be something to do with their fitment to the Golf... and this could well be to do with suspension harmonics discussed a few posts back...
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I wonder if the traction/stability control has anything to do with it?
If I get a chance this weekend I'll switch it off and try some testing...
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The Bridgestones aren't actually dangerous. Just not suited to the GTI.
The problem with them is that they are a very hard compound and therefore not so grippy, this is a major problem for a FWD car like the GTI with so much torque. The extensive testing carried out by VW/Bridgestone was probably on a much lower torqued Golf.
I now have 4 new Conti 5s on and the difference was instant and quite amazing, VW really should not put these tyres on such a high torque car. They should know this.
The Contis (and others) are a softer compound and will not last as long but they don't ruin the car like the Bridgestones did.
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Well, Sorry Mr Bridgestone, after my experience recently with your tyres I don't agree.
As someone said earlier, they may very well be good tyres on some cars, but on my DSG Golf GTD they are awful. Any kind of light moisture on the road and traction is severely reduced.