Tire and wheel question from a newbie
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Joined: Feb 2001
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Tire and wheel question from a newbie
I really like the looks of some of the 18 inch wheels some of you have put on your TT's. Being a TTneophyte, I could use your advice on this: what are the issues with getting the bigger wheels/wider tires? What are the tradeoffs wrt to ride, etc.? Thanks.
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Bigger wheels look cooler...
Also, larger radius wheels means that the contact patch is longer in the direction they are traveling (as opposed to "wider" like it would be with wider tires). This is useful on rear-wheel drive cars if you spin the tires a lot - which is quite difficult to do on a quattro TT (unless it is raining) with good tires (sticky tires - not the RE040's). So, I don't believe larger radius tires really add much to a TT besides looking really friggin' cool. Wider tires can improve turning performance by offering a wider patch but if you only have a 180TT it might actually degrade the performance. Going to 235 seems to be a popular choice though.
The downsides... Larger wheels are heavier in general and that will have an effect on the TT's acceleration. Of course, most people who invest in larger radius wheels also tend to buy light wheels. You also need to get a tire with a thinner sidewall (40 instead of 45) which means a rougher ride and more danger of tire bubbles and blowouts from hitting potholes.
Personally I prefer the stock 225/45/17 tires but I may go with 235/40/18 wheels when I can afford it. Tires become much more expensive when you go up to 18" and max performance tires usually only last 15-20k miles at most.
The downsides... Larger wheels are heavier in general and that will have an effect on the TT's acceleration. Of course, most people who invest in larger radius wheels also tend to buy light wheels. You also need to get a tire with a thinner sidewall (40 instead of 45) which means a rougher ride and more danger of tire bubbles and blowouts from hitting potholes.
Personally I prefer the stock 225/45/17 tires but I may go with 235/40/18 wheels when I can afford it. Tires become much more expensive when you go up to 18" and max performance tires usually only last 15-20k miles at most.
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Nov 17, 2001 05:40 PM