Tyre query

[deltic]

If you don't mind I'd like to tap into your collective knowledge for a bit of (constructive!) advice please.

My GTi is currently running on 185 tyres on 5.5J Speedlines and will soon need the rear tyres replacing. Now I also have a set of 6J Speedlines fitted with an assortment of 195 tyres (only two are the same). Ideally they should all be either 185s or 195s, but:

1. Do 195s harden the ride compared to 185s?

2. Do 195s have any real advantage over 185s bearing in my my BX is (usually) driven carefully and never thrashed?

3. Has anyone ever run a BX with 195/6Js on the front and 185/6Js on the rear? I can't imagine that there would be any safety issues, but perhaps an insurance one?

4. I will fit the same tyres on each axle - but how great is the safety risk of mixing and matching different makes/treads (but same size of course!) on the same axle?

As you've guessed I'd like to use up the tyres I've got rather buy some new ones!

Thanks for your help!

[DavidRutherford]

1. Do 195s harden the ride compared to 185s?

You'll barely notice the difference.

2. Do 195s have any real advantage over 185s bearing in my my BX is (usually) driven carefully and never thrashed?

You'll barely notice the difference.

3. Has anyone ever run a BX with 195/6Js on the front and 185/6Js on the rear? I can't imagine that there would be any safety issues, but perhaps an insurance one?

I'd be impressed if an insurance company could notice the difference.

4. I will fit the same tyres on each axle - but how great is the safety risk of mixing and matching different makes/treads (but same size of course!) on the same axle?

You'll barely notice the difference.

TBH there are bigger differences between different makes of tyre which are all alledgedly the same size than there is between an 185 and a 195 section tyre. Remember, we're talking about 10mm difference in width, just 5mm each side. Over or under inflation of your tyres would make a bigger difference.

I'd use up the ones you have!

[BX Bandit]

If it makes any odds, I have run both 185/65 ad 195/60, the 185/65 being the slightly larger circumference and thus slightly deeper side wall.
I thought I'd prefer the 185s, but I actually prefer the 195s.
That been said, I wouldn't take the Pepsi challenge and as David alluded too, the difference is more likely down to different tyre make ups ( e.g. The 195s are Bridgestone, the 185s are Nankang) and if in a 'blind' test I reckon I wouldn't be able to repeatedly predict which tyres.

The only bit I disagree with David on is the fact that the insurance company wouldn't notice. Perhaps on a car such as the BX they wouldn't give a monkey as the outlay is negligible, however they are rumoured to be quite particular in avoiding pay outs if the the tyre spec is outside of the vehicle manufacturers recommendations.

[deltic]

Thanks for the advice. Probably more of an insurance issue as 195s/6Js wouldn't have been a standard fit on an 8v GTi.

[MULLEY]

I personally don't drive cars unless they have 4 matching tyres, i.e. the same tyre brand, model & the same tread pattern. This means that the car will always handle very predictably, the next best is to have matching axle sets of different tyres, not ideal in my view as the tyres will offer different levels of grip. Unlike the 4 matching tyres where you start sliding consistently you won't have this because one set of tyres has more grip than the others. Don't even get me started if you're driving in the wet as any issues will be increased. & the worst is to only have one matching axle set & then the absolute worst is no matching axle set at all, & i've seen plenty like that

Tyres is one of my pet hates, people will quite happily fork out £12k for a 2nd hand car & yet pay no attention to what tyres are fitted, i won't risk my life or any passengers by driving something which has chinese ditchfinders of diffferent brands on each tyre just because i want to save a few quid, its a bit like turning off your abs, asc & all your airbags off, you wouldn't do that because of the safety benefits, but plenty of people want to save £25 a tyre & buy any old rubbish thinking an accident won't happen to them. Cheap tyres (not just the price) offer less grip, stopping distances increase, that is a safety issue. Rant over

If you're going to fit your different matching axle sets, depending upon whether you like understeer or oversteer, you may want to consider which set have the least amount of grip/tread & fit them to the corresponding axle depending upon your driver skill levels. I always opt for understeer, very easy to sort out if you encounter this strange phenomenen of losing grip.

Never run 195's yet, so i don't know if they are different or not, the 5.5j's take up less room in the rear wheel arches, so they'd be my preferred option but i've been running 6j's with 185/60's fitted for years now & they are fine.

[deltic]

This is why I posed the questions as my preference has always been to have four matching tyres. But like many I've had to consider alternatives, compromises even...

[Defender110]

When I fitted 195's on my TZD on a set of alloys I purchased they destroyed the excellent ride I had with the previosly fitted 165's. I took the 195's off and replaced them with 175's which was the minimum I could get away with on the 6" rims and this transformed my ride back. The narrower the tyre the better the ride but this is a trade off with grip which like you with my driving style wasn't an issue.
The recomendation for mixed tyres is that the best grip tyres should be on the back axle not the front as if you losse the back end you have no control but if you loose the front end you can correct it with your steering. so from your point of view the wider / better grip tyres should be fitted to the rear not the front (presuming that they are not slicks)

[electrokid]

There's a clearance issue with handbrake cables - they can get rubbed by the tyre on full lock which can be an MOT fail item if it's noticed. The handbrake cable outer can get worn through and allow water into the cable which eventually (a year or two) rusts through and breaks. A wider tyre will be more likely to rub the cables on full lock.

[BX Bandit]

/\ only if you have incorrectly specified crappy hand brake cables that are too long. Buy the right ones and they wont rub. It's also worth putting the wheels straight ahead when using the hand brake to avoid kinking the cable (e.e. if on full lock)