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VW Jetta TDI

4747 messages,  Last post on May 23, 2013 at 10:49 AM

You are in the Volkswagen Jetta Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Jetta, Biodiesel, Diesel, Sedan

Messages Page 397 of 475

#3958 of 4747 VW Tire Rack solution by longo2

Mar 16, 2010 (9:53 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 16, 2010 8:29 am)
When I bought my 4 winter tires I found that the Tirerack had a 15" rim option for a 195 65 15 snow tire. They were (General Altimax Arctic's) sent to my front door in 3 days installed, Road Force ballanced,new rims, all new wheel bolts, no sales tax and well packaged for the same as the local tire shop wanted for just the tires and intallation...
 
So now that it's time to take them off I decided to order another set of 4 new 15" summer tires (General Altimax HP's) with steel rims as well. I personally think the factory rims on my 2006 Jetta look downright ugly, and the tires were rags anyway.
 
For some strange reason, I have a fondness for the chrome 'wire wheel look' and think the Jetta looks great with those style wheel covers, mind you I also have a taste for thin gold pinstriping, chrome exhaust tips, vent visors and wood grain dash trim.....
 (I know,.... to each his own)
 
On a more practical note tho', a 15" tire is on average at least $30 or more less than an OEM 205 55 16's of the same brand, are available everywhere and feel just the same or better, for me.
 
So please don't laugh if you see my tarted up White Jetta parked outside the local A&W on Cruise Night.

#3959 of 4747 Re: Possible Steering Problem [Mr_Shiftright] by m6user

Mar 16, 2010 (9:19 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 16, 2010 8:29 am)
It's quite amazing. My first car had 13" tires and my second car, a full size chevy biscayne, had 14". Those seemed quite large at the time. Personally, 16" is plenty for me and this quest for larger and larger tires is getting out of hand IMO. Are car companies getting rebates from the tire companies or what?

#3960 of 4747 Re: Possible Steering Problem [m6user] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 16, 2010 (9:43 am)

Replying to: m6user (Mar 16, 2010 9:19 am)
If you want those braking and handling characteristics then a wide and somewhat rigid tire is what you get. Your TDI on poofy Buick tires from the 1980s would be an ugly thing.

#3961 of 4747 Different Strokes by longo2

Mar 16, 2010 (10:14 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 16, 2010 9:43 am)
" poofy Buick tires from the 1980s would be an ugly thing."
 
Where I drive the roads are heaved up by the winter frosts and form 2 to 4 " breaks across in the pavement every 20 to 30 feet for endless miles. It's like diving down the road on railroad cross tires,,,whap.... whap.... whap...for miles on end.
 
A "wide, rigid tire" is just what I don't want. Been there on that one.
 
 The 15" "Poofy Buick tires" from the 1980's are much quieter and easier on the nerves.
BTW the 195 65 15 is less "poofy" than the OEM 205 55 16..they are about 1" narrower and have a 1/2" more sidewall, and more air volume to ease out the "Whumps"...
 
The only bad thing about my new 15"ers is, I couldn't get them in WHITEWALLS!

#3962 of 4747 Re: Different Strokes [longo2] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 16, 2010 (10:13 am)

Replying to: longo2 (Mar 16, 2010 10:14 am)
Well it's all a compromise. You lean a car over in a hard turn on those poofy tires and that'll put the fear of God into you. You just can't balance the car.
 
I have a MINI, a notoriously hard riding car, on 17". I drove one on 16" with run flats and they were way worse than the 17" go-flats I have on there now.
 
The brand new Scion xA I bought had cheapo OEM poofy tires, 15", and they were terrible. That little car was all over the road. We took care of that with wider tires of lower profile, sway bars front and back, and strut tower braces.
 
But if 95% of one's driving is just punching cruise control and driving in a straight line on smooth as glass highways, then sure, poofy tires, no problem.
 
I never EVER want to go back to a sloppy handling car myself.

#3963 of 4747 Poofyness is in the eye of the beholder by longo2

Mar 16, 2010 (10:29 am)

" You lean a car over in a hard turn on those poofy tires and that'll put the fear of God into you."
 
I have found in my 60 years of driving everything from Water Trucks, to Tractors to sports cars, that whenever I lean a speeding car over into a hard turn, on no matter what kind of tires, I had immediate second thoughts about my driving style.
 
I have I learned a long time ago to slow down for 'hard turns'. and if I don't, there's a very loud voice in my ear telling me to do so...and her name is Barb',... our 51st anniversary this month.

#3964 of 4747 Re: Poofyness is in the eye of the beholder [longo2] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Mar 16, 2010 (10:33 am)

Replying to: longo2 (Mar 16, 2010 10:29 am)
It's not the turns you plan to do, it's the one you didn't plan that need the best tires.

#3965 of 4747 Re: Poofyness is in the eye of the beholder [Mr_Shiftright] by longo2

Mar 16, 2010 (10:40 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 16, 2010 10:33 am)
Damn poor reason to suffer endless rough rides for the other 99.9% of my driving duties.
 
I can live with the Numerical chances of me Meeting my Maker due to nice quiet Poofy Tires.

#3966 of 4747 Re: VW Tire Rack solution [longo2] by gagrice

Mar 16, 2010 (11:07 am)

Replying to: longo2 (Mar 16, 2010 9:53 am)
So please don't laugh if you see my tarted up White Jetta parked outside the local A&W on Cruise Night.
 
I hope you got wide white sidewalls, continental kit and fender skirts to make it a REAL cruiser.

#3967 of 4747 Re: Different Strokes [Mr_Shiftright] by gagrice

Mar 16, 2010 (11:14 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Mar 16, 2010 10:13 am)
But if 95% of one's driving is just punching cruise control and driving in a straight line on smooth as glass highways, then sure, poofy tires, no problem.
 
Sadly we live in the People's Socialist Republic of California. Where the roads are poorly maintained and 17" low profiles are not well adapted to 3" potholes every few hundred feet. I liked the handling of the Passat with the 17inchers. Only on smooth highways.

Messages Page 397 of 475

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