MK5 Golf GTI
All Things Mk5 => Modifications & Technical Area => Technical Workshop => Topic started by: robertsm66 on March 28, 2009, 09:10:32 pm
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Hi
There comes a time when you have to change those front tyres due to much lead foot ! and there in lies a bit of a dilema.
I'm currently running standard Edition 30 BBS type 18's with the stock Conti Sport Contact 2 224/45/18 tyres.
So the question is ? Do I just buy more Conti SP2's ? Do I change and go for Perilli's, Michellins or Goodyear or do I go elsewhere and fit Toyo's or Avon's ???
Not really bothered about the money element, just looking for the best option. Rears are Conti SP2's and have shed's of rubber still left on them (I do like having four matching tyres !!)
Any help and advice will be very much appreciated !
Robert
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Michelin ps2s or goodyear asymetrics for me
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i went from Contis SC2's to Goodyear F1 GSD3's to Goodyear F1 Asymetrics. And I like them + good VFM (~ £400 for a set)
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Thanks, have you had any experience of Yokohama Parada's ?
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Thanks, have you had any experience of Yokohama Parada's ?
nope can't say i have. interesting tread pattern tho and cheaper than the main brands.
if TT was on here, he would advise you to stick to a european manufacturer (Conti / Michelin) as they tend to specialise their designs for EU built cars. :smiley:
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They are cheap (cost effective) and at that price who care's if you only see 10k out of the front's, if your very lucky !
Do the majority of people stick to the same profile or go thinner and wider ??
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you should never skimp on tyres really. It can make a big difference to how the car handles and potentially save your life as well.
they are the only things that keep you in contact with planet earth remember when you're in the car.
most stick to the recommended size for their wheels - 18's are 225/40/18, 17's are 225/45/17
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Couldn't agree with you more and that's why I'm happy to sacrifice longevity for grip.
Bit like my bike tyres, I use Dunlop Sport Max Quailfiers which are really sticky, semi track tyre but have a poor life span.
I know the Dunlop, Mich, Goodyear are great tyres which last well, but is there a better grip option ?
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EVO did a tyre test in 2007 using a GTI.
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics came top.
The Vredestein Sessanta was a pleasant surprise apparently.
Conti SC3 were 3rd, Bridgestone RE050 4th, Michelin PS2 5th, Pirelli PZ Nero 6th, Kumho 7th, Dunlop 8th, Yoko's 9th (not Parada's tho)
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Mich Pilot Sport Ps2 if can afford them.
Im looking to go to Goodyear F1 Asymettrics as i cant lol
Greenouse can pass comment on the paradas as he has just had a new set fitted on his new rims :happy2:
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I would recommend the Asymetrics as I ran them on my Mk2 Octavia.
I would be putting them on my Ed30 but I have 4 PS2's in the shed from Costco @ £420. :happy2:
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I currently have Goodyear Assyms on the BBS and Vredestein Sessantas on the Team dynamics. Believe you me when I say that there isn't much between them in the grip and go scenario's. My local tyre dealer swears by the Vredesteins and is selling more of them now than any other tyre. :happy2:
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Conti 3's on mine, very happy with them. Will be going for yokohama paradas this summer though :happy2:
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Conti 3's on mine, very happy with them. Will be going for yokohama paradas this summer though :happy2:
I had conti 3's before the Vreds and F1's. I thought the conti's were good until I changed.
Sh!t, I've just realised I've had 5 different types of tyres on the car in under 16k miles :scared: :ashamed: :signLOL:
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Just had a pair of Falken 452's fitted for £139 the pair.
Came highly recomended & very impressed with them, grip is amazing.
& I have experienced conti's, GY asseys, Bridgys & Kumho KU31's (superb dry grip & wear is non existent)
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Goodyear assymetrics all the way for me. :happy2: Grip in the wet is brilliant. :driver:
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Anyone tried the Michelin Pilot sport cup FSL??
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Anyone tried the Michelin Pilot sport cup FSL??
Having driven a CSL in the wet - I wouldn't recommed them for daily use.
Eagle F1 Asymmetrics are excellent tyres and are especially good in the wet.
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I'm currently running standard Edition 30 BBS type 18's with the stock Conti Sport Contact 2 224/45/18 tyres.
So the question is ? Do I just buy more Conti SP2's ? Do I change and go for Perilli's, Michellins or Goodyear or do I go elsewhere and fit Toyo's or Avon's ???
Not really bothered about the money element, just looking for the best option. Rears are Conti SP2's and have shed's of rubber still left on them (I do like having four matching tyres !!)
Pirellis are dangerous - avoid - period!
The ContiSportContact2 isnt the best for grip - but they are superb for big heavy cars running v-max on the Autobahns. Rock steady load carrying abilities, but slightly harsh ride and noisy, especially on smaller, lighter cars such as the GTI. The CSC2 has actually been replaced by the CSC3, which has a slightly softer rubber compound, so might be better for grip.
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics get some seriously diverse and opposing views - some peeps rave about them, and will hear no wrong, dispite their known probs. Others have serious concerns regarding very unacceptable handling traits, and taking an eternity to 'scrub in'. But dispite being an asymmetric tread, and one of the newest to the market, they still use just one rubber compound, which really isn't the best way for asymmetric tyres. They also use an incredibly stiff sidewall, which is basically harking back to cross-ply technology! Oh, and these still have NO OEM approvals! And shocking customer service, dispite repeated concerns raised in the motoring press, including very serious concerns raised in Evo mag, they just bury their heads in the sand - just because there are a hard-core of Goodyear 'fan boys' who will hear no wrong!
Mich Pilot Sport PS2 - these are the best mainstream tyres. Shed loads of OEM approvals, virtually all Porsches leave the factory with these (except for that bug ugly bast@rd child on stilts), they are OEM spec on all Audis, including the RS4, RS6 and R8. OEM spec on BMWs, and all BMW M series cars ONLY use PS2s, and are OEM specs on Mercedes, Reno, Vauxhall, Ford, sh*troen, and PugSnot. You will NOT find a better wet weather cornering ability than a PS2. The PS2, and their 'lesser brother' the Exalto PE2 both use different rubber compounds across the tread width - the outer section is slghtly harder than the inner section, which results in reasonable tread life, truely excellent stability under very hard cornering, yet give excellent wet weather grip too. Oh, and Michelins customer service is truely ace - been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. Dont forget, the PS2s are the fastest road tyres in the world, being the only tyre approved for the mighty 250mph Bugatti Veyron. And they are also the tyre of choice for the nutters on the Isle of Man, who regularly blat around the mountain at speeds of upto 200 mph.
Avon ZZ3 - a very good, if underrated tyre. Not as good as say the PS2 or CSC2, but considerably cheaper, specifically designed for british weather conditions, british tarmac compounds and british drivers. Competent, but not mind blowing. Don't last too long either.
Dunlops - where to start. 99% of peeps will tell you that the original SportMaxx was shyte. Shyte grip, shyte for road noise, shyte for comfort, and a real bast@ard at aquaplaning. SportMaxx GT are slightly better, but still not a patch on the PS2. SportMaxx TT is a very new tyre, and I can't comment on them - but leopard and spots must surely enter the melting pot!
Bridgestones - a mixed bag. RE040 - crap, avoid. RE050 - some very mixed opinions. Some say the RE050s are lethal in the wet, yet others don't seem to mind them. But they are noisy, and again, from what I can gather, only use a single rubber compound.
Yokohamas - seriously over-rated. Crap stability due to soft tyre carcasses. Some Yokos have amazing dry grip though, but are generally pants in the wet. Too many compromises though.
Vredstein Sens-whatevers - ask Hurdy. Though going on what the Vredstein people told me at Inters a couple of years ago, could be compromised by poor stability when the tread wears, due to the lightweight carcass constrution, and the reliance on the tread compound and tread pattern for stability.
Uniroyal - used to be an excellent wet weather tyre - not used em for ages, and don't really seem to hear much about them.
Fulda - german tyres - a good dependable 2nd tier tyre which work well on Mk1 and Mk2 GTIs. Dunno how theyd cope with a relatively heavy Mk5 though.
Kumho - fooking Korean shyte. Their top of the range sports tyre seems to get some good reviews, but the rest of their range are just downright dangerous. How the heck they got any EU approval is beyond me, but they are seriously scary. Non existant grip in the wet. Shocking grip in the dry. They make the ABS work overtime, even under moderate braking. And when cornering in the dry, if you happen to hit the slightest imperfection in the road surface (cats eye, white line, overbanding, manhole cover) - they will instantly brake away - very, VERY scary!
Can't think of any more . . .
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EVO did a tyre test in 2007 using a GTI.
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics came top.
The Vredestein Sessanta was a pleasant surprise apparently.
Conti SC3 were 3rd, Bridgestone RE050 4th, Michelin PS2 5th, Pirelli PZ Nero 6th, Kumho 7th, Dunlop 8th, Yoko's 9th (not Parada's tho)
But like I have always said, that tyre test had a clear and definate BIAS against the Michelin, by NOT using the PS2s in the Extra Load rating . . . .
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only use bridgstone potenza re50a or conti contact 2 . both are very good on road and track .