What did you and your Polo do today?

[Andy Beats]

@monkeyhanger just seen this: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/michel ... ry-3184920 damn wish I had my GTI now but still got 2-3 months wait... wonder if I should by now..?

Blimey, that's a bargain.
Further offset the cost by selling the original 215s.

[monkeyhanger]

@monkeyhanger just seen this: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/michel ... ry-3184920 damn wish I had my GTI now but still got 2-3 months wait... wonder if I should by now..?

Blimey, that's a bargain.
Further offset the cost by selling the original 215s.

That is a bargain - basically a tenner cheaper than mine when you add a tenner per corner for fitting.

Trouble with offloading 215s is the fact no one fits them as original equipment- it's a niche size, hence why they cost 40% more than the 225s. I will put them up on eBay as a collection only sale once I measure current tread depth.

[monkeyhanger]

Are you bothering telling your insurance?
There's some stuff I wouldn't bother telling insurance about, but tyre size is too easily spotted by an assessor.

It hadn't occurred to me as a tyre change with a slight difference in width, well within what is considered normal for the wheel size isn't a mod (not a performance mod or one to make the car more attractive to thieves like a flashy set of non standard alloys) in my mind.

With the 215 being such a niche width, no one keeps stock (not even the bigger branches of Kwik fit or Costco), could easily explain away needing a set of stock tyres in a hurry, like driving through glass and buggering 2 tyres therefore needing to replace there and then, settling on 225s.

I can't imagine it adding any premium, so I will let them know.

The physical width of the wheel including fitted tyre isn't noticeably different, certainly the back face of the tyre doesn't project more than 3mm proud of the wheel rim (as the 215 tyre did). There's more of a lip on the front face but I'd attribute it to the 92XL load/lip rating. The 215 tyre wall tapers in more on the sidewall to the tread width than the 225 does (the 225 tyre sits squarer on the wheel).

[monkeyhanger]

Looking at a tyre size for rim size calculator it would appear that a 7.5J rim will take anything between 205mm-235mm with a 215 and 225 being an ideal fit. so 225 looks good to me.

It will. The Golf GTI's and R's 18" standard wheels are 7.5J 18, just like the Polo's Brescia. Perfectly normal to fit that wheel size with 225s.

[monkeyhanger]

Thanks for the feedback. To be clear, my measurements were calculating the width increase not the diameter of the wheel. I still make it 6mm increase in width with 4.65% increase in tyre width. I agree with your measurements that you wheel diameter has increased by 8mm giving a diameter increase of 1.27%. I thought the max 1.5% rule that I was told was on width, not diameter. Again I'm happy to be wrong and as you have found a saving of £160 for all four tyres I'd like to do the same but I do worry that fitting an extra 6mm of width on rims that were made for 215/40 tyres cannot be good. As the wheel size is 7.5J x 18" and if the reason VW chose to fit 215/40 tyres was because of clearance in the wheel arches and that 225/40 tyres have been run on these rims on the golf then I see no reason why 225/40s cannot be used on the polo GTI if the clearance is sorted.

Also, I'm interested in hearing what others think about what Andy has mentioned about insurers? Do they need to be told about this? Afterall it would be a modification away from the factory spec.

VWs reason to fit 215/40s is more likely to be down to economy reasons, just squeezing into a lower emissions bracket with slightly better economy (on paper at least - a 225 with a good fuel economy rating will probably do better mpg that a 215 with a poor fuel economy rating).

There are no restrictions on tyre/wheel width as far as I'm aware, as long as the tyre width is suitable for the wheel width (limits on how much you can stretch a tyre almost certainly have limits - Maybe the numbers you quote.

Diameter increase limits (possibly guidelines only) is no more than +3% from stock as far as I'm aware, so +1.27% is well within.

As long as you make sure you have clearances to avoid rubbing in use, you can stick wider wheels/narrower wheels on the car. Of course a wheel size/type change is 100% a declarable mod for insurance purposes.

[monkeyhanger]

Thoughts today on the tyres:-

Mpg going to work n the dry/9C was as good as it gets for a school holidays commute (fewer cars on the road) 37mpg and 29mph ave speed for my 13 miles.

Mpg home was poor - it was raining, more cars on the road than normal as I was 20 mins late in leaving work (more rush hour traffic) - 32mpg and 20mph ave speed, would normally expect 33mpg in those conditions - Maybe natural variance.

Tramping - still a tendancy to tramp in the dry, but with 50% throttle from a standstill (30% throttle on the Bridgestones). Tramping tendancy from standstill is no worse in the wet.

Foot down in 2nd from 15mph induces no tramping - this is a huge improvement on the Bridgestones, which would still tramp in 2nd at 50% throttle.

Ride is noticeably improved (smoother, more compliant), but the difference is not so big as it was on my Golf R going from Bridgestone Potenzas to Michelin PSS - the Potenza is a harder tyre than the Turanza, and I suspect the PSS is softer than the PS4, so bigger gap on before/after hardness for the R.

Noise - as above for ride, quieter, but noise reduction for the R was bigger for reasons set out above re. hardness.

Turning grip - Turning right at a crossroads from a standstill to a fair pace is greatly improved on the Turanzas.

[green justin]

Thoughts today on the tyres:-

Mpg going to work n the dry/9C was as good as it gets for a school holidays commute (fewer cars on the road) 37mpg and 29mph ave speed for my 13 miles.

Mpg home was poor - it was raining, more cars on the road than normal as I was 20 mins late in leaving work (more rush hour traffic) - 32mpg and 20mph ave speed, would normally expect 33mpg in those conditions - Maybe natural variance.

Please post pictures of the tyres on the rims.
I noticed some tyre manufacturers have a skinny profile look compared to other brands.same size spec.

Tramping - still a tendancy to tramp in the dry, but with 50% throttle from a standstill (30% throttle on the Bridgestones). Tramping tendancy from standstill is no worse in the wet.

Foot down in 2nd from 15mph induces no tramping - this is a huge improvement on the Bridgestones, which would still tramp in 2nd at 50% throttle.

Ride is noticeably improved (smoother, more compliant), but the difference is not so big as it was on my Golf R going from Bridgestone Potenzas to Michelin PSS - the Potenza is a harder tyre than the Turanza, and I suspect the PSS is softer than the PS4, so bigger gap on before/after hardness for the R.

Noise - as above for ride, quieter, but noise reduction for the R was bigger for reasons set out above re. hardness.

Turning grip - Turning right at a crossroads from a standstill to a fair pace is greatly improved on the Turanzas.

[monkeyhanger]

Please post pictures of the tyres on the rims.
I noticed some tyre manufacturers have a skinny profile look compared to other brands.same size spec.

OK, here they are, with an XL protective lip that's about 7mm deep.

[MilgeS]

Please post pictures of the tyres on the rims.
I noticed some tyre manufacturers have a skinny profile look compared to other brands.same size spec.

OK, here they are, with an XL protective lip that's about 7mm deep.

Nice! I will be looking for the biggest protective lip when I go to change tyres in the future, these are a good option all round, thanks for posting your buying and fitting experience, really useful

[monkeyhanger]

After a bout of shopping in Newcastle, just got in the house and the heavens opened up. 5 minutes of insanely heavy rain - enough to set the Polo's alarm off (but not the Golf R's parked next to it. That's a first for me, in any alarmed car.

[Scotty_boy vw]

Today I retro fitted the glovebox light which should have been there from factory.i have a halogen light in there just now but I have a genuine LED light on its way.

Glovebox Lighting

Next MOD will be LED door warning lights.

Scott

[Adam_013]

Today I retro fitted the glovebox light which should have been there from factory.i have a halogen light in there just now but I have a genuine LED light on its way.

35C54209-FD88-49C0-94A9-9F4C1F4227D8.jpeg

CFF585BA-E3F6-4BD9-B221-53221730BAA0.jpeg

Next MOD will be LED door warning lights.

Scott

Looks good - did you find the wiring already there or did you run a feed to it.

Thanks.

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[Andy Beats]

All this talk of tyres tramping and stuff...
Get a 95bhp one.
The high gearing means the only wheelspin you'll experience is in snow.....
Floor it in first in the wet, not even the chance of wheelspin....

[Adam_013]

All this talk of tyres tramping and stuff...
Get a 95bhp one.
The high gearing means the only wheelspin you'll experience is in snow.....
Floor it in first in the wet, not even the chance of wheelspin....

Unless you have the amazing falken tyres on. Excellent in the dry, in the wet you may as well just be driving on your rims [emoji23][emoji23]

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[Scotty_boy vw]

Today I retro fitted the glovebox light which should have been there from factory.i have a halogen light in there just now but I have a genuine LED light on its way.
35C54209-FD88-49C0-94A9-9F4C1F4227D8.jpegCFF585BA-E3F6-4BD9-B221-53221730BAA0.jpeg

Next MOD will be LED door warning lights.

Scott

Looks good - did you find the wiring already there or did you run a feed to it.

Thanks.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Hi Adam

I had my mate make me the loom then i fitted it with the switch.

scott