Hi All,
I'm looking into buying a set of 16"alloys and I'm wondering what size tyres to fit them with.
Initially I was looking at 195/45/R16's but I've been told that anything over size 40 severely limits the life of the gearbox. Is that true or urban myth?
In other words: should I go for 40'or 45's
note: my 6N2 isnt lowered and I wasn't planning on lowering it any time soon.
Cheers!
PH-VAP
16" wheels. What tyre size?
- 6N2 GTI 00
- Bling Bling Diamond Member
- Posts: 4143
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:20 am
- Location: North Wales, Denbighshire - Drives 255bhp EP3 Type R!
Re: 16" wheels. What tyre size?
The Tyres you need mate are 195/40/R16's
Whoever told you that a tyre profile over 40 limits the life of the gearbox needs a mental health check

Whoever told you that a tyre profile over 40 limits the life of the gearbox needs a mental health check
- red6n2
- Bling Bling Diamond Member
- Posts: 2090
- Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:51 pm
- Location: Northampton
Re: 16" wheels. What tyre size?
6N2 GTI 00 wrote:The Tyres you need mate are 195/40/R16's
Whoever told you that a tyre profile over 40 limits the life of the gearbox needs a mental health check
ha ha ha ha !
Re: 16" wheels. What tyre size?
Thanks mate!
I guess the reasoning behind this theory is that 45's make the 16" wheels 'too large' and therefore the gearbox needs to work harder to make em spin.
It sounded reasonable when I read it at the time
. A load of rubbish then?
Cheers.
PH-VAP
I guess the reasoning behind this theory is that 45's make the 16" wheels 'too large' and therefore the gearbox needs to work harder to make em spin.
It sounded reasonable when I read it at the time
Cheers.
PH-VAP
-
f6had
- Bronze Member
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:06 pm
- Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire
- Contact:
Re: 16" wheels. What tyre size?
No what the 45 profile on a 195 wide tyre against a 16' rim does is knock the rolling radius out - so your speedo reading will be wrong for a start.
Re: 16" wheels. What tyre size?
Right, in the coming few weeks I should be the proud new owner of these..
http://www.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=http ... m=1&itbs=1
..fitted with Toyo proxes T1-R 195/40/R16

http://www.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=http ... m=1&itbs=1
..fitted with Toyo proxes T1-R 195/40/R16
- 6N2 GTI 00
- Bling Bling Diamond Member
- Posts: 4143
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:20 am
- Location: North Wales, Denbighshire - Drives 255bhp EP3 Type R!
Re: 16" wheels. What tyre size?
NicePH-VAP wrote:Right, in the coming few weeks I should be the proud new owner of these..
http://www.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=http ... m=1&itbs=1
..fitted with Toyo proxes T1-R 195/40/R16
- Mart!n-GTI-DK
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 1401
- Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 7:43 pm
- Drives: '14 Polo BlueGT
- Location: Denmark
- Contact:
Re: 16" wheels. What tyre size?
I had 195/45-16 on my 7x16" BBS RX's when I bought them.
They rubbed like crazy in the inner wheel arches when i was turning.
195/40-16 is perfect. That's what I have on now.

They rubbed like crazy in the inner wheel arches when i was turning.
195/40-16 is perfect. That's what I have on now.


