What Tire Size?

BX Tech talk
Post Reply
richard
BXpert
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 9:35 pm

What Tire Size?

Post by richard »

Hi

I need to change my tyres as the tyres on my GTi alloys are the worst tyres I have ever used!

The tyre size has always been 175.65.14, but the tyres on the alloys I got are 185 section. I intend to replace the crappy Montanas with Michelin Energy. Will I stick with 185's or go back to 175's?

Whats your thoughts on this?

Cheers,

Richard.
Stewart (oily!)
1K Away
Posts: 1604
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 6:23 pm
Location: North Wales

Post by Stewart (oily!) »

GTIs were on 185s on five and a half inch rims, sixteen valve wheels were six inch and take 195 section, you can stick with the size you have or go up a bit, I suppose it depends on cost really.
Stewart
TZD 19 TD one of the few
Xantia Td estate, going soft
richard
BXpert
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 9:35 pm

Post by richard »

The alloys I have are 8V alloys. Will 175 tyres fit on that type of rim?

175 tyres are a lot cheaper than 185's. I was quoted £43.46 inc vat and fitting from costco's for the 185's (michelin energy)
Stewart (oily!)
1K Away
Posts: 1604
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 6:23 pm
Location: North Wales

Post by Stewart (oily!) »

Your 175s will go on but 185s are better, the BX was sold with those 165/70 things on and was way under tyred, I drove like that for years, and they used to chew them up too, I then got a GTI and the difference in grip was amazing, I paid £32 each for the 195 uniroyals :D but thats from a mate in the business and he owed me a favour.
Stewart
TZD 19 TD one of the few
Xantia Td estate, going soft
Mr B
Northern Moderator
Northern Moderator
Posts: 710
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 12:32 pm
Location: On a sofa, up the road from Marty!

Post by Mr B »

I'm running on 195's on 16V alloys which cost me £29 each. Wonderful name of Goodride (Stop laughing Jon :roll: ) Made in China! They are directional, round and black and stop the sump rubbing on the floor. They grip fine even in the wet so for £29 I'm happy.
richard
BXpert
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 9:35 pm

Post by richard »

A few years ago I went from the skinny 165's to 175's and the grip/handling was much improved. At present I cant tell because the Montana 185's are so shitty!.

I most likely go for the 185's. I'm finishing work early tomorrow, then i'll go get some rubber (tyres that is and not goodrides!).

Resason why i'm asking opinions on this is that i always feel car manufacturers fit a tyre size for a reason, and not always cost!

Some early BX's had 155's!!

Cheers,

Richard
Stewart (oily!)
1K Away
Posts: 1604
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 6:23 pm
Location: North Wales

Post by Stewart (oily!) »

155s!
Probably okay on a 1.4shopper model, I bough a full set of economy ones once for a car I had just bought, didnt realise what utter rubbish they were until I had a puncture and put the spare on, It gripped! I had been sliding around wet and dry for ten thousand miles :D
Stewart
TZD 19 TD one of the few
Xantia Td estate, going soft
M

Post by M »

Going to let my 165's wear out (as they are all nearly new and I amd a tightarse) and then source some Xantia / 406 steelies and whack on some 195's (only because they seem cheaper than 185's - any one know why??) With the milage I do, this should be before winter.

Unless the great and bountiful god of bargains on fleabay shows me some cheap alloys in the meantime....
User avatar
DavidRutherford
BX Digit man!
Posts: 2706
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 5:07 pm
Location: Placing comments on YouTube.

Post by DavidRutherford »

Marty wrote:only because they seem cheaper than 185's - any one know why??)
Economies of scale. More cars use bigger and bigger tyres these days, so 13" tyres are actually much more expensive than 14" or 15". Also, just about every Vauxhell Chavalier / Vectrarse made runs on 195/60/14's, so they are made in their million.

*with strong northern accent, and knotted hankie on head*:

165 section tyres? Bloody luxury. When I were a lad, we had 145's and we were glad!.

*end of poor quality forced northern accent*

Actually, being as most people here are somewhat older than I, and have been driving for longer, I doubt this is really the right place to say it, but 165 section tyres really was a luxury 10 years ago. The first car I had for any length of time, A Talbot Horizon (1.9XUD), was on 145R13's all round and handled like a wayward shopping trolly with bent castors. It was truly awful. The first time I drove something with A) some poke, and B) some handling, I was truly shocked!

I've also driven some cars with very (very very) wide tyres... around 325 section, and to be honest, once you get over about 200mm wide, it doesn't make much of a difference. Once you start getting that wide, the tyres scrub really badly anyway, and you loose a lot of grip.

Anyone else ever driven a Fraud Fester MK1 on 125R12 tyres? I swear they might as well have not bothered with tyres and just had the rims straight on the road!
this might be a signature
M

Post by M »

DavidRutherford wrote:Anyone else ever driven a Fraud Fester MK1 on 125R12 tyres? I swear they might as well have not bothered with tyres and just had the rims straight on the road!
Aye! - The wifes first ever car a 1977 Mk 1 base Fiasco. By god the tyres were cheap though!
richard
BXpert
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu May 26, 2005 9:35 pm

Post by richard »

Got the tyres fitted yesterday. Now that I have Michelins all round the car feels much better. The car rides a lot softer as well. The combination of a hydarflush, new LHM and new spheres all round has helped I think.

I noticed that 175 tyres were £10 more than the 185's!.

I have never owned a car with tyres smaller than 165's, but a colleague has a Hyundai Accent with 155's! He says stopping the car in the wet is a bugger! the tyres are Hankook 'half hours' whatever they are.

Cheers

richard
Stewart (oily!)
1K Away
Posts: 1604
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 6:23 pm
Location: North Wales

Post by Stewart (oily!) »

Used to travel to uni in a fraud fiasco diesel on those pizza cutter tyres, lethal wet or dry :twisted:
Saw your bid on ebay Marty :D
Stewart
TZD 19 TD one of the few
Xantia Td estate, going soft
Post Reply