Anyone got 4 alloys available?

[docchevron]

Philip, it will fit but I wouldn't put 195's on a 5.5J rim. It'll do strange things to the side walls...
Plus the speedline 6J's look better anyway.... Go on, treat yourself!

Cheers
Chris G

[tim leech]

Phil you have the wider alloys on your GTi auto dont you?

[Philip Chidlow]

I already have the graphite, 16v alloys - very nice too, but I am trying to track the source of some vibration/wobble at speed. They are very hard to balance. Now, it could be the tyres, but my tyre people said three of the four were slightly out of shape. They are now balanced, apparently (with plenty of weights dotted about) but there is still some shake. So I'm now looking at the brake discs being at fault (they need replacing anyway). but to make sure, I'll put the 'new' set of silver alloys with new 185/60 R14s on the car (assuming they check out as 'round') for the winter, anyway. That might solve the problem.

[tim leech]

Ahh I see.

[MULLEY]

docchevron1472 you mention if i wanted it to handle, will the smaller tyre (185's) not work on the wider rim? or did you mean that the 195 tyre would handle better anyway as its a wider tyre?

I hope that makes sense?

[MULLEY]

Got 5 6j's (silver one's), now fitted to tzd with debica frigo2 185/60 winter tyres, sorted.....

Will the spare 6j fit under the car as a spare?

[docchevron]

docchevron1472 you mention if i wanted it to handle, will the smaller tyre (185's) not work on the wider rim? or did you mean that the 195 tyre would handle better anyway as its a wider tyre?

I hope that makes sense?

I wouldn't put 185's on a 6j rim if you're a hard driver (i.e throw the car round corners at breakneck speed). They will fit but were designed for 195's.
Handling in the dry is unparralelled with 195's but obviousley narrower tyres grip better in the wet due to more weight being applied to a smaller surface area. Uniroyal 195/60 RALLYE 540 /550 tyres are nearly as good in the wet as the dry, both my cars run them, and the valver gets ALOT of stick in the dry and wet!

Dad's TD auto runs 185's on 6J rims but when they wear out I'll stick 195's on it. That said the handlig doesn't seem adversley affected on 185's (but since the car isn't mine I dont thrash it like I do mine! )

For all round driveability and ride quality 195's are king.

I dont think the 6j will fit in the spare wheel carrier unless you mod the carrier (it didn't fit on mine at least!), hence why cit used modded steel rims as spare wheels...

Cheers
Chris G

[cavmad]

[quote="Philip chidlow"]...They are very hard to balance. Now, it could be the tyres, but my tyre people said three of the four were slightly out of shape. They are now balanced, apparently (with plenty of weights dotted about) but there is still some shake. /quote]

Philip, if the weights are dotted about on each wheel (i.e two or more weights on one wheel and not sat side-by-side) then this would indicate a `bodge` (for want of a better term) in the application by tyre company. I was always b*ll*cked for doing this in my tyre fitting days, they call it counter balancing iirc and apparantly it`s no real use. If the tyres or wheels are distorted then I reckon replacement is the only option.
Tyres do require re-balancing further don their life span as the heavy spots move round and therefore require the weights moving.

[Way2go]

Tyres do require re-balancing further don their life span as the heavy spots move round and therefore require the weights moving.

Is that uneven rubber wear or the tyres moving relative to the rim over time?

[cavmad]

I believe all tyres have `heavy spots` on them from new. As time goes by some sort of disappear (or wear down a bit I suppose) and other heavy spots appear.
That`s what I was told anyhow but it`s not a problem, it just means re-balancing is required further into tyre life.
Always worth checking for seperation (lumps/bulges) and distortion regulary on all tyres as these are the kind of things that will make your tyres let go without much notice.

[Way2go]

Always worth checking for seperation (lumps/bulges) and distortion regulary on all tyres as these are the kind of things that will make your tyres let go without much notice.

Don't I know it! Had an Audi 100 develop a very strange gait along the motorway and stopped at 2 services to check the tyres, looking all round, kicking them for good measure but nothing obvious.
On the return journey, front offside tyre exploded while doing 70 in the middle lane.
Problem wasnt the side wall but the tread area had started to delaminate at one point, which wasnt obvious when I checked but obviously continued to the point of rupture.

[MULLEY]

I did check with the tyre people who fitted them & they said 185's on a 6j is fine, so who is right? Anyway i will soon find out if there are any probs. Perhaps the profile has a bearing as well?

[docchevron]

Fitting 185's on a 6j wheel is no issue mate.
They fit just fine, profile comes into play abit, really dont think I'd wana run a 185 on a 6j over a 60 profile. a 70 profile would give a soft ride but thats ALOT of sidewall to flex and get bl**dy hot!

It all comes down to handling / noise / grip.
A 185 on a 6j wont grip as well as 195 in the dry. Conversley a 185 will give slightley better grip in the wet (less surface area hence better weight to contact area)

Tyre choice is a very personal thing. Some peeps want soft ride, others are less worried about the ride and more interested in pulling 7 G's round bends ( )
Dad doesn't drive like a maniac and he treats his car with respect hence his 6J's run 185/60's and give a good ride, are quite and grip quite well.

I have been known to abuse the hell outa my cars (usually female induced bad moods) and found the 185's I was running on my 6J's just didn't cut it. 195's give me an added zone for feeling like a fighter pilot on bends

Cheers
Chris G

[cavmad]

I`m certainly with Chris on this one. I`d never run 70`s on anything over 5.5J`s and even then I think they`re much better suited to 5J`s. Tyres do seem to have become much cheaper in recent years and the extra fiver or so per corner is money well spent.

[MULLEY]

Thats allright then, as i am running 185/60's, so should be fine. I'm not sure tzd will enjoy being thrown that hard into corners compared to Gti, but u never know when i may have to burn off some scuz wagon & then i get to the bends, hehe....