GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Paulkgti on 20 November 2020, 15:38
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So looking to see if anyone can shed any light on this, I have a mk7.5 dsg with all new very cheap tyres the dealership put on and under load I get absolutely no traction what so ever, with winter approaching and living in scotland who knows what weather we will get this year, question is has anyone experienced the benefits of using winter/all season tyres with a dsg on snow/ice
Thanks paul
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Not yet but I've got Michelin all season on a set of Belvederes to go on my TCR in the next week or so.
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Doesn't matter what gearbox/engine/drive system etc...3mountain peak & snowflake rated tyres will outperform any "normal" tyres on ice, slush & at temps below +7C as the rubber contains more silica to enable it to be more flexible at lower temps...
Do you want to run a separate set of alloys with dedicated winters or just get a set of better tyres for all year & fit to the existing alloys???
BTW I live in north Scotland & have 26yrs experience of winter driving!
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I'm just keeping the same alloys just wanted winter tyres then I will swap them over spring time and change to summer tyres and store the winters away, I'm in glasgow not the worst of winters but roads do get icy and I want to make sure the other half is safe as possible when out on the roads, either way the tyres on it need to go %uD83D%uDE02
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I'm just keeping the same alloys just wanted winter tyres then I will swap them over spring time and change to summer tyres and store the winters away, I'm in glasgow not the worst of winters but roads do get icy and I want to make sure the other half is safe as possible when out on the roads, either way the tyres on it need to go %uD83D%uDE02
Taking tyres of the same set of alloys & refitting them in not good as you run the risk of breaking the tyre bead....so are you buying another set of alloys or not??
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Last week I bought a set of Michelin Crossclimate + 225 x 40 x 18 to put on a set of CM Reifnitz 18" I bought in July. I got the tyres from Black Circles and had them delivered when they had a 15% off flash sale. I'll get them fitted locally in the next two weeks. It was a decent saving over local prices even after I pay for fitting. :nerd: I'll see what they're like after that.
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If you're just going to run the one set of alloys, you'll save yourself a whole load of hassle and tyre fitting costs by just going for something like a Michelin Crossclimate tyre and keeping them on all year.
They won't be as good as a full winter in extreme cold, or a summer tyre when on the limit. But they will cover most of the bases inbetween and should be more than good enough to see you through a mild-ish UK winter.
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I was wondering if anyone had actually run crossclimates all year round yet?
Whether all of the usual sub-optimal tyre problems we see on GTI's are any better or any worse?
The tramping problem is particular to the GTI, you hear it a lot on here..... and its only usually fixed by PS4's or SC5/6's.
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I’d always recommend to run winter tyres on a second set of painted/coated alloy wheels.
Firstly you can go down on size a little (e.g. 17 rather than 18) and you don’t mess up your pretty diamond cut alloys in the winter months.
Secondly you can always swap them over yourself and don’t need to wait for a tyre fitter if snow comes down surprisingly.
On my GTD I ran Nokia’s WR A4 in 205 55 16 on cheap second hand Audi alloys; as I already had them from my previous mk7 (this is the size needed if you wanted to fit chains!). Would probably fit 225 45 17 if I was gonna buy some myself again.
I’d go for the Nokians again, great tyres.
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I can recommend a set of Michelin Crossclimate+ which I bought from Blackcircles when they had the 15% off flash sale on. You could run them all year round but i'll be going back to my Brescias with PS4S's in the spring.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSm6FP9m/crossclimate.jpg)
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I can recommend a set of Michelin Crossclimate+ which I bought from Blackcircles when they had the 15% off flash sale on. You could run them all year round but i'll be going back to my Brescias with PS4S's in the spring.
I like your centre caps. Where did you source them?
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I can recommend a set of Michelin Crossclimate+ which I bought from Blackcircles when they had the 15% off flash sale on. You could run them all year round but i'll be going back to my Brescias with PS4S's in the spring.
I like your centre caps. Where did you source them?
They came as standard on these wheels but you can buy them.
Here for example: https://www.kunzmann.de/shop/en/wheels-wheel-hub-cap-chrome-red-vw-golf-7-genuine-volkswagen.htm (https://www.kunzmann.de/shop/en/wheels-wheel-hub-cap-chrome-red-vw-golf-7-genuine-volkswagen.htm)
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👍
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I can recommend a set of Michelin Crossclimate+ which I bought from Blackcircles when they had the 15% off flash sale on. You could run them all year round but i'll be going back to my Brescias with PS4S's in the spring.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSm6FP9m/crossclimate.jpg)
Silly question but if you’re running two sets of wheels why go for crossclimate and not proper winters?
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So looking to see if anyone can shed any light on this, I have a mk7.5 dsg with all new very cheap tyres the dealership put on and under load I get absolutely no traction what so ever, with winter approaching and living in scotland who knows what weather we will get this year, question is has anyone experienced the benefits of using winter/all season tyres with a dsg on snow/ice
Thanks paul
Hi Paul and welcome to the forum.
How did you notice the poor grip?
The subject of winter tyres is often debated on car forums.
From reading you post, you have realised the first and most important (most obvious) thing - grip comes from your tyres!
TLDR: (In my opinion) The safest option for a GTI is dedicated summer and winter tyres. That's what I use. Check out tyrereviews.co.uk for the latest recommendation on the best tyre options.
The guy who does the tyrereviews.co.uk videos is now recommending a summer and all-season combo, as the best option for the south of the UK. The latest all-season tyres appear to perform much better on snow and ice.
As far as I am concerned tyres are the most important part of any car. Because of past experiences - a few accidents where tyres may have been a contributing factor - so I do a fair bit of research when choosing tyres.
You don't 'need' a second set of alloys. You can just swap tyres. Though there are pros and cons to both options. If you decide to swap tyres on the same alloys, then I recommend you get a set of tyres bags. My VW bags cost £25 for the set of 4. They might cost more now.
My wife's safety is a top priority too. She is getting a new car soon. However, her car is not going to be anywhere near as powerful as the my GTI. Her car is due to arrive in January. We will immediately change the tyres for a full set of Goodyear Vector Gen 3s - a top performing, winter focused, all season tyre. Those tyres should give good grip in the widest range of conditions. Importantly - being 'winter focused' they should also provided good grip on ice - if the reviews are correct. This might be an option for you to consider too. Then you can decide if you need summer tyres.
Many people opt for the Michelin Cross Climate. It is a summer focused all season tyre. However, comparatively it does not perform as well on snow and ice. Though considerably better than a proper summer tyre. I recommended a set of these for my parents car. However, they live on a main road that gets gritted.
The problem is - above 7C, a summer tyre will provide noticeably better grip than the best all season tyre. So that is why I have opted for swapping the tyres on my GTI. The part of the UK that I live in the temps are usually below 7c, in the mornings and evenings, for 4 or 5 months of the year. Recent winters have been mild. However, just 2 years ago, after one cold night and some black ice, there was a car in the ditch 500 yards from our house.
I did a pros and cons list - second set of alloys vs just swapping tyres, a few years ago. There are advantages and drawbacks to both options. I don't worry about the bead being damaged. Tyres are designed to be fitted and removed many times. The biggest worry will be finding a fitter that you trust to look after your alloys.
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I can recommend a set of Michelin Crossclimate+ which I bought from Blackcircles when they had the 15% off flash sale on. You could run them all year round but i'll be going back to my Brescias with PS4S's in the spring.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSm6FP9m/crossclimate.jpg)
Silly question but if you’re running two sets of wheels why go for crossclimate and not proper winters?
I've got exactly the same set up and I'm in North East of England. The cross climates are better for my weather conditions than a full winter especially now with home working more prevalent.
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I can recommend a set of Michelin Crossclimate+ which I bought from Blackcircles when they had the 15% off flash sale on. You could run them all year round but i'll be going back to my Brescias with PS4S's in the spring.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSm6FP9m/crossclimate.jpg)
Silly question but if you’re running two sets of wheels why go for crossclimate and not proper winters?
I've got exactly the same set up and I'm in North East of England. The cross climates are better for my weather conditions than a full winter especially now with home working more prevalent.
Me too I opted for this set up, cross climates have a great feel and offer improved security during the winter months, they have performed really well during g the annual trip to the alps on all kinds of surfaces. A dedicated winter would be my choice if I lived in the highlands or comparable, but in Hampshire, I personally think they are a better choice as the car drives really well with the cross climates and I am not sure a dedicated winter would drive as well.
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Silly question but if you’re running two sets of wheels why go for crossclimate and not proper winters?
Because I live in England, not Austria. As Paul says above, I feel they're a better choice for me personally as well.
They do seem to suit the GTI really well, I'm very pleased with my choice. Just hope we get some snow now. :grin:
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I used to run proper winters when I lived in the UK (Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, so not exactly highlands)... did have some all seasons on less powerful cars but was never really happy with their performance, even in UK winters.
Obviously they are better than running summers all year, but they're always a compromise, even if there is only low temperature but no snow/ice.
I chose the 'performance' setup of the Nokian winter tyre range - the WR A4 with an asymmetric tread. They are more wet weather focussed than some of the other winter tyres out there.
Still managed the German / Austrian alps when I went there for my winter holiday.
Mind you I did a lot of driving when I lived in the UK (40k miles p.a.) and a lot of it during unholy hours of the day and across tue whole country more or less.
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Michelin Crossclimate plus are not a good performance tyre or a good extreme weather tyre. They are a good summer focused compromise and a perfect tyre for my 70 something parents.
Also if my wife is going to work in dark cold winter mornings down an ungritted road, I want her car to have a tyre that is not reviewed as having "weakness on snow and ice." The whole point of changing the tyres on her new car is to ensure ultimate safety in all road conditions. Summer or dry "performance" is not even a consideration for her.
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... I am not sure a dedicated winter would drive as well.
There are performance winter tyres.
My winter tyres are Vredestein Wintrac Pro. In my opinion they drive better than my Bridgestone tyres below 7C and better than my Michelin PS4s below 3C on wet roads. The car is just better planted and less squirrely. Of course dry roads are a different matter.
There are now better performance winter tyres. Now I would probably be looking for Michelin Pilot Alpin 5.
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I live in the North East of Scotland and have had winter tyres on my cars for the last ~10 years. Some observations.
Its true that winter tyres are 'better' in rain and general cold weather than summer tyres but to be honest the improvement for that aspect isn't worth buying a new set of tyres.
In the snow however winter tyres are absolutely amazing - its hard to describe just how much of a difference they make.
Cheap winter tyres are just as good as expensive ones in the snow in my experience - but what sorts the men from the boys is when it gets warm. Cheap winter tyres will get quite noticeable squirrely under cornering when the temperature rises but the pricier ones (Alpins and Continental TS860's) don't seem to degrade much if any when the weather gets better in my experience.
I run the continentals on my S4 and you wouldn't know they were winter tyres - fantastic but quite pricey.
On the golf I've been running the crossclimates for nearly 2 years. The fronts ate up 20k miles before needing to be replaced. Excellent all round tyre - very good summer and winter. However, there is no doubt they are not as good as a proper winter tyre in the snow. They will get you through but will struggle more on hills and the like than a proper winter would.
That said, I like them - very well suited to 99.99% of the British weather.
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Ceefeesh, rwleigh, how do you find the road noise of cc+ tyres on rough/concrete surfaces compared to your ps4 tyres? I find those surfaces are unbearably noisy on my gti with ps4 tyres?
I'm looking for quietest tyres and considering cc+ or Dunlop sport max x rt2, or conti premium contact 6.
Mcmaddy, paul70- not sure which summer tyres you have/had- how do the cc+ tyres compare noise wise on rough surfaces?
Thank you all
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Ceefeesh, rwleigh, how do you find the road noise of cc+ tyres on rough/concrete surfaces compared to your ps4 tyres? I find those surfaces are unbearably noisy on my gti with ps4 tyres?
I'm looking for quietest tyres and considering cc+ or Dunlop sport max x rt2, or conti premium contact 6.
Mcmaddy, paul70- not sure which summer tyres you have/had- how do the cc+ tyres compare noise wise on rough surfaces?
Thank you all
I do find the CC+ slightly more noisy than the PS4S but not enough to bother me, I think you can just hear them gripping the road... :smiley:
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Ceefeesh, rwleigh, how do you find the road noise of cc+ tyres on rough/concrete surfaces compared to your ps4 tyres? I find those surfaces are unbearably noisy on my gti with ps4 tyres?
I'm looking for quietest tyres and considering cc+ or Dunlop sport max x rt2, or conti premium contact 6.
Mcmaddy, paul70- not sure which summer tyres you have/had- how do the cc+ tyres compare noise wise on rough surfaces?
Thank you all
on new tarmac they are super quiet but you can hear them on rough roads. I think they are quieter than the Bridgestone S001s.
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Sorry they're not on yet, hopefully the week of 14th December.
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On the golf I've been running the crossclimates for nearly 2 years. The fronts ate up 20k miles before needing to be replaced. Excellent all round tyre - very good summer and winter. However, there is no doubt they are not as good as a proper winter tyre in the snow. They will get you through but will struggle more on hills and the like than a proper winter would.
That said, I like them - very well suited to 99.99% of the British weather.
Spot on summary
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Ceefeesh, rwleigh, how do you find the road noise of cc+ tyres on rough/concrete surfaces compared to your ps4 tyres? I find those surfaces are unbearably noisy on my gti with ps4 tyres?
I'm looking for quietest tyres and considering cc+ or Dunlop sport max x rt2, or conti premium contact 6.
Mcmaddy, paul70- not sure which summer tyres you have/had- how do the cc+ tyres compare noise wise on rough surfaces?
Thank you all
on new tarmac they are super quiet but you can hear them on rough roads. I think they are quieter than the Bridgestone S001s.
Agree with McMaddy, definitely quieter than the S001s
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I live in the North East of Scotland and have had winter tyres on my cars for the last ~10 years. Some observations.
That said, I like them - very well suited to 99.99% of the British weather.
You do realise that 99.99% = 0.01% weather requiring winter tyres = about 1/3 of a day. :nerd: I didn't realise the weather in North East Scotland was so good. :tongue: I've told you a million times not to exaggerate! :grin:
In the past - we had Dunlop Ultragrip 7 on both cars. Not a good tyre at all - terrible in warm wet conditions. My wife has - for 6 years - had Continental TS850 as her winter tyre. Last winter we drove her car though the the Glens with untreated roads covered in snow and ice. The A3 - with 4 people - never spun or skidded going up and down some fairly steep hills. Those tyres are also good in warm conditions.
I live in the northern half of the UK. I would estimate there are usually 2-4 weeks every year when there is snow or ice on the roads (mostly ice). I work part-time and can avoiding going out in really poor weather. My wife does not have that luxury. I want to know that the 5-10% of the time she has to endure treacherous roads she has a tyre that won't let her down.
I see the Michelin Crossclimate 2 is due soon. I wonder will it have better snow and ice performance.
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I can recommend a set of Michelin Crossclimate+ which I bought from Blackcircles when they had the 15% off flash sale on. You could run them all year round but i'll be going back to my Brescias with PS4S's in the spring.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YSm6FP9m/crossclimate.jpg)
I think your black wheels with cross climates look great. Can you tell me what make/type the wheels are? Thx
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Those are 18 inch Belvedere's. They were the standard wheel pattern for the Clubsport and the TCR.
They sometimes come up for sale on eBay, but otherwise are quite expensive to buy on the open market.
https://www.kunzmann.de/shop/de/felgen-18-zoll-felgensatz-belvedere-vw-golf-7-vii-gti-original-volkswagen.htm
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Those are 18 inch Belvedere's. They were the standard wheel pattern for the Clubsport and the TCR.
They sometimes come up for sale on eBay, but otherwise are quite expensive to buy on the open market.
https://www.kunzmann.de/shop/de/felgen-18-zoll-felgensatz-belvedere-vw-golf-7-vii-gti-original-volkswagen.htm
That explains why they look so good! But sadly out of my price range if I do go for replacement wheels. I do think black wheels look good with the white, which also happens to be the colour of my car.
Thank you for answering my query.
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Those are 18 inch Belvedere's. They were the standard wheel pattern for the Clubsport and the TCR.
They sometimes come up for sale on eBay, but otherwise are quite expensive to buy on the open market.
https://www.kunzmann.de/shop/de/felgen-18-zoll-felgensatz-belvedere-vw-golf-7-vii-gti-original-volkswagen.htm
That explains why they look so good! But sadly out of my price range if I do go for replacement wheels. I do think black wheels look good with the white, which also happens to be the colour of my car.
Thank you for answering my query.
No problem. If you like the look of them, the Borbet FF1 is a similar pattern but much cheaper. Borbet are a decent brand of aftermarket wheels and also manufacture some OEM VW stuff
https://www.wheelbasealloys.com/alloy-wheels/borbet/ff1/titanium/18-inch
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I can highly recommend Borbet FF1 wheels as i use them for my summer wheels. At the time of buying Rimstyle were about £350 cheaper than anywhere else in the UK
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I can highly recommend Borbet FF1 wheels as i use them for my summer wheels. At the time of buying Rimstyle were about £350 cheaper than anywhere else in the UK
Good shout. They are indeed quite a bit cheaper on Rimstyle
https://m.rimstyle.com/alloywheels/wheel/borbet_ff1_gmgpo
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Thanks for the Borbet recommendation and the supplier links. I am awaiting the outcome of what effectively is a warranty claim against the supplying dealer for my front 2 Parker alloys. It was a used car, not new but only 6 months old and it now seems both front wheels have had a rather inferior refurbishment. From advice I have received elsewhere on the forum I am unlikely to get new replacements and if anything will be offered another refurb which would probably last until the warranty runs out.
So, I am thinking I might have to get a set of decent wheels, store the Parkers until such time I sell it.
Of course, if Borbet is German (or non U.K.) could there be delivery issues depending on the conclusion of EU trade talks? So many permutations!
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I think your black wheels with cross climates look great. Can you tell me what make/type the wheels are? Thx
They are genuine VW Clubsport edition 40 wheels made by Fuchs which means they are forged and light at only 7.6kg per wheel... :cool:
https://www.fuchsfelge.com/en/wheel-program/detail/vw-golf-leichtbau-schmiederad-409.html (https://www.fuchsfelge.com/en/wheel-program/detail/vw-golf-leichtbau-schmiederad-409.html)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MHN10VWX/38044.jpg)
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Having looked at the Borbet FF1 that is being suggested I note the size is 18 x 8J. The Parkers it would be replacing are 18 x 7.5J. Presumably it physically fits.
Would it be the same size tyre?
Possible insurance issues?
More likely to have kerbing damage?
Why not replace with a 18 x 7.5J?
Apologies for all the questions. I have bought replacement tyres on numerous occasions but never replacement wheels!
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They should fit no problem as long as you buy the 5x112 (5 stud) bolt pattern.
8J is the width, so they are slightly wider than standard wheels. Combined with the lower offset it means they will sit closer to the kerb and will fill the arches better.
225 wide tyres will fit, they'll just be a bit more stretched than they would be over a standard wheel. If you haven't already bought the tyres you can buy 235 wide tyres. They're a bit more expensive but will maintain rim protection.
Up to you whether you let your insurance company know, personally I would.
If you want to play about with what will and won't fit, this is a useful website
https://www.willtheyfit.com/
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Interesting comparison between an AWD car on summer tyres vs a FWD on all seasons...
https://youtu.be/3N6PGrQ5imw (https://youtu.be/3N6PGrQ5imw)
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The temps are dropping and the forecast is winter showers/sleet Thursday into Friday, so I’ve put both sets of winter wheels & tyres on both cars today. The GTi will need some new summer tyres come the spring, I’ll have to keep checking Costco for offers
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Interesting comparison between an AWD car on summer tyres vs a FWD on all seasons...
7m50sec "You forget with the traction you have with 4 wheel drive, you forget that you have no braking and turning ability."
Those are the all season tyres I'm considering for my wife's new car. :cool:
I can't wait for the next video FWD + winters vs AWD+all season tyres. That test may help to answer my question - how much safer are winter tyres vs all seasons?
Edit: just spotted this in the video comments, "The video is made, it'll be out at some point."
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Thanks to the interesting contributions on this thread- especially from Daz Auto- I’m getting a full set of all season tyres on the Alhambra tomorrow.
Going for Goodyear Vector gen3- which seems to have excelled in the tyrereviews video.
Does anyone have any experience of these foam sealants for punctures? I’ll either need to carry one of these or buy a spacesaver as I’ll be replacing self sealing tyres.
Shame the weather turning mild!
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If you use tyre foam you basically are writing the tyre off. It gets you home (maybe) but the tyre is never repairable.
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If you use tyre foam you basically are writing the tyre off. It gets you home (maybe) but the tyre is never repairable.
Why not? Tyre foam is usually water based so very easily washed out,just most tyre places can’t be bothered.
I have had tyres repaired afterwards.
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Maybe if you diy. They always have told me it's a write off. They say they can't find the hole.
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Maybe if you diy. They always have told me it's a write off. They say they can't find the hole.
My friend refuses to clean them out as its messy,but as long as I clean it.....or anyone else’s he will mend it. Lots of garages wait till people have left...then repair and sell them.
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I’ve read differing opinions on this. The Holts Tyreweld stuff from halfords I’ve heard works well and is easy to clean.
The problem with the other solution- buying a spacesaver- is that there’s nowhere to put it when we travel with a full car on tour
Out of interest does the mk8 gti come with a spacesaver?
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Out of interest does the mk8 gti come with a spacesaver?
Not as standard,it’s an option....lots of space for it.
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Best bet would be to have the space saver and only chuck it out when you go fully loaded. Stick the can of tyre weld in when you fill the car up. That will only be a few days a year.
Also the can obviously won't work if the hole is too big.
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If you are unfortunate enough to have a blow out, the tyre gunk is useless, a space saver will get you home.
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The last time that happened to me- from memory- was 1994, and i do at least 15k miles a year.
Fred’s suggestion is worth considering.
manufacturers seem to be doing a variety of things- run flats, self sealing, spacesaver, some just a can of gunk.
Presumably if you buy a mk8, VW are suggesting a can of sealant?
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The last time that happened to me- from memory- was 1994, and i do at least 15k miles a year.
Fred’s suggestion is worth considering.
manufacturers seem to be doing a variety of things- run flats, self sealing, spacesaver, some just a can of gunk.
Presumably if you buy a mk8, VW are suggesting a can of sealant?
Vw provide the sealant and a pump
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Yes "emergency mobility kit"
Hardly any cars come with even space savers these days, a lot don't even have the space for one. Space savers weigh and weight equals co2. The mk8 has space.
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Yes "emergency mobility kit"
Hardly any cars come with even space savers these days, a lot don't even have the space for one. Space savers weigh and weight equals co2. The mk8 has space.
VW have also dropped the space spare from the standard spec of most - if not all - of the the other models of car they build. It’s now an extra cost option; around £100 for most models. It may be a typo in the price list but with the Tiguan, you can have either a steel space saver or full size alloy spare for the same cost; £215